CHAPTER 16%
The wind carried the scent of pine and earth as I stood on the porch, watching Ethan play in the meadow. His laughter echoed through the valley, pure and carefree. He ran barefoot through the tall grass, his golden–brown curls bouncing as he chased a butterfly, hist hazel eyes gleaming with excitement.
My son. My world.
I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the warmth of the late afternoon sun. Ten years. A decade since I had escaped Ivan’s grasp A decade of hiding, of building a new life, of pretending the past never existed.
And yet, no matter how far we had run, the past never truly let go.
arms crossed, watching
o Ethan with
A quiet sigh pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see Damon leaning against the porch railing, arms an unreadable expression.
His dark hair had grown longer, streaked with silver at the edges. His face was sharper, more weathered, but his eyes–the same deep, soulful eyes–still held that unyielding devotion…
He had been there for every scraped knee, every nightmare, every first step. Ethan only knew him as his father. And I never corrected him. Damon’s voice broke the silence. “He’s growing up fast.
I nodded. “Too fast.”
A pause. Then, softly, “Cynthia we need to talk.”
Itense. “About what?“”
Damon didn’t look at me right away. He just kept his gaze on Ethan, watching as he collapsed into the grass, arms spread wide. staring at the sky like he had all the time in the world.
“I think about it sometimes,” he admitted. “What happens when Ethan finds out the truth?”
A cold weight settled in my chest. “He doesn’t need to know.”
Darnor’s jaw tightened. “He’s not a baby anymore, Cynthia. One day, he’s going to ask questions”
I turned to face him, my heart pounding. “And when that day comes, I’ll tell him whatever I have to–but I will never let Ivan near him.”
Damon exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s not what I meant..
“Then what do you mean?”
His eyes met mine, filled with something heavy. “I feel quilty, Cynthia. He calls me Dad but I’m not his real father.”
My breath caught. “You are.”@
“No,” he said quietly. “Not by blood”
I swallowed, reaching for him before I could stop myself. My fingers brushed against his rough jaw, tilting his face toward mine. “You don’t have to be a father by blood, Damon.” My voice softened. “You are a father by heart”
waist
Damon’s breath hitched. His eyes flickered with something raw, something unspoken. Slowly, he leaned in, his hand grazing my
For the first time in years, I let myself close the distance-
“ALPHA
A panicked voice e shattered the moment.
I spun just as Amara, our trusted servant, came rushing toward us, her face pale with fear. My
She was breathless, clutching the side of the porch railing. “Ethan–he’s-”
My vision blurred, “Where is he?”
Amara’s lips trembled. “He’s gone.”
The world stopped. For a moment, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.
y stomach dropped.
Then, Damon was already in motion, sprinting toward the meadow. I was right behind him, my pulse hammering in my ears.”
We tore through the tall grass, scanning the area frantically. “ETHAN I screamed, my voice breaking
Nothing. Not a single sound.
Panic gripped my chest like a vice. The meadow stretched endlessly, but he was gone.
Damon’s eyes darted around, sharp, calculating. His nostrils flared as he took in the scents around us. “I don’t smell blood.”
But I barely heard him. My vision blurred, memories clawing their way to the surface.!!
The night Ivan took everything from me. The helplessness. The terror. Not again.
A small figure appeared near the edge of the trees. My heart leapt-
Until I saw who was standing beside him.
A man dressed in black, his hood drawn low over his face, gripping Ethan’s wrist. A stranger.
“NO!” I surged forward, but Damon yanked me back!!
“Wait” he hissed. His body was tense, his wolf just beneath the surface. “He’s not running. Why?”
The man lifted his head. My stomach turned to içe
“Wait,” he hissed. His body was tense, his wolf just beneath the surface. “He’s not running. Why?“S
The man lifted his head. My stomach turned to ice.
Because he wasn’t just any stranger. He was one of Ivan’s sentinels.
A slow smirk spread across the man’s face as he showed Ethan forward. My son stumbled, looking at me with wide, terrified eyes.
“Mama-”
“Ethan!” I lunged, but the sentinel raised a hand. “Ah, ah, ah!
Damon growled, pure rage in his stance. “You have five seconds to explain why you’re still breathing “3
The sentinel didn’t flinch. Instead, he pulled out a letter
A black seal. A mark I knew too well. Ivan
The man tossed the letter onto the grass between us, his smirk never fading. “A message from your mate, Luna”
I trembled. I didn’t want to open it. I knew what it would say!
Damon snatched the letter, tearing it open. His eyes scanned the page, his face darkening with every word.!!
He handed it to me. My hands shook as I read
[Did you really think you could hide from me, my love?!
Did you think I wouldn’t find my heir?
Enjoy the time you have left. Because I’m coming.”
The blood drained from my face. Ivan knew.
He had always known.
Damon took a step forward, but the sentinel raised his hands in surrender. “Relax, Alpha. I was only sent to deliver a message.” His smirk widened. “For now.
Damon’s jaw clenched, his entire body coiled with rage “Get Out.
The man laughed, but he obeyed, retreating into the trees.
The moment he disappeared, I collapsed onto my knees, pulling Ethan into my arms.
