All Chapters of Back In Alpha's Arms : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Snatching the phone up, I answered. “What the hell do you want, Briar?” “Emery? Oh, thank God. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” He said, the words tumbling out in a rush. “Yes, I know you have. Maybe you didn’t get the message. We’re done.” “Wait,” he said in a pleading tone. “Can we talk for a second? Maybe work things out? I miss you.” “You didn’t seem to give a shit about that when I walked in on you railing the neighbour on the fucking couch.” “Fair,” he said. “I fucked up. Bad. I can’t take it back, but we can’t throw away what we had over one mistake, can we?” “You looked like you knew what you were doing,” I said in the same tone I’d use when speaking about the weather. “I doubt that was the first time your private parts were having a meet and greet.” “It started recently” He grumbled. I barked a laugh and leaned back in my chair. “Wow. Recently, how recent? 3 months, 6 months, or before you proposed to me?” Ignoring that, he barreled on, “We can do counseling. I’ll go

Watching the way Leo and Jaxon walked away from me, side by side almost made me slid to the floor. They were so similar. The afternoon light outlined them—they had the same broad shoulders, the same cocky swag, and dark hair. It was almost like watching Jaxon, the old and the young, striding out of my dreams. Knowing that a piece of my heart was driving away with the man who’d stolen that very same heart almost two decades ago was almost too much to bear. I grabbed my things and headed for the garage while actively trying to prevent dissolving into tears. Errands would help keep my mind off it all. Or so I hoped.My first stop was the hardware store. The house was in desperate need of some upgrades. I’d already started a list that included new towel and toilet paper holders, a faucet to replace the thing that was right out of the ’70s, and a few boxes of light bulbs. The Moonridge General Store was more of a hardware and feed store than a true general store, and it had managed to survi

At the park nearby, I introduced Leo to the five guys playing. They were glad he’d joined the game, as it would allow them to play three-on-three. He was less shy around the boys than around me. I walked over to the picnic table under the large oak tree and took a seat. It was far enough away that it didn’t look like I was hovering, but close enough for me to watch his interactions with the others—all shifters. I hadn’t told them he was my kid, but I was sure the boys saw the resemblance. I hoped they wouldn’t treat him strangely for being their alpha’s surprise son but I'm sure words would get around. They’d mention him to their parents, their friends. Thinking about it stressed me out. The quarterly pack meeting was in a few days, and it would be the perfect place for me to introduce Leo to everyone. But I didn’t want to push him. He’d looked like a deer in headlights when I’d mentioned it before. Emery would be beyond pissed if I did something like that without both of them being

At Pattie’s, Lena had reserved us a two-top by one of the windows overlooking Moonridge Lake. The place was exactly as I remembered it. As soon as I stepped in, the smell of breakfast took over my senses. Honestly, the walls and ceiling probably had a thin layer of bacon grease after the thousands of pounds of food that had been cooked here over the years. Lena waved me over as I stepped through the entryway. Joining her, I noticed Isabelle was nowhere to be seen. “Your mom watching the baby?” I asked as I sat. She smiled and raised a glass. “Indeed. We get to have a little grown-up lady time. Want a mimosa?” I chuckled and nodded. “Sure.” After flagging down the waiter and putting in my drink order, I perused the menu. It was almost exactly the same as it had been back in high school, though I did notice a small section of low-carb and keto-friendly items in the bottom corner, as well as a few vegan options that had never been there before. It appeared the outside world was able to

Sorry, Jaxon ,” She said. “But we’ve survived without your help for fifteen years. No need to start changing things now.” I flinched, almost as if she had slapped me. That was a low blow. “I’m sorry, Jaxon,” She said quickly. “I shouldn’t have said that.” “No,” I said, shaking his head. “It’s okay. I understand.”I'm sure my inner wolf looked like a dog who’d been kicked right when he thought it was gonna get ear scratches. “I abandoned you,” I said after a moment. “You had to raise Leo on your own, figure out everything alone, and that isn’t fair. I wish I could go back in time and slap my younger self, but I can’t. All I can do is work for the future. I want what’s best for Leo and you. I want to help, but the only way that can happen is if you work with me.” I peered at her with what I'm sure were sad eyes to at least break down the armor I’d put around my heart. I wish she could know I still genuinely care about her and our son. But it seems she was hellbent on making sure our pa