Page 5

Considering the danger she had put herself in, I felt like I had controlled my anger admirably. Anyone else who would have disobeyed a direct order like she had would have faced steep consequences for their stupidity. I still hadn’t ruled it out, but for now, I let her go to check on Jenny.

Her daughter was the only truly innocent one in all of this. I hadn’t heard more than ten words from her since she stepped out of the van last night, but even I could see that she was a kind-hearted girl. She clearly idolized her mother. That kind of blind loyalty was admirable, but if Christa continued going against my directives, it was going to land both of them in a pile of trouble. I would need to be on my guard to make sure neither of them got on the wrong side of the other Dark Alphas again.

I did a quick check to ensure my outdoor security measures were still in place. I had forgotten to enable the alarms when I went to sleep last night, but I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

When I was sure that everything was in place, I headed back inside and went to the kitchen. It was early, and I hadn’t had coffee yet. Soon, the sound of coffee percolating and bacon sizzling filled the house. Moments later, I heard the bedroom door open, and soft footsteps padded into the living room.

“Colson?” Christa asked hesitantly.

“In here,” I responded.

She came into view, Jenny a step behind her. I could tell that the girl was afraid of me, and I winced slightly.

“Jenny is hungry,” Christa explained. “Can I get her something to eat?”

“Of course,” I said. “I made plenty of breakfast. What can I get for you, kiddo?”

“Anything is fine,” Jenny responded.

She sat down at the kitchen table and waited patiently while her mother filled a plate with toast, bacon, and fruit. Christa placed it on the table in front of Jenny alongside a glass of orange juice.

“Aren’t you going to eat with me?” Jenny asked her mother.

“You go ahead, baby. I’m not hungry right now,” Christa said, petting Jenny’s straight blond hair. Her touch was tender, at odds with the ferocity she had shown toward me and everyone else since last night. Just from watching this short interaction between them, I could see that Christa had turned into a wonderful mother. Just like I had always thought she would be.

“Are you sure, Mom? You always said breakfast is the most important meal,” Jenny argued. The girl was shy, but I could see that her reticence covered up a feisty interior.

“It’s the most important meal for growing girls like you,” Christa said with a smile. “Eat up, sugar plum.”

As Jenny dug into her plate, I remembered that Christa had never been much of a breakfast person, but she drank coffee like her life depended on it. I poured her a cup, pushing it wordlessly across the kitchen island toward her. Our eyes met as she picked it up.

Goddess, she’s gorgeous.

I felt a prick of jealousy as I thought about Jenny’s father. Christa had lived an entire life without me in the past ten years. She had been committed enough to someone—a human, even—that she had decided to have a child with him. I wanted to know more about their story, but I also dreaded finding out the truth. Had she been happy with him? Is that why she was trying so hard to leave?

“Thank you for breakfast, Mr. Colson,” Jenny said when she finished eating.

“You’re welcome,” I replied, taken aback by her politeness. I hadn’t spent much time with children, but I was under the impression that they were mostly self-serving and less likely to have good manners. “You can just call me Colson, though.”

She smiled at me and brought her plate to the sink, which she began to clean.

“I can do that,” I told her.

“She’s used to doing the dishes at home,” Christa explained.

“It’s my chore,” Jenny announced proudly. “That and cleaning my room. And sometimes taking out the trash, but only if Mom asks me to.”

“Your dad doesn’t take out the trash?” I asked, hoping it came across as an innocent question. I hadn’t intended to be so forthright, but I couldn’t help but take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about Christa’s life.

“I’ve never met my dad. It’s just me and Mom. We’re a team,” Jenny stated with a smile.

“That’s right. Team Lionel,” Christa told her daughter with a smile.

She still has her maiden name, Orin pointed out.

And Jenny’s never met her father, I added. Why would that be the case? It seemed unlikely that Christa would have fallen in love with a human when she mentioned that Jenny couldn’t shift. There has to be more going on there.

The timeline is suspicious , Orin agreed.

“Well, when you’re here, you don’t have to do any chores,” I told Jenny. “You and your mom are guests here.”

Jenny smiled and relinquished the dish rag.

“Say, Jenny,” I said. “How old are you?”

“I turned nine last month,” she announced proudly.

“Well, that’s perfect, because my neighbor has a daughter who is about your age, and she brought some clothes over for you to borrow,” I told her. “They’re in a bag in the living room.”

Jenny scurried out of the room to look at her clothes while Christa gave me a hard look.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she responded. “I’m going to show Jenny where the bathroom is and grab her a towel so she can get cleaned up.”

