The Alpha's Bride Chapter 1070: Alpha Violet and Alpha Ashton (11)

She was aware that Ashton frequently fought rogues, but witnessing him draw blood in person was a first for her. Though she felt distraught, Alpha Cristian had already warned her against making a scene.

"If he doesn't hold grudges, he wouldn't be a man," Maddox responded.

"What should we do?" Luna Michelle asked.

"Nothing," Alpha Cristian responded before anyone else could. "I know this is your son, and you are worried…"

"Ash is your son also!" Luna Michelle said.

Alpha Cristian shook his head. "Ash is the future Alpha. He is an adult, and he will deal with the consequences of his actions, no matter what they are." Grabbing her by the shoulders, he stared at her with a serious expression. "Mica, your behavior is hurting him. Do you not see his position?"

"What position?"

"Ash is Violet's mate. As such, he will be the Alpha of the Dark Howlers pack and the Midnight Guardians pack and at the head of the coalition. This is way beyond the Spring Leaf pack. Do you think Luna Tatiana didn't want to go to Ethan to check on his injuries? Do you think it was easy for her to stand on the side while her son was bleeding? Do you think Alpha Maddox was happy to see his son on the floor? But they did that because they were putting Ethan first."

Looking around, Luna Michelle realized the hallway was empty except for her and Alpha Cristian. When had everyone else departed? Regardless, it provided her the chance to speak privately with her mate.

"How is that putting him first when they showed no concern for his wellbeing?"

"They were putting his future first. If people saw a mother running to her adult son, or his father getting vengeance in his stead, they would see Ethan as weak. For us, our image is half of the battle. Babying Ash and doubting him openly makes others think he is weak."

"I am not doubting him, but…" She sighed in defeat. "I already did the damage, didn't I? How can I fix it?"

"Don't. Just give him space. If any fixing is to happen, it needs to happen on their terms."

"Their?"

"Ash and Vi, Mica. They are together now as one. We need to step back and give them space. It will be hard, but it's the only thing we can do unless you want Ash to push us away."

Alpha Cristian hoped his mate would understand the difficulty of the situation so she wouldn't view him as the villain.

Ever since the Arya incident, Alpha Cristian had been plagued by guilt, fearing he had failed in his duties as a mate. While he hadn't been abusive or unfaithful, he had permitted an unmated female to get too close, failing to realize the pain it caused Luna Michelle. Despite her vocal disapproval of the attention he gave Arya, he had consistently dismissed her concerns, arguing that Arya was just an orphaned child with no one else. He repeated these excuses until Luna Michelle eventually bowed her head and accepted her lot in life. To cope with Alpha Cristian's emotional absence, she had poured all her affection into their son.

It was a fractured dynamic. Alpha Cristian should have recognized the signs when Luna Michelle stated she wanted no more children. Back then he missed the subtext, but he later understood she simply didn't want more children with HIM.

Once Arya identified Keith as her mate, Alpha Cristian tried to return to Luna Michelle, only to find her emotionally cold. Her entire world revolved around Ashton now.

Alpha Cristian had gone to great lengths to apologize for neglecting her. He had failed to make her feel like his priority, and those scars remained unhealed. For the past five years, Luna Michelle lived for Ashton’s calls, showing genuine happiness only when news of their son arrived.

Now that she had to let Ashton go, would she turn her focus back to Alpha Cristian? Would she be satisfied with what remained of him? He feared it might be too late. What if she decided to leave? Where would she even go?

He knew she had no other place to go, and a dark part of him feared that was the sole reason she stayed. He often caught her gazing into the distance with a faint, dreamy smile that vanished the moment she noticed him. It left him wondering if she was dreaming of Ashton, another man, or perhaps the early days of their romance before Ashton and Arya existed, when it was just the two of them.

Alpha Cristian was well aware that his pack was merely average, so he worked hard to keep pace with formidable leaders like Alpha Damon and Alpha Maddox. Yet, in the process, he had completely failed his mate. He wondered if there was any way to reset the clock and begin again.

...

Ashton and Violet rejoined the party thirty minutes later. Judging by the deep flush on Violet’s face and Ashton’s wide smirk, nobody believed that washing their hands had actually taken that long.

A table had been arranged on a small raised platform with six seats. Alpha Cristian and Luna Michelle sat on the far left, while Damon and Talia occupied the far right. The two center chairs remained vacant. Violet pulled Ashton toward them; those central seats were reserved for the pair.

Typically, the guests of honor would remain inside the hall with the high-ranking members of society, but the Dark Howlers pack always put their own members first. Damon had no interest in small talk with various Elders and Alphas. If they wished to speak with him, they were welcome to join him in the garden.

"Everyone will be watching," Ashton muttered as they climbed the podium.

"Is that a problem?"

Having spent five years avoiding the spotlight, he was hesitant. Also... "I don't want people looking at you and getting funny ideas."

Violet giggled, leaning into him. "I'm sure you can take care of those. But this is only for the meal. Once we are done with food, we can mingle."

Ashton leaned down to whisper in her ear, "The only one I want to mingle with is you." He gave her ear a playful nip, causing her to shriek.

"Ash! Behave!"

Ashton just grinned, pulling her closer.

Talia smiled as she ate the food Damon fed her, watching with approval as Ashton pulled out Violet's chair and began piling food onto her plate. Ashton’s gaze was fixed entirely on Violet, giving Talia the distinct feeling that the couple would be more than fine.

Talia turned her attention to Damon.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

Talia shoved a forkful of food into his mouth before cupping his face and planting a loud, messy kiss on his lips. She took her time licking them clean.

"Life is good," Talia remarked, signaling him with her eyes to keep the food coming.

Damon was thrilled by Talia’s affectionate mood and hoped this happiness would go on forever.