Stronger as One (#1, Completed)

71. Decisions

AIDEN

I got Rafe's text that he was back at Windcrest, so I headed back to the estate. I hadn't wanted to leave my best friend alone earlier, during what must have been a very emotional time for him as he met his mother for the first time in seventeen years. Still, I knew he had Riley with him, and it didn't really make sense for me to hang around at the Boswells in the meantime.

Plus, there were plenty of things to be sorted out in the aftermath of the battle with Markolf, especially in my clan. Cyrus was gone; therefore, the Fire Dragons needed a new Alpha- or a Beta if Jason became the new Alpha- and it was my duty as the previous Beta to help the pack with the smooth transition.

It was hard to tear myself from my mate when we had nearly just lost her, but I also knew that I had to speak with Jason before she and Rafe got back to Scotland. If we were going to make this triad work, as everyone seemed to want, we needed to figure out how we would move forward and the Fire Dragons played an important role in that.

Yet, as I flew back to Rafe's packhouse after my discussion with Jason, I was going back with more questions than answers. I hadn't expected what Jason had proposed and it certainly added a new level of complexity to the already intricate situation.

Windcrest pack members greeted me as I landed in front of the mansion and someone handed me a set of clothes that I kept at Windcrest. I spent so much time with Rafe and Natalia over the years that I was practically an honorary pack member, even if Angus Macalister was not particularly thrilled to have a dragon spending so much time on his territory. But the pack itself didn't seem to mind. In fact, I had developed a good relationship with many of the Windcrest wolves.

My best friend was engrossed in his thoughts as I entered his office. He didn't look sad but he didn't appear to be happy either. Just very pensive. Whatever had happened with his mother must have put him in this mood. There was also no sign of Riley at the packhouse, which made Blaze and me feel a bit anxious.

"Hey. How did it go?" I quizzed him in the hope to snap him out of his thoughts. This seemed like one of those occasions that required a strong drink, so I cut across the room and got us both whisky before I sat down opposite him.

The deep sigh that he released told me that things had not gone the way he had hoped.

"She doesn't remember anything, Aiden. Nothing at all, other than her name. Retrograde amnesia, the pack doctor called it." With a pained voice, he explained how his own mother did not recognise him but she felt sad over Markolf's death and Rafe couldn't even tell her the truth because it could bring her too much distress and affect her negatively.

"Shit, Rafe, I'm so sorry. Does Nat know?"

"No, I haven't told her yet. I wanted to see how the Boswells' offer to help her will go down first. Hopefully, she will accept, and then Nat and I can figure out how to spend some time with her without revealing our identities."

I knew my best friend long enough to notice that his guilt over what happened all those years ago was resurfacing but I was not ready to let him torture himself again over something that he could not have prevented.

"I can't even begin to imagine how hard this must be on you, mate, but the one thing I know is that you have to stop blaming yourself for what happened with your mum. Between your dad and the cambion, thirteen-year-old you stood no chance. Not only that- you saved her last night and I have no doubt you will make sure that you are there for her now that she is back."

His jaw clenched while he contemplated my words. "How do you let go of something that has defined your whole life?" He looked at me, his eyes pleading for an answer.