AIDEN’S POV
“GET YOUR HANDS OFF OUR MOMMY!” The identical twins right in front of me said before one of them kneed me really hard.
My jaw dropped as my mouth hung open but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything because I was too stunned, too taken aback.
“Are you okay, mommy?” They asked and I watched as they both turned towards her to make sure that she was fine, Haylee flashed them a smile and nodded.
“Mommy is fine,” she assured them, stroking their heads and not taking her eyes off me for a second. My heart ached, I felt like I’d been stabbed really hard in my chest.
The misery of losing her still haunted me and I felt the permanent sorrow that I’d learned to live with begin to weigh me down.
Touching her had ignited something in me and I felt as though a fire had been stoked in my heart. I have never felt so lonely, so heartbroken and also so shocked in my entire life.
Haylee is the Luna of the Ragnar pack, she is Haylee Wolf and not just that, there are two boys right in front of her and they’d called her ‘mommy’.
No, there’s no way. There’s no way these two boys are her kids. Haylee was barren, she could never have a child.
My chest tightened as memories flooded me, almost rendering me immobile as I looked into her eyes and saw the fiery determination in them.
She looked as if she had messed something up but there was a lot going through my mind and I needed to sort through all of those emotions first.
I needed time to process all of this. A pain squeezed in my heart as I watched her with the twins and coupled with that pain was an inexplicable feeling of emptiness and an excruciating feeling of guilt.
“Haylee—” I murmured, my voice barely a whisper as I ached with an inner pain. Terrible regret assailed me as I tried to swallow the lump that lingered in my throat.
Whatever I wanted to say next got stuck in my throat with the lump as terrible regret assailed me, gnawing away at my confidence.
Her face on the other hand was full of strength, shining with a firm and untroubled peace, she was ready to face me with all she had.
“I’m sorry boys,” I apologized, laughing as casually as I could as I knelt in front of them, both their gazes were hard on me and for kids their age, they emitted a tremendous amount of aura.
“I wasn’t bullying your mommy,” I forced the words out and my throat immediately felt parched as my heart pounded in my chest, “your mommy and I are old friends.” I added.
My eyes hurt so bad as I blinked back the tears that threatened to well. I couldn’t believe my eyes, I reached out to touch them and I felt a tremendous pull towards them.
The resemblance was uncanny, I felt like I was staring into a mirror that reflected my own self, it was as though I was looking directly at the younger version of myself.
There’s no mistaking it. These kids are—
“How old are you boys if I may ask?” I forced a smile as I asked, my heart thumping even louder now, I could hear their heart beating in tandem with mine and I could almost smell their blood.
I can feel it stronger than ever. My wolf was excited and there was an unusual sense of peace and warmth engulfing me.
“We’re five years old.” They said in unison, smiling at me and I couldn’t hold myself back from pulling them into me and holding them so tight that they winced.
What have I done?
It all started making sense and even though I fought as hard as I could to keep my tears at bay, I couldn’t stop my heart from sinking into my stomach and shattering.
Goddess, I’d ruined my own life with my own hands. I’d sent Haylee out of my pack without a valid reason.
“You have to bring your heirs back to the pack, Alpha Aiden.” The words of the priest back home rang in my head as I blinked back tears and stiffened.
At first I thought that he was out of his mind and didn’t know what he was talking about. Haylee was the only person that could have given me an heir but she couldn’t get pregnant.
I never thought she was pregnant before she left because she was regarded as a barren and three years of us trying to have a child led to nothing but I was wrong. I really had an heir and not just one but two heirs and I’m holding them in my arms.
Haylee had given birth to two boys after leaving my pack.
The feeling was surreal, I never want to let go of them, ever but I had to so that I could talk to their mother.
“Are you crying?” One of the twins asked and the other laughed, “you are a strong, grown man, don't cry or people will think you’re weak.” The other said amidst laughter while wiping my tears.
“I— I’m sorry.” I apologized, I had tried so hard to control myself but I couldn’t, not when I’m being completely overpowered by my own emotions.
Standing on my feet, I faced Haylee who still had a hint of hatred towards me shining in her eyes, “the boys, are they mine?” I asked and she frowned, her brows drawing together as she pulled the twins towards her.
“Mommy, is this man our daddy?” One of the boys asked as they both gazed at her, waiting for an answer while I did the same.
