Moon God Mates

Chapter 26

LUKE’S POV:

I watch as Iris walks away with James in her arms. I feel stupid for leaving and missing so much of his life, even if it was the only way to keep him safe. Being his father was the only thing I had ever wanted. But I couldn't do that because I'm me, and being me, the merciless mercenary, put a price on my head, and his. I needed to make sure that no one was able to tie him to me; at least until I cleaned up my mess and mistakes.

I know I’m not the best guy, hell, I wouldn't even consider myself half-decent, but I love him. I have lived the past few years trying to make up for all of the wrongs that I have committed to make myself worthy of being James’s father.

No one is going to get in my way of a family now. I plan on taking Iris and my son away from here and rebuilding what I broke.

I want a family. Iris does too, I know it. We both never had a real family. Iris has her mother, but Mary has always been reckless and irresponsible. Iris is more of the mother figure in their relationship.

I too had my father, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized how wrong his love for me was. If you’d even call it love.

My whole childhood was built on lies.

It’s us against the world

Everyone is out to get us.

We're doing this to help these people

We're getting rid of the monsters in the world

How about my favorite one, We are the good guys.

Every lie he embedded into my brain, in reality, was all bullshit. Except for one thing, it was us against the world, but only because we were the evil of the world and he made it that way, all for money and power.

It wasn’t until I found out how badly people feared me, that I realized who the real monster was.

I have never cared about the opinions people had of me, but it all feels different when I have someone to protect.

I am the monster my father made me into, and I get that I will have to live with that, but James will not be judged for my mistakes.

All I care about is taking my son and getting him the hell out of here. I am going to take him somewhere safe; somewhere people won't hunt him down and use him for their gain. If only this meddling Alpha would have just kept away a little while longer; I would have taken them away from here. This isn't going to be as easy as I thought.

I turn to the problem at hand; there is no doubt of her beauty. Ellie’s short red hair is as bright as the red she wears on her perfect heart-shaped lips.

I shake my head, snapping out of this trance that is holding me captive. I grab her hand roughly, pulling her into me, and automatically feel a connection.

“What spell have you cast on me, Witch?” My tone is laced with a threat, and I regret it the second I see the fear in her eyes. I feel like an asshole talking to her like this, but I ignore the feeling in my gut because she is an obstacle standing in my way of fixing my family...

I knew something was off the second she walked into the medical room. The delicate smell of roses almost knocked me off my feet. Then, I thought the herbs in the room were playing tricks on me. It wasn’t until I got the same feeling when she walked into the cabin that I caught on. I don't like the energy between us; it's dangerous, full of adrenaline.

“Excuse me?” She has an innocent but sexy voice, and I have no idea how that is possible, but it is.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I can feel Ellie hesitate when she speaks to me; I only assume that it is because I frighten her. Somehow that makes me hate myself a little bit more.

She, like every other supernatural being, has heard the stories about me. I can see it in her eyes; she doesn’t want to be alone with me, not when her Alpha isn’t around to protect her.

I scoff at her response; I am not falling for it. There is only one reason I am feeling so torn between her and Iris.

“Whatever spell you have on me, forget it. The only connection I have is with Iris. Your magic won't give your Alpha the upper hand. I will leave here with her and my son, and no one will get in the way of that!” I let go of Ellie's hand quickly; not realizing how hard I was holding it. It's a different feeling, not like the fire I feel at Iris and my contact, more like a dull spark.

I look into Ellie’s light brown eyes, and I can see the hurt in them. It throws me off for a moment because something is killing me for being a d**k to her.

I quickly look away; she is a better actress than I thought. Mason must have put her up to this to make me feel conflicted about my feelings for Iris. He must think I am stupid, or he knew as well as anyone else how hard it would be to avoid being pulled into Ellie’s charm.

I turn back to see Ellie watching me. God, she is magnificent. I don’t know how having a mate is supposed to feel, but I know better than to think this girl is mine.

She is too sweet; too caring. The Moon God would never mate someone as damaged as me, with someone as perfect as her.

I see the way that the people in this pack adore her; the kindness she shows to everyone is contagious. Ellie is the type of person that makes you want to be a better person.

That scares me because it makes it that much harder to break whatever spell I am under. She is not my mate, not only because she is too pure for me, but because if she was, my burn for Iris would be gone, and it's not; not even close.

I step closer until I am looking down on her. She gasps at our proximity but doesn't move. “What’s your obsession with my son, huh?” I try to avoid the pull of her eyes; I swear I can almost see the desire in them, but I avoid it. I have noticed the extra attention she has been giving him.

“I…. I just feel a bond with him. Believe it or not, I want to protect him too. As a hybrid, I know better than anyone how hurtful people can be to someone different.” The sadness in her eyes sends shivers up my spine; someone hurt this girl, and I want to f*****g murder them for it.

This stupid spell is getting to me! I turn and walk away as fast as I can. I have to keep my distance from Ellie; the closer I am to the Witch, the harder it is to fight against her spell. At least now she knows I am onto her.

☾☾☾

Two pack warriors stand sentinel at the double doors leading into the house, their watchful eyes scanning the perimeter. It’s evident that Mason has bolstered security.

As I pass them, I feel the weight of their stares, filled with disdain. It's a familiar feeling—I'm used to being the target of animosity wherever I go.

Entering the common area, decorated in subdued black, gray, and wood tones, I can't help but think Mason must have a liking for orderliness, this Alpha might be a neat freak.

In the center of the room, Iris sits with James, engrossed in painting on a wooden coffee table. Other pack members lounge nearby. Cole, Mason’s brother, joins them in painting, his gaze meeting mine with unmistakable hostility. I ignore the chill in the air; it's clear I'm unwelcome here but that won’t make me leave him again. Nothing will.

Hovering over Iris, I peer at their paintings. She looks up at me with a gentle smile, the only one who doesn’t judge me by my past. She may not know my history, but I sense she understands the real me.I also get the feeling that if she knew, she could somehow find it in her heart to forgive me. That’s just the kind of person she is, the forgiving kind. She rubs James curls atop his head and whispers a good job in his ear, she is the motherly kind too. Iris has always been compassionate, like a mother figure to James. She was my best friend in simpler times and that was the only happiness I’ve ever known, a time I long to reclaim.

“What are you painting?” I ask James, each interaction bringing me closer to healing our bond. I never doubted he'd be part of my life. Once he came of age, I knew I'd return to protect him. He's my reason for living, my second chance from the Moon God.

“It’s me and my mommy. See?” James shows me the painting, impressive for his age. “Can I see that?” I take the picture in my hands, examining it with admiration. “Wow,” I whisper, and James beams proudly.

“Why do you have two different colored eyes here?” I inquire about his depiction, noticing one brown eye and one blue.

“That's me,” James replies.

“He always draws himself like that,” Iris confirms.

“Hmm,” I observe, appreciating James’s creativity. “You are very talented. You know that?”

My words ease his worry, and he proudly tells his mom about his talent.

I sense Mason’s tension in the corner as James accidentally smudges paint onto the table. The Moon pack house is pristine; children seem absent, I assume none live here. While a child's mess wouldn't bother me, it's evident Mason struggles with it, even if the child's mother is his mate.

“I think you need more black in this area,” I playfully comment, poking fun at Mason’s preference for order.

I catch Mason’s clenched jaw, signaling my subtle defiance may ruffle more feathers than I thought.