Alpha Aidan's Rejection Chapter 109

TARA

　　Everything Aidan said made sense. They were going to try to reverse the Stonewolves' curse, and if anyone would have the resources to do so, it was going to be Aidan, whether in Vermont Pack or Attica. But if that didn't turn out to be successful, we would have to stick to other means of protection, and that included our wolf sides.

　　I wasn't much of a shifter. I couldn't even remember the last time I saw my wolf. After everything that happened all those years ago, I couldn't help but feel more vulnerable than safe when I wasn't in control of my physical body. Not after I'd been stabbed in the back, almost taken out at the hospital where I should have been recovering, and having to spend years trying to heal those wounds.

　　I knew my wolf was capable of protecting me, but I just had to get to trust myself on that again. And I had to do it for Nadia too. If she was going to have a chance at being in tune with her wolf side, she had to actually experience her wolf side. No one was expecting her to fend off StoneWolves now, or ever, by the goddess protection, but her learning to shift was going to teach her of the strength she carried within. The strength we all carried.

　　Aidan's point made sense, so I nodded, taking a deep breath to steel myself.

　　"You're right. But we'll do it together?" I asked in a small voice, knowing that if I was going to learn to trust that side of myself again, I needed all the support I could get, including Aidan's.

　　He nodded, just like I knew he would.

　　Just like he always supported me.

　　"Of course."

　　With that, Aidan reached behind me, bringing a towel to wrap around my chest, while his chiseled, naked, and very hard cock was still on display in front of me.

　　We stepped out of the bathroom, and even minutes after Aidan had put on a pair of shorts covering his bulge, I still didn't feel the wetness soaking me down there reduce into something considerably less.

　　Aidan later left me alone in the room, going to his home office to attend to the matter pressing down on the pack, while I could only thank the heavens that the StoneWolves were finally taken care of, or at least the ones that attacked today.

　　I kept thinking back to when Aidan said they were going to try to heal the StoneWolf they caught.

　　That was going to change a lot of things.

　　In a considerably good way.

　　It would mean that the ones roaming free, causing damage to other packs around, would be taken off the streets. It would also mean that we wouldn't have to dread getting attacked by them and being infected for life, a fate worse than death if one was being honest.

　　And mostly, it would mean that I wouldn't have to worry about the safety and sanity of my family here at Vermont Pack or anywhere else.

　　As Alpha, Aidan was always at the center of it all, either fighting them off, or trying to get the others to safety. This would mean that I wouldn't be so scared for his well-being every time I heard the words stone and wolf.

　　Shoving those thoughts to the corner of my mind, I searched for my purse and dialed Jenna first. Aidan had assured me Jace was only knocked out while they were both fighting off the Stonewolves, so I knew that he was going to be okay, but I needed to hear from my friend.

　　I got comfortable on the bed, quietly letting the phone ring, and Jenna picked up on the first ring.

　　I spoke first. "Hey, Jen."

　　"Tara. Are you two home safe?" That was her first question.

　　I sighed, sniffing back the emotions. "Don't worry yourself about us, Jenna. We're fine. Didn't even run into any one of them. How's Jace?"

　　"He's okay," Jenna breathed through the speaker, sounding relieved at her own words, almost like she didn't believe them. "He's fine. I…I don't even know what to say."

　　I could understand her because if I put myself in her shoes and thought about Aidan being in a life threatening situation, goddess, no…I couldn't even entertain that thought.

　　"Thank goodness we're all okay. I hope this doesn't last for much longer. I don't know how much heart attack we can all take," I said, and Jenna chuckled into the phone, while I smiled that my words served their purpose. To make her laugh.

　　"I'll see you later, okay? And we'll finish that date," she said, and I nodded regardless.

　　A date that the universe must have been against if not only Kayla ruined it, but also a StoneWolf attack.

　　Just as her name popped into my head, I began to think about the words she said to me when she interrupted us this afternoon.

　　She vehemently denied having anything to do with the StoneWolves being here, and even if it made no sense how she would have done that, I couldn't put it past her, seeing as she openly threatened me.

　　I had to tell Aidan about her, I thought, groaning out loud that I had to do something so against my wishes as bringing her up in a conversation between me and Aidan. She didn't deserve that attention, but I'd learned not to overlook the slightest of things.

　　Letting that thought sit at the back of my mind, I made a mental list of all the people to check up on. I had to make sure Esme was okay and not out on one of her numerous strolls when the attack started, so I called her next.

　　Riley too was on the list. I knew she had the diner open, so I had to ensure she closed on time, even if I already suspected that she would be the first to know about something like this since she always got information that I couldn't from her phone.

　　Twenty minutes later, I'd checked up on everyone that I thought of, and right before I went down to the kitchen to get started on dinner, I attempted to do something that I hadn't done for years.

　　Something that should define me as a werewolf.

　　I closed my eyes, focused my breath, and reached out to that part of me I hadn't tried to in so long. My wolf.

　　I just hoped she was still there.