Page 74 of Rejected By My Shadow Alpha
His jaw tensed as he studied the damage. "You are a brave woman, brave and fearless."
"You came back," I whispered. "I thought you died. When you left for your pack, I thought I lost you for good."
His thumb brushed a tear from my cheek. "I should never have gone, but I had to play his game to end it."
I blinked. "How did you do it? How did you find us? How did you get Darius and the Council to turn on him?"
"One question at a time." Drew laughed."So Nia helped me connect to you through our mate-bond. When you told me where you and Liora were, I got Jay to track where Lena was because I had put a tracking device on her phone."
"What?" I asked in disbelief and awe, "How did you know she was the one? I thought you trusted her?"
"I did, and I didn't," Drew replied. "I wanted to be sure she was clean, so I tracked her like I tracked Jay. It turns out it was for the best."
"Indeed," I replied, impressed by his smart and logical approach.
"To answer your next question, I promised Darius exactly what your father promised but couldn't give," he said, a flicker oftriumph in his eyes. "The only difference is I could give it legally, but he couldn't. All he had to do was get the Council on my side."
My mouth fell open. "You convinced my father's friends to turn on him?"
Drew laughed, "It was either that or they lose out completely. So it was a safe gamble to play. I learned from the best," he said dryly. "He played power games. I played smarter."
I shook my head, still in disbelief, wondering what it had cost Drew to be able to pull this off. Unbidden, I recalled Alex, who gave his life to save Liora and me. "Drew…Alex, did he…?"
Drew held me closer, "He's alive, Ruby, alive and recovering."
I sighed deeply, relieved all was well. I hadn't expected it would end this way. I had expected worse than this, but I guess fate had been on our side. I let out a shocked breath, half-laugh, half disbelief.
"It's really over?"
Drew nodded, "It is. Lena and your father are gone. Alex is alive, the extraction machine's been dismantled, and Liora…" his voice cracked as he glanced at her, now surrounded by medics. "She's safe."
I swallowed back another sob, and then I laughed through my tears. "I can't believe it. Thank you, Drew."
Drew's hand cupped my face. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I'm sorry for everything I put you through, for walking away, for doubting us."
I held his gaze, the ache in my chest finally softening.
"I'll spend the rest of my life making it right," he continued, his voice rough. "If you'll let me. I love you, and I will never stop loving you."
I stared at him, heart wide open, nothing left to shield. "I love you, too," I whispered.
He leaned in and kissed me, soft at first, like a question. Then I kissed him back, like an answer. The world didn't feel like itwas ending. It felt like it was just beginning. Something in me cracked. All the nights I told myself I didn't care and that I didn't need him, that I had survived without him. All the walls I built to hold myself together.
They fell.
I leaned in and kissed him. When we broke apart, we were both gasping and trembling.
"I love you," I said, my voice shaking. "I think I've always loved you, even when I hated you, even when I thought you were dead and wanted to forget you. I couldn't."
His forehead rested against mine. "Will you forgive me?" he whispered. "For everything I was? For everything I couldn't be?"
Tears slipped down my cheeks. I laughed and cried all at once. "Yes," I breathed. "Yes, Drew. For everything. Just don't leave me again."
"Never."
Then we heard footsteps, dozens rushing towards the lab. Jay was the first to burst into the lab, his eyes taking in the scene with a sharp intake of breath. His eyes moved slightly as he scanned the blood-slicked floor, the two lifeless bodies, and Liora, strapped, unmoving, but breathing.
Behind him, others from Drew's team filed in. Some shifted, some bloody. All wide-eyed.
