Alex Jr. sat at the dinner table pushing food around his plate. His mind was miles away—or at least across the border in Moonridge territory. Elara’s face kept flashing in his head. The way her body felt pressed against his during training. That faint but growing mate bond tugging at his chest every time he thought of her. He barely tasted the roast on his fork.
“Earth to Alex Jr.,” his little sister teased, waving a hand in front of his face. “You’ve been spacing out all week.”
He blinked and forced a smile. “Just tired from training.”
But Xander wasn’t fooled. His father watched him with sharp eyes across the table. Claire, sitting beside her mate, had that soft knowing look she got when she saw right through all of them. After dinner, when the younger kids scattered, his parents pull
