Ever since that day, Sander was already fine. He was no longer sulking and kept beaming more.I went to Luna's Garden when Sander wished to be alone in the library to read more books while Desmond was out with his Alpha duties. Contemplating, the tips of my fingers were brushed against the orchid flowers.They looked so beautiful. I felt like... I had been showered with love again.It was extremely difficult to understand Desmond right now.He made me suffer in his hands while I was working with his tuxedo then he would act like a good father and he was trying to seduce me again. And it was affecting me.I decided to go out of the manor but I was blocked by Elron again. "What again?" I arched my eyebrow.He gently bowed his head. "Please be informed that Alpha's protocol is—""Allow me to escort Lady Seraphina, Elron."I turned my head when I heard a familiar feminine voice. My facial expression turned into a stoic one upon seeing the arrival of that person with whom I thought I could
The ceremony...Desmond was finally making his move that he would be going to introduce Sander as the next heir of the House of Marquis Verlice and the next Alpha of the Rising Diamond pack.The act that he wished to discuss with me was just a decoy. In reality, he was really making a decision without me.I opened the door of his study room without bothering to knock. I came to see Desmond who was wearing his spectacles as he always did in the past as he looked at me to meet my darkened expression."No," I immediately said as soon as I locked the doorknob. "You are not going to do this to me, Desmond."He clasped his hands together and looked up as if he was a god. He didn't even falter even though he saw that I was mad right now. "Our pack members deserve to know that their Luna and our offspring are here already."My blood boiled more upon hearing this. "I am no longer a Luna here and Sander is not going to be the next Alpha, I told you," I said through gritted teeth.With my words,
"We should go to your father's chamber. I am certain he is waiting for you." I ushered him to take his hand so we could go to the east hall."Mama, don't you want to come with us?"I was already fixing my bed when Sander asked that. "No, Sander." I turned at him wearing his nightshirt given by his father.Tonight was the night when Sander was going to sleep in Desmond's chambers. It was Desmond's request actually. Sander immediately agreed after that since they were establishing their relationship as father and son.Hugging the stuffed toy given by Desmond, Sander nodded. "Okay..." he said in a dejected tone. Hesitant, Sander turned at me. "Mama, about the ceremony..."I just kept my smile plastered even though upon knowing the fact that tomorrow was the ceremony for Sander. He was well aware that I disagreed about the ceremony Desmond was about to hold. He was not that naive to know that something was not right between Desmond and me ever since the day we discussed it.I knelt befor
I was silent the whole ceremony for Sander. I tried my best to put up the best smile because I didn't want to ruin this day for my son.He was now introduced as the son of the Alpha. Now that Desmond made this bold move, it meant that any movement from me that I would do something to separate him from this pack would be courting death.Shit... He was moving quickly as I expected. I should have known better.While Sander was busy playing with the other children, I came to see Declan and Mariana."So long, sister-in-law?" There was sarcasm smeared in his tone.I scoffed. "Long time no see, Declan." Then I glanced at his mate. "Mariana.""It has been a long time since we saw each other, Seraphina," Mariana said with a smile."You still dare to come back here after what you have done to my older brother?" Declan said through gritted teeth. His amber eyes were sparkling in anger."Declan..." Mariana hushed him, shaking his head. But Declan expressed that he was displeased that he was being
I returned to the ceremony after I remained calm. I looked for Sander and didn't bother to try to speak with Desmond's pack members.Why would I? They ridiculed me when they didn't know that it was their Alpha who ruined our marriage.Why must I waste my time dealing with them?I was way more worried for my son than anybody else.Sander approached me with a familiar young boy who I hadn't seen for seven years. "Mama, look! I have cousin Daniel with me."I gasped seeing Daniel again. "Danny!" I exclaimed.Daniel, who was ten years old now, gently bowed his head. "Greetings, Mama Ina." He had a gentle smile as his eyes looked excited.Sander creased his forehead at what Daniel called me."It has been seven years, Danny!" I exclaimed as I greeted him with a hug. "You are a grown-up boy now. I am excited to meet you again!" I squeezed him so tight.Daniel coughed. "I am... too, Mama Ina..."I creased my forehead when he sounded like he was going to be out of breath. When I checked it, I g
We were having a peaceful dinner with Declan, Mariana, and Daniel when Declan spoke up."Is Daniel no longer an Alpha candidate in the Rising Diamond pack, brother?"Desmond squinted his eyes at Declan. "Let's not discuss that in front of our kids, Declan. This matter should be discussed with adults only," he said frigidly.That earned Declan a silence. I knew that even if he already got married and had a family, he would always follow his brother's command. He knew when to shut up but he didn't know when to shut up if he was going to slander me.Desmond glanced at Daniel. "How's your study, Daniel? Are you guiding your sisters, too?"Daniel nodded with a smile. "Yes, Papa Mund. As their older brother, I also applied your teachings," he said politely.He nodded his head. "Good to know." He drew out a smile.I knew that Daniel had a soft spot for Desmond. He also cherished his nephew just as I cherished Daniel before.Desmond turned at our son. "Have you enjoyed your ceremony, Sander?"
