Chapter 67
Arthur POV
It’s the end of another day. Lewana has been amazing and a true Luna Queen in guiding all the wolves. She never ceases to amaze me. I’ve started coming to this pack kitchen every night to spend time and check in with my Jellybean but I’m sick of these other people. It’s yet another family–style dinner with strangers.
Watching Conrad’s dirty mitts all over my jellybean as she giggles and accepts his affection makes me sick. He has become increasingly brazen with it over the last few days, and he knows it kills me to watch it. I have to get her away from him. At the end of the dinner, I watch them all leave and glare as Conrad leads her off to sleep. I know they have been sharing a bed as she reeks of him in the morning but it’s not strong enough to confirm they have had sex so that’s a bonus.
CLUNCK
I turn and see Mary looking at me with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face as she
put a bottle of Irish cream on the table.
“We need to talk Mr“.
I snap back. “About what“.
“About whatever your grievance is with Conrad“.
“Thought that would be obvious“.
“We’ll explain it as I don’t understand“.
I take a deep breath. I was expecting this fight with Conrad or Jellybean. Not this woman. “He’s not right for Lewana. She has been through enough to have to go through more of this crap. She deserves a quiet life somewhere. Not one where some big–headed Alpha manipulates her with auras while dating four other women. Even if she wins this stupid contest, he gains more from her than she will ever get from him“.
I just grumble at her while she pours some coffee with a generous amount of Irish creamer. She is definitely a kill–with–kindness type.
“Well. Conrad and Lewana seem quite attached to each other so it would be better if we could get along more. Why don’t we start with getting to know each other better. Do you
have a mate“.
“Nope. Dead“.
“I’m so sorry. What about pups“.
“Nope“.
“You really don’t like small talk do you“.
I just stare at the coffee and feel the warmth in my hand spread up my arm. I take a drink a feel it spread to my belly as I drink as if finding the emptiness I carry from being alone.
I don’t want to talk so I ask her the same question. “What about you then. Where is your
mate“.
#
“He rejected me. We had been together two years and we were struggling to have a pup. We went to a doctor and they told us that I would never be able to have one. He rejected me in the doctor’s office saying there was no point having a defective mate. Bastard“.
Holy crap. I know she is only sharing to get me to talk but it has been years since I have had a conversation like this with someone.
“Mine died during birth from complications. I never met my pup so was never technically
a father“.
“So we both know what it is like to raise a child that wasn’t ours“.
“I heard you were Liam’s Nanny. That’s not the same as what Lewana and I have“.
“Liam is not the child I was referring to“.
I just stare at her. That makes no sense.
“Lewana told me Conrad was raised by his grandmother Ada“.
“Til the age of 14. She managed to escape the pack with Conrad and was on the run for weeks. I was the one who found them hiding in the forest. Conrad was doing his best to be intimidating but he was maybe 70lbs and was starving. I convinced the Alpha of the pack to care for them under the condition that Conrad leave the day before he turns 18 so he couldn’t challenge the current Alpha for the title. He had no idea he was the prince“.
“But you did“.
2/4
Chapter 67
“His Grandmother told me. Because of the years of abuse, her age, and her physical state, he heart had started to fail. She was told she had three months to live at most. That’s why she escaped. To find someone to protect Conrad after she died“.
“Did Conrad know this“.
“No. She got sick very quick when they came to our pack. She didn’t even last the month. Then Conrad was left for me to raise. He was such a quiet boy. He used to get beaten up a lot as he wouldn’t fight back. He was taught that taking the beating resulted in less punishment so the other pups took advantage of this. Especially the Alpha’s son“.
She looks down as she remembers this. The memories are clearly still painful for her.
“Eventually Liam stepped in. He gave the Alpha’s son one hell of a beating and told him he would never be his Beta as he could never follow someone who was cruel for fun. His father was furious as the families had been connected for nearly a century. They tried very hard to get Liam to change his mind but when Conrad joined the military at 18, Liam went with him“.
“I don’t care about his past. I still don’t like him”.
“What if I told you she is the first serious relationship he has had”.
“I would call you a liar”.
She laughs. “I’m serious. He has never been good with women. Don’t think any have lasted more than a month. Liam tried to help him out as a teenager and ended up telling some girls that they would be Luna if they dated him. One was all over him for about three days before she snuck into the house and Conrad found her naked in his bed. They ended up having sex as he thought he loved her but the next days she told everyone she
was pregnant and a Luna so could do whatever she wanted. Her mum had to explain she
could only get pregnant while in heat and Liam’s dad had to explain what a condom was
to Conrad“.
I can’t help but stifle a laugh at this. She laughs a bit. Her look changes quickly and she looks sad again.
“So. Seeing as you now know you don’t know Conrad at all. Why are you so worried about him taking Lewana away from you“.
So she did know the real reason. She was just playing dumb before.
3/4
Chapter 67
I look down at the table ashamed because I know it is stupid. “It’s because I keep losing her. I nearly lost her the night she was born. I lost her when Blake took her. I lost her when she escaped. I lost her to the human world. Now I’m losing her to him“.
“What if I could promise you that you wouldn’t lose her and could even spend more time
with her“.
“I’m listening“.
