Chapter One Hundred Forty-Eight

Alpha Blake

I watched as my mate rushed up the stairs and away from the scene her father caused.

“Mate is under too much stress,” Gunnergrowled and my heart twisted painfully. I shouldn't have brought him. I know she needed answers but those answers could have waited. I turned back to see the after-math. My kitchen was a disaster and the alpha had misty eyes as he watched where his daughter ran away. When my father and beta tried to turn over the table, the al-pha snapped out of it.

“Shit, I'm sorry. This wasn't how I wantedthings to go," he said as he helped turn the table back over. He could have done it him-self.

“Alpha Everett, I'm telling you this because

I don't want my mate to have to relive it.

Walter saved her life. She was ready to give up after a few days on the streets. She had just been attacked in the city and she couldn't handle the guilt of what happened to her pack. She walked out on a bridge and jumped. Walter jumped in after her, saving her. She woke up in the hospital three days later, with Walter never leaving her side. He has been like a father and grandfather to Channing. Both you and your mate need to give her time and this extra stress isn’t good for her or our baby.”

“She pregnant!” He exclaimed.

“She is. And she has also been throughhell. First the council and then her mate. She will reach out when she is ready.”I told him. He let out a sigh before nodding.

“This wasn't how I thought this would go. Ibelieved she would have been happy with Dorian.” Gunner let out a growl.

“Just to be clear, Ryley and Channing aremine. And both will have my last name af-ter this weekend. That fucker almost cost

me everything.” My chest rumbled at the memory of what happened at his pack only a few weeks ago.

"Your wolf has claimed another alpha'sson?” He questioned.

"He has and hers has claimed mine. And I'm aware alpha wolves don't claim other al-pha's pups but both my wolf and I agree that Channing is ours.” I explained. He clasped me on the shoulder.

“Thank you for taking care of them.”Henodded before heading towards the door.

"Blake, I have someone on their way toclean this up. We should head back to the pack house.”Luca said.

“I should check on Ryley,” I told him.

“Give her some space. Just link her and tellher you love her.” My father advised.

“Blake, we may have a problem.”My gam-ma linked me.

I rushed outside to see Alpha Everett ap-

proaching Walter who was standing by his truck. I knew why Connor called me out here. I was the only one here who could take on the massive alpha. He flipped my dining table like it was nothing.

“Alpha Everett,” I called out as I rushedover to them. He put his hands up.

“I don't want to start anything. I want toapologize and to thank the man who took care of my daughter and grandson.”

“Ryley is the most genuine person I' veknown. And she deserves to be happy. She has dealt with so much. She has a good thing here with Blake and her boys. I don’t know what you were thinking but I want to believe you didn’t do what you did with ma-licious intent.” Walter told him.

“I would never purposely hurt my daughter.I wanted to keep her safe. I knew the coun-cil would come after her but if she was with her fated there was nothing they could do. He was her fated. I just didn’t expect things to happen the way it did. And that's

my fault." He confessed.

“Alpha Blake, when she is ready, tell her tocall me," he pulled out a card and handed it to me before walking towards the pack house.

"Well that was fun," Luca breathed outwhen the alpha was out of sight.

"Dad, you could have warned me that herfather was a giant,”I exclaimed and he and Luc a both chuckled.

“Scared?” Luca teased and Gunnergrowled. Luca held up his hands in surren-der.

“I thought he was dead, son, or I wouldhave told you more about him." My father confessed.

“Ryley would have never let him hurt you orthe boys," Walter added.

“We have more work back at the packhouse. Are you still able to stay with her?”I asked him.

"Of course, I'll check on her and make hersome tea. I'll try to get her out of the house to take her mind off of everything that hap-pened. Talking about the wedding makes her happy." I smiled. I was excited for the wedding this weekend. Hopefully, there's time to get everything done in time.

“Go inside, someone will be here shortly toclean up the mess in the dining room,”I told him. He nodded before heading back into the house.

“Baby, I love you. If you need me, I'm here.”I linked her, as we walked back to the pack house.

“I love you, Blake. Thank you. I need sometime to myself."She replied.

“Walter is there if you need someone totalk to. And if you need me, just link, and I'll be home." I told her.

“I promise.”I closed the link, missing my

mate. This can't be easy on her. I under-stand what her father was hoping for but it

didn’t happen that way. Maybe things would have been different if she had been involved in the plan or his beta hadn’t run with her. Maybe he didn’t like the plan. I re-member his son, Eli said he didn’t like it.

But whatever the case may be, she didn't deserve any of it. She deserves to be happy and I just want to make sure she is. That she never has to worry about anything ever again. And one day when the boys take over, we can spend the rest of our lives to-gether, raising our little pups.