Chapter 21
Alison
I couldn't stop replaying the scene from last night in my mind. The way Lucas's eyes had hardened just before he lunged at those men, the fluid grace of his movements that somehow made the violence even more terrifying. One moment he'd been my charming dinner companion, and the next—a predator.
"Mommy, can I have more cereal?" Leo's voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I blinked, forcing a smile as I reached for the box of Cheerios. "Of course, sweetie. But just a little more, okay? We need to get you ready for the day."
Leo nodded, his dark curls bouncing. Those eyes—Lucas's eyes—stared up at me, innocent and bright. The thought that had been haunting me since last night resurfaced: what if my sweet boy inherited that same capacity for violence?
"Did you sleep well?" I asked, running my fingers through his hair.
"Uh-huh. I dreamed I could fly! Like Superman!" Leo stretched his arms out, nearly knocking over his glass of orange juice.
I caught it just in time, laughing despite my worries. "Careful there, Superman."
As Leo finished his breakfast, I tidied up the kitchen of our suite in the Black mansion.
After getting Leo dressed and settled with his educational tablet in the playroom where Mrs. Winters, one of the staff, could keep an eye on him, I headed to the garden.
The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of roses and freshly cut grass.
I found a quiet bench beside the fountain and pulled out my phone.
My thumb hovered over Lucas's name in my contacts. After a moment's hesitation, I pressed call.
"Alison." His deep voice answered on the second ring, sending an unwelcome flutter through my stomach. "I was just thinking about you."
"Lucas, we need to talk. About Leo." I kept my voice even, professional. "Can you come by the estate today?"
"Is everything alright?" Concern immediately sharpened his tone.
"Yes, he's fine. I just... have some questions. About werewolf traits."
A pause. "I'll be there in an hour."
True to his word, Lucas arrived exactly sixty minutes later. I was waiting for him in the small sitting room adjacent to the main library, away from curious ears. He entered with that confident stride that commanded attention, dressed in a charcoal suit that accentuated his broad shoulders.
"Alison." He nodded, those intense eyes studying my face. "You look worried."
I gestured for him to sit in the armchair across from me. "I've been thinking about what happened last night. With those men."
Lucas's expression darkened slightly. "They were going to hurt us. They were going to hurt you. They were thieves."
"I know. And I appreciate that you protected me, but..." I twisted my hands in my lap. "The violence, Lucas. The way you handled them. It was—"
"Frightening?" he supplied, his voice low.
"Yes." I met his gaze directly. "And if Leo has inherited your werewolf nature, will he have that same... capacity? That same instinct?"
Lucas leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You're afraid your son will be violent."
"Our son," I corrected softly. "And yes, I am. He's such a gentle child, Lucas. He apologizes to plants when he accidentally steps on them. The thought of him changing, becoming—"
"Like me?" There was hurt behind the question, though he tried to mask it.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I didn't mean it that way."
"No, it's a fair concern." Lucas rose from his chair and moved to the window, looking out over the manicured grounds. "The wolf brings certain instincts with it. Protection. Territory. Pack. And yes, sometimes that manifests as aggression."
My heart sank. "So he will become violent?"
Lucas turned to face me, his expression serious. "Not necessarily. What you saw last night—that was a choice, Alison. I chose to make an example of those men. I could have simply disarmed them and walked away."
"Then why didn't you?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Because I wanted them to know what happens when they threaten what's mine." His gaze burned into me, making it clear exactly what—who—he meant. "And I wanted you to see that I can keep you safe."
I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "I'm not yours, Lucas."
A small, knowing smile played at his lips. "Not yet," he said and pulled me closer to him. I found myself moving towards him so easily, knowing what was coming, and welcomed his lips. They were warm and moist, easing all the worries I had in my mind.
When we finally pulled apart, Lucas had a serious look on his face. "But to answer your question about Leo—yes, he will have the instinct to protect, to defend. But whether that translates to violence depends largely on his upbringing. On the examples set for him."
"By both of us," I said pointedly.
"By both of us," Lucas agreed. "I promise you, Alison, I can teach him to control those impulses. To channel them properly. The fact that you're raising him to be so compassionate already gives him a huge advantage."
The knot in my chest loosened slightly. "You really think so?"
"I know so." Lucas walked back to his chair but didn't sit. "May I see him? I've been thinking about him all night."
I hesitated, then nodded. "He's in the playroom with Mrs. Winters."
We walked together through the mansion's grand hallways. As we approached the playroom, Leo's laughter drifted out. The sound made both of us pause.
"He has your laugh," Lucas said quietly.
"But your eyes," I replied. "And your stubbornness."
"Poor kid." The corner of Lucas's mouth quirked up.
When we entered, Leo was on the floor with building blocks, constructing what appeared to be a spaceship. He looked up, his face lighting up when he saw Lucas.
"Dad!!" He scrambled to his feet, blocks forgotten. "Did you come to play?"
Lucas knelt down to Leo's level, something softening in his expression that made my heart twist painfully. "If that's okay with you, buddy."
Leo nodded enthusiastically. "I'm building a spaceship! It's gonna go to Mars."
"That's very ambitious," Lucas said seriously. "Mars is quite far away."
"I know! It's the red planet. It has dust storms that can cover the whole planet!" Leo launched into a detailed explanation of Mars facts he'd learned from his educational videos.