“No. He’s not.” She responded, her eyes not leaving mine as she deadpanned and although the boys seemed disappointed, they readily accepted the answer.
“I never want to see your face ever again, Aiden,” she said firmly, her voice void of any kind of emotion and the light that was once in her eyes was completely gone.
“Leave me alone and I want you to leave Ragnar pack too, I have nothing to do for you, no help to render so get out of here or I’ll have you thrown out.” She added, turning away from her but I couldn’t just let her go.
“Haylee, listen to me—” I pressed, grabbing her wrist and holding onto it before she could get away from me. I could feel the twins’ innocent bloodthirst and fiery anger was vivid in their eyes when I looked at them.
“Mommy is fine, both of you go find Aunt Scarlett and ask her to come here.” Haylee smiled at the boys, showing no sign of weakness.
I know this doesn’t make any sense, I shouldn’t be doing this especially in front of the kids but I couldn’t hold back, I needed answers and I need them now.
“Okay mommy!” I watched as they scampered off even though I knew that they would rather stay and protect their mother from the creepy man bothering her.
“Aiden, let me go.” Haylee sneered, her eyes turning red but letting her go without getting an answer was the last thing I wanted to do.
“I can’t, Haylee, you know I can’t,” I responded, the air between us was tense, electric and it felt like a clash of alphas as we glared at each other.
“I have every right to know whether or not those boys are mine—”
“SO WHAT IF THEY ARE YOURS!” She snapped, clenching her teeth. I could tell that she was furious, “so what if they’re yours, Aiden?” She repeated, her eyes conveyed the fury within her as she broke free.
“You have a right to know?” She scoffed, laughing, “you mocked me, Aiden, you called me a barren to my fucking face and you told me you never would have gotten married to me if you hadn’t pitied me!” She continued.
Her words were laced with the pain from the betrayal that she has had to carry for five years and the reminder of it broke me too.
“Did you forget? Did you forget how you fucked her in our matrimonial room, ON OUR MATRIMONIAL BED!” Her voice was getting louder now, so loud that it reverberated through the hallway.
“HOW DARE YOU?!” Bitterness sharpened her voice as she sneered, “you insulted me in front of her, you berated me and you have the nerve to say you have a right to know whether or not they’re yours?” She bursted out laughing although the laughter lacked humor.
“Leave Ragnar Pack or you’re not going to know what hit you when I’m forced to make you leave.” She threatened, flashing me a look of disdain.
“Haylee don’t—” My voice trailed off when I felt a very great bloodthirst behind me, the aura was intimidating, ruthless with a commanding, unyielding authority that overwhelmed me.
“STEP AWAY FROM HER!”
HAYLEE'S POVI sense Xavier before I even see him. He sweeps into the hallway like a tidal wave, imposing and fierce. Relief washes over me as Aiden solidifies and a sound escapes from Xavier’s voice."STEP AWAY FROM HER!" “HEAAUGH!” shouts Xavier, and his voice reverberates in the enclosed space of the corridor.My heartbeat drums in my ribcage and Aiden slowly twists his body to glance at Xavier. Their tension hangs in the air, heavy enough to slice through with a knife. I can almost see their wolves glaring down the other, looking to snap at any given opportunity.“This is not your business,” Aiden mutters tensely again, his jaw set in a line.Xavier laughs and it’s a cold, hollow sound as he steps closer, eyes lit with a dangerous amber. All of Haylee worries him, he says, his voice dropping to low, menacing growl. "Now, I won't repeat myself. Step. Away."I see their auras collide, no one willing to give way. The tension is now so thick you can cut it with a knife, and I can feel
AIDEN'S POVI walk the narrow walls of the guest rooms while my wolf bristles under my skin. I can still smell her in my nose—honey and wildflowers with an undertone of something that was undoubtedly Haylee. Five years and I still go wild over her scent.And five years later, she’s engaged to another man. A rival Alpha, no less."Damn it!" I punch the wall, relishing the momentary searing pain that courses up my arm. The guards slumping outside my door shuffle at the noise, but I could care less what they think.Those boys are mine. I feel it in my bones, in my blood. The way they stared at me with them eyes — mama’s eyes, there’s no doubt about it. But Haylee stoofer face and lied to my face saying that Xavier was their father.There comes a knock on the door as I think."Come on in," I answer, sitting up a little. I am not going to allow anyone the satisfaction of me being broken, even for a moment.Just as running low on food, a young wolf – little more than a teenager – enters the
