Page 52 of The Careless Alpha

"Maybe," I said carefully. "But it starts with you accepting that I'm not the same person who loved you unconditionally. Prove that you can respect my boundaries even when you don't like them. Learn to love our son without trying to use him to get to me. Then maybe we can be friends who can co-parent well together."

"I can do that," he said eagerly, and I could see him fighting not to reach for me.

"We'll see," I said, my voice noncommittal. "But Marshall? If you hurt me again, if you push me or pressure me or try to force this, I'll disappear. I'll take our son and I'll disappear so completely that you'll never find us again."

"I won't," he said quickly. "I won't hurt you again."

"See that you don't," I said, turning toward the diner. I could see Rita's face in the window, her expression fierce with protective concern. "Because I meant what I said. I'm done being afraid. I'm done being broken."

"Annalise," he called after me, and something in his voice made me pause.

I stopped but didn't turn around, my hand on the diner's door handle.

"For what it's worth," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "I'm proud of who you've become. I'm proud of the strength you've found, the life you've built. You're everything I always knew you would be."

"I know," I said without turning around, my voice steady despite the fresh tears streaming down my face. "That's why I don't need you anymore."

I walked back into the diner, into the warmth and safety of my chosen family, leaving Marshall standing alone.

The moment I stepped inside, I was surrounded by concerned voices and gentle hands. Rita pulled me into a fierce hug, and I could feel her trembling with protective fury.

"Are you okay, hon?" she asked, her voice rough with emotion.

"I will be," I said, and realized I meant it. "I will be."

It's over,Sapphire said quietly in my mind.Finally, it's over.

"No," I said, placing my hand on my belly where my son kicked strongly against my palm. "It's just beginning."

Through the window, I could see Marshall still standing in the same spot, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Part of me wanted to go to him, to comfort him, to tell him it would be okay.

But that girl was gone. The woman who'd replaced her had learned that sometimes the kindest thing you could do was let someone face the consequences of their choices.

Chapter 17

Marshall

Groveling was harder than I'd expected. Especially when she deserved so much more than apologies.

I sat in my rental car outside Rita's Diner at six in the morning, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles had gone white. The leather felt slick under my palms, betraying the nervous sweat that had been building since I'd jolted awake at four AM in my hotel room.

The sun was rising over Crescent Bay harbor, painting the water in shades of gold and pink that reminded me of Annalise's cheeks when she blushed. Fishing boats were heading out for the day's catch, their engines puttering steadily as they navigated between the moored pleasure craft. The sound was hypnotic, peaceful in a way that made my chest ache with longing.

Everything about this place was what Annalise had never had with the pack since I scented her—tranquil, welcoming, real.

She's in there,Ranger said quietly, his voice heavy with the same longing that sat like a stone in my stomach.Our mate is in there, and she doesn't want to see us.

I could see her through the diner's windows, moving with practiced efficiency between tables that weren't yet occupied by customers. Even at this distance, the protective curve of her hands around her belly was visible, a constant reminder of what I'd thrown away. She wore a simple blue dress that accommodated her pregnancy, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail that swayed as she worked.

She looked... content. The realization hit me, making me lean forward against the steering wheel. Not happy, exactly, but settled. Like someone who'd found where they belonged.

My phone buzzed with a text from Jackson:Pack meeting at 3 PM. Need you here. Dial in if you are not coming in person.

I stared at the message for a long moment, then deleted it without responding. The pack had survived without me for two days. They could survive another. What was the point of a Beta if I couldn’t delegate occasionally?

The diner's neon "OPEN" sign flickered, casting red and blue reflections on the wet pavement from last night's rain. I could smell the salt air through my partially open window, mixed with the distant aroma of coffee and bacon from the diner's kitchen.

We have to try,Ranger said with desperate determination.We have to show her we've changed.