Page 10 of My Ruthless Alpha (Alpha Outlaws Club #5)

Becoming the alpha of my own pack had benefits: I gained added strength, security, and camaraderie and could make whatever decisions I saw fit.

Overall, I felt good. I did everything I could to stay in shape and ensure I was taking care of myself completely.

But after sleeping with Faye again, I realized a piece had been missing all that time.

Her proximity, touch, and affection all centered me just like they used to, and feeling that connection building between us again made me feel like I had everything I needed.

I had known how addictive that bond between us had been before…how it came with benefits and struggles, especially given how it became a complete lifeline, but something about it snapping back into place again was more tempting than it ever had been.

There was no mistaking that rush of relief and almost earth-shattering feeling that washed over me when we had sex again, and I could feel that tether between us pulling once again.

Even if we had that bond before I left, there was something more intense about it now. Even if I wanted to try and break it again, I would have a harder time doing so. It seemed to resist that kind of refusal, almost like my wolf knew what it had been missing and wasn’t prepared to give it up again.

However, that sentiment applied to me as a whole. I didn’t want to lose Faye for any reason.

I just got her back, and the thought of her leaving or being taken from me in any capacity made me feel prepared to burn everything down for her. For Margo.

That following morning, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were my girls, and I needed to protect them.

While I felt that protective instinct for my brothers, it felt different with them. One wasn’t necessarily more important than the other, but things were mostly settled with my family. I would still do anything for them, but given the circumstances, I felt called to ensure that Faye and Margo were on a similar level and given the care they needed.

I may have missed out on that time with the two of them for the first few years of her life, but I wasn’t prepared to repeat that mistake or drive an even bigger wedge between us.

Instead, I felt responsible for connecting with Margo and giving her the love she deserved to know from her father.

Even if my daughter still felt a bit like a stranger to me, it didn’t matter.

She was my blood, and Faye’s too, which meant I had no problem taking on every capacity of her life and merging ours together.

It had been a mistake for me to run off to spare Faye and figure myself out since it meant I couldn’t get those early years back. But at the same time, I had more to offer her and her mother now.

I had the stability a mate and father should be able to provide, and while we didn’t have the kind of bond I wanted just yet, I knew it was still possible. She was young enough to develop those connections quickly, and I only needed to give her my time and attention.

Since I knew about Margo’s existence and that she was mine, I wanted to make up for it in every way I could. She deserved more than she previously had, and while I didn’t expect her to accept me right away, I still hoped she would feel a similar familiarity. At least then, it would make the whole process smoother and easier for her to develop a deeper bond with me.

“You’re sure you don’t mind me going? I can reschedule with my brothers,” I said while I pulled a shirt on and glanced over at Faye while she remained in bed with the blankets covering her.

She gave me a small smile and shook her head. “I don’t mind…you already had this planned, so go ahead. Margo will be up soon, so I’ll just stay back with her.”

A part of me wanted to bring the two of them with me, but I also didn’t want to extend the invitation when my brothers were expecting a boy’s day of fishing. Plus, I didn’t think sitting around waiting for our lines to be snagged would keep Margo occupied long enough.

Despite that blossoming bond within me telling me to stay back and spend as much time with the two of them as I physically could, I pushed it down and nodded.

I was eager to be around them and to feel more of Faye’s affection, but I also didn’t want to push things too quickly. We did have sex, and we gave in to some degree, but that didn’t mean everything was fixed.

Regardless of how receptive she had been already, Faye still had some reservations about me, and I didn’t blame her for it. I knew it meant I’d have to take things slow and build that trust again.

“All right…I should grab Miles and head out before we miss the prime hours,” I hummed, moving around the bed to her side. Gently, I reached out and brushed my fingers against her bare shoulder. “I’ll be back in a few hours. I’m just a call…or a shout away if you need anything.”

Faye smiled in return and nodded, allowing herself to react to my touch with a faint shiver. “We’ll be here when you get back.”

With a final parting, I left the bedroom, found Miles before we left the house, and picked up the other two.

It was just after sunrise, and when we reached the lake, the water was almost completely still, as fog rolled across its surface.

Despite the four of us being there, it was still quiet while we sent our lines out and sat back in the boat.

We spent at least an hour in near silence while we took in the morning and waited for the first few bites. Fishing wasn’t exactly the ideal shifter hunting method, but it was something the group of us always enjoyed doing, regardless of age or what we had going on.

While they were a bit more begrudging about it at times, I always insisted that we go anyway since it helped us stay connected even when our lives became more hectic.

After having the occasional light conversation and catching a few fish before putting them in the cooler, we fell silent again before I could practically feel the smugness emanating from Miles.

I already knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

“You know…Beau has had a recent development recently,” he hinted, very quickly drawing the other two's attention.

I felt their eyes on me immediately, and Tyler lifted a curious brow as he placed some fresh bait onto his hook. “Oh? And what’s the development then?”

