I didn't expect to see him back in Portland, back from black ops. I didn't expect him to be the first Moonshine wolf to greet us on our arrival.
My body naturally responds to the authoritative masculinity he exudes as he comes closer, emerging into the light where the moon's silver rays magnify his creamy facewith its sharp features, dark brown waves catching the rays and appearing lighter, like a golden crown at the top of his head. Awareness rushes through me when I meet his eyes, and crystalline blue orbs penetrate my soul. It takes every ounce of strength I can muster to tear my eyes away, but then I see the rest of his face, and my heart skips a beat. The dark hairs of his beard whisper gently when a wind passes, bringing attention to the face I once held with both my hands, and plump lips that I'd kissed and lost myself in.
“Arianna,” Tyler gasps, his voice soft, but shocked. “What are you doing here?”
I gulp hard, swallowing down the lump that formed in my throat just as Noah tugs on my hand, hiding his face behind my arm. I'd rehearsed what I would tell the other pack members about my arrival with my son, but I hadn't anticipated seeing Tyler back.
I'm not sure how to respond to his question, and I notice the way his eyes flit to Noah when my son taps my arm.
“Who that?” Noah quizzes with curious eyes trained on Tyler.
A shiver courses down my spine as I witness an almost four-year-old boy meeting his father for the first time, but he can't know that.
Neither of them can know it. It'll just complicate things, and I can't afford for things to be complicated.
The only reason I'm here is to protect my son. Tyler's unexpected appearance might not be something I anticipated, but I have to work with it. I can't get tangled up in any mess, even if my body seems highly aware of his imposing presence, as if my hatred means nothing.
“I'm Alpha Tyler Whitlock,” Tyler declares proudly as he sticks out a hand for Noah to shake, my jaw dropping when realization hits.
That's when panic sets in, forcing me to hold Noah's shoulders and pull him closer to me. He can't shake his father's hand.
“What are you—”
“I'm here to seek shelter for my son and me,” I cut him off as I step forward, lifting my chin confidently as I shield Noah behind me. “We have found ourselves without a home, and that's why I've returned to Portland.”
Tyler takes a deep breath, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably when he gulps, and his eyes flicker to Noah. “Where is the child's father?”
“He is no more,” I say, batting my eyelids as I let the lie sink in.
For the longest time, Tyler Whitlock was dead to me, and even if he's standing in the flesh in front of me now, it doesn't change how I feel about him.
My initial response was just memories of the past resurfacing, until I was able to remind myself why I ran away in the first place.
“So you don't have a home?” Tyler asks as he crosses his muscular arms. It takes every ounce of inner strength not to stare at the way his veins are mapped across taut muscle.
“No,” I confirm with a firm exhale, my eyes narrowing. “Noah's father died, and I would like to take him to my old cottage.”
Tyler pauses for a moment, his eyes flickering between my face and Noah's as he seemingly mouths my son's namewithout a sound. He tightens his arms crossed against his chest, lifting his eyes to meet mine when he finally speaks.
“As the alpha of this pack…” he begins in a cold tone, the same one he'd used to reject me four years ago. My body tenses in response, blood rushing in my ears as he continues, “I will have to grant you the refuge you seek, since you are a Moonshine wolf. However…”
When he raises a finger, I frown. He's still the cold, heartless brute that he was back then, and I hate him for it, my nostrils flaring as he continues.
“You will not be able to live in your old cottage, Arianna. It's been abandoned for four years, and the conditions are…unlivable. Especially for a child.”
“I—” I begin to protest, but Tyler cuts me off with a dismissive hand held up.
“You don't have a choice in this matter, Arianna. You will stay at my house until your cottage is fixed.”
My jaw drops.
Live inhishouse?
I should never have returned!
“We can't—”
Tyler cuts me off again by stepping forward, too close for my liking, forcing me to hold my breath so I can't catch his scent. Because he's in human form now, the fruitiness overpowers the leather, making it nearly impossible to ignore how my body responds to the sweet scent. He leans in, staring squarely into my eyes, his hot breath fanning my face when he opens his mouth to speak.
