Book 1: Chapter 21

“Noah, this isn’t…”

“No, Sol. You don’t get to fucking play dress up and go off to fucking get closer to death.” Noah was yelling and I kept my face passive.

I took a breath. “Noah, please remember we are in the presence of company.”

“No! Fuck them! You are not fucking going! Last time you ended up in laid up for a month, Sol. A month and how much time did that actually take off your life? Hm? Two weeks? Three weeks? A month?”

“Noah, please…” I looked pleadingly at Finn but there was anger reflecting in his eyes as well. His body language wasn’t much better.

Noah stomped over to me and grabbed my arm. “Alpha, stop. Stop this bullshit. You’re already dying. What more can he want from you? More of your life? You’ve done enough.”

Pulling my arm out of his grip, my patience finally wained. “I will do my duty, Noah. I am the First Alpha Prince and I will continue to serve my King as such until my last dying breath. Whether it be one month or eleven. It makes no fucking difference. I was called to take care of something from the Alpha King and I will do it.”

Noah fell back a couple steps but his fists were balled up. “So you’re just going to throw what you have left away.”

My face softened and I touched his cheek. “I will be back. I promise. It’s not my time yet, even if it looms closer. You will have me for a little more time, I promise. But I still need to take care of business.”

He leaned into my hand and I smiled. Finn came over and kissed my head. “Come back safe, Sol.”

I nodded. “It shouldn’t be too long but Mother wants me to visit and you know how she gets. I’ll try to make it quick if I can.”

They nodded and I smiled. As I looked over to the two who were absolutely dumbstruck in their seats, I narrowed my eyes.

“I expect the level of professionalism and understanding that you have with me to extend to my Beta’s. When I get back, I expect not a single issue to have happened and everything went so well that we are going to throw a party. If I hear of a single issue, no apology will be able to cover it.”

Walking out of the bar, I jammed the keys into the ignition and started my bike. I really didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to be Alpha Prince, Alpha King, or even the honorary title of Rogue King. It was out of both obligation of my title and that I owed my old man for saving me all those years ago. Part of me still felt that if he hadn’t, maybe I would have been free from the damn pain I was always feeling but it was too late. I tried and failed too many times to take my own life. That phase was over. Now, I didn’t need to. My own body was doing it for me.

 Pulling out, I passed Charles’ cruiser as it pulled into the bar parking lot but I continued. If he wanted to write me up for not wearing a helmet then he was welcome to when I came back. The wind felt good and I knew I probably looked like a fucking idiot wearing a goddamn cape but it was enough to be recognized by every single werewolf I came across. Which made things both easier and harder.

I stared out at the road. Noah’s reaction had been one that was getting more and more normal. When I got back we would need to talk about it because now it was getting out of hand. I loved them, wholeheartedly, but their anger would do nothing but fester and create issues for them later on. There was no one to blame. No one to fight. Nothing that would make them feel better when I finally passed away. They needed to have each other and continue to live.

It wasn’t going to be easy and I had a feeling the last couple of months weren’t going to be pleasant for me. All in all though, I outlived every wolf who had ever been in the Hunters clutches and on top of that, I did some good. Helping other rogues set up lives outside of packs without worrying about raising their families or having safe place to call home. That was enough for me. 

-

I pulled up into a driveway around ten in the evening. I was about three hours outside of the swamp that the war game was taking place but it wouldn’t be useful to show up in the middle of the night. Not unless I just wanted to kill both of them and get it over with. Chuckling at the thought, I dismounted and stretched. The light above the porch came on and the door opened up. I smiled and looked at the woman standing in the doorway. Her arms were crossed and there was a frown on her face.

“You know how late it is, young lady?”

Chuckling, I looked at her sheepishly. “Sorry, Maggie.” Kissing her forehead, her demeanor melted and her arms wrapped around me.

“Goddess, we missed you. The kids will be so happy you stopped by.”

“I plan on leaving early in the morning. Fucking…”

She nodded. “Number six and seven at it again? The ladies were talking about it at the Gathering.”

Sighing, I unhooked my cape and hung it up with the multitude of jackets hanging behind the door.

“You hungry? I have some leftover pasta.”

“Starving actually.”

She grinned at me. “Exactly how I love you to show up.”

Smiling back, I unbuttoned my uniform and slipped it off, letting it sit on the back of one of the dinning room chairs. Walking over to the kitchen, I settled down on one of the stools as I watched Maggie pulled out a multitude of Tupperware from the fridge.

“How are Derek and Peter?”

“Good, good. Derek’s mate is expecting another pup.”

My eyes widened. “Another? What number is this? Fifteen?”

She laughed. “Close. Seven.”

“Goddess save them both. They will lose their minds soon.”

“I think after four it all just becomes a jumbled mess of hair and fur balls.”

I leaned against the counter. “And Peter? Still running the family business?”

“Yes! He’s even expanded it further than George ever did. Frankly, he was built for it. He also found his mate two months ago. They are complete opposites, so it’s been fun to watch.” Maggie chuckled as she pulled out a plate.

“Damn, here I am without my popcorn.”

She turned and shot me a smirk. “You and the boys coming down for Christmas?”

I shrugged. “We’ve stopped planning that far in advance.”

Stopping what she was doing, Maggie gave me a long, sad look. I flashed her a smile and she sighed. “Well, you’re more than welcome. You guys are up in Jackson now right?”

Nodding, I reached out and snuck an olive within arms reach. “Yeah.”

Plating up everything, she gave me pasta, meatballs, parmesan chicken, some olives, slices of mozzarella and even a piece of garlic bread. Setting it in front of me, she pulled out two wine glasses and poured both of us a glass of red wine. Sitting down next to me and taking her glass, she swirled it around for a moment.

“Have you had a chance to see my youngest boy?”

I smiled. “He comes into the bar on the weekends. Plus if there are an issues I see him too.”

Her face lit up. “How is he looking?”

“Honestly, a little worse for wear. Both him and Silas look like their are at their wits end. But not with the pack.” I tapped my fork against the plate before skewering a meat ball. “With me, I think.”

She sighed as I shoved a meatball in my mouth. “Are you planning on telling them? At least before the end?”

I chewed slowly and swallowed, not saying anything for a moment. “I’ve thought about it. But now, as it gets closer, I don’t know. I feel like it would just be worse. Silas is already convinced I’m dead. That’s that. Nate, he…he is still searching. But I think once I finally pass he will feel it. I don’t know if its worth putting them through that pain.”

Wincing, Maggie slapped my arm. “That’s not for you to decide. Why even move back there if you weren’t going try and talk to them for once?”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I looked down at my plate. “To give Silas what he needs most. That’s why. The moment I can use my power to connect him to his mate, that will be my last breath. It takes too much power to do it and so I’ve been selfish. Holding off as long as I can so I can enjoy my time.”

“Oh, Aelia, that’s not selfish. That’s perfectly understandable. But that doesn’t excuse the fact that you have presented yourself in their lives. You can’t just run around as Solaris. Think about how angry they would be if you died and they never knew.”

I chuckled. “You should have seen the look on Silas’ face. Goddess, he was ready to kill me because I was a rogue.”

“You need to talk to them and your father.”

A low growl emanated from me. “If I ever see that man, I’m going to rip his throat out.”