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Satisfied that Nico is happily playing with the other kids and confident enough to stay there on his own, I head back towards the park benches. I see Winnie and Clara still chatting at the picnic table. I don’t know if I’m happy about that or not.

I want Clara to be accepted by my family and have friends, but she and Winnie together, thick as thieves, could be the ultimate torture for me!

Yet, though I know the two of them could find many creative ways to make my life a living hell, I can’t stop grinning as I cross the park towards them. Both of them are smiling and laughing together, and Clara looks more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her.

“Here he is, the man of the hour,” Winnie announces when she sees me approaching. “How’s the kid? You didn’t lose him in the woods, did you?”

“Winnie!” I groan in exasperation. I shake my head quickly in response to Clara’s panicked look. “It’s perfectly okay,” I say. “He’s playing with some of the other kids, and I think it’s good for him. Other parents are watching them, and they’ll call me if there are any problems. I have to go back to the council meeting. And I need you to come along, Clara.”

“What?” she says with a frown. “Why?”

I sigh, shaking my head. “They just want to discuss ongoing plans for our union and how it affects the pack. I’m sorry I didn’t let you know earlier, but I was hoping to get out of it.”

Over the last half hour, I’ve gotten several texts from Sherman and George reminding me that the meeting wasn’t over when I left. I thought if I stayed away, they’d get bored and postpone, but it looks like I’m out of luck today.

And I’m pretty sure I know what they want to talk about, and why Clara has to be there.

“Far be it for me to stand in the way of boring bureaucracy,” Winnie says. “That’s my cue to leave. Catch up soon, Clara?”

“Sure thing,” Clara says, smiling. “Can’t wait.”

“I’ll let you know how it goes,” Winnie says, giving her a wink.

Clara giggles, covering her mouth.

That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, and I’ve only waited seven years and two days to hear it again.

“Should I be worried?” I joke, giving Winnie a look.

“Always,” she says, blowing me a kiss. “Later, bro.”

I watch Winnie go, then hold out my hand to Clara. She gives me a wary look.

“We should look united and happy,” I remind her gently. “We are out in public, after all.”

“You’re right,” she concedes, taking my hand and getting up. As we start to walk across the park, she surprises me by lacing our fingers together and swinging our hands gently.

Complicated emotions rise in me, the thrill of being with her in public colliding with my shame over hiding our relationship so many years before. All I wanted was to walk proudly down the street like this, showing everyone that she was the only girl for me. But I couldn’t.

I did it to protect her. I did what I had to do. Father would not have stopped—he was relentless.

We come to the stone steps in front of the town hall, and Clara looks up warily. I know how difficult this must be for her, so I give her hand a squeeze. She doesn’t squeeze back, just keeps looking at the huge double doors with wide eyes.

Like a spirited horse about to shy away and bolt back to freedom.

I tighten my hand in hers possessively, feeling desperate at the thought of losing her again.

I’m worried that her nerves will make our entrance look forced, but by the time we walk into the hall, Clara is smiling warmly, a gentle smile on her face and her eyes bright. She squeezes my hand, and I look over at her in surprise.

Is this real, or is she acting? Can anyone be that good at pretending?

“Come in,” George says, gesturing to the seats at the end of the table. He’s sitting with Sherman and Jacinta, who’s watching Clara with hard eyes.

I wonder if Agnes told her husband about the encounter at the park. The whole town is probably gossiping about it by now.

Not that I care.

“Sit down,” Sherman tells us. “Nathan and Delia are on their way.”

“So the full council, then?” I say. “What about Mother?”

“Still not attending,” George replies. “She doesn’t feel it’s necessary to be here yet, but she told me she is planning to talk to you and Clara soon, and properly meet her grandson.”

Well, there’s something to look forward to , I think sarcastically.

A few minutes later, Nathan and Delia arrive and take their seats. I’ve got a pretty good idea of what this is about. I’d rather spare Clara the discomfort of these questions, but it’s been the main reason why the council has been on my back for the past few months.

