Page 18 of Alpha Wolf’s Arranged Bride (Rose Hollow Wolves #1)

When I hear Jarrod’s voice, it’s shocking enough that it feels like reality has cracked. I feel like I need to grab the counter to support myself, like Rex has been doing since I spelled out the truth to him.

I still can’t believe I had to, but maybe part of his mind refused to recognize it because it was just too traumatic.

Even though I am interested in the excessive mental gymnastics it must have taken for Rex to avoid this knowledge, I have far bigger problems right now.

Jarrod glares at both of us, his eyes glittering with a mixture of shock and anger. He’s old enough to know I’ve willfully lied to him and be severely hurt by it.

He may never trust me again.

“Jarrod,” I say, going over to put my hands on his shoulders. “I’m so sorry you had to find out this way.”

“Mom,” he says, shaking his head and stepping back. “What are you saying?”

“Come into the kitchen, please,” I say, filled with a sudden fear that he might just turn around and run. “Let me explain things.”

“I’ll make you a hot chocolate,” Rex says, turning back to the stove. “We should all have some breakfast while we talk this out.”

“No, wait,” Jarrod says, pushing past me to go to Rex. “You didn’t know, did you?”

“No, kiddo,” Rex answers. “I had no idea until just now.”

“Mom said my dad took off before I was born. You did that? You left us?”

I can see the pain in Rex’s eyes, but I have no desire to rescue him from it. I’m just as interested in his answer as Jarrod is.

“I did,” Rex admits. “But I didn’t know your mom was pregnant, I swear.”

“Does it matter? You were with her, then you left!” Jarrod challenges him.

I love my kid so much right now.

“Jarrod.” Rex closes his eyes briefly, then puts a hand on Jarrod’s shoulder. “I am sorry. There was a very good reason for what I did, and I hope I’ll be able to explain it to you, but I want you to know everything I’ve done, I’ve done to protect you and your mom.”

We’ll definitely be returning to that question.

Jarrod turns to look at me, and I can’t stand the hurt in his eyes. “But you knew,” he says to me. “You must have known from the first moment you saw him, and you didn’t tell me!”

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry,” I say, holding his shoulders and giving him a big hug. “I couldn’t. You know how things were back at our pack, don’t you?”

Jarrod nods, wiping his nose as he holds back tears. “Uh-huh. Everyone was really mean to us.”

“That’s right. If I had suddenly told everyone that the man I’m marrying is actually your father, it would have made things a whole lot worse.”

Actually, it would have been an all-out brawl, if not a lynch mob.

“But… you wanted to run away,” Jarrod says.

I see Rex react to this information, but I just keep my focus on Jarrod. “Yes, I did, but I didn’t know who I was marrying. I just knew that it was extremely dangerous for us in Eccles, and I wanted to keep you safe.”

Jarrod looks between us, his face swiveling back and forth. “You could have told me,” Jarrod says, looking into my eyes. “Ever since we got here, you could have told me at any time, but you didn’t.”

“I didn’t know how!” I cry, tears pouring down my cheeks as I finally lose my cool. “I’m so sorry, Jarrod, I really am. But I didn’t know how. I was so hurt and confused, and I—”

“Mom,” Jarrod whispers as he puts his arms around me and hugs me tight. “It’s okay. Please don’t cry.”

I feel Rex’s arms go around both of us, and even though my heart is still full of suspicion over Rex’s secrets, I can feel his love, and I genuinely believe he didn’t want to hurt us.

Jarrod pulls back and looks up at Rex, his smile brightening his eyes.

“I just can’t be mad,” he says. “I’m too happy that you’re my dad!”

“I know what you mean, kiddo,” Rex says, hugging him. “I wish I had been there for the rest of your life, but I can tell you this right now—I’ll be there for every single day from here on out!”

“That sounds great,” Jarrod says, hugging him back. “I like it here in Rose Hollow, and I love having you as my dad!”

