Some Things Can't Be Taken Back, Alpha

Ryan shoved Claire away and rushed over to me.

"Erin, let me explain."

His breathing was still ragged. Claire's lipstick stained the corner of his mouth. Worse, another she-wolf's scent clung to him so strongly that it stung my nose.

A werewolf's nose never lies.

But he acted like words could erase everything. "She just kissed me out of nowhere. I didn't react in time. I never meant to betray you. You're the one I've always loved."

I looked at the hand that had just gripped Claire's waist and said nothing.

Ryan panicked even more. He reached for me, then froze when I stepped back.

"I've never considered breaking the mate bond or walking away from you and Nora."

Finally, I spoke. "Then why do you regret mating with me?"

Something shifted in his eyes.

He took a long time to answer. "I just miss being free sometimes. Back then, I wasn't Alpha, and I didn't have a family. I could go wherever I wanted without answering to anyone.

"Missing it doesn't mean I don't love you. Other mated wolves in the pack miss being single sometimes, too."

Claire came out of the stairwell, her eyes red. "I'm sorry, Erin. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have asked him that, and I definitely shouldn't have..."

Ryan turned to look at her almost on instinct.

Not to check whether I was falling apart. To check whether she was really crying.

That cut deeper than the kiss itself.

I swallowed past the ache in my throat and asked him, "Starting tonight, what are you going to do about your relationship with Claire?"

Ryan frowned. "She's Northridge's Beta. She handles a lot of pack business. We've known each other for over ten years. I can't kick her out of the pack over one slip."

Claire lowered her head and started to leave.

Ryan blurted out, "It's so late. Is it safe for you to go back to the east side alone?"

My heart went cold.

"Go ahead. Take her home."

His expression shifted as if he'd finally realized he'd said the wrong thing again. In the end, he sent the patrol to take Claire home and followed me into the elevator.

On the drive home, he didn't try to explain. He just quietly turned up the heat and laid his jacket over my legs.

He knew I got cold easily. He knew strong, unfamiliar scents gave me headaches. He even remembered that my emotions ran higher around the full moon.

He knew every one of my habits.

But he had no idea why tonight was the night I gave up on him.

When we opened the front door, three-year-old Nora was asleep with her head on the dining table.

She was too young for her first full shift, but when she got sleepy, her ears would pop out on their own. Now, two fuzzy little ears poked through her hair, and one small hand still clutched a lopsided moon cookie.

When she heard us come in, she rubbed her eyes and threw herself at Ryan.

"Daddy, why are you so late? The cookies I made you got cold."

Ryan's eyes went red.

He held his daughter tight and kissed her forehead over and over. "I'm sorry, Nora. Daddy's late. It won't happen again."

I looked at this gentle, practically perfect father and thought about the man who'd been holding another woman ten minutes earlier.

Were they really the same person?

Suddenly I asked, "If I'd been the one kissing another man in a stairwell tonight, would you call that just a slip too?"

Ryan's face darkened instantly.

His Alpha instincts flared, turning his pupils wolf-gold for a moment.

"Erin, don't try to provoke me with something like that."

I asked softly, "So you couldn't take it either, could you?"

He said nothing.

After a moment, seemingly certain I'd never really leave, he lowered his voice. "It was one mistake. Are you really going to walk away from this family? What about Nora? All you have in this world is me and Northridge. Where would you even go?"

I closed my eyes.

"System, confirm return."

[Return request confirmed.]

[Once started, this cannot be undone.]

[You will give up all assets, identity, and benefits in the mission world. The ten-billion-dollar reward you forfeited three years ago will not be restored.]

[Countdown to return: 72 hours.]