How to be family

Nate let Scarlet attack him for a while until he was sure Lara saw there was no effect.

He didn't need her to step in between to protect him from a pup. And he didn't want the pup to hurt Lara again.

«See?» he said. «She's just playing...»

He realised too late that the effect of his words wasn't as easy as he hoped.

«I mean, it's normal for younglings to be like this. She'll get better when she grows up.»

His words seemed to hearten the woman a bit, so he returned to focus on the pup. There was something he needed to make clear before retreating that evening.

«You see, no cut on my skin,» he said to Scarlet.

His voice became more serious, and the little one stopped biting to listen to him.

«This is because we are alike,» he explained. «But your mother is not. She is more delicate. You should be careful around her.»

He retreated his hand and observed how the little girl bowed her head and stopped being aggressive. All to become gloomy.

«Mommy is fine,» Lara said, worried for her daughter's mood.

She reached out for her, caressing her cheek.

«See? I'm all right!»

Scarlet pursed her lips, almost believing her words.

«No, you're not,» Nate replied. «How long are you going to protect them from themselves? You can manage them because they're still little, but they'll soon be stronger than you. Can you imagine the trouble a teenage wolf can cause? Do you think you'll be able to raise them alone even then?»

He leaned back on the chair, catching every single emotion on Lara's face.

After all, she still preferred staying far from him. Nothing could convince her to come with him.

He felt useless for the first time after a long while. The previous time was when she left him, and he couldn't find her.

He had just become the Alpha back then. What kind of Alpha couldn't win over his mate? It took him months just to accept that she rejected him and fled.

He had his pack to take care of, so he couldn't look for her as often as he wished. And he regretted it every time he thought about her.

But then, now that he had found her, he was scaring her over and over.

«I think we should live together,» he said. «At least for a while. If I make you feel uncomfortable, you can tell me, and I'll leave. They are my children as much as they're yours. I couldn't be there before, but now I won't leave you only because you say you're doing fine.»

He wanted her. He didn't care about the pups if not because she cared about them.

Not that he didn't feel curious about them. He even found them cute, for some reason. But his will to raise them wasn't comparable to the desire he felt for Lara.

He would do what was in his power for the pups. But he would burn the whole world for Lara.

However, after seeing her reaction to his words till that moment, he decided not to make it too transparent.

«We can be a family,» he said.

It was the best solution for everyone.

He would have Lara next to him, even if just to look at her. She wouldn't lack anything she needed. And the pups would grow up like real wolves without the need to be far from their mother.

He would be the one dealing with their problematic stages for her. All she needed to do was be safe and nearby.

He didn't even need to touch her as much as he needed her alive.

«We already are a family,» Jaden pointed out. «Mommy, Scarlet, and I. We don't need an extra.»

Lara murmured something to him, scolding his rudeness. Yet, she herself wasn't sure about how to act.

«It was the worst mistake of my life,» Nate pointed out.

«M... Mistake?» Lara repeated. It was true: it was a kind of mistake. But she couldn't regret it because her cubs were all she had.

«Yes,» Nate continued, nodding to himself.

He turned to Lara, locking eyes with her. He smirked when he was sure he had her whole attention.

«I should have dragged you to get married, not in bed.»

His words travelled the table in a moment, but Lara needed a few seconds to decode them. She blinked, taken back by his shameless remark.

How could he mention a bed in front of children?

And the tone he used, so smooth... Was he used to flirting with women? Would he say such things with such a face and sweet voice to them as well?

How could someone sound sweet when saying something so outraging?

She blinked again, this time getting something more about the meaning. He wasn't regretting the cubs. He wasn't unhappy to be a father.

It was a relief. Even though Lara would have loved them for both if he decided not to have anything to do with them.

It wasn't anyone's fault if he didn't know for six years. And she didn't need him to take any responsibility.

She would have continued doing just fine.

But then, about getting married... Was that what he wanted? To marry her and form a happy family of wolves?

Was it because of the children? He didn't need to marry her for that. It was pointless in that day and age.

Moreover, what did she even remember of that night? Only a few images could cross her mind because she was so intoxicated with him that her brain stopped working.

In the morning, she had left that room in shame. She would have never thought she would sleep with a stranger.

That's right... A stranger.

«I don't know you,» she said. «How can we be a family? It's impossible.»

«That's why we should know each other better,» Nate pointed out.

He smiled, satisfied. A path to his goal opened in front of him, and he somehow knew what to do next.