Resisting the Moon (Royal Shifters #2)(55)

“Sure. But first, I want you to see what I’ve been working on. Take a look at this,” he said, waving me toward his drawing table.

“What am I looking at here?” I asked, viewing the sketches. There were three different designs, all completely different.

“We’ve been working on these designs for a client and we’re showing them to him next week. Which one do you like? I don’t know which one to push.”

“Where is it going to be built?”

“Out in Wilson. This guy’s from upstate New York, trying to turn himself into a cowboy. He wants something rustic, yet upscale. He has a really good view of the mountains on this side of the house,” he said, pointing to the west side of the drawings.

I studied the diagrams and chose the one with the best layout. “This one has more open space in the main room. If this guy is as pretentious as he sounds, he’ll be focused more on the large kitchen and living room to impress his visitors. That’s what everyone will see first.”

“See?” Colin said. “That’s exactly what I said.” He nudged me in the arm. “But what do we know?”

We both chuckled and Zayne shook his head. “Keep it up, you two. I’m not afraid to kick both of your asses.”

“Like you could, old man,” Colin countered. He looked over at the clock. “Ah shit, I have to go. Got a meeting with a potential client.” He rushed out of the room.

“Let me know how it goes,” Zayne shouted after him. He sat back down and focused on his sketches. “So, tell me what happened. Were you in danger?”

Chuckling, I sat down in the seat across from him. “You have no idea.” I got into the details, starting with Tyla’s aunt and uncle, and ending with the enemy pack who’d lured us into their trap.

Brows furrowed, he stared at me. “But why would they want to lure you in? How were you connected to all of this?”

“Because in one hell of a coincidence, I’d killed their alpha. They’ve been hunting me for thirty years.”

Eyes flashing, Zayne stiffened, his hands clenching into tight fists. “Who?”

“I think you know who.” He pushed his chair away from the desk and stood, the chair falling to the ground, his anger permeating the room. “His son was who took Amelie. He planned on mating with Tyla to repeat exactly what his father had done.”

“Did you kill him?” he growled.

“He’s dead, along with the rest of the Sierra Pack. There were no survivors.”

“Good.” He huffed and ran a hand through his hair. When he finally collected himself, he picked up his chair and set it upright. I waited for him to look at me, but he sat back at his desk and reached for his drawing pencils.

“We need to end this feud, brother. I know keeping you in the dark all those years ago was a mistake, but I only did it to protect you. Attacking that pack in a fit of rage would’ve cost you your life. I couldn’t have saved you.”

“I wouldn’t have cared,” he replied, his gaze full of pain. “My life was forfeit once she was gone. I’m still not over her death. It haunts me every day. If I’d just left Canada sooner to get her, it wouldn’t have happened. I never would’ve . . .” He stopped and bit his lip.

“Never would’ve what?” I asked.

He waved it off. “It doesn’t matter anymore. What’s done is done. We can’t change a goddamned thing.”

“No, but we can make it better. I need you to forgive me, brother. What I did was out of love for you. I miss Alina too. She wouldn’t want to see us like this.”

Setting his pencil down, Zayne ran a hand over his face. “You’re right, she wouldn’t. That’s why I can forgive you now. But it still doesn’t take away the pain. I’ve lived with nothing but regret for the past thirty years.”

“So have I,” I said truthfully. “I understand now why you hated me so much for taking away your revenge.”

He sighed. “I don’t hate you, Sebastian. You’re my brother.” He held out his hand. “All is forgiven.”

Taking his hand, I squeezed it tight. “Thank you, I’ll take it. But unfortunately, I’m not done with what I have to say.”

“There’s more?”

Nodding, I licked my dry lips. “First, I need to ask you a question.” He stared at me, waiting. “Did you ever mate with Alina on the full moon?”

Gaze narrowed, he lifted his chin. “Why are you asking that?”

“Please just answer the question,” I insisted.

“I loved her, Sebastian. We spent many nights together until I was called back to Canada.” My heart raced and he could hear it. “What are you not telling me? Why do you want to know this information?”

I kept my gaze on his, eyes never wavering. The last thing I wanted was to bring him more pain, but I had to believe Laila would be what he needed to heal. “There was a child,” I said, releasing a heavy sigh.

His breath caught. “What do you mean there was a child?”

“Alina was pregnant when Vincent took her for his mate. The girl’s name is Laila, and she was the one who helped us fight the Sierra Pack.”

Jaw clenching, his whole body shook. “What the f*ck are you saying Sebastian? Just spit it out.”