Her Alpha King

Chapter 41

**

Titus' POV

I let out a threatening growl as the door to my bedroom slammed open. I wasn't in the mood to be bothered but to have someone burst into my room unsettled something within me.

"Get out."

I said without bothering to look up.

"No, you get up Titus, enough is enough."

My head snapped up at Avery's command.

"You have no right to order me around Avery."

"No but I do have the right to tell you to get up and tend to your own damn kids."

"Take care with how you speak to me Avery."

I took a deep sigh.

"Titus, I know you lost your mate and you're grieving, but you seem to be forgetting that there's two little boys down there who just lost their mother. Steve is downstairs crying his eyes out because he doesn't think that his daddy loves him, and James hasn't said a word since you locked yourself up here. They're grieving the loss of both of their parents Titus, those boys have been through way too much in such a short amount of time and they don't know how to deal with it, they need you, they need their father. Don't make them lose another parent, that's all I ask of you."

Any anger I had dissipated almost immediately at her words. She was right. I was so wrapped up in my own grief that I never once spared a thought to my children once I put them to bed the night their mother died. I was proving to be a terrible father and although Avery didn't say it, I was failing as a leader too. I'd neglected the needs of my pack and my duties as a leader, I knew Michael was taking care of things without my asking, but this isn't his job, not while I'm still alive. He has his own family to take care of right now and he doesn't need the stress of taking on two more kids with who already have a parent.

"Was it really that bad? Do they really think I don't love them?"

I couldn't deny the shake in my voice as I asked the question.

"Steve asked if he'd done something bad, if he'd done something that caused you to not want him anymore. I've never been more heartbroken than when I heard that little boy burst in to tears because he misses his mom and that he thinks his dad doesn't love or want him anymore."

I felt a stinging sensation behind my eyes as Avery spoke, I knew that feeling of being afraid that a parent didn't love you, I'd felt the same way with Christina right up until the day I killed her. It wasn't something that I wanted anyone, let alone my own children to feel.

My legs shook as I stood up.

"Avery, I don't know how to do this alone."

She put a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"You don't have to do this alone, you have family and a whole pack that are eager to help, you were never alone in this."

"I'm ready."

"Good, now clean yourself up quickly, you have two boys who miss their daddy waiting on you."

**

Guilt was the first thing I felt as I laid eyes on my boys. I was expecting them to run at me in excitement, huge grins on their faces and laughter falling from their lips, but instead I watched as the two people that meant everything to me curl up around one another on the couch and look at me warily.

I really managed to fuck this up.

I kneeled, not wanting to seem intimidating, before I spoke to them.