HAYLEE'S POVI rest my head against the cold glass of my office window and watch Aiden stroll across the courtyard below. He stands with his shoulders squared and walks with a purposeful, even strut among the guards who show no subtle invective. Five years hasn’t made much difference in him — still so vain, still wielding respect he doesn’t have.Aiden Fenrir—I mutter in a voice that steams up the window. The lie I told him weighs heavy on my chest. But what choice did I have? It would open a door I have held closed for five years, to admit the twins are his.I hear a soft tap on my door, and I’m jolted out of my reverie.It’s a grisly welcome, but it’s all I have right now; it’ll have to do until I can find out more information."Come in," I call, trying to compose myself.My Beta, Scarlett, and my best friend, sneaks into the room. Her eyes are sharp, she doesn’t miss anything, and she’s noticed the tension in my shoulders.“So,” she says, and takes a seat in the chair across from my
XAVIER'S POVI stand at the great windows of my office, looking out over our territory, as the sun sets. Endless pine forests bathed in golden light — the kingdom I’ve constructed over years of careful leadership. A kingdom I share with Haylee.There is no rap at the door behind me. There is only one who ever strides in like he owns the place.You’re late,” I say without looking up. "The council meeting is over.""I just needed to clear my head," Haylee's voice holds a trace of something that I can't put my finger on. Uncertainty? Guilt?I turn toward her, her hair wild and cheeks pink. Or rather, she’s been running — her wolf has. When she’s upset she’s always shifting."And did it help?" I move in, closer, I breathe in her scent. There’s a new twist to it today—a familiar but unwelcome note that puts my wolf’s hackles up.Fenrir. His smell is still on her, a mere residue, but there’s no mistaking it.“A little,” she says, going to the desk, shuffling papers, not looking at me.“You s
AIDEN'S POVAnother deep breath of slightly chilly air, spring melting the last of the snow, lifting off the cool ground to absorb the warmth of my being, the wolf inside me thrashing against the inside of my skin as I head home from the border inspection. The scent of Haylee—of sweet vanilla overlaying wildflowers—wafts around this field at every turn, her very presence unmistakable even though she’s missing.Five years of searching, of guilt, of wondering what happened. And now I’m here, an interloper in the life she’s made for herself without me.Guards with my every step as the pack house appears in the distance—an imposing stone building surrounded by cabins and training grounds. Their distrust is evident. I don’t blame them; I’m the outsider who ruined their Luna’s heart.My phone vibrates. A text message.‘We need to go over the alliance. See you in the east garden in half an hour. Come alone. -H’Even though I attempt to steady myself, my heart is pounding. After the tense back
HAYLEE'S POVTouching my mother's pendant, I skirt its silvered curves on my skin with my fingers, I stand before the bedroom mirror. It is the moon and star that make up my family symbol—a relic I believed was lost forever when my father’s pack was toppled."You look beautiful."Xavier's image hovers behind me as he touches my shoulders. He’s tall, strong, his basic, cedar and amber scent fills me as he drops a soft kiss on my neck.“Thanks so much for catching that again,” I tell him, looking him in the eye in the mirror. “I’m still in shock that you found it after all these months.“haylee- I would move mountains for you,” he responds, in a tone most sincere. "You know that."I turn to him, noting the bold angles in his jaw, that arrogance in his posture and the prolonged stretch in the corded muscle down his neck to the spikes on his back. Xavier has been my stronghold, my savior, my second chance at life. So, why do I keep hearing Aiden's voice playing in my head?*I never chose
AIDEN'S POVHaylee’s mother’s ring weighs heavy in my hand as I see the expression of her face change into one of pure shock. This silver band I have preserved for five years now to keep close, a last tie to the woman I lost, the only thing of her that remained."Where did you get this?" she whispers, gaze fastened on the fragile moonstone setting that reflects the garden’s soft light.“It was on your wrist the day you went missing,” I say, the words wanting to reach out to close the space. I discovered it on the bank of the northern creek, partly buried in mud. I’ve carried it all this time, hoping one day to find you and make it back to you.”She notices that her fingers tremble a little as she reaches for it, hesitates, and then allows herself to go on. “I always thought that it was lost forever. Like so many things."There is a heaviness to her words that goes unsaid, which lingers between us—its meaning as trashed as our future, our love, our family.“It’s all yours,” I say, offer
