SWNOVELS Chapter 39
I couldn’t sleep; all night I tossed and turned, knowing they were both over there and so close yet out of reach. It gave me a little
comfort knowing Tatum was there with them, yet everything screamed I should be the one protecting them. How I had failed. No
wonder she hated me. I would hate me too if our roles were reversed.
Now a few past incidents made sense, why I could never hold a relationship to save my life, why I had trouble with my sex life,
the sudden bouts of depression seeping into me. Now it made me wonder if I knew all along on a subconscious level, and it was
my body trying to stop me from making the idiotic decisions I sometimes did.
She felt it, felt it all, and didn’t say anything. When she kissed Marcus, the pain that she caused was brief yet painful all the
same. How did she endure years of my infidelity? I may not have known about her but she certainly knew of me, which made me
groan at how stupid I was. The countless brothels, the woman and she endured that pain over and over for countless long
years.
Five years, for some reason, that number kept popping up in my head as I tried to dredge up any memory that would lead me to
her. Why was that number so significant? Besides the obvious, of course. Yet something nagged at me, tugged as it should
matter to me. Five years, five years I muttered under my breath when I felt my breath leave me altogether , and I gasped, nearly
choking on my own spit as I lurched upright.
The Alpha meeting , the fairy girl, the girl who snuck out on me the following day. Could that have been her? I was pissed off that
she left before I even woke, something told me it was Everly, yet I never saw her face, and Marcus woke me the following day,
and she was gone. He said he passed the girl and I remembered it irritated me because I was angry he didn’t stop her.
That girl has remained in my thoughts for 5 years already and was one of the many things that got me through each night.
Finding myself often thinking of the girl dressed as a fairy, yet I could never explain why she would randomly pop into my
thoughts.
Marcus had told me to look for her, yet when I checked the registry, I could never find her name , which now made sense; she
was underage. She wasn’t supposed to be in that side of the hotel, which was for only adults and .... and future Alphas. She
shouldn’t have been where I was, and I always thought it odd when I went over the registry of attendees. I could never find
anyone that even resembled her. No ID had me jumping the way Everly did.
I had spent weeks searching the Hotel database, yet she would have been in the kid’s section. I cringed at that mental thought,
don’t go there. Creepy as hell, yet I remembered that night kind of. I remembered how I was drawn to her, and no matter where I
turned, I found myself in her vicinity again, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. It had to be her, and it made sense why she
would have run. I spent weeks angry that she ran out on me, but it suddenly made sense because if Alpha John was her father, I
could imagine the trouble she would have got in if she had been caught with me.
That was back right in the middle of a brutal war when land was being divided again after we brought out half of Silver stone
Pack lands, they fell under hot water with debts, and we settled those debts in exchange for a good size chunk of their territory
giving us ownership to half the City. A war ensued too many lives were lost to violence in the streets, constant attacks, though
my pack killed just as many as John’s did, we weren’t completely innocent.
Alpha John was furious and our feud only got worse. It added fuel to the fire, so it made me curious what changed between my
father and John that they were now willing to marry me off to his daughter. What were chances I would be mates with one of his
daughters, just not the one they were trying to make me marry? Nothing made sense, my father, hated Alpha John, but now they
seemed amicable, friendly, and it made me wonder what John had over him. My father was not a man to back down to his rivals,
more like stomp on them and kick them to the curb.My phone buzzes beside where I lay, and I glance at it to see Tatum’s
number pop up. Quickly opening it, I answered the phone.
“Everything okay?” “Yes, Everly went for a run. Should I follow her or stay with your son?” “Um, do you know where she went?” “I
asked, but she said it was none of my business and walked out,” “Just give her space; if she isn’t back after an hour though, ring
me,” “Okay, boss, ” Tatum says, hanging up. Going through my phone contacts. I quickly rang her, hoping Everly would be more
talkative on the phone, then face to face. We only seemed to argue when in each other presence, but I was slowly starting to
understand why. “What? Valen, ” She answered after the third ring. She sounded tired, her voice strained. “Tatum said you left
the apartment, ”
“Zoe is there, I didn’t leave by himself, and I figured your friend would watch over him unless there is a reason I shouldn’t be
leaving Valarian with him?”
“No, Tatum is fine. He is safe. I was just concerned where you were going this late at night ”
“The reserve, however, I am headed back home because someone fixed the damn fence again. I had it reopened yesterday
afternoon, and someone keeps fixing it,” Everly curses, and I hear her kick the mesh. I pressed my lips in a line knowing it was
my fault.
“Ah, that may be my fault. Marcus told me the fence was broken. I sent someone out to fix it,” “Of course, it was you, ” She
sighed. “Well, I will stay on the phone with you, make sure you get home okay. How was I supposed to know it was intentionally
opened, ” ” I am capable of getting home Valen, and It’s fine, a lot of use it as a shortcut, it is fine I can wait until tomorrow or
something, ” She said though she sounded like she was almost breathless.
“Please, this doesn’t have to be an argument just don’t hang up until I know you’re back with Tatum. Do you always go running
this late?” She doesn’t hang up on me, so I figured she was giving in.
“Then why are you running so late? ” Everly doesn’t answer straight away, and I glance at the phone to make sure it is still
connected.
“Because I need to,” She finally says though it sounded more like a murmur and like there was more meaning to it than that.
“What do you mean?” it doesn’t matter, Valen. Anyway. I am at my door. Your bodyguard is staring at me because I look like a
drowned rat from the rain. Can I go now?”
“I just want to make sure you are home safe,” She groans, the noise sounding annoyed. “I will grab you a towel, and if you get
beaten in the morning by a petite girl with an angelic face, it is just Zoe, I live with her, ” Everly warned him and I could only
imagine the amused look he would have had at that. I hear Tatum grunt at that, and I smiled, amused that she would warn him
she lived with someone, he already knew, he would have noticed the extra scents. (desirenovel. com)
“Okay, can I go now? Tatum is sleeping on the couch and I am tired, ”
“Yes, Everly goodnight, ” I tell her, and she hangs up. I sighed now to convince her to let me mark her.
I stared up at my ceiling ; I couldn’t help but smile despite the fact she hated me. She still named our son after me. Valarian was
my middle name and my father’s middle name. All the men in our family had the same middle name, well, except Valarian,
obviously, which made me wonder what it was. Yeah, my dad definitely had a thing for the letter V.
Valen Valarian Solace, what a mouthful that was growing up, yet I knew he named me also in honor of my mother Valarie with a
mix of his name too.
We had the Alpha meeting coining up soon, it wouldn’t be long now, and I would have to put everything out in the open. I just
hoped Everly would let me mark her with in the next week. I wasn’t so sure I could actually go through with forcibly marking her,
not after everything I had already made her endure, and I didn’t want to give her more reason to hate me.
On the plus side, I now had more excuses to see her since we shared a son together. I never gave much thought to being a
father, I have always wanted kids because it was expected, but I never really pictured children. However, meeting Valarian, it is
all I wanted to be now, Pck everything else ; I just wanted my mate and son. Wanted to be a part of his life and hers if she would
have me. Rolling on my side, I set my alarm. I had a pinky promise to keep, and I had no intentions of breaking it.