Chapter 7

SOLANA

I buckled Luna into her car seat with shaking hands. She was still sniffling, her little face red and splotchy from crying.

"Mama, why were you and that man yelling?"

"We weren't yelling baby. We were just talking."

"You were loud talking." She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "And you're sad. I can feel it."

Pack bonds worked both ways. She could sense my emotions just like I could sense hers. Right now she was scared and confused and I hated that I'd done this to her.

"I'm okay sweetheart. Let's just go home."

I closed her door and turned toward the driver's side. Braun was standing right there blocking my path.

"Move." I snarled.

He barricaded me and I was trapped between the wall and his arms. "We need to talk. Now."

My jaws clenched. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Like hell there isn't." He glanced at the car where Luna was watching us through the window. "She's my daughter and you lied to me."

"Lower your voice." I hissed. 

"Don't tell me what to do. You don't get to lie about something this big and then act like I'm the problem."

Luna pressed her face against the window. Her eyes were wide. I could feel her anxiety spiking through the bond.

"Fine. You want to talk? We'll talk." I slipped under him and opened the driver's door. "Luna, stay in the car and lock the doors, okay? Mama will be right here where you can see me."

"Who is that man?"

"Just someone Mama needs to talk to. Lock the doors, baby."

She reached over and pushed the lock button. I closed the door and turned to face Braun.

"You have five minutes."

"I want the truth. Is Luna mine?" He paced.

I could keep lying and stick to the story about the one night stand. But I was just so exhausted. 

"Yes." I said quietly. "Luna is your daughter."

"Five years." His voice hardened. "You kept her from me for five years."

"I was protecting her."

"Protecting her from what? From her own father?" He ran his hands through his hair. "What did I ever do to make you think I'd hurt my own child?"

"You didn't want me. I thought you wouldn't want her either."

"That's not true. That was never true."

"Yes it was. For seventeen months you could barely stand to look at me. You avoided me at every turn. You ade it clear I was just a contract you were stuck with." I could feel my tears building but I refused to let them fall. "Then I overheard you telling your lawyer you wanted to end the contract."

"That's not what that conversation was about."

"Then what was it about? Enlighten me." I drew closer. 

He pulled out his phone and started scrolling. "I kept everything. Every document, every email, every piece of evidence from that time because I needed to understand why you left."

He turned the phone toward me. It showed an email from Ezekiel dated five years ago.

*Alpha Julie, per your request I've drawn up the dissolution paperwork for the marriage contract. As discussed, this will need to be finalized before you can proceed with the proposal. The ring you selected will be ready for pickup on Thursday.*

I stared at the screen, shock rippling through my face. He wasn't lying.

Braun scrolled to another email. This one was from a jeweler confirming an order for a custom engagement ring. The date was two days before I ran.

"I was going to dissolve the contract," he said quietly. "But not to divorce you but to marry you properly without the contract hanging over us." He looked at me and his eyes were wet. "I wanted you to choose me because you wanted to, not because some paper said you had to."

My legs felt weak. "You were going to propose."

"I had a ring. I had a party planned. I had everything ready." His voice got louder. "And then you disappeared. There was no note and no explanation. You just left."

"I didn't know."

"You didn't ask. You didn't give me a chance to explain. You just assumed the worst and ran."

He was right. I'd heard part of a conversation and filled in the blanks with my own fears. I'd convinced myself he didn't want me so completely that I never considered any other possibility.

"I heard you say you wanted to end the arrangement," I said weakly. "What was I supposed to think?"

"You were supposed to trust me. You were supposed to talk to me instead of running away pregnant with my child."

"I was scared."

"So was I." He stepped closer. "I was terrified. My father had just died. I was trying to run a company and lead a pack. And then there was you. This beautiful, stubborn woman who made me feel things I didn't know how to handle." His voice dropped. "I fell in love with you, Solana. Somewhere between hating our situation and that night under the Harvest Moon, I fell completely in love with you."

The tears came now. I couldn't stop them. "You never said anything."

"I was going to. That night I had the party planned. I was going to tell you everything. But you left and I thought you didn't want me. I thought you'd rather disappear than be stuck with me."

"I thought the same thing about you."

We stared at each other and I could see five years of pain written across both his face. I've starved my daughter five years of her father's love because I jumped to hasty conclusions.

A truck pulled into the parking lot. It was Kai.

I'd completely forgotten that when Luna's school called, I'd texted Kai in a panic. I told him there was an emergency and I needed help. He must have dropped everything to get here.

The truck parked and Kai got out. His face was tight with concern as he hurried toward us.

"Solana, I got here as fast as I could. Is Luna okay?" He reached me and put his hand on my shoulder. Then he noticed Braun standing there. "Who the hell are you?"

Braun's entire body went rigid. His eyes locked on Kai's hand touching me and I saw a murderous look cross his face.

"I'm her husband." His voice was deadly quiet. "Who the hell are you?"