Page 17 of The Wolf’s Bullied Mate (Moondust Hollow Wolves #2)

“This is how you use the coffee machine.” Lisa proceeded to tell me the function of each button with a smile on her face.

A week had passed since I had told Oliver the truth about the bullying his actions had caused me. Today was my first day working at The Warm Smile. Lisa had happily agreed to have me join the team at the café.

“And then you pour the milk like this…”

I watched Lisa go through the motions of making different coffee drinks, learning the process.

The day passed by with me making coffee on my own and manning the cash register.

Some tasks were familiar, others were challenging—but I quickly got a handle on them until they almost felt routine.

I loved the atmosphere of the coffee shop.

The customers were friendly, too, for the most part.

Occasionally, someone would recognize me as Oliver’s wife and congratulate me on my new job.

A sense of peace and serenity filled my heart for the first time in a long while.

Was this the peace I had been chasing for so long? Ray was cared for and happy. I’d found a place to stay where I wasn’t abused. I even had a job I enjoyed very much.

The only problem was Oliver.

I had been avoiding him the past week, not sure what else I was supposed to say to him.

I had to admit, I had been harsh on him—even more than I usually was on myself.

A part of me, the part that still lingered in the pain he caused me, wanted him to suffer.

As soon as I had seen the profound sadness on his face the other day though, I regretted telling him the truth.

Oliver had looked on the verge of tears with regret, and yet I had told him there was nothing he could do to make amends for the past. Even though years had passed since the events, and we were different people now, I still held on to what had happened.

Didn’t I want to finally let go of the past so that I could move on to a better future—a future Oliver was clearly eager to give me? He had been nothing but kind since we had met again. He cared for Ray as if he were his own son. He wanted me here, and he looked out for my needs.

Couldn’t I just move past what had happened and let him be a good husband to me?

Oliver had changed since his teenage years.

The man I married was a much more mature version of the person I’d had a crush on ages ago.

Still, could I trust that the behavior he’d shown so far reflected the real Oliver?

After all, I’d known him as an adult for two weeks—a month and a half if you counted the time we’d spent texting each other.

Could the Oliver that had almost cried when I’d told him of the pain his words caused me be the real deal?

Or, like Jeffrey, would he turn out to have another side entirely the second I stopped pleasing him?

It was too early for me to tell.

I was too jaded to trust Oliver. I had been hurt one too many times.

Neither Oliver nor I were going anywhere, though. We were married now, and I intended to stay at his side. I wanted to stay in this pack where abuse was no longer commonplace. Even if I couldn’t trust Oliver, I could still make a life here.

After my shift at the coffee shop, I went to the kindergarten to pick up Ray. My heart immediately warmed when I saw the bright smile on his face. He ran up to me, waving his hands.

“Mom!” When I kneeled, he fell into my embrace.

“Hey, sunshine. Anything good happened today?” I kissed the top of his head.

“Everyone’s soooo nice,” Ray exclaimed. “Sooo nice, I love it here.”

I chuckled. “I’m glad.” This was good news for a change. Ray had never been excited to go to kindergarten until now. I should have noticed the signs of his distress at the kindergarten in Lone Bite earlier and done more to help.

Not that I’d had any real options for fixing things.

I could have tried transferring him to another kindergarten, but my reputation as an unwanted woman and a weak wolf would have preceded me.

Jeffrey had made sure to let the whole community know he had rejected me as a potential mate after getting me pregnant with Ray.

I shouldn’t dwell on those bad memories, though—I needed to focus on the positive.

“But Mom,” Ray looked at me, wide-eyed. “They asked me a question I didn’t know how to answer.”

“What was it?”

“About my dad… What should I say about him? Everyone in our old pack knew my dad, so I never spoke about him. I don’t like to talk about him,” Ray pouted.

“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to,” I smiled.

“But the other kids asked me if Oliver is my new dad,” Ray’s eyes brightened again. Was that hope I was seeing in his gaze? “Is he?”

I choked, then I cleared my throat. “That’s… something we should definitely discuss with Oliver.”

“Oliver is such a cool person. He is strong. He’s the beta of the pack. He’s important. Is it okay for someone like me to claim he’s my dad?” My son grew sad for a moment.

I wanted to scream. Where had a five-year-old learned such self-deprecation? Yet, deep down, I knew the source—he had learned it from watching me interact with my parents. I hated myself for setting such a poor example.

“Listen, Ray,” I pointed a finger in the air. “There’s nothing you lack. If we agree with Oliver and he wants to be your dad, then he will be. Would you like him to be your dad?”

Ray’s eyes brightened again and he nodded with so much enthusiasm, the bangs of his hair bouncing up and down. “Yes, yes, I’d love that.”

My heart warmed, though, at the same time, it felt heavy. I hoped Oliver would agree to officially become Ray’s father. After all, he had been trying so hard to get to know my son better. He really cared for Ray. I could see it in his eyes.

I only hoped his kindness wasn’t just a ruse.

I so badly wanted to trust Oliver. My heart wasn’t ready though, not yet.

Even so, I said, “You should spend more time with Oliver so the two of you grow close.”

Ray nodded energetically.

Who was I to take away the father my child so desperately wanted?