~Avery~ In just a few minutes, I had managed to persuade my mother about King and me resolving our differences, even though her sceptical expression suggested she wasn't fully convinced. Despite this, I couldn't let King create a scene in front of the children or act out in anger. His temper was already flaring, and I decided it was best I kept my own anger at bay, at least until I knew he was thinking straight. I lied to my mom and Jane that the kids and I needed to spend only a week at King's place. Hopefully, by then I would be able to make King see reason. Jane had asked me to tell her the truth if I were under any coercion by King, but I couldn't risk him harming anyone just because he was angry. My mother and Jane assisted in gathering our few belongings, while Divah cheerfully carried them out to my car. Meanwhile, King had parked his vehicle prominently at the front of the house and was leaning against it, arms crossed, exuding a mix of impatience and expectancy. His dem
~King~ It was quite fascinating to see them, and what's more amusing and amazing was that I was enjoying every word with them. Their endless questions made me smile, and surprisingly, I enjoyed answering each one. These moments with them were golden, filling me with a warmth I hadn't known I was missing. My pups. Goddess, I never imagined that I would say those words, they felt alien but incredibly right as I thought them. I was still grappling with the reality of it all. How the fuck could Avery hide something like this from me? Did she hate me that much? Although the thought of fatherhood had never crossed my mind before, now that I knew of Julian and Julia's existence, there was nothing in this world I wanted more. And nothing was going to stop me from raising my twins. With or without Avery. I was so furious that I couldn't even speak to her, although I knew she wouldn't answer any of my questions. She had refused to even look at me, which infuriated me even more. She had
~Avery~ My anger began to surge to the surface again as we ascended the stairs with King leading the way. When we reached his door, he swung it open, gesturing for me to step through first. With a defiant stomp, I marched past him into the shadowed confines of the room. He followed, slamming the door shut with a resounding bang that echoed through the space. Now, we were secured in our privacy, and there was no fear of the kids sneaking up on us and overhearing. I was so ready to give King a piece of my mind. I folded my arms defensively across my chest and glared at him. "Are you out of your mind?" I snapped. "Like you're the one to say that," he shot back. "You're unbelievable. Do you have any idea what this is going to do to them? You're so fucking selfish!" "You hid my fucking children for five years with no intention of ever telling me about them, and yet I'm the one who's selfish?" King growled, walking towards me, his eyes blazing with unrestrained anger, his every st
~Avery~ King didn't return until much later that evening, long after I had tucked Julia and Julian into their makeshift beds. The rooms provided for them were nothing like children's rooms; this whole situation had been rather too hasty. As I sat in the dim light of King's room, doubt filled my mind. Was this his idea of fatherhood—absence and indifference? He was not even there to bid them goodnight. I hadn't laid down on his bed; I couldn’t even think of sleeping. We needed to have a crucial conversation tonight; he had to see reason with me. I never should have brought the twins back to even the same city as him, let alone the same pack. I should have done everything I could to keep them far, far away. This was exactly what I was afraid of. Now, King seemed more like a villain, and my innocent children were caught in his dangerous plans. His room door finally swung open abruptly, and King entered with a casual swagger as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I hadn’t bother
~Avery~ I woke up in King's bed, my head on a pillow that was wet with my tears. I had no idea how long I had been out, but darkness had covered the sky. I got up from bed and walked to the mirror. My eyes were all puffy from either sleep or crying, but I knew the latter was the case. I was still wearing the same clothes I had on when I arrived, and I felt a strong need to take a bath. But then, I realised it had been hours since I last saw the twins and a wave of dread washed over me. "Julian? Julia?" I called, bursting into each of the rooms assigned to them. Both rooms were tidy, with everything in its place, but there was no sign of the kids. With my heart in my throat, I darted out of Julia’s room and sped down the hallway. It had been years since I was here, but I still remembered the intricate layout of King's house. "Julian? Julia?" My calls grew more desperate, but there were no answers. A million thoughts played through my mind. King wouldn't do anything to hurt them, w
~King~ I couldn't sleep the previous night as the images of how Avery tucked the kids into bed kept replaying in my mind. I had leaned against each of their doors, unnoticed, as she put them to bed. The sight stirred a mixture of emotions within me—it warmed my heart yet ignited a storm of fury. But despite this turmoil, my spirits lifted with the comforting knowledge that my children now recognized me as their true father. I swear to the goddess, I would spoil them silly. I chose not to sleep in my room with Avery. Part of me knew she would resist the closeness, and I, too, was wary of another bitter argument. Also, I couldn't shake the fury that consumed me just at the sight of her. I kept going back and forth between hating her for what she did, understanding it, and wanting her to forgive me for how I had been acting. Mostly, I was furious and wanted her to feel the brunt of the pain I was experiencing. I couldn't comprehend how she could do that to me. By the break of dawn, I
~Avery~ I watched Julian and Julia as they scampered around the newly constructed play area that King had ordered to be assembled in the backyard. Everything had been set up today, and Julian and Julia couldn't get enough of it, the swings and slides, all freshly installed, drew them like magnets. It was a problem to get them to come in for lunch after they saw the set-up, and now, I had to sit and watch them play. I knew they were safe in King's house for now, but I remained alert, eyes tracking their every jubilant leap and tumble. The day was dwindling; the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows, signalling it was nearly time to take them indoors for their evening routine. I had just finished watching Regina's viral online apology and didn't know what to think about it. Did she love King that much, even when she wasn't his mate? I tried to shove these thoughts aside, focusing instead on more pressing concerns. Marcus had been unusually unreachable today, dodging my calls, which
~Avery~ I knelt at the centre of the grand hall, surrounded by the esteemed members of the Silverpine pack. My gaze remained fixed on the ground, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Deep down, I yearned to meet King's eyes, for I believed he was the only one who would believe me, but they had kept me from him since last night. In this pack, they despised me, and no one would entertain the notion of my innocence, even if I pleaded otherwise. Beta Kristopher, who had never held much regard for me in this pack, rose and positioned himself before me. I had always been seen as unworthy of the Luna title. I was only but a mere rogue who was captured to come and serve as a slave, but I somehow became the Luna because King, my mate needed a Luna. The pack members had never truly accepted me, and today seemed to mark the end of my reign. I had fallen before I had the chance to rise. "It appears we are all present now," Kristopher announced, as Sammy, my closest friend, entered the