The Alpha's Stolen Luna - Chapter 94: Chapter 94

: Lucas
I hated that Sutton left, but I couldn’t blame her either. Jack’s reaction at the mention of her was not lost on either of us. It made me wonder if this was the right thing to do after all. Maybe I should just call my Aunt Lara and have her come and stay with him in their usual apartment.
Jack’s phone began to buzz in his hand. He looked down at the screen but didn’t do anything.
“I’m guessing that’s your mother.”
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug, still not picking up the call.
Something was up with him. This wasn’t the kid I knew. I wanted to know what had been going on between him and his mother, but I wasn’t sure I was the best person for such a delicate subject. I didn’t want him to hate his mother but I couldn’t imagine being able to control my opinions if even half of what I suspected was going on.
The buzzing stopped but immediately started again.
“Jack,” I pressed him, “do you want to go home?”
“No,” he said, quicker than I expected.
“Do you want to stay here?”
He hesitated, but ultimately nodded his head.
“Would you like me to see if your grandmother could come and stay for a while as well?” I asked.
His head shot up. “Do you think she could? Do you think they could do without her at the farm?”
I chuckled. “If they can’t, I’ll hire an extra hand. Or three, knowing how much work she does around that place.”
That got a smile from him. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” I said. “In the meantime, would it be so terrible to stay here with me and Sutton?”
“I should answer her,” he said. “She’ll just keep calling.”
“Of course,” I said.
I stood to give him a little privacy but I didn’t go far. He answered the phone and there was no possible way I wouldn’t be able to overhear the conversation. Daisy started crying hysterically through the phone. Jack assured her he was fine and that he was with me. Daisy tested my patience by rudely asking if Sutton was here too. To which, Jack stated no. That seemed to calm her down a bit but Jack still seemed uncomfortable with the conversation.
“I’m staying with Uncle Lucas, Mom,” he said decisively. “I will call and check in later.”
With that, he hung up. Sliding off the barstool, he grabbed a backpack that had been sitting under the counter and shoved the phone inside. All the way to the bottom. Zipping it back up, he threw it over his shoulder and turned to me.
“I can take the couch,” he said decisively.
I chuckled. “We have a guest room, bud,” I told him. “Come on.”
I took him to the guest room down the hall from our bedroom and left him to settle in. I was tempted to link Sutton but refrained. I got the sense she needed a little space right now. Rhonen whimpered and snarled in my head.
‘I know, Rho,” I assured him, well aware that space was the absolute last thing we wanted from our mate right now.
My mood was pushing the limits of civil. I wanted Jack here. I did. But the timing couldn’t have been worse. Sutton’s plan for us to mark each other had been brilliant. It was exactly what needed to be done to solidify our union and eliminate any imagined claim Anders or Mason had. But now that the act was done, we would be feeling the heightened effects for the next week or so. Effects I wanted nothing more than anything to explore with Sutton. But that would be more difficult to do given the circumstances.
Jack came back out. With his hands shoved in his hoodie pocket, he started to look around the apartment.
“Sutton should be back with dinner soon,” I told him.
“’Kay,” he said absently.
“I hope you use this opportunity to get to know her, Jack,” I said.
His posture slouched and he mumbled something incoherent. I sighed. This needed to be addressed now if this situation was ever going to work. I went to the living room and told Jack to come sit with me.
“Buddy, I don’t know what your mother has told you about Sutton, but I’m confident it wasn’t a fair assessment of her,” I began. “I can’t force you to like Sutton, nor would I try. But I do expect you to treat her with respect while in our home and give her a fair chance to get to know you. If that is going to be a problem, you need to tell me now.”
He shrugged again. “Mom said she didn’t want you talking to me or visiting me anymore,” he admitted. “She said you wouldn’t want to be around anymore because Sutton was your new family.”
I pushed Rhonen back, not needing to be distracted by his uncontrolled anger.
“You’re here, bud,” I said. “I told your mother you were staying. You will always be my family. But so will Sutton. You both are incredibly important to me, Jack. I expect you to use this time to figure out how you want to feel about that. You’re a good kid. You know how to behave and treat people. Be respectful. Be polite. And be open to getting to know her. That’s all I ask, bud.”
He fidgeted a little in his seat as he thought about what I’d said.
“I guess I can do that,” he said with a shrug.
I grinned, reaching over to ruffle his hair. It may be awkward for the first few days, but I was feeling more confident that both he and Sutton would be getting along in no time. I watched as Jack leaned forward and grabbed the remote to the TV. My thoughts drifting to Emlyn and what he was like at Jack’s age. Our own childhood experiences together. Then to Sutton… and what our children would be like.
The elevator dinged and I looked to see Sutton step out. Regardless of how difficult the last couple of days had been or the obstacles we were facing, seeing her walk into our home reminded me of just how damn happy I was.