Page 33 of Rejected By My Shadow Alpha
I shook my head. "I don't know. I need Alex with me. She knows him. He'll be a bridge."
Alex gave a slow, thoughtful nod. "I can do that."
Lena stepped forward, her voice quieter now. "Let me come, too."
I looked at her, startled. "Lena…"
She held up her hand. "Trust me, Alpha. I am just an old woman, but you need someone who can speak to her gently. Let me come with you."
I hesitated. The idea of bringing anyone near Ruby, near that wound, felt reckless, but Lena's gaze was calm and steady.
"She won't see me as a threat," she continued softly. "I'll just be a concerned aunt, trying to smooth over a young couple's complicated history."
Alex glanced at me. "She's right. She might be the reason Moonleaf doesn't slam the door."
I swallowed hard, staring at the glowing message on my screen. My hands felt numb. "Alright," I said finally, voice low. "But this isn't a mission for our pack. This is personal, and I do not want any word of this to get out."
Lena smiled gently, something almost maternal in her eyes. "I can do that. However, I need you to fill me in on the details on the way."
Alex nodded, his calm demeanor and loyalty had made me trust him. As I grabbed my coat from the hanger, I prayed desperately that Lena's advice would work if Ruby refused to listen to me. As we walked out, I felt my heart tremble in dread of what Ruby's reaction would be.
Chapter 14
Ruby
Liora's breathing was shallow but steady beside me, her small body curled under the faded quilt. I lay on my side, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest, willing it to continue. Each breath felt like a battle won.
My eyelids burned from sleeplessness, and my heart was raw from fear. I had never felt this helpless, not even the night I ran from my engagement party. Back then, I had my instincts, my wolf, and my will, but now I was just a mother on the edge, praying to the Moon Goddess and every deity that help would come.
Wolfsbane22's last message flickered in my mind.
The network is mobilizing. If he's out there, they'll find him. Hold on, Moonleaf. Word will reach you soon.
I clung to those words like a lifeline. He had always been kind, steady, and quietly supportive in a way that anchored me when I felt adrift. I didn't know who he really was, but in the depths of this nightmare, he'd been a constant whisper of hope.
A knock rattled the door.
I stiffened, instinctively wrapping an arm around Liora. Nia was out back, tending to her herbs. Could it be a rogue in need of treatment? Another emergency? Goddess, I didn't have the strength for it. My body ached. My soul was frayed at every edge. I didn't want to move, but the knock came again, firmer this time.
Reluctantly, I pulled myself up from Liora's side, brushing a strand of damp hair from her forehead. "I'll be right back, baby," I whispered.
The hallway felt colder than usual. My feet were silent against the old floorboards as I reached the door and cracked it open, ready to tell whoever it was to come back later. Standing before me was a face I hadn't seen in weeks but hadn't forgotten.
Alex.
"Hi Moonleaf," the man at the door said, his warm voice tugging at a distant memory. "It's good to see you again."
"Alex?" I blinked, squinting through the low light.
He nodded, giving me that same lopsided smile I remembered from weeks ago, the quiet patient whose wounds I'd stitched, whose recovery I'd overseen. The kind soul who'd asked for nothing and thanked me for everything.
"Come in," I said, opening the door wider. "You look much better than the last time I saw you."
He chuckled as he stepped inside, his eyes scanning the modest interior of my living room. "I owe that to you."
I managed a tired smile. "You don't owe me anything. I was just doing my job."
He looked at me then, and something passed over his face. "Still, I came to return the favor. I didn't come alone."