“Has he found a mate yet?” Aiden asked with a teasing grin.

“Close…potentially…” Miles insinuated before I could even speak up.

That made their interest pique to new heights.

Aiden’s eyes widened, and he chuckled. “That was supposed just to be a joke…but go on. Tell us.”

Sighing, I scrubbed a hand down my face. “I was going to tell you at some point, but of course, this loudmouth had to go and spill it,” I muttered, giving Miles a light shove.

He chuckled and took it without complaining. “There was no way I’d let you stall any longer…and I’m definitely not letting you stall more.”

Knowing I had no choice but to tell them the details right then and there, I nodded. “Since you three are so nosey, I guess I’ll just come out and say it…you two remember Faye, right?”

“The one you dated? Yeah, of course,” Aiden said with a nod.

Tyler scoffed at the former. “They didn’t just date…they were practically mates at that point.”

I sighed. “Yeah, well, she ran away from her old pack after the new alpha killed Cyrus, and tensions started rising. I found Faye and her daughter on the run the other night, and they’ve been staying with me since.”

They both shared a look of surprise, seemingly not expecting to hear of her comeback.

“Her daughter?” Tyler questioned, brows furrowed slightly. “She had a kid?”

“A kid with someone else?” Aiden added, just as shocked to hear it.

“That’s just it…Margo’s mine.”

Miles joined in with his own wide eyes, having been left out of that part. “What?”

Aware of how heavy the topic was and how there wasn’t any easier way of telling them everything, I chuckled to diffuse the tension. “Yeah. Margo’s my daughter with Faye. She didn’t find out about the pregnancy until after we all left the pack, and she didn’t know where I ended up. She told me everything last night.”

“What are the chances of that…” Tyler murmured, mostly to himself.

“You’re a dad…” Miles added, blinking through his astonishment. Then, a surprisingly excited grin crossed his face. “That means we’ve been uncles all this time?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, well…I’m surprised you had it in you,” Tyler said with a faint smirk. “You seem to be taking it well.”

I knew he was right. Most people would’ve been losing their minds in my situation, but I couldn’t find it in me to be angry or upset. It was startling and surprising, but I felt grateful more than anything that Faye had come back to me, and I was allowed to be a dad, even if our future still seemed mostly unclear.

“I was shaken up when she confirmed it, but I already had the feeling…plus, I can’t blame her for not telling me sooner. I did leave out of the blue and didn’t think we’d see each other again. I can only assume she believed the same thing,” I murmured, watching how my line lazily swayed within the gentle current around us. “Besides, I was an asshole for what I did…even if she hadn’t wanted to tell me, I couldn’t exactly be mad at her either way.”

“You were kind of an asshole, weren’t you?” Tyler questioned, eyes ringed with mischief. “All moody and getting set off from the smallest things. Having a conversation with you during that time was like trying to diffuse a bomb.”

“Maybe it was for the best you weren’t there…she would’ve needed the patience of a saint to deal with you before figuring everything out,” Aiden murmured, tone laced with teasing of his own.

I let go of a huffed breath and shook my head. “I know…don’t remind me. There was too much going on in my head, and none of it needed to be put on Faye at the time. Hence why I left and took you rats with me.”

They chuckled lightly, all glancing out at the quiet lake around us.

“So what now, then?” Miles asked, more gentle than he initially had been.

“For now, I’m going to try and get back into Faye’s good graces. I want her to stay in the pack so the three of us can try being a family,” I answered honestly, feeling as if that desire to protect them both stirred in me again. “I broke her trust, but now I need to make up for it. I was absent for enough of Margo’s life…I don’t need to keep that trend going.”

My brothers nodded thoughtfully. Then, Aiden grinned.

“You think you can charm her again?”

As much as I didn’t want to get into any of the gritty details with them, I couldn’t help the knowing smile that crossed my lips. “You could say I have a reason to be confident on that front.”

As the realization set in, all three wore shit-eating grins and laughed. Miles gave my shoulder a light punch.

“Atta boy!”

“Oh, shut up,” I muttered back, trying (and failing) to contain my own chuckles at their reactions, not wanting to encourage them.

Tyler pulled his line back in unhurriedly as he shook his head. “It seems your search for a mate will be over sooner than we thought.”

Even if their quips and teasing were as incessant as always, and I likely wouldn’t hear the end of it for quite some time, I didn’t mind it. Sharing it with them and receiving their opinions, regardless of whether I took them to heart or not, made the whole situation feel even more real to me.

Since Faye told me about Margo being my daughter, I felt like I was observing the situation rather than living it, but speaking it out loud helped solidify that fact for me. It was very real, and I was very much a father regardless of the unusual circumstances.

I was grateful for the chance to have Faye and Margo in my life again, and I wasn’t going to waste it.

They were a part of me, regardless of our relationship status or how we were starting from square one together.

As my brothers continued joking and hounding, our goal of catching any fish left our focus entirely. Their noise likely scared away every fish in the lake anyway.