Page 27

Yelena

The last two weeks have felt like a dream.

Since the incident at the hospital and Cleo’s first confirmed vision, I’ve taken a leave from work.

I can’t bear to be away from Cleo for more than an hour or two.

Until we know how her Seer powers will manifest and what will happen next, I just can’t risk her accidentally revealing anything.

I love my job, but my child is my first priority.

She and I are inseparable, spending the days baking cookies, making art, and…spending time with Austin.

He spends every day with us, sometimes the entire day.

It just sort of happened. He shows up around breakfast time, usually with donuts or treats, and leaves after Cleo’s bedtime.

He fits into our little life so well, that it’s actually a little unnerving.

But watching him with Cleo makes my heart swell.

He’s so good with her and she adores him.

We’ve fallen into the habit of all sitting together after dinner and playing a board game or putting together a puzzle, like we’re a real family.

He helps me put Cleo to bed, sometimes telling her wild stories about a big black wolf and his adventures in the woods.

I recognize what he’s doing, and I am grateful for it.

He’s telling her our history—the history of our pack and our ancestors, without telling her that she’s a shifter too.

My wolf is ecstatic, practically begging me to make this real and forever. She loves having Austin close and I know when it’s time for him to go back to the pack, she’s going to mourn.

If I’m being honest, Austin leaving will be hard on all of us, including Cleo.

Last night, after Cleo went to bed, we just sat and talked on the porch with a cup of cocoa and leftover cupcakes. It wasn’t the first time we’d done that in the last few weeks, but last night felt different.

Austin has changed. He’s no longer the selfish, immature boy that I left. He’s turned into a man. An Alpha I can be proud of. He’s kind, caring, protective, and supportive.

He’s reiterated multiple times how proud he is of me and my career. He’s shown his love over and over to Cleo, treating her as his daughter without question. The effort he’s put into supporting Cleo and I these last few weeks is incredible.

He even brought up the past last night without me having to do it.

I replay his words in my mind as I sip my tea.

“It was my fault, Yelena. All of it. I didn’t see you, then.

I was too consumed with my own issues to see you.

And I have regretted that every single day since.

The way I treated you, rejecting you and the love you showed me?

It’s shameful and it will take a lifetime to make it up to you, if you’ll even let me. ”

At the time, his words floored me. I couldn’t even respond because I was so shocked. To have Austin admit wrongdoing would have been unheard of back then. I never expected to hear an apology like this or even an acknowledgment of the pain that he caused me.

It’s melted the ice around my heart and let me hope. Maybe…this could work. Maybe this is our second chance. Maybe forgiveness is possible.

My wolf is more than ready. I just don’t know if I am.

He rejected me, forcing me to live a lonely life before I had to leave to save myself. That pain is still fresh. Being away from him, our pack, having to raise my child alone and eek a life out for us.

It’s a lot.

And yet…the fact remains that he is my mate. The father of my child. And the one I’ve loved for years.

I know this. I’ve always known this. We were Fated to be together by the Moon Goddess herself. Chosen for each other. There is no one else out there for me that will complete me the way he will. Complete our family.

Don’t I owe it to myself, my wolf, and Cleo to take this final chance and try?

Each day that I spend with him makes my feelings grow stronger…and more complicated.

He’s changed. Go to him. Tell him how you feel. Tell him the truth about Cleo.

I drain my tea and drum my fingers on the counter. Susan is due to come pick Cleo up to take her to her art class in fifteen minutes. They will be gone for an hour.

If I wanted to talk to Austin privately, this would be the best time to do it. A little flutter starts up in my stomach.

I wonder what he’ll say when I tell him. I’m not blind. The kisses we’ve shared have been electric, and the chemistry between us is as strong as ever.

He’s been respectful of my boundaries, not pushing anything. It’s made me want him more.

Decision made, I head up the stairs to get changed. If I’m going to do this, I want to look my best. For my mate.

***

Nerves pool in my belly as I watch Susan and Cleo pull out of the driveway. Austin’s truck is parked in his driveway, and I can see it from my front porch.

All I have to do is walk over there and tell him. Easy peasy.