I nodded, and Christa left the room. A few minutes later, she returned, and I heard the sound of the shower running from down the hall.

“Find everything you needed?” I asked.

“Yes,” Christa said.

“Great. Now, I have a few questions for you,” I said flatly. I had been waiting for an opportunity to talk to her one-on-one, and now that Jenny was out of the room, I didn’t think I would be able to contain them any longer. Especially since I now knew that Jenny had never met her father before.

“Questions about what?” she asked tersely.

I wasn’t used to this version of Christa. The girl I had known was all light and laughter. Now, when Christa spoke to me, it was all harshness and sharp edges.

“About your life, and about Jenny,” I said. “I didn’t want to overstep in front of her, but I think it’s time you gave me an explanation.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” she replied haughtily. “Least of all, information about my daughter. My life since you ran off without a word is none of your business. If anything, you are the one who owes me an explanation.”

She was getting heated, and I knew I had struck a nerve. Her gray eyes flashed with a hint of blue as she glared at me. I may not be used to her anymore, but I couldn’t deny that I still found her wildly attractive. The way her hair fell across her shoulders and trailed past her collarbones drew my attention downward, toward her slim waist that was punctuated by a firm backside and curvy breasts. The perfect hourglass shape.

Focus , I reminded myself.

“Don’t try to shift the focus away from my questions. Tell me honestly: is Jenny my daughter?” I asked.

My heart was beating out of my chest as I waited with bated breath for her answer. I couldn’t get over the feeling that the girl was mine. The timeline of her birth was just too suspicious for me to believe that Christa had gotten pregnant immediately after me leaving Sparkle Hollow.

“Of course she isn’t,” Christa scoffed. “I already told you, she’s half-human.”

“That’s what you told me, but I don’t believe you,” I said.

“Don’t you think she would be a shifter if she was your daughter?” Christa pointed out.

Although it wasn’t completely unheard of for shifter parents to create a non-shifter child, the chances of that happening were admittedly low.

“Were you cheating on me?” I asked, doing my best to sound nonchalant. In truth, although that scenario made the most sense for the timeline, knowing that she had been unfaithful would crush me. There was nothing in the world I prized more than loyalty, and I thought she’d felt the same.

“Colson Marsden, how dare you,” she seethed, stepping toward me. “How dare you ask me such an insane question. I was loyal to you. Every moment of what we had together was the truth. Can you really say the same?”

I winced. I had never—would never—cheated on Christa. But that didn’t mean that my actions had put her first.

“I think we both know I have regrets,” I murmured.

Christa’s expression softened at my admission, and I saw a glimpse of the girl she had once been. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull her close, bringing us both back to that time. But that time was gone. Long gone.

I placed my hand on her cheek, unable to control myself when I was in such close proximity to her. It may have been a long time ago, but my heart still ached for her. I couldn’t go another moment without feeling her warmth against my skin.

“Why do you have so many questions about Jenny?” Christa asked.

“It’s not just about Jenny,” I admitted. “Seeing you again… I just had to know. I’ve thought of you so many times over the years, but I never thought I’d see you again. I admit I’m feeling a bit like a fish out of water right now.”

“That makes two of us,” she said with a sigh, and placed one hand on my waist.

That one touch seemed to ignite a fire that spread throughout my entire body, but instead of acting on it, I remained motionless. For a long moment, we stood with one hand placed on the other.

“Did you marry him?” I asked suddenly.

“Marry who?”

“Jenny’s father. Did you marry him?” I repeated.

I saw her swallow, the motion drawing my attention to her neck. My eyes roved down toward her breasts before I realized what I was doing and refocused on her face.

“No,” she whispered. “I didn’t marry him.”

She still belongs to us , Orin roared ferociously. It doesn’t matter how many other men she’s known. She is still unclaimed.

Although the mention of Christa knowing other men made me flinch internally, I couldn’t help but agree with Orin. I had always known that she was our true mate. From the way she was acting toward me right now, I thought she might feel the same.

I bent forward to kiss her, unwilling to let this moment pass, but she jumped back suddenly.

“Jenny’s out of the shower,” she said.

The sound of running water had stopped. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, knowing that nothing more could happen between Christa and me right now.

We have time , Orin reminded me excitedly.

“I should go check on her,” Christa continued.

“Of course,” I said, returning my hands to my pockets.

She gave me a backwards glance as she left the room, and I felt my heart soar with the possibility of rekindling things with her. There was nothing that would make me let her go again.

You’re right, Orin. I’m not going to make the same mistake with her again.