WILLA’S POV
“Home sweet home!” William exclaimed as he stormed inside my house like he owned it.
I had long given up on making him stop barging in unannounced. I had also ceased my attempts at making him shut the hell up about how Grandpa tricked me into agreeing a compromise that was more in their favor.
“Here we go again,” I mumbled to myself.
In just a few seconds, William would prance into the kitchen and say his usual jab about my pseudo-independence.
“Three. Two. One,” I whispered, counting down for my brother’s pesky presence.
I wasn’t disappointed when he strutted in, bringing a tray of fresh eggs and a bag that was full of packaged red meat
Both William and I hastily stood up from our seats, briefly sharing a glance.Calisto and Gillian stood by the arched entryway of the kitchen, holding hands. They were so sweaty and a little grimy from playing outside all afternoon.There was a scrape on Calisto's knee, and his eyes were glistening with tears, which he valiantly tried to hold back.At the sight of him being hurt, I was immediately in front of him, kneeling down to check him and his little wound.“Are you okay? What happened?” I asked worriedly, cupping Calisto’s soft and plump cheeks in my hands, uncaring of how wet they were with sweat and tears.“He stumbled,” Gillian explained helpfully as Calisto mumbled, “I&rsquo
WILLA’S POVBefore I could respond evasively, Grandpa said, “Now is your chance to explain, child. Your son is asking. Might as well seize the chance.”Gillian and Calisto looked at me inquisitively, and I glanced at William for help.He heaved a deep sigh before he reached out to Calisto, picked him up, and got back on his feet. Then he gave a nod to Gillian’s direction.Biting my lower lip, I wrapped my arms around my daughter and moved her to sit on my lap. William then occupied the chair my daughter vacated, settling my son on his thighs and making him face me.“Go on,” William murmured.After drawing a much needed breath, I said, “Mommy has something very
WILLA’S POVI pretend I didn’t see the way Grandpa’s ears perked up in full attention as soon as Gillian’s question was out in the air.William let out a tiny, ‘oh,’ and his piercing gaze burned the side of my face as I stared at my children with a small smile frozen in place.The hopeful look both Calisto and Gillian wore but tried to dim down caused an unbearable constricting feeling in my chest, as if my heart and lungs were being held in an unforgiving vice grip.I blinked a few times as I took a deep inhale through my nose. Then after releasing my breath, I beckoned my children to come over to me.They obediently did so without any fuss, leaving behind Grandpa, who was still in his wolf form.
GALLAHAN’S POV “Willa,” I moaned into the silence of my room while my hand pumped my painfully hard cock. “Fuck… Willa, willa…” Images of her, which were barely vivid for my liking, consumed my rut-addled mind. My imagined Willa willingly succumbed to me. She was spread out for me to take, moaning in pleasure and whining to be claimed, mounted and bred. Most of all, she looked at me like I was the man she actually wanted. Like I wasn’t some sort of heartless and evil pig. Hot desire and the primal need to have my mate swept all over me, and I pathetically bucked my hips, fucking myself into my hand. The tightness and wetness of my grip was barely enough, and the Willa in my mind’s eye intensified my craving to kiss her, hold her, and fuck her. I WANTED HER. I NEEDED HER. The desire was so raw and so visceral that I growled loudly in frustration because nothing I did was enough to soothe it. “Willa, Willa, fuck… So tight, baby.” My rut continued to torment me with waves upon
GALLAHAN’S POV“Can we go now?” I asked impatiently as I paced around the pavilion.“Hush, child,” Zuleika replied, stirring her fifth cup of tea.“Alright, tea addict,” I jabbed sarcastically.“Shut up. Let the letter we sent to the Alfieros marinate first. We can’t just barge in to attend their Ascension Rite.”“It’s been an hour, Zee. Surely that’s enough time already.”“Well go around sundown.” Zuleika threw me a look that brook no argument. “That is my compromise. Or you can find another way to get to Wolverham on time.”Maliya only shrugged when I looked at her, unwilling to help me plead my case to Zuleika. It left me growling in frustration, my eyes glowing golden.But Zuleika stayed unfazed by my temper. “Shift and go for a run to let off some steam. Paint for all I care. We are leaving around sundown, and that’s final.”Maliya shrugged once again and said, “She’s the boss. Whatever she says goes.”I sent an angry glare at my friends’ direction and stormed off, fuming with ev
GALLAHAN’S POV“Gallahan,” Zuleika gasped.But I couldn’t bring myself to turn to her or offer some sort of response. Because the adorable dark-haired boy with green eyes had seized my entire attention and was holding it completely captive in his small hands.My eyes drank in the cherubic face, then raked all over his small form. To be fair, he was probably average-sized among his peers, but he was tiny compared to me, who loomed over him like a tower.“He asked you a question, you know?” Maliya murmured as a reminder.I cleared my throat, willing the wave of nausea to go away. But with how my heart was leaping out of control and my blood fizzing with an energy I couldn’t quite explain, it was a little hard to get my bearings and reign myself in.I couldn’t even answer the simple question of the boy, because a lump had taken residence in my throat, and I couldn’t seem to swallow it down.It didn’t help my case that my mind was in jumbles, unable to weave words into something coherent