Except, my feet feel like lead as I take one step and then another. My mind races with unfounded anxiety. What if he rejects me again? What if I read this wrong?

I stop on the sidewalk, hold my moonstone charm in my hands and take a deep, cleansing breath.

I let the calm wash over me as I focus on the facts: he’s my Fated Mate, I never stopped loving him, and he’s Cleo’s father.

Encouraged, I stride toward his door and knock.

After a minute, he opens it and looks at me in surprise. He’s shirtless, wearing a pair of faded blue jeans. His hair is still damp from a shower and the stubble on his face is darker than normal.

The flutter in my core makes me warm, and I blush.

“Yelena! Please, come in,” he invites, standing aside so I can enter his house.

It’s sparsely furnished, but that’s being expected. He’s here temporarily, not forever.

He gestures for me to have a seat on the small couch while he disappears into the kitchen. I smile at him when he returns with two mugs of tea and sets them on the coffee table.

He joins me on the couch with a smile.

“Where’s Cleo?” he asks, leaning back against the cushions. The angle puts his muscular frame on display, and I have to force myself to look at his face instead of his abs.

“She’s at art class with Susan,” I say, reaching for my tea to hide my reaction to him.

“She’s so artistic. It’s great,” he says, giving me a warm smile. My nerves feel like they are going haywire, but I try to steel myself.

“Austin,” I say softly, reaching out to touch his knee. His hand immediately covers mine and sends shivers down my spine. I don’t know how to tell him what I want to say so I take a deep breath and blurt it out:

“Cleo is your daughter.”

He stills for a second, breathing shallow. I swallow hard. Is he upset? Oh my god, did I read this wrong?

"I already think of her as mine,” he says softly. “Because she’s yours, and I suspected that she was mine, but thank you for telling me.”

My heart catches in my throat as he smiles at me.

“I am overjoyed to know that she is also mine. She is an incredible child and one that I will love and protect for the rest of my days. You have my word on that, Yelena. For the rest of my days.” Tears well in my eyes, and I look down at my hands which are knotted in my lap.

“I found out I was pregnant right after...after we broke up. I knew she was yours, that there was no one else. There could never be anyone else. You’re her father and…my mate," I confess.

His eyes flash and his body tenses at my words.

“Put your tea down,” he says.

I blink, baffled by the odd request, but I do as he asks. The second my mug touches the coffee table, he hauls me into his arms, lifting me until I’m straddling him.

“I love you, mate, ” he growls, his silver eyes looking almost molten. “And I love our family. Both of you are mine. Forever.”

He pulls my head down, meeting my lips in a savage kiss.

I melt into his touch, my hands tangling in his damp hair as our lips and tongues collide. His hands grip my hips, pulling me even closer until there's no space left between us.

I can feel his rapid heartbeat and the heat of his skin through my thin shirt. My wolf howls inside, overjoyed to finally be back in our mate's arms.

When we break for air, panting, I press my forehead to his.

"I love you too," I whisper. "I never stopped, even when I had to leave. It’s always been you and it always will be."

His eyes flash with regret. "I know, and I hate myself for what I put you through. But I promise, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you and our daughter."

My heart swells and I capture his lips again, unable to get enough of his taste and touch.

His hands slide under my shirt, caressing the sensitive skin of my back and sides as I grind my hips against him. I shiver, heat pooling low in my belly.

I tear my lips from his and trail hot kisses down his neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent. My mate.

"I need you," I whimper against his skin.

With a possessive growl, he stands up from the couch, lifting me effortlessly in his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me to the bedroom. I giggle when he kicks open the door and we both tumble onto his bed in a tangle of limbs.

“These clothes need to go,” he mutters, pulling at my jeans.

I wiggle out of my clothing with his help and then unbutton his jeans, pushing them down off his hips.

My fingers trace over the hard lines of his abs and chest as I press my body against him.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispers against my lips before capturing them in another searing kiss. “So damn much.”

Even though we’ve only been intimate once, there’s a familiarity with him, a potent memory in the way our bodies fit perfectly together.

It ignites a fire within me that has been smoldering for far too long.

Our hands roam over each other's skin, rediscovering every curve and dip as if it were for the first time.