My fears melt away as I watch Jarrod hugging his father. It’s clear that the two of them truly love each other, and it’s even sweeter that they loved each other before they found out they were related.

“Okay, kiddo,” Rex says. “Do you want that hot chocolate now?”

“I sure do!” Jarrod answers.

The three of us make breakfast, sitting down at the table together to eat and talk. Rex and I steer the conversation far away from any of the difficult topics, and for a while, it feels like we’re a real family.

Rex has planned to take us out for the day and help us get to know the town, so after we get dressed, we will go out and start with a walk down Main Street.

Rex takes us inside most of the shops to meet the owners and staff, and I get to know the guild leaders and what they do.

People stop in the street to introduce themselves and welcome us, and I start to feel overwhelmed by it.

For years, I’ve walked down the street, and people go right by me as if I’m invisible. Now, I’m the center of attention, and I don’t know how to handle it.

I end up holding Rex’s hand, smiling and nodding politely, trying not to show how out of place I feel. I’m truly touched by the way the pack accepts Jarrod, and how Rex often introduces him as his son and heir.

We can just leave out the little part about us actually meeting five years ago. Why not?

I can’t deny I’m still troubled by Rex’s secrets, but it helps a lot to see Jarrod so happy, and for the pack to take him in as their own.

We have lunch at a café, then move on to the school, where Jarrod meets the teachers and other kids.

Mrs. Florence assures him a position in the art class, and by the time we leave, Jarrod is completely exhausted but beaming from ear to ear.

Rex takes us out to a local diner for burgers, then we finish up at the ice cream parlor, where Jarrod attempts to eat his weight in double chocolate chip.

When we get home, Jarrod is sound asleep, and Rex carries him inside to put him to bed. The moment feels bittersweet to me because I often dreamed of it, and even though it’s finally happening, there is still so much I don’t know.

After we tuck Jarrod in, I go to get changed and freshen up, finding Rex sitting up in bed when I get there. Even though I can feel the tension in the room, I also feel like it might be finally time to share some of our secrets.

As I get into bed, Rex takes my hand, and I squeeze gently, turning to face him and keeping my hold on him.

I may not fully trust him, but I’m completely done denying my attraction to him.

It hurts too much to lie about that, and we have to move forward somehow—and we are moving forward.

Jarrod is safe here, and the pack adore him.

I feel more accepted here than I ever did at home, and I think we could have a real future…

“Rex,” I say very softly. “We need to talk.”

“I know,” he says. “I think it’s finally time for all our secrets to come out.”

I nod, looking away into my lap.

“It was hard to hear you talking about what happened after I left,” Rex says. “I never imagined the pack would put you through hell like that.”

I chuckle under my breath. “Being a single mother is probably the worst social crime you can commit in Eccles. My uncle already thought I was worthless. I didn’t directly reveal you were the father because everyone thought you were a traitor, and I thought they might hurt Jarrod, but I think most people knew, anyway. ”

“Well, here’s the thing,” Rex says with a sigh. “I am a traitor.”

“No shit,” I mutter, chuckling. “You’re the alpha of Eccles’s ancient enemies!”

“No, not just that,” he says, smiling. “I went into Eccles on a secret mission.”

“You fucking what?” I ask, letting go of his hand and backing up a bit.

“Look,” Rex says, sighing. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I really want you to know the truth. I feel awful about leaving you the way I did, and the only way to even try to make up for it is to tell you why it happened.”

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“There is a secret organization called Wolf’s Shadow. It exists to protect our community from the human world and prevent conflicts between them and us. Operatives are called Shadows, and I became a Shadow almost immediately after high school.”

“If it’s secret, how did you get recruited?”

“They run tests at most high schools once a year,” he explains. “They present it as a special scholarship, which it actually kind of is.”

“You’re a secret agent,” I say, shaking my head a little. “Like an actual, proper black-ops guy.”

“Yeah,” he replies, grinning. “Sorry if it’s shocking.”

