Page 42 of Rejected By My Shadow Alpha
Drew had to stop coming.
How do I tell him to stop coming around when my daughter lights up the second he walks in? When her laughter, once hesitant, now bubbles out at the sound of his voice?
She was healing and thriving, and I was grateful for his help, but watching her with him made my skin prickle. It was too easy,too perfect, and nothing in my life had ever been perfect without a price.
He'd once looked me in the eye and walked away. What was this now? Kindness, affection, and fatherly care? Real or rehearsed? I didn't know, and that terrified me more than anything.
And there was the matter of the curse. It came from his pack, whether he knew or not. Someone close to him had wanted Liora dead. How could I possibly trust him after that?
A sudden burst of laughter snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. It was Liora's laughter, bubbling and bright, followed by Drew's deeper chuckle.
My heart cracked.
I turned, wiping my palms on my jeans, and walked towards the sound like a woman approaching a fire she didn't know how to contain. The living room glowed with late afternoon light. They sat on the rug, surrounded by scattered sketch papers and colored pencils. Drew had a paper crown on his head, crooked, ridiculous, and Liora was trying to glue a second one together.
"You're not the only alpha here," she declared proudly. "Princess alphas get crowns, too."
Drew laughed, his eyes crinkling with something I couldn't name. "Then I bow to you, Princess Alpha."
My heart twisted.
For a few seconds, I saw a different Drew.
This vulnerable, tender man seemed different from the man who broke me with a look and walked away with my soul in his fist. I could see this man kneeling beside my daughter, grinning like a fool, his eyes soft and shining. There was something tender in the way he ruffled her hair. Something reverent in the way he looked at her, like she was a miracle he didn't deserve but would spend his life protecting.
Wolfsbane22's words echoed in my mind, "I had hurt someone more than I can ever explain. If I had the chance to make it right, I wouldn't think twice."
Could it be the same for Drew? Could Drew carry that kind of remorse? That kind of ache? I didn't want to believe it, but doubt stirred quietly inside me, loosening the certainty I'd held onto like a shield. Maybe he wasn't the same man who left me bleeding in Westbrow. Maybe something had changed. Or maybe I was just a fool, seeing what I wanted to see.
He looked up, sensing me, and his smile faltered.
"Mama," Liora beamed. "Look what we made!"
I swallowed hard and forced a nod. "Looks beautiful, baby."
She jumped to her feet. "I want to show Nia!"
"Go on," I said, brushing her cheek. "She's in the back garden."
Liora bolted off, crown in hand. The moment she disappeared, silence fell like a heavy curtain.
Drew stood, awkwardly brushing his hands on his jeans. "She's incredible."
"We had a deal," I said flatly, folding my arms. "You heal her. You don't stay."
His gaze didn't waver. "I know. I've been trying to keep my distance, but Ruby…."
"Don't," I snapped, my voice rising. "I mean it. You made your choice the moment you rejected me. You made it again when you disappeared. Liora is getting attached, and I don't want her hurt."
He stepped closer. "I know I don't deserve a second chance, but I'm trying now, Ruby.
I stayed rooted. "Trying doesn't erase the damage, Drew."
"No," he said, voice steady. "But it's the only thing I have to offer. I don't expect forgiveness. I just want to show up for you and Liora, to protect you both."
I looked at him, really looked. The walls I'd built around my heart didn't shake, but something in his eyes made me pause. "I'm not the same woman who begged you to see me," I said, arms folded. "So don't ask for anything you're not ready to earn."
His lips parted like he wanted to say more, but he nodded. "Then I'll earn it. Day by day. Whatever it takes."
