CHARLOTTES POV
I popped some painkillers into my mouth for the second time today. I swallowed without water and leaned back.
It was late in the afternoon and I didn’t go to work. My body felt numb and stuck, like it didn’t belong to me. I don’t usually get sick. There were a few things the moon goddess blessed me with and not getting sick seems to be one of them. With my healing gift, pain and sickness usually fade before I even notice them. But today refused to fade.
My head has refused to stop pounding ever since I woke up from that dream. I haven’t had a dream about my past for six years. No single memory had ever flashed through my head, so this was new and it felt strange.
A big part of me didn’t want to accept that the girl was me but she looked too much like me. We had the same face, the same eyes. And that dark round mark on her cheek, I had it once too. From the dream I figured that I was bullied in the pack and that push, it wasn’t an accident. Someone wanted me dead. I wished their faces weren’t blurred out, I needed to see what those people looked like.
Why did that woman hate me so much?
I tried reaching my wolf again today to at least tell me something about my past but she shut me out every time. She knows everything about me, yet she closed herself off like a door slammed shut.
The words she said before going quiet refused to leave me. “You’ve been through so much in the past and remembering all of it will be dangerous. It’ll change you.”
I sat with that for a while, wondering what kind of past needed that kind of warning.
I went to the kitchen and warmed some milk. Leslie had already left for the hospital, and the driver took Liam to school earlier. The house felt too quiet. I had sent the staff away, their footsteps and voices only made my head throb.
I glanced at the clock. It wouldn’t be long before Liam returned from kindergarten.
I took my seat at the dining table, sipping slowly, flipping through today’s papers without really reading them.
Five minutes later, the heavy mahogany entrance door flew open. Liam jogged in, his bag bouncing against his back. The moment his eyes found me, his face lit up. His jog broke into a full run as he came straight to me.
“Mummy!” he shouted, all excited, running straight into my open arms.
“How is my baby?” I asked, holding him close. “How was school today?”
He pulled back and tilted his head, studying my face like he was trying to solve something important. “Your voice still sounds funny, momma.” His small brows pulled together. “Did you take your medicine? You promised you’d be better before I came back.”
“I’m much better than this morning,” I said, brushing my thumb over his cheek. “It’s just a little headache.”
He shook his head slowly, not convinced. “Headaches don’t just come like that.” He sighed, way too serious for his something bad happen when you slept last night?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but he was already thinking ahead.
age. “Did
“Should I call Aunt Leslie?” he asked, his lips pushing out in a pout. “You don’t get sick, mummy. This is the first time.” He hugged me again, tighter this time. “I was worried about you the whole day.”
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4:45 pm
Chapter 24
1 cupped his small cheeks in my hands. If I didn’t convince him that I was fine, he wouldn’t stop worrying. “Mummy is okay now,” I said softly. “And to prove it, why don’t we go on our dinner date today? The one we had to cancel last time.”
His eyes narrowed a little. He still didn’t believe me.
“Fresh air will help.” I added, smiling. “And you get to pick the place.” That finally did it. After a few more promises and a long hug, he went to change his clothes.
1 bathed him, and the bathroom filled with his voice. He talked about school, his friends, and the new teacher who never laughs. He talked about everything, jumping from one story to another, and I just listened. I enjoy listening to him tell me about school and everything.
It had been the two of us since the day he was born. Maybe it would always be that way.
Once he was ready, I went to my room to change too. Two hours later, we got into the car, and I drove us to his new favorite restaurant that he chose. My phone buzzed on the way. Leslie texted that she wouldn’t be coming back tonight. She would be leaving the city after work and would return in the morning. We could spend as much time out as we wanted.
Sitting with my son in the closed corner of the restaurant helped. It was quiet there, boxed in by dark wooden panels, far from the few people scattered around. My headache eased a bit, it was not gone, just lingering.
I excused myself and went to the bathroom while we waited for our food, after telling Liam not to move an inch until I come back.
When I returned a few minutes later, the seat across from me where Liam had sat earlier was empty. Liam was gone and our food still hadn’t arrived.
My heart dropped into my stomach, I was consumed by fear.
“Liam?” I called, my legs moving faster. I rushed to the children’s bathroom first, pushing the door open. It was empty.
The restaurant wasn’t crowded. I could see almost everyone at a glance. That made it worse. He couldn’t have gone far, so where was he?
I checked every booth, every corner. It felt like he had vanished. I asked the people closest to us, my voice shaking.
The manager came out, and joined the search. Everyone started looking around the restaurant. My eyes burned, welling up and hot tears started gushing out. My head started throbbing again. My hands shook as I dug into my purse and pulled out my phone.
I was about to call the police.
The entrance door opened, and there he was. Liam walked in, his small hand locked tightly around a man dressed in black pants and a black shirt.
Ace.
“Mummy, look who I found!” Liam said proudly, tugging at Ace like he had caught something precious.
My knees gave in, and I dropped onto the nearest chair, pressing a hand to my chest as I tried to slow my breathing. Liam broke free and ran to me. “Mummy, were you worried?” he asked, his face open and innocent.
I pulled him into me, holding him tight. “Don’t ever do that again,” I said, my voice shaking. “I left for one minute, and you were gone.”