WILLA’S POV““Willa, Circe’s tits!” Sarina cried out, looking utterly pale as she barged into my room in the Alfiero family house.“Language!” Mom and I immediately chided at the same time. But when I noticed how Calisto looked quite shaken and pale in her arms, I immediately rushed to meet them halfway. Upon closer look, I realized how Sarina also looked like she had seen a ghost.“What happened? Are the two of you okay?” I asked, my worry ringing loudly in my tone, as I got my son from Sarina.“Yes. No. I don’t know. I…”She cut off her answer with a groan, frustratedly tugging at the ends of her short hair.“Slowly. Breathe, Sarina.”She heaved a sigh and tried explaining again. “Yes, we’re okay in a sense that we weren’t physically harmed. But no, we’re also not okay. I just…” Sarina glanced warily at Mom, who was fixing Gillian’s hair. “We need to talk.”Sensing the urgency in her voice and the worry dancing in her eyes, I nodded. “Just a second. Alright?”I directed my attentio
GALLAHAN’S POV When I came to my senses, I found myself lying prone on a soft brocade couch, the back of my head pounding in ache. “Fuck! What was that about?” I grumbled, putting a hand against my forehead. “Let me ask you,” Zuleika seethed from where she sat on the armchair, which was adjacent to my couch. “What was that about, you prick?!” Uh oh? Maliya’s temper had always been quick to rise, but Zuleika, who had a great grip on her emotions, rarely got infuriated to this degree. My behavior must’ve pushed all the wrong buttons for her to be boiling in anger like this. As if on cue, my memories of meeting Calisto came rushing back to the forefront of my mind, his terrified face flashing vividly and hitting me like a punch in the gut. “Fuck. I made a scene,” I said as I got up into a sitting position. Dread over leaving a terrible first impression to my son coiled in my stomach, and pain unravelled further in my head, as if punishing me for scaring him. Zuleika didn’t answe
GALLAHAN’S POVExcitement rang clearly in Calisto’s voice, and when my gaze flickered to his direction, I saw how his round eyes glimmered with eagerness and hope.The ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips was quite endearing, and I couldn’t help but mirror it.Even then, I said as gently as I could, “I don’t know, bud. I think you better ask your Mommy. She’s the boss.”Calisto quickly diverted his attention to Willa. “Mommy, we’re going, right? Right? We have to go on a run tonight. Please?”Willa huffed, closing her book and tossing it aside. But there was fondness in the way she regarded our son, sending a warm buzz beneath my skin.She was a good mother to our twins, and every time I saw things that proved it, no matter how little or trivial it might seem to others, I would always end up feeling so full of affection for her that I often felt that I might just combust on the spot.“We’re going. After all, the full moon is the opportunity for you and Gillian to shift
GALLAHAN’S POVI didn’t mean to be so cutting with my words.But regardless of intention, I still did anyway.Fortunately for me, the two balls of sweetness and energy were enough as a buffer between Willa and I, saving us from being trapped in suffocating air the following day.Gradually, though, the frigidity between us wore off, and by late afternoon, we found ourselves out in the back garden, having a picnic with the twins. A large red picnic blanket was laid out, and a few charcuterie boards of finger food sat in the middle.It was a good day. Crisp and cold breeze blowing by, ruffling leaves and making them rustle quite audibly. It made a relaxing background noise. Meanwhile, puffy clouds littered the sky, shielding us from the sun that was bound to dip beyond the horizon in less than an hour.If we were in Moonshire, we would’ve been locked indoors as harsh frost took a claim of the territory. Unless, the twins would appreciate a snowball fight while wrapped in multiple layers
WILLA’S POVElodie didn’t walk.She glided, waltzing into the room and towards us like a graceful swan moving on water. The sight of her vividly reminded me of Miss Banfey, and I couldn’t help but think that they were likely cut from the same cloth.“So pretty,” Gillian whispered in uncontained awe.‘She is,’ my mind supplied in agreement while my gaze remained firmly trained on Elodie.She was really quite the sight. Her beautiful hair was pinned on one side, cascading down in soft curls and contrasting strikingly against the fabric of her castleton green dress. Her perfectly shaped face, which boasted beautifully sculpted features, wore a barely-there smile that could only be read as genial and coy.And Gallahan?Gallahan couldn’t take his unblinking eyes off of Elodie.I bit my lower lip as my stare flickered to and fro between him and Elodie, who was fast approaching with my brother.Did Gallahan regret it? Letting go of such a wonderful woman?Did seeing her holding another man’s
