Chapter 101
Tristan’s POV
The force of her slap turned my head to the side. Pain bloomed across my cheek, but it was nothing compared to the shock.
My wolf snarled, demanding immediate retribution for such disrespect. Every Alpha instinct screamed to reassert dominance, to remind this woman who held the power.
But when I turned back and saw tears streaming down her face, something shifted inside me. The fury drained away, replaced by an inexplicable ache that settled deep in my chest.
Why was she crying? And why did her tears affect me like this?
My heartbeat accelerated, my body still pressed against hers, the stinging on my cheek already forgotten. The anger in her eyes cut deeper than any physical blow could.
“Don’t call my children that,” she struggled up from beneath me, hands shaking as she tugged her rumpled clothing back into place. Her voice cracked with emotion, tears blurring her green eyes. “They’re innocent. They’re not his children- they’re mine. I hate their father more than anything in this world.”
Her words hit me like a physical punch to the gut. Why did hearing her say she hated their father cause such a strange, hollow sensation in my chest?
My body still responded to her–my arousal painfully evident—but something deeper had taken precedence over physical need. Something that felt dangerously close to… guilt?
“I’ve given you your answer.” She wiped tears from her cheeks, fighting to regain control of her voice while smoothing
down her dress. “Now let me and my daughter leave.”
I curled my fingers into tight fists, nails digging into my palms. The rational part of me insisted on keeping her here until I got the truth. The Alpha in me demanded I assert my dominance after being struck. But something else–something I couldn’t name–urged me to let her go.
Her accusation about Selene still echoed in my mind. I wanted to tell her she was wrong. That during our marriage, I’d
never touched Selene that way.
Yes, I’d been distant, buried in work or alone in my penthouse, but I’d honored our marriage vows. The affair she believed
in had never happened–at least not while we were together.
But what was the point of defending myself now? Five years had passed. She hated me enough to hide her children- possibly my children–from me. What good would the truth do? Her mind was made up; she’d built her narrative, and correcting it now felt futile. The damage was done. We were done.
After a moment’s hesitation, I stepped aside, clearing her path to the room where the little girl waited. I could keep them here by force, but what would that accomplish? If these children were mine, I’d need more than force to claim them. I’d need proof–irrefutable evidence she couldn’t deny.
As she hurried to the door, something twisted inside me. The fierce maternal protection she showed for her children–Lyra and the boy I’d never met–it was both admirable and infuriating. What was she hiding that made her so desperate to keep me at a distance?
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Chapter 101
The sound of childish laughter filtered through the closed door, then Lysandra emerged with Lyra in her arms. The little girl’s face brightened when she spotted me.
“Can we stay longer?” she asked Lysandra, tugging at her mother’s dress. “I want to play more with Wolf King Here.”
‘No, sweetie. We have to go home. Orion is waiting for us.”
Orion. The boy from the photos. The one with eyes so familiar it had haunted me since I’d first seen them.
“Okay.” Disappointment flickered across Lyra’s face before she turned to me with a cheerful wave. “Bye, Wolf King Hero! Thanks for the ice cream and cake!”
I found myself nodding in acknowledgment, surprised by the genuine smile threatening to form. Something about this child pulled at me in ways I couldn’t understand, as though an invisible thread connected us.
As they walked toward the exit, an unfamiliar emptiness spread through me. I stood rooted in place, feeling as though something vital was being taken away.
The door closed behind them with a soft click that somehow felt terribly final..
“Alpha, take us to your pack,” one of the guards stepped forward, desperation evident in his voice as the others nodded in agreement. “If Alpha Alaric discovers our betrayal, he’ll kill us.”
I turned a cold gaze on the man. These wolves had sold out their own Alpha for money. “If you betrayed him, you’d betray me. I despise traitors.”
The guard’s face paled as he stepped back, understanding the precarious position he’d placed himself in.
I moved to the window, watching as Lysandra and Lyra emerged into the lobby below. The Moonshade Beta–Kieran- rushed toward them, concern etched into his features. His hands checked Lyra for injuries before moving to Lysandra’s shoulders, drawing her protectively against his side.
Something dark and possessive coiled in my chest at the sight of another man touching her. My fingers pressed against the glass, wolf bristling beneath my skin.
The Beta guided them toward the exit, his arm wrapped around Lysandra’s shoulders in a gesture that was both protective and intimate. Lyra skipped alongside them, chattering excitedly, completely oblivious to the tension between the adults.
I continued staring long after their car disappeared from view, the emptiness inside me growing with each passing second.
“Alpha,” my driver’s hesitant voice broke through my thoughts. “Where to now?”
“Back to Silverblood Pack,” I ordered, adjusting my suit jacket.
As I straightened my collar, my fingers brushed against something in my pocket. I pulled out a small, clear plastic bag containing several strands of soft brown hair–carefully collected from Lyra while she’d been distracted by dessert.
A smile curved my lips. I wasn’t as foolish as Lysandra believed. I needed answers, and these hairs would provide them.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Varian. “Arrange for a doctor with no connections to Dr. Rylan Jones.”
“What’s going on, Tristan? Everything okay?” Varian’s concerned voice came through the speaker. “Dr. Rylan is our pack’s chief physician. Why not use him?”
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Chapter 101
“That man is too close with Lysandra. I can’t trust him. My fingers tapped against the bag of hair. “I need a DNA test
Silence stretched across the line before Vartan responded. “Tristan, don’t tell me you’re-
“Just get it done,” I cut him off. I’m heading back now.”
After ending the call, I turned to the
determination hardening in my chowindow, watching the landscape blur past. My fingers traced the outline of the bag,
Soon I’d know the truth. If these children were indeed mine, all her lies would unravel. She’d admitted to hating their father–which meant she hated me. But why? Because she knew I would take the children? Or something deeper?
Either way, the truth would soon be revealed. DNA didn’t lie.
Chapter Comments
Jamie
he’s seriously asking why she would hate him?
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