“I’m sorry, mummy,” he said quickly. “I saw Uncle Ace’s car outside. I just went outside to bring him in. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
2/5
4:45 pm
Chapter 24
Before I could speak, a voice sounded behind me. “Good evening. Alpha,” the manager said, bending into a low bow. The other staff followed. The room went quiet.
I felt every eye turn to us, and suddenly I felt uncomfortable, the space felt too small.
I ignored Ace and led Liam back to our table. I took my seat first. Moments later, I heard Ace’s footsteps and felt the dip beside me.
The booth was one of those cushioned restaurant seats, wide enough for two but not enough for someone as big as Ace. He sat too close. His thigh pressed against mine, solid and warm. There was no space to breathe without feeling him.
His scent filled my nose. It wasn’t just his cologne or aftershave. It smelled like warm wood and spice, deep and wild, like he owned the air around him. I lost my place in thought for a second, staring at nothing. He was too intoxicating and I was becoming too aware of him.
“You look uncomfortable,” he teased, amusement clear in his voice.
His hand came down on my shoulder. Before I could react, he tugged me back slightly, pulling me to lean on his rock hard chest. My breath caught somewhere in my throat.
“People are staring,” I whispered, trying to push away from him. But he was like a living statue, he didn’t even flinch.
“I don’t care,” he breathed calmly. “Let them look.” His arm stayed firm around me, like he had already decided where I belonged.
Liam giggled, swinging his legs. “Mummy, you look like Uncle Ace’s wife,” he sang happily. “You both look like a couple, and me, I’m the child.” His bright green eyes that mirrored Ace’s shone as he looked between us, clearly pleased with his own thoughts.
“Liam,” I almost screamed in horror, heat rushing to my
face.
Ace chuckled softly. “He’s not wrong,” he murmured. “We do look good together.”
He leaned closer, his breath brushing my ear. My cheeks burned, my heart skipping in a way I didn’t want to admit.
I turned to him, forcing my voice to steady. “How did you even know to come here?” I queried. “Are you stalking me?”
Our eyes met. Those forest–green orbs held mine, like he had nowhere else to be.
“The little man called me.”
It took me a second to catch what he meant. “Liam called you?” I turned to my son, who had that cute, apologetic look on his face. I rubbed my forehead, trying to press the ache away.
“I’m sorry, Mama,” Liam whispered. “You don’t look so strong even though you say you are. I was worried something might happen to you. Uncle Ethan isn’t in the country, and Aunt Les isn’t here either, so I didn’t know who else to call. If he’s by your side, he’ll catch you before you fall.”
Ace’s hand moved to my temple, brushing away the sweat. “Don’t be mad at him,” he murmured. “He’s worried about you.
fall.” You don’t look too good, and I’ll definitely catch you before you
The waiter arrived with our food. I ordered simple Chinese fried rice, and Liam chose chicken nuggets with fries, his little
favorite.
He dug in happily, while I lost my appetite.
“Do you want me to feed you?” His eyes looked serious and fixed on me.
“What? No?” I laughed, shaking my head: “I can feed myself”
He snatched the fork from my hand, taking the first bite. “Just making sure it’s good enough for you, he murmured, eyes
locked on me.
I reached to grab it back, but he was too fast. He scooped a small piece, leaning close, and brought it right to my lips.
“Let me feed you,” he said softly. When I hesitated, he added, “Please,”
1 gave in, opening my mouth. My lips brushed his fingers as I took the bite. Heat rushed through me.
He was messing with my head and for some strange reason, he felt familiar, like something I was used to. It didn’t feel new and it spiked questions inside me.
Liam, oblivious, piped up between bites. “Mummy, this is called indirect kissing. You’re using the same fork Uncle ate from, so you’ve kissed each other indirectly.”
Ace leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. “We’ve done more than this before,” he whispered, low enough for only
me to hear.
I looked away, my cheeks burning. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered, trying, and failing woefully to hide the blush creeping over me.
“I’d gladly remind you what happened in your office the last time we were together,” his voice was dangerously low. “I can still feel you on my lips.”
I swatted at him with the napkin. “If you don’t want me to kick you, you better stop talking.” He grinned but fell silent.
“Can I have my cutlery back?”
“I’m hungry,” he replied. “And I can’t wait for the chef to make another meal, that’ll take an hour or more. Let me eat with you.”
And just like that, he kept feeding me, bite after bite, until I finally waved him off when I couldn’t eat anymore. Liam yawned, rubbing his eyes. “Can we go home, mummy?”
I moved to pick him up, but Ace was faster. He scooped Liam into his arms effortlessly. Liam curled his tiny hands around Ace’s neck, snuggling against him, his little face pressed into Ace’s neck.
“You don’t look like you can carry him right now,” he took my hand in his and we walked to his car.
“I drive here,” I muttered.
“I know,” he said, his tone firm, “but I don’t trust you in this state. You look like you could faint any second.”
He strapped Liam into the backseat, then came around and helped me into the passenger seat, his hands lingering just a moment too long on my waist.
I blinked, expecting him to head home, but the car turned in another direction. “Where are you taking us? Are you trying to kidnap us?”
He laughed, that deep, rich laugh. “Kidnapping you both wouldn’t be a bad idea,” he said, “but no… I’m taking you to my pack.”
4:45 pm
Chapter 25
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
