The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mate Chapter 127

Athena

I woke up to giggles.

Not the sound I was expecting after everything that happened yesterday. I'd fallen asleep holding Tristan's hand, felt the warmth of him next to me, and somewhere in the back of my mind I'd expected to wake up the same way.

But the weight on the bed felt different, lighter, and there were definitely more than two small bodies bouncing on the mattress.

I opened my eyes slowly and saw a flash of blonde hair and bright blue eyes staring down at me.

"She's awake!" Lily shouted, her face breaking into the biggest smile I'd seen in weeks.

"Wake!" Liam echoed, his little voice full of excitement as he crawled across the bed toward me.

My heart did something weird in my chest, something that felt like it was breaking and healing at the same time. I pushed myself up and immediately pulled both of them into my arms, hugging them so tight I was afraid I might squeeze too hard.

"I missed you," Lily said against my shoulder, her small arms wrapping around my neck. "I missed you so much, Aunt"

"Miss you," Liam repeated, patting my cheek with his chubby little hand.

"I missed you too," I said, and my voice came out thick with emotion. "I missed you both so much."

I pulled back just enough to look at them, taking in their happy faces and bright eyes. They looked good, healthy and safe, and seeing them here, made everything from yesterday feel worth it.

Every scary moment, every fear, every risk, it was all worth it if it meant I got to see and touch them again.

"Mommy said you were sick," Lily said, her face turning serious. "But you look okay now. Are you better?"

"I'm much better," I told her, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I'm all better now."

"Good," she said firmly, then her face brightened again. "Because we need you to take us out. Mommy said you would take us out if we asked nicely."

I laughed, the sound surprising me because I hadn't laughed like that in days. "Did she now?"

"Please?" Lily asked, batting her eyelashes in that way she'd learned worked on most adults. "Please, please, please?"

"Pease," Liam added, copying his sister.

"Okay," I said, unable to resist them even if I wanted to. "Let me get dressed first."

Lily squealed and jumped off the bed, running to the wardrobe in the corner. She pulled the door open and started rifling through the clothes hanging there like she owned the place.

I stared at the wardrobe in confusion. I'd been sleeping in this guest room for two days and I hadn't even noticed there were clothes in there.

I'd been wearing the same borrowed shirt and sweatpants since we got here because I hadn't thought to look.

"This one," Lily announced, pulling out a sundress I definitely didn't own. It was light blue with small white flowers, simple and pretty and completely new.

"Where did that come from?" I asked, getting out of bed and walking over to look.

"Uncle T and Dad said to put clothes in here for you," Lily said proudly. "He said you needed pretty things."

My throat felt tight. Tristan and Orion had gone shopping for me, had filled this wardrobe with clothes while I was dealing with everything else. When did they do it? I hadn't even noticed.

"It's perfect," I told Lily, taking the dress from her. "Thank you for picking it out."

"You're welcome," she said, beaming at me. "Now go shower. You smell like sleep."

I laughed again and headed for the bathroom attached to the guest room. The shower was hot and felt amazing, washing away the last remnants of yesterday's fear and pain.

I took my time, letting the water run over me while I thought about Tristan and how he'd looked at me before I fell asleep, how he'd held my hand like he was afraid to let go.

He must have left early this morning, probably to let me sleep. Part of me was disappointed I hadn't woken up next to him, but another part was glad because waking up to Lily and Liam had been exactly what I needed.

I got dressed in the sundress Lily had picked out and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked different somehow, not physically but in my eyes. There was something there that hadn't been before, something that looked like a slight color.

It was prove that I and her are now one.

When I opened the bathroom door, Lily and Liam were sitting on the bed waiting for me. Lily jumped up immediately and grabbed my hand.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready," I confirmed.

She led me to the door and I reached for the handle, expecting to walk out into Orion's quiet living room. Instead, when I opened the door, I was met with color and noise and so many people I almost stepped back in shock.

There were balloons everywhere, bright ones in every color, and a banner stretched across the hallway that read "WE LOVE YOU ATH" in big letters that looked hand-painted.

The apartment was full of people, all of them turning to look at me as I stepped out of the guest room.