“It’s more than shocking,” I say, putting my hand on my forehead as if I can stop my skull from breaking open. “Is that why you left me? For a mission?”

“Yes,” he answers, looking a little withdrawn.

“I had orders to move out the next morning to ensure my cover didn’t get blown.

But Scarlett,”—Rex leans forward and takes my hands, looking urgently into my eyes—“I shouldn’t have slept with you.

I know that. All I wanted to do was find you so I could say goodbye, for my own sake.

I couldn’t tell you I was leaving, but I needed to see you before I left.

I never intended for anything to happen. ”

I try to absorb his words, the meaning behind them.

“I was weak,” he says, looking away. “I was selfish. I had to be with you. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity because I thought I’d never see you again, and if I didn’t have you, at least once, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”

“Rex,” I whisper, squeezing his hands and shuffling closer to him. “I understand. There is a part of me that is angry you slept with me knowing you were going to leave, but here’s the thing—I would have regretted it, too.”

“Really?” he asks.

“Yes. If I woke up that morning and you’d vanished, I would have always wondered what it was like to be with you.

I like having those memories, even though they often hurt me.

” I lean forward and give him a quick kiss on the lips.

“Now, they don’t hurt so much. And you gave me Jarrod.

If you hadn’t been with me that night, our son wouldn’t have been born. I can never regret that.”

“Nor could I,” Rex agrees. “I hope some of your questions have been answered now.”

“Yes,” I reply. “But what I don’t understand is why you went undercover in Eccles in the first place. Do they really pose such a threat to the human world?”

“They might,” Rex replies. “At the moment, it’s about risk assessment. I couldn’t find out anything while I was there, and the last five years have been very quiet. Wolf’s Shadow hasn’t taken their eyes off them, though.”

“But why?”

“Scarlett,” he says, staring at me. “Are you sure you don’t know anything about the work they’re doing outside of town?”

Even though I don’t, my chest still tightens as if I’m about to lie.

“I have no idea why they’re digging,” I answer.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I said I’m sure! You still haven’t answered my question. Why does Wolf’s Shadow think Eccles is dangerous?”

Rex sighs, looking away before leveling his eyes on mine again. I feel like he’s trying to search for the truth inside me, and I wish I could give it to him.

“There is a legend about ancient spirits,” he says.

“The database cross-referenced packs throughout decades, and there are multiple reports of something big going down there. It’s usually referred to as an explosion, but reports don’t match that.

All we know is, a tremendously powerful force rises from the town and decimates the surrounding area.

Once, it almost made it out of the woods, where humans would have definitely seen it. ”

“What stops it?”

“We don’t know. We don’t have enough intel.”

“Do all these stories come from Rose Hollow?”

“Some do, but like I said, it’s been cross-referenced with other reports. It’s not just tales—there’s evidence.”

I stare down at my lap, nibbling on my lip as Rex’s words sink in. I’m linking it to our urban legends, my parents’ questions, and Uncle Azarian, and I’m not liking what it all adds up to.

“If you know anything, Scarlett, please,” Rex implores, “it’s for the safety of all of us.”

“Rex, I truly don’t know any details,” I say honestly. “There are some stories, and maybe even some suspicious goings-on, but I don’t want to think about it right now. I doubt any of it is going to be helpful to you, anyway.”

“Let me decide that,” he says. “If something big is going to go down over there, we need to know. Rose Hollow could be the first hit, and my guys in WS should get a heads-up.”

Fear for Jarrod, what my uncle might do to him, seeps through me. Now I actually have some evidence that the crazy old stories are true, and my uncle is involved.

Even if there is no power and it is just a story, Uncle looks ready to start sacrificing kids so he can find out.

“Scarlett?” Rex asks.

“Just hold me,” I murmur, reaching out to him. “Please, just hold me.”

We curl up together under the covers, and with Rex’s strong arms around me, I’ve never felt so safe. Jarrod and I are far away from Uncle Azarian now, and I want to forget about him and his schemes, at least for tonight.