Chapter 142

Aler POV-

The moment the words left Alex’s lips, hollow ache settled deep within my gut. “There is no fight , he said, his voice flat and devoid like watching a flame flicker and die the fire that had burned bright in his extinguished.

with Natalia whispering explanations in my moments before the truth slammed into me with a brutal .

.

to approach them.

I didn’t know the details what transpired between him and his father. From the things going, could only imagine the man was a walking nightmare someone who’d deep on Alex. He was terrified of becoming the very monster his father might have .

Ignoring the chaos swirling around us, knew I had so my led me straight to him staring at the lake. His lacked the and it in that moment that knew I didn’t want to lose him.

So when said I him, I meant it and when I said it time to fight back, I meant it too but there something even more important to do right now.

Alex to meet his children.

hadn’t spoken a word since I’d gently insisted he couldn’t avoid them forever.

, he paced outside the room like caged animal his anxiety palpable. Meanwhile, inside, I the twins. It was a delicate task, explaining such a complex situation to three and a half year olds.

Ivy. My sassy little girl. She the one who clung most fiercely to Ivan.

“Mommy, where’s Ivan?” she’d asked that day, her voice thick with a confusion that tugged at my heartstrings. There no easy answer, no simple explanation that wouldn’t send her little world spinning.

Taking a deep breath, I gathered my courage. It wouldn’t be a perfect conversation, there would be bumps along the road, but it had to be done. It time for them to meet their father.

“Sweetie,” I began, my voice gentle as I could muster, “remember how we talked about families? How sometimes families big and sometimes they’re small?

Both Nate and Ivy nodded, their bright eyes fixed on me. “Well,” I continued, “today, we’re going to meet someone who is a very important part our family. Someone you haven’t met yet.”

“His name Alex,” I continued, my voice dropping to a soft whisper. “And he’s well, he’s the reason you and Nate are here of Silence descended upon the room. My words hung in the air, a foreign concept waiting to be digested. Nate tilted his head, a question forming in his big blue . Ivy, however remained blissfully oblivious.

“But where’s Ivan?” she piped up, her lower lip trembling slightly.

Explaining was a task beyond my current vocabulary, at least for their young ears. Instead, I opted for a gentle redirection. “Honey,” I said, scooping her onto my lap, “Ivan isn’t our family anymore. He stopped being nice to us and did some very bad things. Well, Alex I put my hand forward holding my breath, “Now I’m not going to force you if you don’t want to meet this new person but you do want to just my hand.”

This breath Nate at my hand for a moment then squeezed. Ivy looked in between the two of us then puffed out a breath before squeezing. I let out a breath of relief., Squeezing their hands , I stood up. “Come on. Let’s go meet With a determined glint in my eyes, I opened the door, my heart pounding frantic rhythm against my ribs. Alex stood outside, his back ramrod straight, but with a tremor that betrayed his anxiety. His gaze darted nervously between me and the doorway a mixture of and longing clouding his expression.

“

,” I began, forcing out smile, “these are Nate and Ivy. They’re finally ready to meet you.”

A kaleidoscope of emotions flickered across face , disbelief, then a surge of belief and relief dam had broken within him, torrent conflicting feelings. Finally, a flicker pride settled in his eyes they landed on the two tiny clinging my .

He over them foot four giant compared to their miniature frames. But he seemed to understand the unspoken in my crouched awkwardly, even then remaining good distance above them.

“I’m father, he more to himself than to . The words hung in the air, a quiet declaration that resonated within me.

10:33 pang shot through my chest. I’d done what I had to do by keeping them from him, protecting them from the that been our . But in that moment, wave of guilt washed me. I had robbed him of these precious moments of fatherhood.

He extended his hands hesitantly palms open as if offering a handshake some other gesture of introduction. “Hi Nate and , , remained glued to my legs peering him with wide, curious . The silence stretched, thick and and for a fleeting moment, I feared this initial meeting wouldn’t end .

Then, unexpectedly, Nate reached out. He didn’t take Alex’s hand, but instead, stretched out a tiny hand and touched his Nate’s small voice broke the silence stole the blue in my ,” he declared, his tone serious.

