Chapter 4

HAYLEE’S POV.

FIVE YEARS LATER.

It’s been five years since my separation with Aiden and although the first few months haven’t been easy with my pregnancy and duties as Pack Luna, I pushed myself and worked hard to balance both.

My hard work paid off because the moon goddess blessed me with two beautiful boys and not just that, my pack, the Ragnar Pack, was more successful than ever.

I’d made sure to follow up on the Shadow Pack, and that was how I got to know of their misfortune. I sighed as I recounted all that happened in five years.

The Alpha of the Shadow pack, Aiden Fenrir, hadn’t been able to keep up with his share of the monthly challenges and being the Luna of the pack that stands on top, I had no choice but to strip him of his position as alpha.

Aiden has been trying over the past ten months to get a meeting with me and after thorough consideration and the elder’s contribution, I decided to grant him the opportunity to plead his case.

How will he react when he sees that I’m the Luna he’s been trying for months to get a meeting with?

What is he going to do when he finds out that I’m the Luna of the most powerful pack in history?

What is he going to do if he gets to know about the boys?

“Are you ready to face him?” My best friend, noticing my uncertainty, asked and I shook all of the intruding thoughts out of my head at once.

“Yes.” I said firmly, taking on the role of Luna as the guards pushed the door open and I walked in.

The large room fell silent as I walked in and made my way directly to the central seat at the head of the large table.

“Please, you can all have your seat.” I said and the elders at the table all sat down except for Aiden.

The shock of discovery had hit him with so much force that surprise had siphoned the blood from his face.

His mouth hung open as he stood there, blank, tongue tied and very visibly shaken as he stared at me. Although it was very silent, I could hear the silent gasp that escaped his parted lips and the loud thudding of his heart.

“Hay—”

“I don’t have much time so please, let’s see this to the end as quickly as possible.” I shot him down before he could call my name.

I heard his quick intake of breath as his disbelief shone brightly on his face, “Y— Yes, Luna.” He lowered his head respectfully before having his seat.

An elder from the Shadow Pack started and I just couldn’t shake off the feeling of Aiden’s eyes on me. It was almost as though looking away would kill him.

Briefly looking at him, our eyes met and I froze in a stunned tableau. I wasn’t expecting our eyes to meet like that.

“Do you have anything you’d like to say, Alpha Aiden?” I asked, a wicked smile taking over my lips, “should I even call you that, considering how you don’t hold the position of an Alpha anymore.” I added.

His eyes darken slightly as he stared at me and just like that, his gaze lowered, indicating that I had won this fight.

“I would like mo—”

“Like I said, Aiden Fenrir, I do not have the luxury of time!” My voice was loud and clear, Aiden shook as he lifted his gaze to look at me.

Yes, this! This is it. This is the satisfaction I’ve been dying to feel for years.

“Speak louder and get to the point.” I finished, looking away from him and at the papers laid out on the table in front of me.

“Yes, Luna,” he responded, his voice louder than earlier, “I was saying that I would like more time.” He said, his voice had a hint of a plea.

“More time for what exactly? You already proved how incompetent you are for an Alpha, what do you need more time for? To show me more incompetence?” I questioned.

I watched as Aiden’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, the shock of seeing me must have been too overwhelming for him because he didn’t say anything. He simply couldn’t.

My eyes landed on the huge clock in the room and my heart pounded when I realized that my boys would be up in exactly ten minutes from now.

I have to end this meeting now. I can’t afford for them to meet him yet.

“This meeting is adjourned, I’ll give my final verdict tomorrow.” I said, putting an end to the meeting and standing on my feet as if there was spring in my legs, I rushed out without a care in the world.

I have to get to them before they run into him. They can’t meet him, especially not like this.

“HAYLEE!” The sudden sound of my name stopped me in my tracks at once, I didn’t need to turn around to see who it was, I could tell from his scent.

I was too focused on getting to my kids that I didn’t notice he was following me.

“Is it really you? Are you really Haylee Wolf, the Luna of Ragnar pack, the Apex pack?” He asked and I heaved a sigh as I turned around to face him.

