Page 62 of The Careless Alpha

Did you see his face when that blonde touched him? He looked like he wanted to scrub his skin off. The only woman he wants to touch him is us.

Fenrir finished nursing and settled into sleep, his tiny fist curled against my chest. I looked down at our son—the perfect blend of both his parents, the future I'd thought was lost forever—and felt something shift inside my chest.

Maybe it was time to stop protecting my heart and start opening it again. Maybe Marshall had changed. Maybe we could find a way forward together.

But first, we had to get through the rest of our stay at Tidecrest Pack. And I had to figure out what I wanted our future to look like.

One day at a time,Sapphire advised.But we can acknowledge that our mate has proven himself worthy of consideration.

"One day at a time," I murmured to Fenrir's sleeping form. "But maybe, just maybe, there's hope for us all."

Chapter 19

Marshall

Ifinally understood what it meant to love someone unconditionally.

I stood in the garden behind the Tidecrest Pack house, watching Annalise feed Fenrir in the morning sunshine. Our son was just over a week old now, healthy and strong, with the powerful lungs of a future alpha and eyes that were already beginning to show hints of amber. But it was his mother who held my attention—the way she cradled him with such natural grace, the soft smile that played at her lips as she murmured to him, the protective curve of her body that spoke of fierce maternal love.

She was radiant. Not just because of the supernatural healing that had restored her strength after the birth, but because of something deeper. A confidence, a sense of self-worth that had been growing stronger every day since I'd arrived in Maine. This wasn't the broken girl I'd banished—this was a woman who knew her value.

She's magnificent,Ranger said with quiet awe.Look how she's grown. Look how strong she's become.

"She is," I murmured, careful to keep my voice low so I wouldn't disturb her quiet moment with our son.

The past week had been a revelation. My father and mother had led the Cascade Pack with strength and honor, building a prosperous and fiercely loyal territory, but their leadership was rooted in a traditional hierarchy. Command was absolute, respect was a given, and every wolf knew their place - aside from the she-wolves who thought themselves better than Annalise because of the way I’d treated her.

Staying here at Tidecrest Pack has shown me a different way. Alpha Ronan and Luna Elspeth had built something just as strong, but founded on something different—partnership. Here, respect was earned through action, not just demanded by title. Strength was measured as much in compassion as it was in dominance. They had built something beautiful, and seeing it made me realize I didn't have to just inherit my father's pack. I could build on his legacy, combining his strength with a new kind of unity. It was a future I desperately wanted to create in my pack.

But first, I had to fix things here.

"Marshall?" Annalise's voice was soft, but I could hear the steel beneath it. "Could you come here, please?"

I approached carefully, my hands visible and my posture respectful. Over the past week, I'd learned to read her new moods. Since Fenrir's birth, a fierce, maternal instinct had taken root, making her both incredibly tender and fiercely protective. I was learning to navigate the subtle shifts in her energy, to recognize when the protective mama needed space or when the soft-hearted woman I remembered might be willing to talk. Right now, she looked... determined.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, settling onto the bench beside her but maintaining a respectful distance despite my overwhelming need to touch her, to tell her how much I love her.

"Fenrir's doing well," she said, adjusting his position slightly. "Luna Elspeth says we can leave whenever we're ready. Both of us are fully healed."

My heart began to race. This was it—the moment of decision. Would she return to Crescent Bay without me? Would she give me another chance? Would she be willing to trust me with her future and our son's?

"Where do you want to go?" I asked, proud that my voice remained steady.

She was quiet for a long moment, her eyes studying my face with an intensity that made me feel like she could see straight through to my soul. Fenrir finished nursing and settled against her shoulder, his tiny fist curled against her neck.

"I want to ask you something," she said finally. "And I need you to be completely honest with me."

"Always."

The question was a silver blade, sharp and clean, cutting right to the heart of everything. I had expected it, but the quiet strength with which she asked it still stole my breath. This wasn't an insecure girl seeking reassurance. This was a Luna demanding the truth.

"I am asking you to come back because you are the other half of my soul," I said, my voice quiet but unwavering. "The heir is a blessing, and the Luna title is a responsibility, but you, Annalise... you are the reason I breathe. I don't want a Luna; I want my Luna. I want you. I love you."

"And if I said I wanted to stay in Maine? If I said I wanted to raise Fenrir here, as a human?"

The thought was agony, but it was an agony I had already considered, planned for, and accepted.

"Then I stay in Maine," I said, my voice leaving no room for doubt. "Jackson and I have had a succession plan in place formonths, ever since I first found you. He's ready to take over as Alpha."