A shaky laugh escaped my me seemed to understand immediately. “I give it back,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “

will give you everything have.”

escaped my tracing warm path down my cheek. Nate, the more perceptive of the seemed to sense the shift in the atmosphere He let go of , a small smile playing his lips. “You promise Alex nodded solemnly, his own lips curving into a genuine smile for the first time. “I promise I gently nudged Ivy, hoping to encourage her to interact with Alex. But she remained stubbornly behind my . Alex turned to her, his smile faltering slightly under the scrutiny of her . He tried again, this time addressing her directly. “Do you want everything in the world too?” he asked, his voice softening even further.

Ivy’s reply immediate and blunt. “No, I want ice cream,” she declared, her voice dripping with that contrasted her . Then with wiggle and determined push, she propelled herself away from me and took off running down the hallway.

Nate, mistaking her sudden movement for the promise of ice cream, let out a yell of delight and sprinted after her. “I want ice cream too!” he shouted, his small pounding against the floor.

A moment later, a shrill scream, followed by a burst of giggles, echoed down the hallway. “Get off me!” Ivy shrieked, her voice laced with playful annoyance. It was clear Nate, in his usual enthusiastic way, had tackled her to the ground.

I let out a sigh, shaking my head as Alex stood up to his full height. “She’ll come around,” I said reassuringly. “She’s a little…” I hesitated, searching for the right word. Stubborn was the first that came to mind, but it didn’t feel quite right.

“Resilient Alex finished for me, a smile playing on his lips.

We stood in an awkward silence for a moment, the only sound the distant echoes of the children’s laughter. He glanced down the hallway where they’d disappeared, a flicker of concern crossing his face. “Should we go get them?” he asked.

we “They’re not destructive ” I replied with a tired smile. “As long hear them, they’re fine. Besides, they’ll probably end up finding Natalia. She’s their resident sugar supplier. Maybe we should go check on them, but again, I’m trying to teach them that…”

I stopped mid–sentence realizing he was smiling again.

harrowed my eyes, “What funny?”

“A nervous rambling isn’t the most effective teaching method,” He laughed, breaking the ice. I rolled my eyes playfully, pushing him with a mumbled excuse “Go check on your children, Alex. I need to use the bathroom.” The truth was I needed a moment to collect myself.

I was almost at the bathroom door when I heard hi nickname from a lifetime ago. “Silver.”

call me. He used the one name that always managed to disarm me, the one whispered Turning back, I met his gaze. His held only gratitude, “Thank For everything.”

–

Taking a deep breath, I forced a small smile onto my lips before pushing open the bathroom door. Stepping inside, I locked the door behind me, the click echoing in the sudden silence. My reflection stared back at me a woman on the verge of something new. My eyes sparkled, a hint of a forgotten joy flickering within them. My cheeks burned with a flush that wasn’t entirely due to the warm I’d splashed on my . They were right the bob haircut suited me. It framed my face in a way that felt both familiar and refreshingly different. Looking at myself, I couldn’t help but feel surge of…

Happy,” my wolf completed the thought in my head, her voice a soft echo in the quiet .

I sent “I’m sorry whispered, the words thick with regret. “I’m I let myself fall for Ivan. I’m I let him get close you, that I let him me.”

This time, she responded, her comforting rumble within my mind. “You didn’t know, she explained, her words filled with quiet understanding.

And I felt it, he felt wrong. That’s why I cleared off the mark.”

I couldn’t help but grin at candor.

So were possessive Alex feeling a of her humor flicker within connection.

“That too admitted with a hint of amusement. Then, voice “I can’t feel his wolf anymore. He’s gone A washed . “

find a way get him back. No matter what.” Then flicker my mind. “I should have told you the moment you returned,” I confessed. “

really missed you.”

There moment a beat of absence stretched for what felt like an eternity. Then, her voice filled my mind once more, a comforting murmur laced with a hint of hidden worry. “

missed you too, Amaya,” she said softly. “And I’ve always been here even when you couldn’t me I’ll be here with you, right by your side, for whatever coming.”

words trailed off, the communication link snapping shut abruptly. The sudden silence reassuring presence sent a shiver down my spine. The dread that had been momentarily quelled by my reunion with Alex surged back with a vengeance.

Just then, my phone buzzed on the counter. Bracing myself, reached for it, half expecting another taunting message from Ivan. But the message wasn’t from him. It was from my mother, and the words that scrolled across the screen did little to alleviate the dread gnawing at me:

“Something terrible has happened. Amaya, . Your father needs your help.”