Page 16 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

“Oh, he did,” Farrah said, her eyes wet with unshed tears. “He used his alpha influence on me. Waves of alpha energy poured over me. I’d never felt anything like it. By the time he was done, I was on my knees, begging him to stop, promising anything. It was the one thing he said he’d never use on his own kids.”

An alpha’s aura could be used to intimidate and overpower his betas and other pack members. It was only to be used in extreme cases—a disloyal member, a beta, or another lesser alpha in the pack who thought they would be better at running the pack and wanted to overthrow him outside of an official challenge. A true pack alpha could use that energy and influence to bend people to his will. A good alpha rarely needed to use it, and those who did used it sparingly. Theyneverused it on family. Using it on a mate or a child—even a sibling—was considered taboo by most, and outright immoral by some.

I gaped at her in horror. “He did that?”

She nodded, swiping away her tears. “It was the final straw. I did what he asked, and then I got the hell out of town.”

“Once you were away from his influence, you could have told me the truth, though,” I said.

Farrah glared at me. “You know I couldn’t, Cole. Dad made me promise while I was under his alpha influence. You know what that means.”

I slammed a fist onto my thigh and leaned back in the chair. A promise made under the influence of an alpha was unbreakable, even when the subject was far away from the alpha. It was essentially a blood oath that could kill the person who tried to break it. The only way to get rid of such an oath was when the alpha died.

By the time my father died, nearly fifteen years had passed. All of this didn’t explain why she hadn’t told me the minute he died. It would have spared me from stumbling unprepared into the situation like a dumbass.

“I understand that, but what about after he died? He’s been dead for months, Farrah. You could have spilled it then.”

“I’d already told you a made-up story about how Avery was fucking another guy and had basically forgotten about you. I told Avery you didn’t give a shit about her and you wanted her to forget you and abort the baby. What would you have done when I suddenly said, ‘Oh, sorry, I was lying. You guys still belong together, and by the way, Cole, you have a kid.’ At best, you’d think I was trying to stir shit up for no reason after all these years.” She swallowed hard. “Tell me, Cole, right now, after what I told you, if I’d come to you after Dad died and told you the truth, would you have believed me?”

I stared at her, remembering how upset I was when she told me Avery had gotten with a new guy so soon after I’d left. It had gutted me, although it had also given me a bit of comfort that she’d been able to move on with her life. After a few years, I’d accepted it, but the heartache was never far behind. Farrah wasright. If I hadn’t seen Ashton with my own eyes, hadn’t spotted the uncanny resemblance to myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. None of that lessened my anger, though. Regardless of what she thought I would or wouldn’t believe, she should have told me.

“That wasn’t for you to decide,” I hissed through gritted teeth. “You didn’t have the right to withhold that.”

Farrah nodded. Again, she couldn’t meet my eyes. “Yeah. I realize that now.” She shook her head sadly. “You know how it is. Once a lie is told, it takes on a life of its own. The longer it goes, the harder it is to reel it back in. Avery never liked me, and it broke her heart when I told her what Dad wanted me to. Even ifyou’dbelieved me, she wouldn’t. So, I took my shame and left town, praying you’d never find out the truth. I never, in a million years, thought Avery would come back here. Even if the baby was yours and he needed a pack to thrive, I assumed she hated this place so much she’d find one somewhere else for her kid. I’m sorry.”

I was an alpha, and with that came the blessing and the curse of being able to sense lies from members of my pack. Farrah was telling the truth. Her remorse appeared real, and there was no way to go back in time. All I could do now was move forward.

“That son of a bitch,” I muttered, shaking my head in disgust. “Dad’s dead, yet somehow he’s still making my life hell. He simply couldn’t let me be with Avery.” Again, crushing regret and sadness threatened to overwhelm me.

“What do you want to do now?” Farrah asked.

“No clue. I already told Avery we’d accept Ashton into the pack. She said she’d talk to the kid about it. I guess now I wait for her to get back to me.”

“Do we tell the pack about it? About him?”

In returning to Harbor Mills, I’d taken on the mantle of pack alpha. Everyone had been all for it because the pack likely wouldn’t have survived the ensuing chaos from not having an heir. It probably would have splintered, or worse. Now I was in charge of around two hundred people. Would they be happy that I had an heir, or would they be confused and angry because no one had told them? I had no doubt that their vitriol would be aimed at my father rather than me. From everything I’d heard, his last few years had been a quick downfall from a respected leader to a secretive and angry dictator.

“We’ll wait,” I said. “No reason to tell everyone until Avery and Ashton make a decision. Who knows, they might decide to pack up and leave tomorrow.”

My wolf whined at that, and I couldn’t blame him. It sent a ball of lead into my gut as well. Now that I knew I had a son, all I wanted was to get to know him. The idea of him vanishing from my life so soon after I’d discovered him was almost too much to stand.

“Makes sense, I guess,” Farrah said.

My chest ached as if I’d taken a punch to the sternum. My wolf thrashed about in my mind, desperate to be let out. It had been ages since I’d gone on a run. I needed it, and so did the wolf inside me. We both needed to blow off some steam.

I stood and ran a hand over my face. “I’m going for a run.”

Farrah looked surprised. “Oh. Okay. Do, uh, do you want me to go with you?”

“No.”

She flinched at my harsh tone. Taking a steadying breath, I tried to explain.

“It’s not personal, Farrah. I just…” I shrugged. “I need some time. To process all this.”

“I get it,” she said.

Without another word, I went outside. The smell of pine trees hit me. The forest, inviting and cool, lay beyond Farrah’s porch. Sniffing the air, I took in the sweet scent of decaying leaves, rich earth, and wildflowers. I bounded down the steps, shifting in mid-air, my four paws meeting the ground when I landed. My wolf body thrummed with energy as I raced for the forest.

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