Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Reuben
“Reuben, Willow took the children from me earlier and now she’s nowhere to be found. in the ball or hotel!” Oran rushed onto the terrace at lightning speed, his breath heavy from the sprint, his heart pounding wildly at his failure to keep track of Willow. “I think she’s run away with the kids…” He abruptly stopped, noticing my lack of the expected. aggressive reaction to the news of Willow’s escape. Unconsciously, he followed my line of sight down to the front of the hotel, where Willow was handing her luggage to the taxi driver.
Oran sputtered in shock. “She… she’s running away with her children,” his eyes widened.
“Not just hers, they are Willow and my children,” I interrupted him with a growl.
Oran stared at me, speechless. “Her attitude and hatred towards you tells me that she won’t even let you linger near Wyatt and Lori for a second, Reuben,” he murmured, taking a deep breath. “I can’t believe Willow gave birth to twins. I can tell at a glance that they’re yours. Wyatt looks just like you did when you were young,” he remarked.
I remained silent, my gaze shifting to the car window where Wyatt and Lori looked up at me with their big innocent eyes. A brief flutter of my eyelids brought forth the memory of them cradled in my arms in the elevator.
“What is your mommy’s name?” I found myself squatting down so that I could be at the same eye level as them, a veil or darkness taking over my expression after hearing them. I didn’t believe in coincidences, especially not in this context. They were visiting America for the first time, they were five years old, and most importantly, my wolf sensed a connection with them. It was too much to dismiss as mere coincidence, especially considering their striking resemblance to Willow and I.
The moment they replied, “My mommy’s name is Willow,” it felt like a jolt ran through my entire b*dy.
“Willow….” My mind went blank for a second. It was as if my entire being was struck by lightning. Suddenly, everything fell into place. The inexplicable bond I felt with them finally had a name-I could now recognize it as the parental bond.
My eyes widened with the revelation of my children-two, not one. So six years ago, that day we were anticipating not one but two babies? My hand instinctively reached out, tenderly brushing their cheeks.
“Uncle… are you okay?” Wyatt asked, concern flickering in his green eyes.
“Uncle’s eyes are red. Is uncle in pain?” Lori asked, her little l*ps pursed with worry.
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Chapter 7
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My wolf, too shocked to even blink, finally howled in my mind. Overwhelmed by emotions, I immediately pulled them into an embrace. “Call me daddy, not uncle,” I said, closing my eyes as I hugged them tightly for a long time feeling their warmth, the reality of them, their undeniable presence in my life.
I could still feel their warm little bodies in my arms, but Willow noticed me up on the terrace and turned her back before getting into the car. As the taxi started to drive away, Oran panicked, “Reuben… you… you’re letting Willow run away?!” He looked at me in disbelief. “You’ve finally found her after six long years. I can’t see you going crazy like that again without her!”
Oran wasn’t just my Beta, he was also my childhood friend. He knew all the shades of my dark sides, my sanity and insanity, including my addiction to Willow. She had been my drug for the past 11 years of my life, a craving I couldn’t replace with any other. The last six years apart had only intensified my addiction to her. It had become sharper more irresistible adding a deeper lust to my craving.
“Willow can never run away from me. She just thinks she can,” I said, watching the taxi vanish from my sight. “The ball is over. Call the Alphas from the West, North, and South territories to the Emerald Bright Pack.”
Willow
After two hours, the taxi stopped outside Wade Moon Pack territory. It was already late at night, and my children had fallen asleep with their heads on my lap. Beta Ken arrived at the borders to pick me up, gently placed my sleeping kids in the back seat, and warmly welcomed me back to the packhouse. He was understandably curious about my sudden return from the Alpha Ball. Once I settled Wyatt and Lori into bed, I explained to him the events at the ball involving Alpha Alex. I deliberately avoided. mentioning Reuben and assured him that the following day, I’d personally visit the Shine Moon Pack to finalize the peace treaty and secure it for our pack.
Beta Ken listened calmly and placed his trust in me, much like Alpha Benjamin had before retiring to bed. “Let’s discuss this more in the morning. You should get some rest too,” he said with a reassuring smile.
“Good night,” I smiled back and returned to the bedroom, joining Wyatt and Lori. Watching them sleep peacefully warmed my heart. I k*ssed them both goodnight and settled beside them on the bed. So much had unfolded in these twenty hours. Reuben had found me, and my six-year-long secret about my children was finally revealed to him in the worst possible way.
“But the most frightening thing was…”
‘He seemed even more obsessed than he had been in the past,’ a voice sounded in my mind.
Chapter 7
‘Ceri?’ I gasped, hearing my wolf’s voice. ‘Ceri, you talked to me?!’ I couldn’t believe my own cars. Was I hearing things?
Six years ago, Ceri’s voice faded into silence, a casualty of heartbreak and the unspoken. rejection from the man we both believed to be our soulmate. Her presence lingered in my mind, a constant ghost that neither departed nor was fully present, existing in a state of muteness. For years, I was the sole conversationalist, speaking into the void that echoed with her absence, receiving no response in return.
‘Ceri?’ I called out once more, hopeful for a sign of her presence, yet I was met with continued silence. Minutes elapsed, each one stretching into an eternity, my racing heart slowly steadying itself. It dawned on me that Ceri had also felt Reuben’s other side like me.
The sound of Ceri’s voice couldn’t have been a figment of my imagination. Her sudden communication after so many years brought me a faint sense of relief, shattering the notion that I might live forever as a wolfless she-wolf.
Every time my eyelids shut, Reuben’s possessive gaze and haunting words invaded my thoughts, repeatedly tearing me from my slumber. Little did I anticipate that returning to this country would resurrect my painful past, unveiling Reuben once more. He… he even blamed me for hiding my children that he clearly had not wanted. I drew Wyatt and Lori close to calm my agitated heart.
Lost in thought, I drifted into an abyss of exhaustion, unaware when sleep claimed me entirely. The next thing I knew the sound of knocking against the bedroom door jolted me awake.
I sat up on the bed alarmed at the sound of the knocking. My initial instinct was to check on Wyatt and Lori. Both of them were still nestled against my sides in a peaceful slumber. The morning’s brightness filtering through the curtains signaling the arrival of the morning. When there was another insistent knock, I rose from the bed to answer the door.
I found Beta Ken standing on the other side with an impatient look in his eyes.
“Willow, change and come downstairs immediately,” Beta Ken’s urgency was palpable. when I opened the door.
“What’s happening?” I queried, slightly taken aback by the early hour, the clock had. barely struck eight.
“Alpha Alex is here, wanting to meet with you,”