Desmond made a one-week stay at the vacation house located at Elian. Sander couldn't hide his excitement as soon as he eyed the mansion."Wow! It is big! Bigger than our flat, Mama!" Sander exclaimed, raising both of his hands.I smiled and nodded. "It is, sweetheart." I heaved out a sigh, feeling nostalgic somehow."I am certain you will love it here, son," Desmond said as he got down and helped Sander to get down, too. Sander giggled when his father raised him up before he turned to me to offer his hand. "My marchioness..."I frowned at that other endearment he came up with from the past. "I do not need your help," I uttered in a harsh whisper, afraid that Sander might hear me.It was a good thing that he was being entertained by George, the caretaker of Verlice's vacation house. He was already in his mid-50s still having jet black hair and round-shaped eyes.Desmond chuckled when I got down on my own. "Feisty... I wonder if you can still put that up when I tie you up in our bed, Se
It took a lot of consoling before I managed to finally calm Sander. I convinced him that it was not his father's fault even if that was not the truth.I must not ruin Desmond's image. Sander needed a father figure. He must experience a complete family Desmond and I never got to have."Are we alright now?" I asked as I lifted him up in my arms.Sander sniffed and nodded. "Yes, Mama," he said in a meek tone before his eyes looked behind me. He frowned and immediately hid his face by burying it in the crook of my neck.Even if Sander was not saying anything, I knew that Desmond was behind me. I knew by then that he was watching us from a distance. I turned around to see his melancholy expression. He didn't dare to approach us. He was only a few meters away from my standpoint."Mama, I don't want to be here..." Sander said when he glanced at Desmond but he immediately hid his face again. "Mama..."I caressed his back while Desmond and I's eyes met. "Don't worry. We shall retire now, sweet
"Are you certain that you have no task for today?" I asked for the nth time as we headed to the kitchen area to grab snacks for the three kids who were near finishing their tasks.Desmond helped me prepare for their snacks but after a while, he hugged me from behind and couldn't stop sniffing my scent. "You sound like you want to shoo me away... I am sulking, seraphim." I could tell that he was pouting. "You know that we are on vacation.""Hilarious..." I leaned on his back and stayed in that position for a while.We were both enveloped in the silence that was so peaceful. Both of us were purring at each other's presence until I felt something poking behind me which made me frown."Desmond..." I warned him and pinched his arm."Aww!" He stepped backward and caressed his arm that I pinched. "That hurts..." He frowned."We can't do it right here." I shook my head.Desmond chuckled. "Ah, yes. It is not the two of us now. We have kids." I could feel my cheeks getting in heat right now beca
"Wrong answer! Wrong answer! Wrong fucking answer!" Hazel said, losing her mind already as she kept stabbing Sander's chest until Sander screamed in pain while there was blood oozing from his chest. "Papa...! Mama...! Please help me...!" "Sander!" I cried. "You motherfucker! How fucking dare you!" Desmond attacked her by using his wolf speed. He tackled her down by holding her neck, gripping it. "Bring her to the prison cell! Bestow her a hundred lashes! You do it, Harvey!" he ordered angrily. "Sander!" I rushed by my son's side as he fell to the ground, coughing with so much blood. "No, no, no... Summon Anderson!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, panicking more. "Mama..." Sander groaned in pain, crying. "It hurts..." "I know, baby..." I decided to tear the skirt off my dress, not minding if it was a customized one. "Help me to wrap this," I said to Desmond as my hands were shaking right now. "Sander, son... It will be alright, hmm?" Desmond asked, already shedding tears as he
"Desmond..." I looked at him, worried upon hearing that.That woman... That fucking leech...She took Sander as her hostage! How dare she!Desmond growled so loud, grabbing everyone's attention as he had Harolyn in his arms. "Harvey, Oakley," he called after dispatching his elites and the pack warriors to look for Hazel."Alpha."He shot Harvey a glare. "We are going to talk later. She took Sander!" His voice raised. "You said that she will not cause a problem for me anymore, Harvey!" He grabbed Harvey's collar causing Harolyn to cry, frightened at his father's action."Papa..."Harvey gasped, horrified. "S-She is, Alpha. I-I didn't know that Hazel would be acting like this..." Then he looked at Harolyn who was sniffing, worried about her."You should've known better! She is your fucking sister, you dumbass Harvey!" Desmond couldn't help shouting at him causing everyone to look in our direction."P-Papa... Please don't be mad at Father..." Harolyn sobbed.I stepped forward even though
