Bad Love: An Alpha's Regret (Leah and Aaron) novel Chapter 214

Chapter 214
I wake up again as I’m shifting back. I can feel that my wolf is exhausted, and I think maybe she ran and ran and ran until she couldn’t run anymore.
Tears immediately wet my eyes, and I blink at the streaks of lavender and pink painting the sky with dawn.
“Leah?”
I roll over to see James a few steps away. He’s panting and looks completely wiped out. Did he chase us the whole night?
For a split second I feel bad, but then everything comes flooding back and it eclipses anything else I might have felt in that moment.
I’ve never felt so lost and broken, and all my wolf wants is her
mate.
All I want is Aaron.
And even though I know nothing is ever going to ease the grief or fill the hole left in the very center of my being over losing my baby, at least being in Aaron’s arms will bring me a small measure of comfort.
James closes the distance between us and I let him pull me into an embrace.
It doesn’t really help, but it also doesn’t make me feel worse.
“Leah, what happened?” James whispers to me.
I shiver, though it’s not really because it’s a cold morning.
It’s the horror of everything.
The cold is radiating deep from within my soul, and I think maybe I won’t feel warm ever again.
“I saw Adam’s notes, his file. He’s been stalking me, keeping all these notes and records on me for years. And for some reason, he injected me with my father’s blood the same day Brian took me into the woods to steal my family’s Alpha powers. And my baby-” I can’t say anything else as I start sobbing, and James curses.
“I had no idea Adam was doing any of that, and I’m sure Aaron doesn’t either, otherwise Adam would have already answered for it,” James says, a note of anger in his voice that tells me Adam will definitely still answer for it.
But I think that’s something I need to deal with myself.
I don’t need James or Aaron fighting my battles-or dealing with betrayals of friendship-for me.
“As for your baby, I’m sorry, Leah. Especially that we kept the truth from you. But believe me when I say, no one wanted you to have to bear this pain,” he says, and his voice is rough, like he’s trying not to cry himself.
“What happened to him?” I manage to hiccup out.
“He was born early, but healthy,” James starts in a halting voice, and I can tell he wishes he didn’t have to be the one to tell me this. “We had you both in hospital then, because the baby needed to be in the NICU and Aaron didn’t want to have to split his time between you both. He insisted on keeping you both close and in the same place. Then…”
James pauses, takes a breath, and it’s like he’s bracing himself. for the worst and for a second I wonder if I can really hear this, if I really want to know, or if it’ll only make things worse than they already are.
However, before I can make a decision or say anything, James continues.
“There was an attack. We don’t know who was behind it or why. At first, Aaron thought they were coming for him or even you. He never imagined they’d attack-”
“No,” I moan, curling tighter on myself. “No, please, no-”
“I’m sorry, Leah,” James can barely get the words out. “Nothing could be more evil than taking a new, innocent life, and I wish I could tell you we found out who was behind it and Aaron got his revenge. He’s been searching ever since. He’ll find whoever it was eventually, and they will pay. But since then…”
It all makes sense now.
Why Aaron isolated himself and has been doing everything remotely.
Why he doesn’t want to be around me.
If he feels even a fraction of what I feel right now, then maybe seeing me reminds me of everything he lost. His failure to
protect the fragile, innocent life of our son.
But I need to see him.
I need to hold him and have him hold me in return.
I know he’s probably punishing himself and I refuse to stand by and let him do it any longer.
This changes everything.
Now that I know the truth, I think we need each other more
than ever.