Page 182 of Unforgivable

Alpha Jax

I watch her walk away, head held high. I know without asking that those are her last words to my son, to her mate. He has lost everything but his life.

I have to be strong now. Wolves are closing in, the pack furious at the betrayal from their alphason.

"Tonight, I will announce a new heir." I intercede in the tumult before they can pounce on us. I know what needs to be done.

"Is it true?" A male, one of my enforcers, asks.

"Yes, Rick. It's all true. I was... I was unaware-"

"You should never have called for a Shaming!" a female voice lashes out. I can't tell who.

"No, no, I shouldn't have," I admit.

That seems to take some of the fight from them.

"A new heir? Who?"

I swallow. I can feel the skepticism, the doubt. There is no trust anymore.

"The Genom males have proposed a young male. I will announce him tonight after I speak with him."

I turn around, and Daan's eyes catch mine. His blue eyes, so like Jessi's, are filled with soul-crushing agony. They slowly fill with tears, an acknowledgment. The RustClaw can't have two alphasons.

He nods. He knows.

We are allowed to leave, the beaten, humbled alpha family. The alphason is in chains, and the Luna is being held up by the young Beta female.

I walk away, much like Lyri Song did, without looking back. I know that my most loyal wolves are following. Not because they want to, but because they have nowhere else to go.

An hour later, I am proven wrong. I help Max take his son’s body down from the rafters. I cut the rope away from Drew’s neck with my claws as quickly as I can, but it’s too late. His face is tinged blue, his lips white. There is no heartbeat. Mari sits in the corner, watching with dull eyes. His betrayal of their bond is complete. There is nothing left for her here.

Leaving Max to mourn his son, I go to find Jessi. Jessi should be here with Mari, to help her now that her male has abandoned her. I find her in our bedroom, packing. My wolf… he just looks at his mate with the same vacant gaze that Mari had. She’s leaving us, I realize.

"I'm leaving, Jax. You're letting that little hussy kill our son!" Jess screams at me.

I don't argue. What can I say? I am letting Lyri kill Daan. Jessi is deaf to my arguments, to reason. There is nothing I can do except accept fate with as much pride as I can muster.

"Where will you go?" I ask her softly as she grabs her suitcase and marches toward the door.

"To my sister's house."

"He needs you. He needs his mother. He doesn't have long, Jess."

"Don't you dare ask me to stay and watch my son, my only child, be slaughtered by some whore's disgusting lapdogs. Don't you dare!"

I shed tears for my son, not myself. He'll never see his mother again.

---

I approach Genom in absolute trepidation. I've had a couple of hours to process everything. My father knows about Inuit Genom. He knows about Lyri and Daan, too. My grandmother knows it all, no question. The Piersons are as good as dead. I do not doubt that Abigail will end her life soon. She isn't strong enough to survive the loss of her family.

The Genom males have gathered an army. Small but powerful. I'm ready to end this. To think of the pack, first.

"Alpha Jax," Thjis Anjse greets me.

"Thjis," I nod in return.

---