"Desmond?""Hmm?""Do you still need to watch me getting measured?" I asked, looking at him in his reflection while he looked so alluring learning at the wall as he had Saoirse in his arms. "Are you finished with your Alpha duties?"They needed to measure my size because Desmond insisted that I need a new dress to wear to my upcoming Luna ceremony.Yes, Luna ceremony. Desmond and I sealed our mate bond again. We marked each other again to solidify our mate bond. It meant that I would become his pack member at the same time as the Luna of the Rising Diamond pack."Why? Don't you want me here?" Desmond frowned, looking like he was sulking.I playfully rolled my eyes. "I am thinking that you are not finished with your tasks." As soon as they were finished taking my measurement, I walked straight to him and tiptoed so I could kiss him fully on his lips.In my peripheral vision, Desmond covered Saoirse's eyes before he removed his hand after we finished kissing. He said that our daughter w
To start anew with courtship, Desmond took a day off from his Alpha duties and decided to take me to the town. We dated and went to eat some delicious meals in a restaurant."I could have wished we brought our pups and the twins," I said as I suddenly missed them already.Desmond nodded. "But this time, it should be only the two of us, Seraphina. I really want you all for myself for this day."I tried my best not to exert a smile since it made me feel ticklish from what Desmond said, especially since he brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. My wolf and I felt ticklish after that."Thank you for giving birth to our pups, seraphim. It must have been hard for you to leave because of how jerk I was before." He heaved a sigh. I could see how regretted all of the actions he had done in the past.It was clear that he would want to ask for my forgiveness. He never pressured me that I should forgive him now. He was being patient and more considerate to me now."You will not be
"Mother!""Hezekiah... Harolyn..."Desmond and I watched their reunion as Hazel hugged her twins and rained them with kisses. Desmond intently watched them with his earnest expression. He was really watching them with wariness."What?" Desmond asked, surprised. His heart was racing so fast right now that he caught me looking at him.I inhaled slowly, having his amber eyes piercing me. "Um... I am glad that you bestow Hazel a chance to be with her twins." Even though Hazel threatened to kill me. She was just blinded by jealousy. I was certain that she would not do anything that would displease Desmond.I hope so.Desmond heaved out a sigh before he returned his glance to Hazel and the twins. "Actually, I am still hesitant to let Hazel see our twins. I still have no assurance that she really changed." He lowered his eyes to the ground. "But if you say that she really changed then I will believe you, Seraphina."His tone was soft and gentle. It was still unusual for me that Desmond was b
"What punishment did you bestow to Desmond, Mother? Why did he act like that?" I said as I sat beside Her and hugged my mother.Mother caressed my hair. "He has a fear of abandonment, dear. I just made it worse and bestowed on him some nightmares.""He has what? Fear of abandonment?" Then it hit me. If Mother meant that abandonment, was this the time that Desmond developed this when I left after finding out that he had an agreement with Hazel?"Yes," Mother answered the question I had in my mind. "Ever since that he forced you to return to his pack, Desmond is already paranoid and wants you to keep at bay. He does not want you to leave again. I know you have seen his desperation to fix your mate bond.""But the thing he did is to control me through that process until I felt suffocated with his actions." It almost resulted in Desmond wanting me to separate from Sander and I almost lost Saoirse when I had her in my belly."Indeed." Mother nodded. "Remember when you tried to make some te
I was shocked when they called me that. Mama? They really called me that, right? And I freaking softened after that.I looked at Desmond, expecting that he heard what they whispered at me but his attention was on our daughter which he bestowed on her nannies. Saoirse was taken care of by the newly hired two nannies which Desmond himself picked. Since we needed to have a conversation, it would have been better if our daughter had not been present here."As you know, Hazel is not present here, Seraphina," Desmond began when the three of us were left here in the dining hall. I nodded as a response. "I already took custody from Hazel two years ago since she had been defying me so many times." He glared at Harvey.I shivered since he did not change the way he conversed with his people. But it seemed like he acted differently since Hazel was involved."I see." I already knew that... Mother told me what was happening in Desmond's pack. She made sure that I would not remain clueless until suc
"Oh, is this my baby Saoirse?" Desmond asked, looking at Saoirse in my arms after he carefully put down Sander to the ground.Nodding, I spoke. "Yes," I said softly as I wiped the tears. I turned to Saoirse who was slightly tilted her head, looking at her Papa. I gently held her hand. "Sweetheart, honey." She looked at me. "That's Papa, hmm?""Da-da?" She pointed at Desmond. I nodded and smiled. At that moment, Saoirse clapped her hands. "Da-da!" she exclaimed.Desmond cried more when our daughter reached out to him. "Saoirse..." He hugged her with so much gentleness. "You have grown up so well, my daughter..."I placed Sander by my side as I watched them having a reunion. I looked at how he adored Saoirse as he sniffed and kissed her forehead. Saoirse giggled after that.Then Desmond's eyes lingered on me which made my heart skip a beat. I decided to curtsy before him. "Greetings, Marquis Verlice."There was melancholy written in his eyes when I greeted him formally. "Greetings to yo