Evelyn POV
I can’t seem to think quick enough on the spot. In my eyes Reuben hasn’t broken any contract, technically we are still married and if anything the Red Stone Pack was at its strongest, now being connected to the Silver Moon pack.
“Reuben if he returns I’ll stay and help you stand your ground. He won’t be able to defeat you, especially when you have another Alpha backing you.” I take a moment to stroke his hair that had fallen slightly into his eyes. He used to wear his hair longer as a kid but had cut it off in his adult years, but it was still long on top.
He was such a handsome teenager, all the girls had a crush on him, myself included. But now I know he kept a lot hidden behind that tough boy facade.
“If it comes to it I’ll fight him, I’m not afraid of him like I was as a child. But I’m afraid of what he could do if he wins, what it would mean for Rex. So please, do as I ask. My men will follow you, but I need to know you are safe… and here, right now, you aren’t.” His eyes held a conviction to the words he was saying. He wants to enter battle mode without me and the children nearby as collateral damage. He seems to understand my reasoning for wanting to stay,
“He won’t step foot on Silver Moon land, he can’t risk the chance of it looking as an aggressive move. He won’t risk going against the packs of the new alliance, ones that have a lot of dirt on him….”
“Reuben…” I grab his arms trying to make him see sense.
“Evelyn, listen…As long as you stay here with the kids, anything that happens on Red Stone grounds can be covered up. Don’t you understand what I am saying?”
“Reuben we just need to come up with a rational plan…to take a second to think .” I start but he cuts me off with his own lips, letting his tongue create tingles on my lips and inside my mouth.
This is a slow, passionate kiss. Not a hungry sex crazed kiss like before, he’s savouring the moment. His hands slowly roam down my body until they land on my butt cheeks and hoist me up. He wraps my legs around his waist, keeping one hand on my ass and the other holding my ankles behind his back. He very slowly walks me to his leather sofa, sitting down so that I am straddling him.
Once I am safely sat on top of him, his hands roam up my body again as his tongue continues to tickle mine, leaving tingles that will take me days to recover from. His hands finally land in my hair as he pulls me back slightly, letting me gasp for air.
“He won’t step foot on Silver Moon land. There you are all safe. Please trust me.”
He’s being far fetched, surely? But he was kissing me as if…I don’t even want to think it…as if it may be for the last time.
Reuben POV
I couldn’t protect my mother, but I can protect my mate.
She needs to leave, she needs to be as far away as here as possible and to keep the kids safe in Silver Moon land. He won’t touch her there, he won’t risk it. He won’t get a chance to take me from her or my children. I’d rather die with him than him put them and the pack through what he did before. He won’t get his hands on the Red Stone Kingdom, I’ll make sure of that!
I couldn’t stop kissing her, I wanted more but we didn’t have the time. Time was now of the essence. I knew what he was doing. He can hide behind accounts and shares in companies but it still comes back to that same thing for him… power.
He’s made quite the impact in the human financial world and once I’ve done here I’ll stop him in that world. I was blind, thinking he’d just disappear, which he has from the shifter world but in the human world he has gained a lot of assets, a lot of power.
“Reuben…”
“Evelyn, I’ve got things to do, things I don’t want you involved in. Things that if they go sour the Silver Moon’s name won’t be tarnished with.”
She didn’t have time to object any further as I could hear their little footprints running in the direction of my office. The small disapproving growl from Noah informs me that they’ve gone against his request to come find us.
I lift her off me slightly and place her next to me on the sofa. She hasn’t heard their upcoming arrival, her eyes holding unshed tears. I curse myself internally for being the one to cause those tears to form, but it is for her own good. To keep her safe.
“Mum?” Rex arrives first, not letting his sister win the race for once. “Mum, why did that man say you two were married?” He pushes for information.
“I’m sorry Alphas, I tried to keep them from barging in.” Noah walks in behind Elspeth who continues to clutch her bunny teddy. Evelyn goes to respond but I place my hand on her thigh and answer first.
“Because we are. We married four years ago but I let your Mum down at the time but I’m going to make it up to her, make it up to the both of you.”
“Reuben…” She keeps trying to protest, to change my mind but my mind is not for changing.
“I need to let you go for now…”
Rex takes a step closer to me, his eyes slightly flashing to show his wolf. Yes Father would completely manipulate him from an early age, I need to protect him from that fate.
“But Dad…” He protests and my heart fills with joy, from him calling me Dad. He’s never called me that before and just that one word could threaten to derail my resolve.
Evelyn notices the change in my breathing, I’ve paused trying to keep my emotions in check. This is meant to be a changing point for us as a family but I’m going to have to turn them away, again. But I have to stick to my gut, to what I know and to the father that I know.
“You don’t know how much that means to me but I’m sorry Son, this is for the best. You’ll realise one day. Noah …” Noah’s head whips to mine, his eyes unsure what to expect from me. I place my hand out to him.
“Keep them safe.”
“Always.” He responds, after some hesitation, shaking my hand and it’s as if he understands what I am saying. A beta, understanding the unsaid command of an alpha, even if not his alpha.
“Can I call you Daddy too?” Elspeth takes a step closer to Rex, etching herself into his protective arm’s length.
“Of course darling, that also makes me very happy.”
‘Reuben…” Evelyn looks down at her children with a sad smile, they’ve finally accepted me only for them to have to go.
“Noah, you can’t stop. You need to get them to the Silver Moon lands..no matter what. You won’t have any issues but just in case…don’t stop. He won’t touch you on Silver Moon grounds but inform the alliance anyway, tell them to keep their warriors on standby.” My look burns into his eyes.
“Yes Alpha, I understand.” He picks both children up, struggling with Rex who is fighting not to leave. I turn to Evelyn and place my hand on her face, stroking the soft skin that was made just for me.
“Reuben, we can stay…”
“The day your parents died. That was nothing compared to what Father is capable of doing…I’ll stop him but I can’t do that with you here. I can’t worry about you when I’m heading into battle.”
Looking out the office window I see Rex screaming as Nate tries to get them both into the car. Noah walks back into the office his arm wrapped around Cassandra.
“Evelyn…” He calls her name but her eyes are on me.
“Take my men…” I offer, but I already know she won’t.
“No, keep them here…”
“Evelyn, now!” He growls placing his hand out to her. With one last look at me, she reluctantly takes it. He does the work for her, he pulls her as she forgets how her legs work. She stumbles slightly before being ushered out of the house. I walk behind them, a man with the heaviest feet of all time. Each step I take feels like moving a block of concrete.
They drive off into the distance, Noah leading the first of two cars. Evelyn in the front next to him and Cassandra in between the children in the back. The warrior car following them behind. My family driving away and I don’t know if I’ll get to see them again.
A hand is placed on my shoulder with a supportive squeeze.
“We need to get to work.” Nate says by my side. Always by my side.
“Yes, yes we do!”