GALLAHAN’S POV“Can you stop fussing?” Willa asked as she herded us to the great dining hall of the Alfiero Manor. “You’ll ruin my hard work.”“I’m sorry to break it to you, sweetheart,” I drawled playfully, “but my dashing appearance is not your hard work. It’s my parents’ hard work.”“What does that mean?” Calisto wondered, tugging me by the hand I was holding him with. “I don’t get it, Daddy.”Willa shot me an irate look, slapping my other hand that had been tugging at the collar of my regalia for tonight’s dinner affair.While I had my official garbs as the heir of the Alpha King, which boasted the colors of midnight blue and gold and had a long side cape for the right shoulder, Willa had clad me in dark green and black with accents of silvery gray for this Alfiero family dinner.“Daddy meant nothing about what he said,” Willa explained to Calisto with a tight smile. Then she shot me a glare when she noticed me fussing with the fancy silk jabot she had chosen for me. “I said stop
WILLA’S POVDays passed in a blur, and before I knew it, days had turned into weeks, and the weeks bled into months.In fact, three months had gone by, and I barely even felt it.Perhaps it was due to the infectious bliss of the twins that had only doubled since the particular family talk that happened in the dining area. Or maybe it was because it just felt so ridiculously right to have Gallahan around that it got me a little spellbound.In fact, it was terrifyingly fast and easy for him to meld himself into our home and into our lives. It was as if there had been a Gallahan-shaped void that existed all this time without our knowledge, and now he had reclaimed that void, rightfully slotting himself into place.He had even unofficially moved into my home, his clothes and other personal belongings taking space here and there. He rarely went to Moonshire now, only leaving the house when he deemed it was truly necessary.And while this setup was not what we had agreed on at first, I didn
GALLAHAN’S POVThe tension left me as soon as Willa’s words registered and sank in my mind, and I nearly slumped like a ragdoll on my chair from the sheer relief they brought.A light feeling I could only call joy swarmed my core and enveloped my chest tightly.It felt great.And honestly? I haven’t had a taste of such pure and adulterated happiness since Gillian first called me Daddy.So, as I moved based on nothing but my emotions like I usually did, I drew Willa into a kiss with a hand holding her jaw. But I couldn’t contain the smile that stretched on my lips, which only grew bigger when Calisto loudly cheered.“Yay! Yay!”I broke the kiss, affectionately bumping my nose against Willa’s before completely pulling away.A hint of uncertainty laid beneath the apparent fond softness that lined Willa’s face. It was like a quiet plea, asking me to prove to her that her decision was right, to never make her regret it.She didn’t have to ask for it, though.There wasn’t a chance I would a
WILLA’S POVThere had been times when my children’s questions had left me speechless. There had also been times when I simply didn’t know the answer.This time, it was both, and it seemed like I had lost my voice as soon as Gillian threw her question.But even if I could speak, I still wouldn’t know what to say anyway. Words were quickly slipping out of my mind, and those I could grasp didn’t weave into a coherent answer.Because really… How did one explain something so complicated and so difficult to a pair of young children without confusing them or hurting them?But I knew I had to give Gillian an answer, so I cleared my throat, hoping it would remind me how to make my voice box work again. Then, I spoke, regardless of the fact that my mind was still floundering for the right words to say.“I think,” I started, but I ended up pausing, my tongue flicking out to wet my lips. “I think everything your Daddy has done to humans is very bad and… and difficult to forgive or look past.”An
GALLAHAN’S POVI had never once doubted, much less regretted, all my choices and actions when it came to the war that erupted from my path of vengeance against humans. Not even when I met Willa.I had stood firm back then. I hadn’t even faltered about my stance even after I met her again. Sure, I had put an end to it to have a chance to be together, but I had made sure that my cause remained intact. That the conditions agreed during the parley were still completely aligned with my convictions.But now…Staring back at Calisto’s innocent eyes that reflected his pure, untainted soul… It made me uncomfortable. Like my skin was no longer my own. Like my rib cage had shrunken into a size that could no longer house my lungs. Like my heart was alarmingly slowing down while my blood rushed like an angry river in my veins.It was… odd, and I hated it.The discomfort even left an acrid taste in my mouth, but it didn’t really hinder me from answering Calisto’s question.“Because… I was hurt, Cal
WILLA’S POVThe way Gallahan’s face fell upon hearing Gillian’s answer would’ve been comical if not for the way his eyes clearly dimmed as if life had been sucked out of him in a blink of an eye.In the next heartbeat, though, his body was taut as a bowstring, his anger visible in the lines of his frame. His bluish gray eyes were stormy with thinly veiled emotions.Knowing how he didn’t have the best command over his own emotions, I felt somewhat proud how he hadn’t snapped and raged about how William had slung mud onto his image and name to Gillian.I had half expected him to immediately bombard Gillian with questions, demanding to know what William had said about the matter exactly. The other half thought that he would defensively deny and call William a liar and all other colorful names he could probably think of in a fit of fury.But he did neither.Perhaps he had learned a valuable lesson of restraint after making Gillian cry the last time. It soothed my lingering upset and anger