The Beta’s Regret

(Lord Shevek's Pov)

I stayed hidden in the crowd, as I watched Eden approach the tree stump where my beloved and Beauty sat on.

The minute Eden recognized her mother, her eyes widened in disbelief and they shared a small hug, with Eden's son comfortably held in Rose's arms. Eden looked very different from the last time I saw her.

From where I stood, I could see the fine lines on her face that showed she's been through an enormous measure of stress and pain in the past weeks. A baby cooed softly beside me. My eyes flicked to Adonis, who had another baby wrapped in his arms. A girl.

The desire to touch my own grandson and feel his smooth, tender skin beneath my palm with his mother right beside us engulfed me.

When Rose softly handed the baby wrapped in thick clothes to Eden, her face suddenly morphed into the glow of motherhood.

Torn by a feeling of longing to express my own joy in seeing her, I took a step forward and immediately stopped.

I couldn't.

Not when I was looking this way.

Unconsciously, I lifted one hand to my face and traced the line that ran from the left side of my forehead to the bottom of my right cheek.

An ugly scar. Something to constantly remind me of how I almost failed to save my mate.

Usually, vampires heal quickly. But Griffin attacking me with that dagger was strong enough to leave a deep scar.

I felt a deep sense of shame engulf me as I stepped back again. The last thing I wanted was for Eden to see me as a monster.

"Why did you stop?" Adonis asked, settling his gaze on me.

I shook my head.

"I'm not sure she wants to see me." I said.

one hand on my

I watched Rose and

to be with them right now; don't stop yourself." Adonis encouraged.

seconds to gather my courage before I accepted and began

as we got to Eden, she was asking the women

when she saw

cut short by Eden's gasp of surprise, as she

Eden said. Her eyes

excited to see me? What

she said

faded. I opened my arms wide as my daughter rushed into it and circled her own arm around

was a warm,

I said, my voice thick with

have imagined that with all of our misunderstandings, I would one day affirm that I miss you. I missed you, Father." She

I laughed.

to my face. My instincts kicked in,

happened?" Eden

little, then turned my face to her. She ran a hand over the

this to you?"

aware of my beloved, who stood beside Eden quietly. Rose burst into tears, suddenly overwhelmed by the events that took place prior to escaping Alpha Griffin. I felt my heart squeeze a little at her

my fault," Rose

all my fault. I shouldn't have let your mother out of my sight in

up in Alpha Griffin's basement suddenly flashed through my

mother and me, and kept us in a room. At first, I

of how to say the

at

the dagger that Luna Belle held in her hand above me.