Page 54 of Snowbound with the Alpha Wolf
Aiden saidnothing.
“She lied to me about her uncle’s origins. About her origins.” He frowned. “Technically, she did not. She failed to tellme.”
“Nia lied to me about a lethal disease that could have wiped out every male in my pack. And I still loved her. We worked it out. If youfind the right female for your mate, you’ll move heaven and earth and all else to be with her, make her happy.” The alpha’s gaze met his. “And forgive her the dumbass mistakes she’s made. Because she had reasons of her own for keeping secrets fromyou.”
He sighed. “I have to stop swearing. I put a jar on the counter and told Darius for every swear word I utter after the baby was born, Iwas putting one dollar cents into it. And the money would go to her college fund. It’s going to be damn hard to break that habit.” Aiden rolled his eyes. “There I goagain.”
Adrian laughed. Then he rocked some more. “I like you, Mitchell. Darcy told me I was a…” He started to say “ass” and glanced at the baby. “A jerk for jumping to conclusions about you. I’d told her I’d have to leaveafter a day because you’d drive meaway.”
The other male shrugged. “You’re not a threat simply because you’re alpha. If you were, I’d sense it, and I would deal with you.” His gaze glinted. “And I have a dozen strong males who stand ready to do thesame.”
Nodding, he considered. “Darcy issmart.”
“This Darcy of yours, you love her?” the other alphaasked.
He noddedagain.
“She loves you. I can tell. You always can. So maybe she kept secrets from you because she was too scared to tell you the truth, knowing how you felt about the Dark Kingdom and knowing how she felt about you. Love can twist you sideways,sometimes.”
Insight struck him. “Tristan didn’t send Darcy here to assimilate into pack life. He sent us here so you could drill some senseinto my thickskull.”
Aidan said nothing, only murmured to thebaby.
“I love her. I love her more than my own life. Even more than my people. And that scares me because I vowed nothing would come between me and my pack,” Adrian confessed. He rocked for a minute, thought about it. “But she saved my life. She set me on my feet ten years ago and filled me with the purpose that drivesmetoday.”
“Things happen. Tristan did send you here for a purpose. He always has a reason for what he does. Trust in that,” Aidenadvised.
The baby slept on as Aiden keptrocking.
“I’ve never had to deal with him,” Adrian admitted. “I’ve met him only one other time long ago, when he came to my pack and punished Lars for mistreating an elder. I thought that would deter Larsfrom doling out more abuse. It didn’t. It didn’t save mygran.”
The anger and grief he’d felt at losing his beloved grandmother had faded. Now it was only a distant ache. If he focused on the good times, the good memories, it hurt less. And he wanted to remember her as she’d been alive—a wise woman who loved him dearly, taught him to cook and listened patiently as he talked about his dreamsand hopes for thefuture.
“It was her time to go. Nothing could have prevented that. You can’t know all the details. Trust me in this. Tristan told me that sometimes, no matter how much we care, how much effort we expend, we can’t save the ones welove.”
Adrian tilted his head at the other alpha. “You sound as if you’re friends with thewizard.”
“Tristan is my brother-in-law.His mate is my Nia’stwin.”
More surprises. “Well, that must make for interesting family reunions,” Adrian saiddryly.
Aiden chuckled. “I’m surprised he’s not shown up yet to see thebaby.”
Barely had the words fled his mouth when silver smoke puffed into the room. It cleared immediately, and Tristan, the Silver Wizard, stood before them. Dressed in his customary black, hegave an ear-splittinggrin.
“You rang?” Tristanasked.
“What took you so long?” Aidenasked.
“I was waiting for both of you to finish your heart-to-heart chat.” Tristan folded his arms across his chest and gave Adrian a pointed look. “And?”
Oddly enough, he felt no fear of this powerful wizard, who was both guardian and judge of his kind. Tristan could point a fingerat him and turn Adrian into ash. But he sensed the wizard only wanted tohelp.
“I love her. I want her as my mate. That’s never stopped. But I’m afraid I’ve driven her off for good. I said things that hurt Darcy.” Adrian struggled with his pride. “I don’t know how to ask forforgiveness.”
“Just ask,” Tristan and Aiden said at the sametime.
A faint smile touched Adrian’s mouth.“You two have goodadvice.”
