I turned around to face him, smiling as his hand slid to the small of my back, rubbing against the dimpled skin. Even half-awake, his face was fixed in a hard line. I scratched my nails through his beard, melting at how easily he gave into me.
Kaelen Finnegan may have been the most feared man in Boston. But with me, he showed a different side, something fierce, protective, and undeniably gentle. The sapphire on my ring caught the dappled sunlight, glinting prettily with a kaleidoscope of color.
I loved this man. I wanted to spend my heat with him. I wanted him to bite me. Claim me in every way possible.
A small flicker of fear remained, but mostly, I was happy.
I trusted Kaelen with my life.
After everything with my dad, I thought I’d never trust an alpha enough to ask him to bond me. Yet here I was, those words on the tip of my tongue when his baritone interrupted me.
“I have some news about your mom.”
All the joy from seconds ago faded as I clutched Kaelen’s forearm.
“Shh. It’s alright. I wanted to tell you sooner, but you’ve been so preoccupied with the rescue, and then last night when we got home you were out almost instantly.”
Some color returned to my cheeks at his reassurances, the warmth trailing over my freckles.
“You should have told me sooner.”
“You’re right, mo chroí, please forgive me. I was waiting for more information from Aidan and Liam before relaying it to you.”
I nodded, knowing that whatever was going on with my mom wasn’t simple. I knew Kaelen would never jeopardize her or me, so I sucked down my initial anger. Instead, a heavy weight rested in the pit of my stomach, making me queasy.
“What is it?” I whispered, terrified to know the truth.
“Your dad has been dosing her with high levels of suppressants.”
“Why?” I hissed, launching up until I teetered on my knees.
A blaze ignited in his carefully controlled features. He snapped his eyes shut for a second before opening them again. The brief flash of heat from seconds ago disappeared, replaced with a serene glow.
“Sympathy from voters, maybe. Most likely to control her. Some alphas need more power. Inadvertently, though, he’s weakened the bond with your mom this way. We’ve replaced the suppressants with placebos. I’ve spoken to a doctor. We should be able to severthe bond without any injury to your mom. She should have a full recovery.”
I swayed, falling on my ass as I tried to process everything Kaelen said. Since I turned ten, my mom had been sick. I barely remembered the vibrant woman I had grown up with. Part of me accepted she would always be that way, frail and unable to do most things.
A whole future flashed before my eyes. One where she was happy, spending weekends at the beach house down in the Cape she loved so much. One where we went shopping, smiling without a care in the world.
It was almost too much to hope for. My hands trembled, and Kaelen took them in his own, pressing them over his thumping heart. It beat steadily. I tapped my fingers in time with the thudding in his chest.
My gaze met Kaelen’s. Dark rings pushed against his green eyes as he looked for something in my own.
“Please.Allow me. Give me your permission, mo chroí. I will end all of this.”
My heart skipped a beat as something sharp cleaved through my chest.
All the pain, grief, and anger I had been silently carrying around for over a decade broke free.
Kaelen stayed quiet, releasing my hands and guiding me into his lap. He didn’t prod me for an answer.
The choice hung ominously between us, and something steeled within me. I knew what I had to do. It wasn’t really a decision at all. Blood already stained my hands. What was one more? The man who hurt Shadow deserved all the pain he got and more.
And William Sterling had a lifetime of sins to atone for.
My mom and I deserved peace.
“Kill him, Kaelen. Kill William Sterling for me, Alpha.”
