Page 111 of A Chance at Redemption for the Alpha

Behind her back, I can see Dad and Eugene exchange a glance. Yeah, to them, it must be both hilarious and annoying to see Silas being so nice to Mom while he freezes everyone else out.

“How about we set a date immediately?” I offer, hoping it will make her less anxious.

“In two weeks, it will be my birthday, and the pack will celebrate,” Silas pitches in. “I would love for you to come.”

Mom’s eyes light up. “That sounds amazing!”

“Is it an invitation for all of us?” Dad finally asks.

Silas’ lips curl into his signature icy smile. “Well, you all seem to come in a package, so of course the invitation is extended to the…“ He adds a dramatic pause. “Whole family.” He shakes his head. “This reminds me of the 19th century, when one of my friends took a lady as his beloved.”

“The 19th century?” Eugene asks, shocked. “Just how old are you, Lord Silas?”

“Old enough to know how to protect what’s mine,” Silas says in an overly polite tone.

“Alright, let’s get going,” I say cheerfully, trying to shoo Silas and Eugene apart, before either of them loses their patience. I am just incredibly thankful for Silas being here with me. Having him next to me just put my whole mind at ease and helped me deal with this whole situation so much easier.

Before we can leave, Mom suddenly steps forward and hugs me. To my shock, she breaks into tears. I hug her. “I am so sorry I didn’t protect you more,” she whispers. “I should have had your back. I have been thinking about this so much. I didn’t want you to leave the pack, and pushed for you to stay and do something that was completely out of your nature. I should have supported you instead.”

I am not sure what to say, so I just hug her, hoping that when she visits us, she will see how happy I am with my current life.

“I can’t believe we made it out of that pack,” Silas comments when we all take a seat in my jeep again. Sheila is driving in the other car with the victims.

“For real!” Benjamin grins. “A heads up would have been nice, Alpha.”

“Aw, look at who is suddenly finding his sass and making demands,” I tease.

Benjamin grins. It’s such a difference from how he was a couple of weeks ago. Every wrong look from me would trigger his fight or flight response, and now he can even joke with me.

Flo is the last one to squeeze herself into my car. She was adamant about driving with me. “So, fill me in,” I tell Flo while maneuvering us out of the pack. “I got the story from Mom and Dad, but I need your perspective now.”

“Got you,” she says. “After you left, it was utter chaos.”

“Really? So, it’s true what my parents said.”

“Of course, rumors were flying around left and right, and obviously, everyone noticed you were missing. Your parents sent almost all of our warriors out to find you, but boy, you know how to disappear. Where did you stay before you built your own pack?”

“Honestly, I was a rogue at first and helped two young wolves, which is how the idea of my pack was born,” I admit. “It’s also how I met Silas.”

“Yes, I was on the run, too,” Silas verifies.

“Goddess,” Flo mutters. “I wasn’t aware you were living as a rogue.”

“Don’t tell anyone, please,” I say. “I don’t want them to be even more upset.”

She nods. “I’ll make sure to keep it to myself. What about Eugene?”

“He will find out for sure,” I say. “But I doubt he would tell Mom. I bet he won’t want to worry her either.”

Flo eyes me curiously. “How did it feel to be back?”

“Honestly, weird. I don’t even know how to feel. It’s hard to reconnect with my family,” I admit. “This wasnothow I imagined it to happen. I thought I’d have more control over how it happened.”

“Maybe it was better that way,” Silas muses.

“Maybe. That way I wasn’t able to overthink it.” I gaze at Flo. “Tell me more about you. You said you are a nurse now?”

“Never thought that would become my passion,” she admits. “When you left, I took a job at the infirmary while wondering what to do. I wanted to study literature first, but somehow, I really liked the work there, so… I studied to become a nurse. Weird, huh?”