39. Happy Family
ALPHA RAIDEN
cE
Larisa didn't return to my mansion that day and while a part offelt relieved that she had gone back to her
dad's home, a bigger part offelt like | was the asshole Aurelia and Lex had been calling me.
| shouldn't have treated Larisa like that and while it was a good choice to reject her body because | didn't want
her, perhaps | could have found a better and less insulting way to do it. And Aurelia?
Nothing could ever make up for the way | treated her in the past. She maderealize | wasn't as perfect as |
thought | was. | said | hated bullies but I bullied Aurelia emotionally for the three years she stayed married to
me.... Until | literally slapped her with divorce papers, running into the arms of Larisa... who | had been treating
poorly as well.
Maybe | was under a curse- To never love any woman like they deserved to be loved.
"Curse? Hell no! You're just plain stupid." Lex countered my thought even though | was already feeling like shit.
He added, "You shouldn't feel like shit." He emphasized the word feel and continued, "You're shit. Own it,
asshole."
"You look like shit, Alpha. Is everything alright?" Andrew asked, emphasizing Lex's words even though he couldn't
have heard my wolf.
We were both sitting in the pack's general office after dismissing a meeting with the council of Elders and of
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtcourse, Nolan was there, shooting daggers atall through the meeting. | assumed his daughter already told
him about what happened between us last night and he most likely despisedeven more than he did after the
dinner we had.
"Everything sucks and you know it," | confessed to Andrew, closing my eyes in hopes that I'd feel a sense of
peace even if it was for a mere second but Aurelia's face popped into my head, stealing my peace.
Andrew asked with interest, "Is this about Aurelia or Larisa?"
"Actually, it's both, Drew," | revealed.
If I was going to be a better man and Alpha, | might as well start owning up to my mistakes and feelings. | was in
love with Aurelia but | didn't deserve her and Larisa was still in love withas seen yesterday before she
stormed out of my hbut | also didn't deserve Larisa's love... not anyone.
"You are still confused about how you feel about both women?" Andrew asked me, his beta senses kicking in.
| looked around my office, taking a minute to think before voicing my response with conviction, "I'm not
confused, Drew. | know | love Aurelia. I've been in love with her even before she escaped and rejectedbut-"
"You were too blinded by your childhood love to realize that." He completed for me. "Or you were probably just
longing for what you were used to because you were terrified of your new feelings."
It made so much sense when Andrew described it like that but it also madelook like the victim which |
wasn't. In this story, I'm the villain.
"Aurelia hates me." | filled Andrew in, telling him about the long argument | had with Aurelia after the dinner with
Larisa's parents. "Larisa also despises me. She didn't return hyesterday and | haven't heard from her all
day."
Andrew's jaw hung loose as he stared atin disbelief. "Who could have tried to kill Aurelia while you were
searching for her? About Larisa, we both know she will caround soon. It's left to you to decide how you want
to end the long relationship you have been maintaining with her or do you plan to keep stringing her on?"
"Hell no!" | replied, utterly disgusted
by the idea but isn't that what I've been doing these past few years? Tsk!. "I don't want to keep leading Larisa on
but telling her I no longer love her will break her, Drew. She still means so much toeven though my heart
beats for a different woman and what if the
assassination attack on Aurelia was just random? She was alone and an easy target for predators."
"Ending it with Larisa is the right thing to do at this point. Take your tbut don't take too much time. Her
honor would be questioned but she would be fine." Andrew advisedand | nodded but he wasn't done yet. He
continued, "Aurelia will leave soon, Raiden. You either get her back or lose her again. Whatever
happens, I'll be here to support you."
That was a true friend right there but again his words leftconfused. How | wished | could be told how to make
amends with Aurelia and how to end it with Larisa without hurting her. Heck!
"Thank you, Drew." | appreciated my friend and we both left the office.
Andrew patted my shoulder before excusing himself as he had to be in the arena to prepare the place for the
finals that would be happening tomorrow. | decided to head back to my mansion to catch a break from
everything going on in my life.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
However, | sighted Aurelia in a small
enclosed garden close to my home. My heart lept for joy when | saw her but Tristan also stepped into sight
holding the familiar little girl who kept screaming, "Look at me. | can throw Kyle over my shoulder could hear her
excitement from where | was standing as she
dragged Tristan around with her.
| masked my scent, wanting to hear more even though eavesdropping was wrong.
The masked little boy walked over to Aurelia who picked him up, and whispered swords into his ears before
responding to the little girl, "Be nice to your twin brother, Katie, or this little play date will be over before it even
begins." They were twins... and they seemed to have a close bond with both Aurelia and Tristan.
The sound of Tristan's laughter cut my thoughts short and little Katie retorted bluntly, "Okay, mom. I'll be nice."
Mom? My heart sank as it all began to make sense or should | say my greatest fear and suspicion had been
confirmed.
"I don't want to play, Mama. I'd rather stay in the library." Kyle was his name... He called Aurelia Mama, causing
"Don't be a nerd today, Kyle. | thought this was supposed to be a family tfor us all. Let's play and we will
read all the books you want together afterward." Tristan muttered fondly. There was no doubt. He was their dad.
| stopped listening to the conversation because every word they uttered broke me, shattering my chances with
Aurelia.
Goddess, no! No, please.....
| cried to myself, my legs shaking as | retreated, taking many steps back from the happy family that would never
be mine.
I've lost her... everything was lost and I, Raiden Flockhart accept this defeat.