I watched them, the fierce CEO and billionaire Alpha, completely engrossed in the enthusiastic ramblings of a four-year-old boy. His son. Our son. The thought still felt strange, dreamlike.
"Mrs. Winters," I turned to the kindly older woman who'd been supervising Leo. "You can take a break if you'd like. I'll stay with him."
"Thank you, Miss Black," she said with a warm smile, still strange to hear that name applied to me. "I'll be back in an hour."
After she left, I sat on one of the child-sized chairs, observing as Lucas helped Leo with his spaceship. There was genuine joy on Lucas's face, a lightness I'd never seen before.
"So, Leo," Lucas said casually as they worked. "Do you ever get really mad at things?"
I shot Lucas a warning look, which he pointedly ignored.
Leo shrugged, focused on attaching a wing to his creation. "Sometimes. Like when Tommy at daycare broke my dinosaur. I was really, really mad then."
"What did you do?" Lucas asked, handing him another block.
"I wanted to hit him," Leo admitted, his small brow furrowing. "But Mommy says hitting is never okay, even when you're really mad. So I told the teacher instead."
Pride swelled in my chest as Lucas glanced at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Your mom is right," he said, helping Leo secure the wobbly wing. "Hitting won't solve problems. But it's okay to feel mad."
"I know," Leo said matter-of-factly. "Mommy says feelings are like visitors. They come, but they don't stay forever."
Lucas looked genuinely impressed. "That's very wise."
"And when I'm really, really mad," Leo continued, "Mommy tells me to take big dragon breaths and count to ten. Like this." He demonstrated, puffing his cheeks out comically as he inhaled deeply.
Lucas copied him, making Leo giggle. "That's a good technique."
"Do you get mad sometimes?" Leo asked innocently.
I tensed, wondering how Lucas would answer.
"I do," Lucas said honestly. "Everyone does. But I've learned that when I'm angry, I need to think before I act. Just like your mom taught you."
"And what if someone is mean to people you love?" Leo pressed, his eyes—so like his father's—serious and inquisitive.
Lucas considered the question carefully. "Then I protect the people I love. But protection doesn't always mean fighting."
"Like how?" Leo tilted his head curiously.
"Well," Lucas sat back on his heels. "Sometimes you can protect people by using your words, or by taking them away from danger, or by calling for help."
"Like calling the police?" Leo suggested.
"Exactly," Lucas nodded approvingly. "Fighting should be the very last option, when there's no other choice."
I felt something loosen in my chest. Maybe Lucas wasn't the mindless brute I'd feared after last night. The way he was explaining things to Leo was measured, thoughtful.
Leo seemed to consider this deeply before nodding. "I want to protect Mommy too."
Lucas's eyes met mine over Leo's head. "That's good, buddy. But mostly, that's my job and your grandpa's job for now. Your job is to be a good kid and learn lots of things so you can grow up strong and smart."
"Like you?" Leo asked hopefully.
"Even better than me," Lucas ruffled his hair gently.
They continued building for another half hour before Leo moved on to showing Lucas his favorite book. Eventually, the energy of a four-year-old won out, and Leo started to yawn.
"I think someone needs a nap," I said, rising from my chair.
"Nooo," Leo protested weakly, even as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm not tired."
"Tell you what," Lucas said. "If you take a good nap now, maybe I can come back tomorrow and we can build something even bigger. Would you like that?"
Leo nodded eagerly. "Promise?"
"Promise." Lucas held out his pinky, which Leo solemnly linked with his own.
I took Leo's hand. "Say goodbye to your Dad for now."
To my surprise, Leo threw his arms around Lucas's neck. "Bye, Dad. Thank you for helping with my spaceship."
For a moment, Lucas seemed frozen, then his arms came around Leo gently. "You're welcome, Leo. Sleep well."
After I put Leo down for his nap, I returned to find Lucas still in the playroom, looking at a drawing Leo had made that was pinned to the wall.
"About last night," I said, changing the subject back to my original concern. "I need your word that you'll control that side of yourself around Leo. That you'll teach him to control it too."
"You have my word," Lucas said seriously. "I know how to keep that streak in check. Last night was... exceptional. I was worried about you, and I wanted to teach those men a lesson they wouldn't forget."
Lucas stood before me, his eyes boring into mine and making my knees go weak. He pulled me closer to himself and kissed me gently on the lips.
"You'll always be safe with me, Alison. I want you to know that."
He pulled me in for a hug then. His huge frame enveloped me, his smell pulled me closer. Yes, I felt absolutely secure with him. The world was finally making sense.
"There's something I want to tell you," Lucas said as we finally pulled away. There was a seriousness in his eyes that immediately got me worried.
"Is everything alright?" I asked him, and he smiled to ease the worry he read on my face.
"Yes, everything is perfect. It's just there's this werewolf phenomenon that concerns the two of us that I think you should know about. I know you must have felt it, that strong pull that exists between us. It is so strong, almost supernatural. That's because it is."
My mouth was ajar, but it explained a lot. It explained so much.
"You're my fated mate, Alison. I knew the first night we met.
I felt it. The bond was unlike anything I have ever felt before.
One finding their fated mate is a rare occurrence, so when I tell you I want you to be safe with me.
That I will protect you with all I have, it is because to lose you will be to lose a part of me.
And I'll never let that happen. Never again. "