“Are you surprised?” I asked and his eyes fell as he tried to speak but nothing came out of his mouth. Now that I look at him, he looks different, he has changed, he has grown…… soft.

“It’s just— I wasn’t expecting you to be the Luna I had to wait ten months to meet.” He finally said after a long while of deafening silence.

“I know, life comes at you fast.” I clapped back, desperate to end this discussion so that I could get away from him.

His body stiffened and I felt something tighten in my stomach when he laughed. I hated that the sound of his laughter still sounded like music to my ears.

What was so funny? Why the hell is he laughing?

“I’m glad, really glad to see you doing so well.” He added, the shock of hearing those words from his mouth caused my words to wedge in my throat.

What?

“I tried to find you, I did everything I could to try and find you but I couldn’t,” he continued, every word coming out of his mouth hit me by surprise.

“Why were you trying to find me?” I enquired as seriously as I could, my eyes searching for a hint of a lie in his but there was none, all I could see in his eyes were regrets, pain.

“I wanted to apologize,” He said and I couldn’t hold back my laugh but he still didn’t stop talking, “I know how it sounds but I’m sorry, Haylee, I’m really sorry.”

“You have every right to hate me, to kick me out of here but really, I am sorry. You didn’t deserve any of the things I did, I regret my actions and that was why I tried everything I could to find and bring you back.”

The sincerity in his voice was frightening, I have never heard Aiden sound so sincere in all the three years that I was with him. His eyes burned with a kind of fire that made my heart stop beating for a moment.

How dare he? How dare him come to me and say these things after everything?!

“I know how this sounds but do you think there’s a way you can come back to Shadow pack? I miss you, Haylee, I really do.” He had the nerve to add.

What did he think? That I was going to follow him like a dog on a leash after a half assed apology?

“You have got some nerve, Aiden Fenrir!” I gritted, “How dare you?” I snarled, anger boiling in my veins and I was almost suffocating on my rage.

“Did you think I miraculously forgot about everything? YOU CHEATED ON ME WITH MY LADY IN WAITING!” I yelled before regaining composure and reminding myself that I was trying to keep my sons a secret from this man.

“I know and nothing I say will properly convey my regret,” he said softly, his voice lower than usual, “I mean, I was a really big fool and not a day goes by without me remembering and regretting my actions.” He finished, the frown line on his forehead ran deep and his eyes lacked the energy they were always so full of.

“Where is she by the way? I don’t see her around.” I managed to ask, my heart thumping and possibly not ready for the answer I was going to get.

“It didn’t work out,” he answered and I felt another strange satisfaction wash over me, “she was the one who stole the pack’s funds and ran away with it with her lover.” He finished.

I could see the clear regret in his eyes, I could tell that he had changed but these things just aren’t enough for me to forget about the memory that haunted me for years.

“What do you want me to do for you?” I asked, holding my head high and putting up a brave front even though being in the presence of this man was killing me internally.

“Help me, Haylee, please,” he pleaded and at the effect of his voice, I felt like my composure was under attack but I steeled my heart, my defense high.

“Only you can and I swear I’ll make it up to you, I’ll do anything you want, just please, help me. Give me a chance to right my wrongs, give me a chance to start over.” He finished.

Tears glistened in his eyes but I only scoffed, I knew better than to trust the words of a man that had hurt me so much in the past.

“I can’t do that.” I said firmly, my mind made up as I turned to leave but his palm clamped down on my wrist, forcing me to face him.

“What do you think you’re doing? LET. ME. GO!” I growled, my wolf ready to take over and just at that moment, what I’d feared the most happened.

“Mommy! Mommy!” Liam and Lucas called at the same time, running as fast as they could to get to me and surprisingly enough, they were faster than I’d expected.

“What are you doing to our mommy?!” They said in unison, Lucas went for Aiden’s ankle with a full force, kicking it with every ounce of strength he had in him.

Aiden’s grip on my wrist loosened as he quickly pulled away from me but I could see it in his eyes, the utter surprise and disbelief.

“No one bullies mommy!”