Page 1 of The Alpha's Heir

Trials

*** Eva ***

It has been six weeks since I confirmed my husband was dead.

Six weeks of bliss with my fated mate and our little girl, living in the Packhouse of The Onyx River Pack, getting to know my new family and spending night after night wrapped in the strong embrace of the love of my life, Alpha Aiden Goldrick.

Then, this morning, Aiden gets called away because of a security breach at the border of his land and I concentrate on getting Summer ready for preschool so I can continue with my Luna training. However, my day is soon soured in an epic way.

My mother is the security breach. Although I told her I didn’t want to speak to her or see her, she insists on forcing her presence on me anyway.

“You can’t avoid me forever, Eva. I have nowhere else to go,” she tells me in a calm fashion which is completely at odds with the hurt, humiliation and fury I feel towards her. My mother, my only parent growing up, betrayed me in a way no mother should ever betray her daughter.

“I just don’t understand why this is my problem, Ms Duval. You made your bed- with my husband, might I add- so go lay on it.”

My mother scowls at my retort. “Look, Eva, that was a long time ago. He’s dead now and it’s all over with.”

I turn to Beta Preston as I stand to leave. “Ensure she is escorted off our land, please, Beta Preston.” When I turn back to my mother, my voice is full of malice. “If you return here, I will have them kill you. Do you understand? I hate you for what you did, and I always will.”

All our warriors bow in respect to me, but my mother refuses to back down. “Eva, please. Where will I go?”

My heart feels like she is pounding it with a hammer. Every single time something happens, she reverts to being a pained little girl and I am left to pick up the pieces, but not this time. This time there is no going back.

“You should have thought of that before. Did you ever think about what you were doing to me?” Of course she didn’t, that would require her to not act like a victim, and that is a role Rose covets.

I leave the room before the tears burn my eyes. My own mother betrayed me, and I’m left desperate to know why? Why did she think so little of me that she would treat me so callously?

I could never ever imagine a circumstance where I would hurt my own daughter, Summer, in that way, degrading her and humiliating her and leaving her questioning her own self-worth. No matter how old she gets, I will never ever put my own selfish wants before my daughter's wellbeing. Aiden says it reflects my character; he says I am worth a million of Rose.

“It was hard for me, Eva; I was all alone raising you and Xavier promised to help us, but I should have known better than to trust the leader of a pack of dogs,” she screams after me.

“Get rid of her now!” I shout as I flee back to my apartment. Through my anger and disgust, I cry. I always thought my mother had been distant because of her husband, Claude. Now I know it was guilt and disdain for me. Out of everything that I have been through, this has cut the deepest.

I don’t think I can ever forgive her, and I am both proud of myself for sticking to my principles and disgusted in myself for not being able to move past this. I hate what sort of a person that made me. I don’t want to be hateful or full of resentment, but that is what has happened.

When I get back to the apartment, I climb onto our bed and cry until Aiden walks in. He doesn’t say anything, he just sits next to me and opens his arms to me. After a few minutes, he finally speaks.

“Eva, I’ve had to put her in the cells. When Preston tried to remove her as you asked, she started ranting about telling the world about werewolves and how she would destroy us all. I think we need to speak to Xavier.”

He’s referring to my father, the man I hadn’t known until a few weeks ago, the man who is desperate to be a part of my life and whose identity as a werewolf finally revealed my own hidden secrets: namely, that I am a werewolf too.

I have seen him on two occasions since the day I ran out on him. The first time, I asked a lot of difficult questions and became overwhelmed. The second visit went a little better and he spent time getting to know me and telling me about himself. I’m not at the stage where I want to publicly accept him or introduce him to Summer or anything, but I am open to getting to know him and seeing where that takes us.

“I will go and talk to her now, Aiden. I am so sorry. I don’t want her staying here near me, but I will have to give her money to go away. She says she has nowhere to go.” Aiden quickly pulls out cash, but I push his hand away. “No. This is my mess, I will pay her.”

Aiden pushes the money back at me. “This is our mess, we will deal with it together. Now take it, there is more if you need it.” I kiss him for being sweet and I thank him for supporting me.

“Thank you for loving me, Aidy, I had best go and sort her ladyship out before Preston gets a headache from her whining.”

“I’m sorry to rush you, Shortie, but we have to be at the Chambers of Justice in just over an hour.”

I forgot about our prior engagement. “Don’t worry, I’ll be ready.”

Today is not about to get any easier.

*** Aiden ***

The past six weeks have been amazing, more than amazing. Eva and Summer living here with me has filled my life with joy. Of course, we have had stumbles in the road, like when I swore in front of Summer and she repeated it. Eva was ready to lynch me for that one. But I love the stumbles as much as the good times because they reinforce how much I would do to make my girl happy.

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