“Thank you for attending,” Jacinta says to Clara, her voice cool. “Now that you’re the alpha’s mate, you’ll be required to attend meetings fairly often and take on pack business.”

“I understand,” Clara says, keeping her voice low. She’s still holding my hand under the table, and I feel her fingers tremble.

“We all know what this is about,” Sherman says bluntly. “Let’s just cut to the chase. Galen, we need to talk about your heirs.”

Clara gasps and yanks her hand from mine. The others don’t see the movement, but they do notice her reaction.

“Do you have a problem with this subject, Clara?” Nathan asks.

Clara shakes her head as red spots appear on her cheeks.

“Good,” George says. “It’s important for the strength of the pack that we have these matters in hand. When Cliff died, it was quite a blow.”

I look away at the mention of my father. The subject is too painful to think about right now. I admired him—I loved him, even—but his rejection of Clara made it impossible for me to ever really reconcile with him.

“So, Clara,” Jacinta addresses her again, wearing a catty smile, “just how many heirs do you think you can provide for Quartz Key?”

My thoughts slide quickly to how the heirs in question would come to be. I’m suddenly immersed in a sensory memory of Clara’s naked body under me, my hands sliding over her sweat-slicked skin as she wraps her legs around me and thrusts her hips against mine. I can hear her voice calling my name and taste her breath on my lips.

“Galen?” George says, looking at me suspiciously. “Are you listening?”

“Of course,” I snap, trying to drag my mind out of the bombardment of sexual thoughts. “We’re talking about future heirs to the line of Ramses.”

“You don’t seem to be taking it very seriously,” Nathan remarks.

Oh, I’m taking it seriously, alright. In fact, you have no idea how serious this is.

My eyes slide across to Clara, who has her head down, staring at her hands in her lap. Her cheeks are getting redder, and she obviously doesn’t want to look at anyone.

Even though I’ve tried to banish the images from my mind, my body isn’t getting the message. Heat starts to build in my core, and I can feel my pants getting tighter.

I should be tired after spending the whole night lying next to her, so fucking horny, I almost couldn’t breathe, so desperate to touch her. But my need for this woman is keeping me in a perpetual state of excitement.

“By all means, Clara, please tell us,” Jacinta says, cutting through my mental chatter.

I suddenly notice how uncomfortable Clara is. She’s not just mildly offended, but utterly mortified about trying to answer these questions.

“I wish I could give you an exact timeline,” I speak for her, silencing them with my hard tone. “But you are all perfectly aware of how slowly these things develop. Even if we begin to work on this immediately, it could be a couple of years at least until we produce another heir.”

I try to keep calm as I say the words, but I’m still hung up on the idea of producing another heir, right here and now.

How about right on the table? Let them watch! They might even learn something.

I can see George and Nathan getting ready to interject, so I raise my hand to silence them.

“With respect, I’m going to ask you to drop this subject now. I’ve answered your questions as best I can, and the point is null and void at the moment. We already have an heir of Ramses' blood, and that person is Nico.”

A deep silence follows, and I notice George fidgeting uncomfortably. Finally, Jacinta is the one to break the silence.

“We have heard that Nico is unstable,” she says with a cold smile. “There is no guarantee that he will develop into a suitable alpha. This is why we wanted to discuss this matter with some urgency.”

“Unstable?” Clara repeats, her voice low but hard. “What exactly are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything,” Jacinta replies coolly. “I’m stating a fact.”

“Where exactly did you obtain these ‘facts?’” Clara asks. “You have evidence of this?”

“Do I need it?” Jacinta shoots back. “Are you going to deny it?”

Clara’s mouth sets in a hard line, and I can almost feel the waves of anger coming off her. “Nico is having some difficulties, yes, but he is anything but unstable. Now that he has the support of his father and his pack, he will overcome these challenges, just like any wolf in their first years of shifting.”

“Can you be sure of this?” George asks.

“I can be,” I cut in, giving George a hard glare. “Nico is my son, and in the couple of days we’ve been together, we’ve formed a deep bond. The boy has been without guidance for most of his life and is struggling because of it. The blame is not on him.”

