Free Moon Chilled by Caitlin Ricci Page B

the counter to better see him. "Hey, baby," I whispered, pushing his messy blond hair back from his face. "How'd you sleep?"
    He shrugged and gave me a little yawn. "I heard noises again. Like—"
    "I know, honey," I said, quickly cutting him off before he could voice the horrible things he'd likely heard in the night. "Daddy was working again." It was a poor excuse and hardly adequate even for a six year old. But it would have to do, because I could hardly tell him the truth.
    Footsteps behind me spurred her into action, and I grabbed a juice box from the fridge and quickly handed it to him. I expected my alpha to come closer, to inspect Gavin, to tell me that he had overslept, that he needed to get dressed. But when the footsteps stopped I waited, breathing deeply and trying to calm myself.
    "Oh God. Maiki ..."
    My shoulders shook and I nearly lost my balance at the sound of Shae's voice. A moment later my efforts were in vain, and I crumpled to the floor, my wide gaze searching Shae's as I brought my knees to my chest and huddled against the cabinets, Gavin's bare feet swaying above me.
    Shae stepped closer, her expression turning hard as she looked between us.
    "Don't judge him," I whispered, hoping Shae could hear me but no one else could. I knew the others were still close. If they could hear me say that, if word got back to him ... I fiercely shook my head. That couldn't happen.
    Shae's careful movements brought her in front of us, and I stared up at her, wondering what she must be thinking. After another few minutes of silence, I managed to shakily get to my feet.
    "Who's that?" Gavin asked, setting his juice box aside.
    I helped him down from the counter and put the box in the trash. "Mommy's friend. Hey, tell you what, go get dressed and I'll make you some breakfast. Hurry now, love."
    He flashed me a smile and took off the way he'd come. When he was safely out of earshot, I turned back to Shae. "You shouldn't have come," I whispered. I didn't know how she'd got into the house, if Ray had heard her come in, or if he'd come storming in after her at any minute. People were not allowed in without his permission, and I didn't think Shae qualified for that.
    Shae lifted her hand to my face. I leaned into her touch until I felt her thumb brush against a mostly healed bruise on my cheek. I pulled back instantly, but Shae boxed me in, pinning me to the counter with a hand on either side of my hips.
    "Tell me he's not the father," she hissed, her voice dangerously soft. "Tell me you fell in love. That you're married. Anything but how that child has the same eyes as that man."
    I shuddered and crossed my arms over my chest. I couldn't. I wouldn't lie to Shae. "My son's name is Gavin. He's mine. Mine," I repeated, hoping Shae understood. "I love him."
    "And how could she not?" a cold voice called as my alpha joined us in the kitchen.
    I watched as Shae appeared to shudder before she stepped away from me. I wanted to grab her hand, to pull her close, to put her between me and my alpha. But I couldn't. I didn't have the right to touch her. I was far too low to be given that gift.
    "Where's breakfast?" he asked me, pulling out a chair and having a seat at the small breakfast table beside the window. Shae stepped back again, putting even more space between us. But it didn't matter. The years had already put miles between Shae and I, and a few more feet in the old house wouldn't really matter at this point. I'd lost my charcoal wolf one horrible night so many years ago, and I didn't have the right to want her back. Not anymore. Not after all that I'd done.
    Closing my eyes to keep back the tears, I turned and opened the door of the fridge, wondering what I could possibly make for my alpha from the few scraps of food he'd remembered to get at the store. They had eggs, which were always better than nothing, I supposed.
    "Are you staying for breakfast?" I asked Shae as I leaned my head further into the fridge. There had to be more than