The Alpha's Dark Solstice Claim

Chapter 15 - A Possibility ...

Marybeth

“Would you two like to go to dinner?” Daniel asked as we were about to turn into the driveway at home. I was just going to make us some sandwiches, but before I could answer, Eli answered from the back seat.

“Yes, please. I’m starving.” He beamed, drawing out the last word as if it would make a difference. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I hesitated. It was late and Eli still had to take a bath.

“Please, mommy. Eli is starving.” Daniel grinned at me, blinking the same way Eli did. I wasn’t expecting this calm man to act like that, and I took a deep breath before nodding. Daniel chose the restaurant before I could suggest anything.

That should have worried me. It didn’t. Because the moment we stepped inside, I understood why. It wasn’t formal. It definitely wasn’t quiet. It wasn’t built for adults trying to impress each other. It was loud. Bright. Warm in a way that didn’t feel forced.

Families filled the tables, children laughing too loudly, servers moving easily through the noise like they belonged in it.

“This place is cool.” Eli’s eyes lit up immediately.

“I thought he might like it.” Daniel glanced at me. He hadn’t said you. He hadn’t tried to impress me. He had chosen for Eli. That mattered more than it should have.

“It works,” I said. Dinner didn’t feel like a negotiation. That was new. I held back slightly, watching more than participating. Listening. Measuring. Daniel didn’t push. Didn’t try to win Eli over. He just … engaged with my son. Naturally.

“What do you like doing?” Daniel asked.

“Stuff,” Eli said.

“That’s a strong category.” Daniel nodded seriously. Eli grinned.

“Like bikes. And running. And …” Eli paused, thinking, “not homework.”

“Noted,” Daniel said. “We’ll avoid that.” Eli laughed. It was easy. Too easy. I watched the way Daniel adjusted without thinking. How he didn’t talk down to Eli. Didn’t overcompensate. Didn’t try to position himself as anything more than what he was.

Present. That was all. And somehow … That was enough. More than enough. At one point, Daniel reached into his jacket pocket and pulled something out. A small toy. Simple. But familiar.

“I won this,” he said, holding it out. “Figured it deserved a better owner.” It was the toy he won earlier.

“For me?” Eli’s eyes widened.

“For you.” Daniel nodded.

“Thanks.” Eli took it carefully, like it might disappear if he moved too fast.

“We can win more next time.” Daniel shrugged lightly.

“Next time?” Eli scrunched up his little nose when he frowned.

“If your mom says it’s okay,” Daniel looked at me. “I want to take the two of you to the amusement park.” Eli looked at me immediately. Hopeful. Bright. Uncomplicated. I felt something shift quietly in my chest.

“Yes,” I said. “We can do that.” Eli grinned. And just like that … It felt possible. Not perfect. Not complete. But … workable. A structure that didn’t feel forced. A presence that didn’t demand. A future that didn’t take from me.

Maybe this was what I had been looking for. Not love. Not passion. Just … Stability. The drive back was quieter. Eli sat in the back, focused entirely on the toy, occasionally glancing up to comment on something neither of us grown-ups had said.

Daniel drove. Steady. Unhurried. I watched him out of the corner of my eye. Not analyzing this time. Not weighing. Just … noticing. And the more I did … The more I understood. This could work. Not because it was perfect. Because it was enough.

We pulled up outside the house. Eli was already unbuckling.

“I’m going to show Grandpa,” he said.

“Inside,” I reminded him.

“I know.” He was halfway out of the car before I finished speaking. I stepped out after him, closing the door softly.

“Go on,” I said. “I’ll be right behind you.” He nodded and ran up the steps, disappearing inside without another thought. The door closed behind him. And suddenly … It was quiet. Just Daniel and me. Daniel stepped closer.

Not abrupt. Not hesitant. Just … intentional. I felt it before it happened. That shift. That moment where something moves from possibility into action.

“You did well tonight,” he said.

“I didn’t do anything.” I felt my cheeks turn red.

“You didn’t interfere.” He smiled, nodding in the direction of the house.

“That was deliberate.” I smiled.

“I figured.” A faint smile. Then … His hand lifted. Not to pull. Not to claim. Just to steady. A touch at my waist. Light. Grounding. I didn’t step back. I didn’t move at all. And when he leaned in … I let him.

The kiss was soft. Careful. Not demanding. Not overwhelming. Just … there. And for a second … I felt something I had never allowed myself to feel before. Not urgency. Not heat. Not the consuming pull that had once existed between me and … Rowan.

The name hit before I could stop it. Sharp. Immediate. Unwanted. My breath caught. The moment fractured. Daniel didn’t pull away immediately. But I did. Not abruptly. Just enough. Enough to create space. Enough to breathe.

“I …” I stopped. Because I didn’t have an explanation that made sense. Not one I could say out loud.

“I understand,” Daniel said quietly. Of course, he did. That made it worse. “I’ll see you again,” he added. Not a question. A statement.

“Yes.” I nodded. Because I would see Daniel again. Because this was still the right choice. Even if part of me hadn’t caught up yet.

“Goodnight, Marybeth.”

“Goodnight, Daniel.”

He stepped back. Turned. Left. And I stood there for a moment longer than I should have. Still. Trying to understand why something so right … Felt so complicated.

The house was warm when I stepped inside. Familiar. Grounded. Eli’s voice carried from the living room, animated as he explained something to my father. I paused briefly in the hallway. Letting that sound settle.

Letting it remind me why I had made the choices I was making. Then I stepped forward.

“You’re back.” My father looked up as I entered.

“Yes.” I smiled at Eli who clearly still had a lot to tell his grandfather.

“How was it?” My father focused on me.

“Productive.” What else was I going to say? This would sort of be an arranged union. Wouldn’t it? He nodded slightly. That was enough for him.

“There’s a meeting,” he said. The shift was immediate. Business. Pack. Reality.

“When?” I crossed my arms feeling the tension settle in my shoulders.

“Tonight.” He was giving Eli his attention again, but I could feel his focus on me. I stilled.

“That’s soon.” I frowned.

“Yes.” His gaze held mine for a moment. “There’s been movement near the border.” The word landed heavier than the rest. Border. Not social. Not internal. External. Threat. Change. Everything I had been trying to build … Everything I had been trying to control …

Suddenly felt smaller. Secondary.