“And who is to blame for that?” Jacinta asks, addressing the ceiling.

Clara’s eyes narrow, and I know she’s about to let fly.

“Me,” I emphasize. “I did not go looking for him to claim him. All blame in this situation clearly rests on me.”

“Are you admitting fault?” Sherman asks, raising an eyebrow. “That could be akin to weakness for an alpha.”

I glare at Sherman, letting my wolf rise. A growl rises in my throat, escapes my lips, and rumbles around the room, almost shaking the walls.

“I am your alpha,” I state. “I admit fault when it comes to my son—I have failed him, and this I will repair. As your leader, I am not at fault, and when I say Nico is my heir, that is final. He is the child of my chosen mate, the firstborn of my blood. On this, my word is law.”

There is an uncomfortable shuffle around the table as the others try to avoid my alpha stare.

I had to bend to them not so long ago, but now they must obey me. And I will never let pack politics interfere in matters of the heart ever again.

“Are we done?” I say, making it clear by my tone that we are. “Excellent,” I announce, standing up and gesturing for Clara to come with me.

We leave the hall together, and I note Clara’s tight, ashen face and clenched fists. I know she’s upset, and I can’t wait to get her out of sight of the others to comfort her. Once we’re back in the park, I put my hand on her arm to stop her, trying to look into her eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I say to her. “It’s all done now.”

“How dare you!” she hisses. “How dare you let Nico down like that?”

“What?” I ask, confused.

“They were saying such horrible things about him, and you practically joined in. You called him unstable!”

“I didn’t!” I protest.

Did I?

“You might as well have! How could you do that to our son? He’s been suffering, all alone, and none of this is his fault!”

“Clara!” I yell, grabbing her upper arms and pulling her towards me. “You don’t have to tell me any of this! I was trying to defend him. I’m sorry if that’s not what it sounded like, but I’m on your side!”

She tries to pull away from me, wiping the tears streaming down her cheeks. Her brown eyes are blazing with flecks of gold, turning her into a furious force of nature.

She’s so fucking gorgeous! Does she even know what she does to me?

“Galen,” she finally murmurs, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I was so uncomfortable in there, and when they started talking about Nico, I just kind of lost my mind.”

“It’s okay,” I answer, putting my hands gently on her shoulders. “I completely understand. But you don’t have to worry now—I’m with you. I’m standing by your side, and I will always be. With you, and with Nico.”

She looks up at me, her bottom lip trembling as the tears keep coming. “Do you promise?” she chokes out. My desperate need to protect her mingles with my growing lust. The urge to ravish her right then and there threatens to overwhelm me.

“I promise,” I whisper, tightening my grip on her shoulders.

I feel her soften under my hands, and my resolve weakens. Her scent is thick around me, muddling my mind and destroying my self-control. I can hear her heart pounding.

And sense the throbbing heat between her thighs.

She wants me, too!

I look down at her sweet, red mouth, her lips looking lush and full from arousal as well as tears. I can taste her already, and with her mouth inches from mine, I know I’m done for.

I have to have to take her. Right now.

The heat in my own body crests through me, a river of incandescent, overpowering lust. The throbbing hardness of my cock overwhelms my senses, and I grip her shoulders roughly, ready to throw her over my shoulder, drag her home, and finally have my way with her.

A thin howl snaps me out of it, a far-off sound of distress. I try to push it away, but like a splinter of ice, it invades my thoughts and slowly deadens my lust.

“What is that?” I say.

Clara has her head cocked to the side, listening carefully, but her ears aren’t as good as mine. “I’m not sure,” she whispers.

Suddenly, I hear a cacophony of screams, the sounds of frightened children scattering. The cries aren’t far away, just over the other side of the park.

Jesus fucking Christ, it’s the soccer field!

“It’s Nico!” Clara screams, turning and bolting in the direction of the cries.

I follow hard on her heels, dreading what we are going to find when we get there.