Page 28 of His Forsaken Alpha

“Seems that’s the way he wants it,” Wilder said, a short inhale and tilt of the head voicing ire. “Or he wants to avoid the volley of questions about to be shot in his direction. Shouldn’t surprise me. Avoiding anything emotional is his stock and trade.”

“Your papa has been through a lot,” Avery murmured, eyeing Cav. “And a surprise visitor from the past on top of that. Maybe you should give Wynter a little space to get his footing before you tear into him.”

“I don’t need advice on how to handle my papa.”

“And if you were in my shoes? Would you want someone to tear into Avery?” Cav asked.

“Wynter doesn’t get a pass on this,” Wilder snapped. “He has a lot to answer for.”

“I’m sure your papa will do that once he’s had a minute to get his head on straight,” Avery interrupted, lifting a brow at Wilder.“I know you’re impatient. I would be, too, in your shoes. But Wynter has just experienced a major loss. Give him a day or two, at the very least.”

“You’re defending him? After the things he said to you?” Wilder asked Avery.

Cav wanted to question what that meant, but knew he’d cross a line asking it.

“Perhaps becoming a papa has softened me a little. Or maybe it’s how much I miss my own right now and that I don’t want you to lose yours, too. Was what Wynter said condescending when we met?Absolutely.But there’s two sides to a story. Maybe he overreacted out of worry for you. Youwereshacking up with a criminal, you know?”

“A criminal? Hardly.” Wilder shook his head.

“Look, you’ve just lost one parent,” Avery replied. He took Wilder’s hand in his. “You need to pause and take a breath. Before you end up saying things to your papa that you might later regret.”

Wilder sighed. “I appreciate your attempt to be kind, but my papa wasn’t worried about me.”

“He was worried about how the world would judge him,” Cav murmured, thinking out loud.

Wilder eyed him and nodded. “Maybe youdoknow my papa, after all.”

“It’s been a long time, but I doubt some things have changed,” Cav replied.

Wilder crossed and pressed a kiss to Avery’s head. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just…frustrated.”

“I know, and I forgive you.”

Wilder wrapped an arm around Avery’s shoulders. “I love you.”

Avery closed his eyes and leaned into Wilder’s hug. “I love you, too.”

Cav, while pleased to see his son had a loving relationship, felt very much the interloper. He turned his back to the pair to give them a moment’s privacy, unsure what to do with himself. “I’m headed outside to grab my suitcase.”

3

As soon as Cav was outside, he paused and took a deep breath. The sun was slowly descending in the sky, the pinks and oranges of the late afternoon beginning to make an appearance. A small family of four passed on the sidewalk outside the lawn, the smiling omega pushing a baby carriage while babbling away happily as the alpha carried a tiny tot in one arm and led a leashed puppy with the other. It reminded him of where he was. The Alexandria Family Quarter. He’d been there once before, eons ago and it hadn’t gone well.

What the hell am I doing here? I should just go and get a hotel room and give them space.

And me.

I need space.

To call himself overwhelmed was an understatement. He should just get in the car and find a hotel like he’d planned. He took three steps in that direction before he realized he hadn’t left a number for them to reach him. He turned back. With any luck, there would be a notepad in the table he’d spied near the door,and he could scribble a little goodbye note with his contact info. He snuck back in the front door and pulled on a drawer in the foyer’s table but found nothing.

He slid open another.

“Can I help you with something?” Wilder asked, appearing in the hallway nearby.

“I was going to leave my number if I could find a notepad. I think it might be better if I found a hotel.”

“You don’t have to go. The housekeeper should have the room ready for you by now.”

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