AIDEN'S POVThe council meeting stretches on through the morning, Xavier deftly manipulating the story to my wolves remains out in the territories. I politely protest, bringing up the idea of joint patrols which would give me more valid excuses to lurk around the pack house—close to Haylee and the enigmatic twins who've so captivated me.haunting me.“Mixed patrols create the chance for conflict of unknown wolves,” Xavier gently debates.“Or they consolidate trust and deepen the alliance,” I counter. "My lieutenant Damon has a lot of training experience for integrated packs.The council members murmur thoughtfully, and I can tell Xavier’s jaw hardens with frustration. It’s a small victory but I’ll take it.”After the meeting ends, I head back to my quarters to shower and change, and then I make my way to the science fair. My phone is buzzing with a text from my beta back home about pack business. Everything is stable, nothing that needs me to come home right nowI veer slightly off cou
XAVIER'S POVI observe Haylee as she steps out of the shrubs, stiff backed and expressionless. Aesthetically about control, as pure control as we’ve seen in years. But I know better. Since we have been together for five years, I can decipher the nuances — the small line between her brows and the tightness in her shoulders. Aiden has gotten to her more than she’d like to concede."How did it go?" I remain calm in my voice as she gets up onto the steps to our porch.Haylee looks me in the eye, but there’s a wariness in her eyes. "It's done. I told him to stay away.""And will he?" I lean on the railing, looking at her face.She groans, ruffling her hair with her hand. "He's stubborn. But I made myself clear."I take a confident step forward and circle her in my arms. She pauses for half a second and then relaxes against me. That brief pause cuts me to the heart.“You seem tense,” I say, into her hair. “Let me make dinner like this today. You can rest.""That's not necessary—""I insist.
HAYLEE'S POVThe woods are a blur as I race back to the compound, replaying that encounter at the springs in my mind. The near-kiss with Aiden. The pull of the mate bond. The weakness I'd shown. Anger floods through every muscle on my body with every step—anger at myself for almost giving up rational want for biological need.I stop at the end of the clearing to regroup myself before entering Xavier's domain. _My_ territory now. Five years of establishing a new life, of molding walls around my heart, and Aiden's reckless actions could wreck it all in a few blow of his two-fisted wrecking ball.Not this time.Xavier is waiting for me on the front porch of our house, the warm light just behind him. He stands relaxed, but I can see it in his shoulders."It's later than I thought you would return," he says, with just the slightest edge to his voice beneath the warmth of it.I meet his gaze evenly. The eastern border took more time than I thought it would. Pack of scoundrels came through la
AIDEN'S POVThere are coils of seedy tendrils of steam emanating from the holy hot waters and they skulk through the dusk like gasps from ancestors. I glance at my watch for the fourth time in fifteen minutes. She's late. Maybe she’s not coming at all.The mere thought sends an unpleasant wince down my chest. Five years of being apart, five years of wondering, of wishing, of regretting, and now that I have found her again I don’t want to frighten her. One slip up and I might lose her forever with my children.A branch breaks in the distance, and my wolf ears automatically zero in on it. Seconds later, I’m enveloped in her scent now; lavender and rain with an essence that is so Haylee beneath it. My body reacts and my heart races when she breaks through the trees.She stops at the clearing’s edge, wariness in every line of her form. The Luna finery is gone, replaced with plain jeans and a forest green sweater that turns her eyes more gold than brown. Her hair is down around her shoulder
HAYLEE'S POVThe trip to the pack house feels much longer than it should, every step heavier than the last. Aiden’s words keep playing on a loop in my head, unsettling truths and possibilities spent five years burying now being unearthed and made privy to society. The mating bond buzzes under my skin, awakened more by our time together.Xavier’s waiting for me on the front porch, all tense and choked with barely leashed anger. His gaze follows my progress around the room, taking stock of the details of my appearance as though he is looking for evidence of my disloyalty.“You never answered when I called,” he murmurs as I make my way up the steps, his voice soft, but his demeanor anything but.“There has been no emergency at the northern border,” I rebuke, edging around him to the door. “Elder Margaret just confirmed that already.His hand grabs my wrist, powerful, but not in a painful way. “The emergency was that my Luna was in the woods with another Alpha. An Alpha who didn't have the
