Page 52 of Alpha Claimed

"Your mom arrived."

Her stomach plummeted. "Cherry's here?" She thought for a moment and then blew out a breath. "Bianca."

"Your sister, not sister?"

She nodded. "I'm sure Zeke found out from Ares and told her, and she called her dad. Prompting my mom to go haywire and travel to the estate." She groaned. "We should go. The longer she's there, the worse it will be for everyone."

"Of course."

River looked at Apollo. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. "It is what it is. I just hope the time we shared was enough to give me a smidgeon of a chance."

Thirty minutes later,River and Apollo exited the cabin. Everyone was already waiting for them. Silas took her thrift store bags and put them in the trunk of Ares's car. Apollo walked to the car and opened the door for her.

"You don't want me to ride with you?" she asked.

"You're not fully healed. You'll be much more comfortable in the car."

He was so different than Ares. Where Ares was all demand and hot burning coals. Apollo was… sweet. Sensitive even. The kind of man that would be great with kids and not try to dominate her.

She looked up at Apollo and squeezed his hand. She wasn't sure what to say, so she just said, Thank you, and got in the car.

Apollo closed the door, and Ares sat beside her but didn't move to touch her. Her wolf whined and prodded River to connect with him. To say something. Do something. But River wasn't sure what to say. She was pretty sure Ares felt like she'd rejected him when she'd refused to leave with him the day before. It hadn't been her intention, but she hadn't said yes and went with him immediately like any other mate would have because she wasn't ready to go back. Wasn't prepared to face what was coming. The Council. Having to decide…

After a minute, she scooted closer and laid her head on his shoulder. The car pulled off down the road, his body shifted, and he relaxed. He placed his hand on her lap. She clasped it in both hands, and he squeezed her fingers tight.

Her wolf sighed, contented, and laid down again. River closed her eyes and sucked in Ares's familiar scent.

He kissed her head and began to purr. She moved her head to his lap and curled into a ball on the seat. He pulled the bun from the top of her head and massaged her scalp, making it tingle.

"I was so worried," he said.

She squeezed his leg and then kissed it. "I'm fine. And I'm right here. With you."

She couldn't help that nothing else seemed to matter when she was with him. And no one else, either.

He sighed. "As you will always be."

Ares helpedRiver out of the car when the front door of the estate burst open.

River groaned.

Cherry raced outside, followed closely by Strider.

"You!" Cherry pointed at Ares. "I warned you what would happen if my daughter got hurt."

"Mom, it wasn't Ares's fault." But River's words had no effect. Her mom leapt at Ares from over ten feet away. She produced a knife midair, but before her mom could pounce on him, River stepped in the way and deflected her mom with a blow to the chest.

Cherry flew backward and landed on the dirt. A moment later, the guards and Apollo pulled up on their bikes.

Cherry whipped to her feet.

Cherry took a step forward, and River stepped forward as well. "I told you this isn't his fault. I wasn't even with him when it happened."

Apollo walked around the back of the car to stand on the other side of River. Cherry looked between them, and then Apollo stepped forward.

"Hi. I'm Apollo. You must be River's mother." He held out his hand, and Cherry slapped it away.