Tristan was right there at the front, his face breaking into this smile that made my chest feel warm.

Behind him were Orion and Sarah, both of them grinning like they'd been planning this for weeks instead of hours. Derek stood off to the side with his arms crossed but even he looked pleased.

"Surprise," Tristan said, and his voice was soft and full of something I couldn't quite name.

I felt tears starting to burn behind my eyes. "What is all this?"

"A celebration," Orion said, stepping forward. "For you."

"For me?" I asked, confused. "Why?"

"Because you're amazing," Sarah said, coming over to hug me. "Because you've been through hell and you came out the other side. Because we love you and we wanted to show you, to let you know you're not alone"

I couldn't speak. I just stood there in the hallway with tears threatening to spill over, taking in the decorations and the people and the love that was so obvious in every detail.

It wasn't a huge party, just the people who mattered most, some pack members and few employees. But it was something, it was everything, and I didn't know how to process it.

"Come on," Lily said, tugging on my hand. "There are presents."

"Presents?" I managed to say.

"Lots of them," she said excitedly, pulling me toward the living room.

There was a table set up with wrapped boxes and bags, more gifts than I could count. I looked at Tristan and he just smiled and nodded toward the table.

"Open them," he said.

Sarah handed me the first box, a medium-sized one wrapped in silver paper. I opened it carefully and found a leather journal inside with my name embossed on the cover in gold letters.

Tucked inside was a note in Sarah's handwriting that said "For all your thoughts and feelings, the good ones and the hard ones. You don't have to carry them alone anymore."

I looked up at her and she smiled at me with tears in her own eyes. "I thought you might need somewhere to write things down," she said. "Somewhere safe."

"It's perfect," I told her, hugging the journal to my chest. "Thank you."

The next gift was from Lily and Liam, a hand-drawn picture of all of us standing in front of a house. Lily had drawn hearts around everyone and written "FAMILY" at the top in big crooked letters.

"We made it ourselves," Lily said proudly.

"It's beautiful," I told them, and I meant it. "I'm going to keep it forever."

There were more gifts after that. Sarah had gifted me something else, a set of art supplies because Orion told her I used to draw when I was younger. I couldn't help but accept it with a smile, that was years ago.

A first aid kit from Derek that made everyone laugh because of course Derek would give something practical, but I loved it.

A book on meditation and mindfulness from Orion with a note that said he thought it might help me find balance.

Each gift made my chest feel tighter and my eyes burn more. I hadn't expected any of this, hadn't thought I deserved any of this, but they'd all come together to show me I was wrong.

Tristan hasn't gifted me anything, wasn't he going to?

"There's one more," Tristan said after I'd opened everything on the table. "But you have to come outside to see it."

"Outside?" I asked, confused.

"Trust me," he said, holding out his hand.

I took it without hesitation and let him lead me to the door. Everyone followed behind us, their voices and laughter accompanying us as we walked.

When we got outside, I stopped so suddenly that Tristan almost bumped into me.

There, parked in front of Orion's driveway, were two vehicles. A sleek black motorcycle that looked fast and dangerous and beautiful, and next to it, a dark blue car that was newer than anything I'd ever owned.

"What is this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"The motorcycle is from me," Tristan said, squeezing my hand. "I know you have one, but I wanted to also get you one. To be part of your today and tomorrow." His words made tears gathered around my eyes, that I just needed to blink for it to fall out like a dam.

"The car is from me," Orion added, stepping up next to us. "Something reliable and safe for when you don't feel like being reckless. I also noticed you need one to drive to work, it'll make it easier."

I stared at both vehicles, unable to process what I was seeing. They'd bought me a motorcycle and a car. Two major, expensive, life-changing gifts that represented more than just transportation.

They were breathtaking, exactly how I love it. The tears were threatening to spill but I held it back, I won't let it fall.

"I can't accept these," I said, shaking my head. "They're too much."

"They're not," Tristan said firmly, turning me to face him. "Athena, you've spent so much of your life running from things, hiding from who you are, being scared of what you might become. We want you to start running toward things instead. We want you to live your life."

"You're safe now," Orion said, his voice thick with emotion. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. You can go wherever you want, do whatever you want, and you'll always have a home to come back to."