AIDEN'S POVFrom the time that Haylee sets foot into the clearing, the world appears to halt. She’s wearing a plain blue dress that makes the silver flecks in her eyes pop—eyes I’ve dreamed of for five long years. I push myself away from the oak we once carved our names in, buried under new bark. Appropriate, the way nature hides the old wounds.“You showed up,” I say, shocked. Part of me had thought Xavier would come up with some kind of emergency to keep her from returning.“I don’t lie, I keep my promises,” she says, keeping a safe space between us. "One day, as agreed."The mate bond thrums between us, louder than it was yesterday, impossible to escape. Does she feel it too, the strange force compelling us together despite the years and pain that lie between us?“I think we can go over by the river,” I say, pointing to the eroded path on the east side. "Like we used to."Haylee pauses, her guarded expression on her face. "I'm not here to swap memories, Aiden.“Just walking,” I repl
HAYLEE'S POVThe first light of morning seeps through the curtains, and I look at my face in the mirror in my bedroom. The woman in my mirror seems at peace, but inside I feel like a storm is brewing, a gale-force rumbling that never quite materializes. It’s the day I vowed to give Aiden—one day and nothing more—but the promise has kept me up most of last night and it’s filled with dread and a queasy kind of excitement I can’t let myself feel."You're up early." Xavier's voice startles me. He’s standing in the doorways, already in his Alpha’s uniform, watching me with evaluative eyes.“Council reports,” I explain, sweeping my hand towards the papers on the dresser. "Thought I'd beat them to the punch before—-”"Prior to your outing with Fenrir?" He says in a flat voice, but his clenching jaw gives away his annoyance.I turn to face him directly. "It's one day, Xavier. To move the details of the alliance to a private discussion.“So that’s the new name for it?” He moves a step closer an
AIDEN'S POVThe council meeting stretches on through the morning, Xavier deftly manipulating the story to my wolves remains out in the territories. I politely protest, bringing up the idea of joint patrols which would give me more valid excuses to lurk around the pack house—close to Haylee and the enigmatic twins who've so captivated me.haunting me.“Mixed patrols create the chance for conflict of unknown wolves,” Xavier gently debates.“Or they consolidate trust and deepen the alliance,” I counter. "My lieutenant Damon has a lot of training experience for integrated packs.The council members murmur thoughtfully, and I can tell Xavier’s jaw hardens with frustration. It’s a small victory but I’ll take it.”After the meeting ends, I head back to my quarters to shower and change, and then I make my way to the science fair. My phone is buzzing with a text from my beta back home about pack business. Everything is stable, nothing that needs me to come home right nowI veer slightly off cou
AIDEN'S POVHaylee’s mother’s ring weighs heavy in my hand as I see the expression of her face change into one of pure shock. This silver band I have preserved for five years now to keep close, a last tie to the woman I lost, the only thing of her that remained."Where did you get this?" she whispers, gaze fastened on the fragile moonstone setting that reflects the garden’s soft light.“It was on your wrist the day you went missing,” I say, the words wanting to reach out to close the space. I discovered it on the bank of the northern creek, partly buried in mud. I’ve carried it all this time, hoping one day to find you and make it back to you.”She notices that her fingers tremble a little as she reaches for it, hesitates, and then allows herself to go on. “I always thought that it was lost forever. Like so many things."There is a heaviness to her words that goes unsaid, which lingers between us—its meaning as trashed as our future, our love, our family.“It’s all yours,” I say, offer
HAYLEE'S POVTouching my mother's pendant, I skirt its silvered curves on my skin with my fingers, I stand before the bedroom mirror. It is the moon and star that make up my family symbol—a relic I believed was lost forever when my father’s pack was toppled."You look beautiful."Xavier's image hovers behind me as he touches my shoulders. He’s tall, strong, his basic, cedar and amber scent fills me as he drops a soft kiss on my neck.“Thanks so much for catching that again,” I tell him, looking him in the eye in the mirror. “I’m still in shock that you found it after all these months.“haylee- I would move mountains for you,” he responds, in a tone most sincere. "You know that."I turn to him, noting the bold angles in his jaw, that arrogance in his posture and the prolonged stretch in the corded muscle down his neck to the spikes on his back. Xavier has been my stronghold, my savior, my second chance at life. So, why do I keep hearing Aiden's voice playing in my head?*I never chose