Free Awakening the Alpha by Harmony Raines

believe he was exiled; it made things unbearable for my mom.”
    They had reached the house now. He was right, it was in a bad state of repair, but she could see where they had begun to replace the roof. The porch had been patched up too. Natalie had seen it when it was still in one piece; a few years after the Merrics had left, she couldn’t have been more than five or six, her dad had driven out here. They had sat for a while, her dad just staring at the house, his hands gripped around the steering wheel.
    He had looked so old that day, but then he had been old. He hadn’t met her mom until they were both past their prime. It was why they had only had one child, Natalie. If they had been younger, they would have tried for a boy, an heir to Wolf Valley. But when it became obvious they were never going to have another child, her father had no choice but to agree to his power, and the honour of becoming the next alpha, to pass to his beta. It had all been arranged; it should all have been so simple. Until Lionel had betrayed the pack and his mate, by having an affair.
    “Why didn’t you say before?” she asked.
    “Would it have made a difference?” Riley asked, looking confused.
    “I’m just surprised, under the circumstances, you kept it to yourself.”
    “I don’t follow. The past is in the past.”
    “I know.” She searched inside to see why she felt so upset. “I feel bad that you knew all this, knew our connection, and never told me.”
    “What connection?”
    “That you are Lionel’s son. You said Kira told you who I was.” It hurt her that he had kept it to himself. “Riley, my dad was the one who exiled your father.”
    “Wait. Your dad was the alpha of Wolf Valley?”
    How could he not have known? If Kira knew exactly who Natalie was and her connection to the town, why keep it to herself? Fara had done the same thing, kept this secret from him, but why?
    “I had no idea.” Could she believe him, or was he a liar and a cheat, just like his father?
     

Chapter Fifteen - Riley
    Her father was the man who was responsible for the Merric family leaving Wolf Valley, the man he had blamed all his life for their mom’s death. From what Natalie said, she took her dad’s side and thought that the alpha had done the right thing in exiling his dad. But that was hard to reconcile when all his life he believed his dad had been treated unfairly.
    “But you said Kira told you. When you asked for my address.” Her voice held an accusation now. She thought he had been playing games.
    “Why would I keep it to myself?” he asked
    “That’s what I don’t understand. Maybe you thought it would be easier to break the news once we had slept together.” Tears welled in her eyes; she thought he had betrayed her, just as his dad had betrayed his mom all those years ago.
    “No. Natalie.” He took her hand, thankful that she didn’t pull it away from him. “I never knew. Although, come to think of it, I did think Kira was keeping something to herself.” He shook his head. “Why didn’t she say?”
    “I don’t know. I can’t believe she would do it to be hurtful. I mean, I know I wasn’t there for her when her father died. By then I had left and broken all ties with Wolf Valley. I didn’t find out until months later and then it seemed too late.”
    He looked up as two trucks pulled onto the track, heading towards the house. “Here they are. I think it’s time to ask her in person.”
    Sure enough, Kira was first out of the truck, although she hesitated before coming forward. Riley got out and came round to open the door for Natalie, helping her down, sensing her nerves at seeing her old friend. Kira looked from one to the other, smiling uneasily.
    “You know?” she asked Riley.
    “Yes.” He frowned at her, trying to read her expression; he always took Kira for being a good person. It was why the town had made her sheriff, after all. “Why didn’t you say?”
    She shrugged. Cole came to stand