Alpha Theo's Unloved Luna - Chapter 39: Chapter 39

~ Gwen ~
It took a second for Gwen to recover from Theo’s words. When she did, she answered, “That may be so, Theo, but it doesn’t require perfect timing to show someone compassion.”
The second those words escaped Gwen’s lips, memories of how Theo treated her as a husband came flooding back. She recalled those times when she begged for Theo’s attention and love.
Her jaws clenched before she added, “Don’t you remember how you locked me in this same room for days? Do you know what it feels like to be married to someone, love someone but only feel his indifference?”
Theo suddenly looked remorseful. Again, it was surprising, but his grip suddenly loosened, so Gwen said, “Let me go! I said let -”
“Mommy?” Ian called from behind them, and both Theo and Gwen looked in his direction. “Are you - are you fighting with Daddy?”
Ian easily had teary eyes as he pleaded, “Please don’t be mad anymore at Daddy; he is sorry.”
“We are not fighting, Ian,” Theo said while letting go of Gwen’s arm. “We were just discussing about something.”
Ian studied their expressions, and Gwen could tell he was unconvinced. So, she smiled and said, “We -um -”
She stared at Theo and noticed the crumpled picture was still in his hand. Sadly, Ian was quick to follow her gaze. He cried out, “Oh, no! The picture! It’s ruined!”
“Um -” Gwen gulped and explained, “I slept on it, Honey. I’m sorry. That was what Alpha Theo asked me about.”
Ian quickly got off the bed and grabbed the picture from Theo’s hand. Hurt flashed through his eyes, and Gwen felt regretful. She realized how much Ian cherished it; perhaps he had hoped for a family through that picture of her and Theo.
“Don’t worry, Ian,” Theo ruffled Ian’s hair. He smiled and leveled with the pup, saying, “Your mommy and I will take another picture. This time, you’ll be in it.”
Very quickly, Ian’s eyes lit up. He smiled brightly and turned to Gwen, saying, “I’d like that! Is that okay, Mommy?”
When Gwen hesitated, Theo said, “Come on, Gwen. It’s just a picture.”
Oh, how Gwen wished she could mindlink with Theo because it wasn’t just a picture. Having a family photo would create false hopes for Ian, one that will never happen, especially since Theo was still in a relationship with Madison. However, because it was her fault for crumpling their wedding photo, she unwillingly agreed, “I guess it’s fine.”
“Yey!” Ian exclaimed. He threw himself into Theo’s arms, and the latter chuckled at the pup’s actions.
Theo’s radiant smile nearly washed away all of Gwen’s reasons for keeping her guard up. The sincere affection in his grin as he looked at Ian was so heartfelt that it almost made her forget why she needed to be cautious. But Gwen knew she had to hold firm—to protect her heart and maintain her dignity. Shifting her eyes away, she said, “I need to take a shower.”
“I’m taking Ian out for a run,” Theo revealed. “I had promised him.”
“Yeah, Mommy, can I?” Ian asked. His green eyes shone in excitement.
Gwen knew that rejecting her son’s request would break his heart, so she said, “Go ahead. Take care.”
She leaned forward and kissed Ian on the cheek. “Run fast and enjoy the nature. I love you.”
Ian hugged Gwen and said, “I love you too, Mommy. Thank you.”
Gwen went straight to the bathroom. She could feel Theo’s gaze on her back, but she ignored it and locked the bathroom door behind her.
~ Theo ~
Things did not quite go according to plan. Theo was supposed to spend his time only with Gwen and Ian, but yesterday, he received news of how Madison tried to kill herself with a silver blade.
She was rushed to the hospital, and naturally, Caroline and Catherine hurried to Madison’s aid. His mother and sister blamed Theo for what Madison was going through, and that was how he ended up staying in the hospital overnight.
When he returned, he argued with Gwen about their wedding photo. Thankfully, Ian was there to help ease the tension between him and Gwen.
Theo was walking Ian out the backdoor when he recalled what Gwen said to him.
‘Don’t you remember how you locked me in this same room for days? Do you know what it feels like to be married to someone, love someone but only feel his indifference?’
‘I was such a fucking bastard,’ Theo said to himself. He used to have Gwen’s love, but he threw it away and let Lucius Darwin cloud his judgment, that and whatever made the first paternity test negative.
Remembering that paternity test over six years ago, he mindlinked with his beta, ‘Have the hospital director given feedback about what happened six years ago?’
‘Good morning, Alpha,’ Brody linked back. ‘They are still investigating the matter. A few laboratory technicians from that time had already relocated to our other territories. I had helped send men over to hasten the investigation.’
Theo cussed inside. He responded, ‘I want answers soon.’
‘Yes, Alpha. I’ll do my best,’ his beta answered.
“You are done talking to someone, Daddy?” His son asked, looking up at him.
Theo was stunned that Ian had apparently been observing him. He chuckled and asked, “How did you know?”
“Uncle Baron and Grandpa are like that. They suddenly become serious when they are mindlinking,” Ian described.
Once again, Theo was curious. He asked, “Ian, you had talked about your family briefly, but can you tell me more about your grandpa and your uncles?”
He noticed how Ian’s eyes rounded, and he wavered, looking back at the packhouse. He softly replied, “You should ask Mommy, Daddy.”
With a sigh of surrender, Theo said, “Okay. I’ll do that. Let’s go for that morning run.”
Before Ian, Theo shifted into his black wolf, his clothes torn to pieces. Like the last time, Theo witnessed his son’s amazement, and he basked in it. How could he not? His son looked so proud of him.
In the next half an hour, Ian rode on his back. Theo took him around the pines and rocky side of Port Leon, behind the packhouse. The entire time, Ian had only good things to say.
“I love it!”
“I love the air here, Daddy! I could smell part of the sea!”
“Faster, Daddy! Haha!”
When Theo returned to the packhouse’s backyard, he let Ian run around madly, and while in his wolf form, he chased after his son.
A few minutes later, Dunken was ready with a robe for him to wear. Theo shifted back into his human form and covered himself.
“Breakfast is ready alpha, Gwen and... the other visitors are waiting for you both,” Dunken reported.
“Tell them Ian and I are going to change first,” Theo said to his gamma.
When Theo was alone with Ian, he asked, “Son, can you at least tell me about your Mom’s relationship with Baron and Jacob, especially that Jacob guy?”
Ian raised a brow, looking bemused. He asked, “What do you mean, Daddy? They are my uncles.”
A hiss left Theo’s lips. He couldn’t find the right words to ask his son. Eventually, he inquired, “Does your mom have a romantic relationship with Jacob?”
Theo felt Baron’s protectiveness was more brotherly, but he sensed something different with Jacob. So, he focused on Jacob.
“Romantic?” Ian echoed, looking even more confused.
“Um-” Scratching his head, Theo suggested, “When two people are romantically involved, their eyes sparkle when they talk to each other. They are always happy and -”
Seeing Ian make a complicated face, Theo gave a better example. He said, “They kiss on the lips, for example. They share a bedroom -”
“Oh, just like grandpa and grandma,” Ian spilled.
“Ah, yes, grandpa and grandma,” Theo echoed. “Like a married couple.”
“No, my uncles don’t kiss Mommy, and they don’t share a room. Only grandma and grandpa do,” Ian revealed. “They are my uncles, Daddy.”
Theo heaved a sigh upon hearing Ian’s response. So, it looked as though Gwen lied about Jacob being her lover. ‘But why did she say that back in Drad City?’
It frustrated Theo because that encounter with Gwen made him propose to Madison out of spite. ‘I have got to straighten this out with Gwen today.’