Chapter One Hundred Forty-One

Luna Ryley

I stared at my son as I processed what he had just told me.

“You did what?”I yelled, standing from myseat. I moved around the coffee table where Channing was sitting and started to pace.

“Baby, please sit,” Blake said and myattention snapped to him.

“And you just let him do something like that.How could you let him kill someone, especially his father," I screamed before my lungs constricted and it was hard to breathe. I know I should be grateful that he's dead and I never have to deal with him again but Channing shouldn't have been the one to kill him. And now he's an alpha.

“Mom, it's okay. It's not that bad," Channingdefended.

“Not that bad,”I mocked.

“Are you just going to give up your dreams to

be an alpha now?"I questioned.

“We haven't decided anything yet, baby. Wehad been so worried about you. When the pack house exploded," Blake's voice faded as I was hit with a memory.

“I was in the basement and then I was in abunker under the house. My father had it installed. But when the explosion happened, something broke through the roof of the safe room and I needed to get out." I recalled before looking at Blake.

“It's why you were found outside the packhouse." Blake stood up and approached me.

“Yeah, it's a blur and I don't remember how Igot outside," I mumbled shaking my head.

“Mom, there's more,” Channing murmuredand I looked at him. He was sitting with his back to me. I looked at Blake.

“There isn't an easy way to tell you any ofthis. I know I should have been the one to kill him but once the pack house exploded, I couldn't move. I knew you were inside,

Baby.”Blake confessed, pulling me into his

arms. He snuggled his face into my neck.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This wasn't the life I wanted for my son. I always knew he would be a strong alpha. A compassionate alpha but I didn’t want him to feel forced into something he didn't want. I always believed I didn't have a choice. I was born to be Luna and I grew up believing that was just my life and nothing was going to change. And I was lost when it did.

“Channing, what else happened?”I openedmy eyes and asked my son. It's better to get it all out and then we can come up with a solution as a family.

“Dorian had killed his father and was also thealpha of his father's pack."I took a sharp intake of breath. He's not just the alpha of one pack but of two.

“Baby, please breathe. None of us knew whatthat fucker had done until after he was already dead." Blake said. My heart sank and my stomach twisted painfully.

“Something happened to Lisa and Chadwick.”

My voice cracked as I remembered what

Dorian had told me.

“I'm so sorry,” Blake said as he wrapped hisarms around me. So much death for nothing. And it should have been me and Channing. I may have been his fated but he had marked her. In all accounts, I was the other woman. Guilt twisted my insides.

“I need a moment,”I stammered as I movedout of Blake's embrace and towards the stairs.

“Mom?” Aspen reached out. He was by thekitchen.

“Just a moment,”I told him before I walkedup the stairs to my bedroom. Nothing they were going to say was going to make me feel any better about what happened. And it shouldn't. I came back to this world and people lost their lives. Good people.

“Mom,”Channing called out. I held up myfinger to say I needed a minute, as I climbed the stairs.

As soon as I was in my room and the door was closed, I let out a scream before sobs consumed me. I didn't make it to the bed as my legs gave out and I rested my head on the

side of the mattress.

“Baby,”Blake was beside me before I knewhe was in the room. I know I said let's get everything out but this was too much. I didn't expect him to actually do something like this. How could he?

Blake scooped me up and sat down on our bed with me straddling his waist. I rested my head on his chest. I don't know how long I cried as Blake rubbed my back and whispered sweet words to me. None of his words made me feel better.

“Please say that's it, Blake, because I don'tthink I can take anymore?” I cried.

“Everything else can wait, Ryley. I haveAiden looking into finding Lisa's family since her father was killed in the battle. I will make sure they are remembered." He answered as he held me tightly.

“I don't think Chadwick was Dorian's son,” Isniffed as I remembered what Dorian had confessed to me before he left me in the basement.

“Ryley, what are you saying?”

“It's something Dorian said to me. He calledLisa a cheater and he claimed Chadwick wasn't his son."I recalled.

“Then Lisa found her mate before she agreedto be with Dorian. I'll let Aiden know and he will find him. And her family."I nodded against his chest.

“My mom is here,” Blake let out a sigh.

“She is and I wouldn't let her see you.”

“I understand, Blake. You don't know her andtruth is, I don't either."I confessed. My sobs had dried up but my chest was still heavy.

“I'm not saying you have to see her, but shehas been at the hospital every day demanding to see you and Channing. I wouldn't let her see him either. I didn't want her to take him away from me if anything happened to you,"he choked on the last word and I looked up from Blake's chest to see tears in my alpha's eyes. These past two weeks have been hard on my mate and I wanted to take it all away. To help carry the burden.

“Thank you for protecting us,” I whispered,moving to rest my forehead against his. I placed his hands on my belly.

“All of us.”