*Zander*
I had a son?
When did it happen?
The very idea seemed surreal, and my mind raced to comprehend this unexpected revelation. As far as I knew, I hadn’t been in a sexual relationship after Selena. The pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place, and it could only mean one thing – she had run away with my pup and hidden the truth from me.
“What’s your explanation, Selena?” I demanded, my voice trembling with fury and my heart aching from her betrayal. Just when I believed I could trust her again, she had shattered my trust once more.
Selena swallowed, her guilt apparent in her demeanor. “I… I was about to tell you,” she stammered, her voice quivering with apprehension.
“When?” I shouted, my anger surfacing like a tidal wave. “When were you going to tell me?! Every time I thought you had changed, and I could trust you, I would find something that made me believe you were about to run away again this time. What is your purpose, Selena? Why are you here?” I accused, my words dripping with venom.
“You know, Zander, why I am here,” she replied, her voice trembling with nervousness. “Trust me, I was about to tell you about our son. I… I hid this information from you because I thought you didn’t want him, and I was scared,” she confessed, her admission laying bare the guilt she had been carrying. She was caught red-handed, her betrayal leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
I stood there, my anger burning like a blazing fire. “I do not want my son?! Are you serious?” I roared, and the room trembled as if unable to withstand the fierce, angry aura that emanated from me. It had always been known how much I longed for a son, and now, the truth had hit me like a sledgehammer.
I gritted my teeth, glaring at her with an intensity that could pierce steel. “Everyone knows how much I crave to have a son, and I had not known all those years that I really had a son.”
Selena, her eyes filled with pleading desperation, tried to explain herself. “Zander, I am sorry. I didn’t hurt you intentionally. It was not my intention for you to find out about it like this.” Her innocence, usually endearing, only added to my frustration.
Maddox intervened, sensing the volatile atmosphere in the room. “What happened, Zander? Tell me what’s wrong?” He was a stalwart presence, stepping in to shield Selena from my mounting anger.
My gaze shifted to Maddox, and I exhaled heavily. “The vampire king has kidnapped my son,” I confessed, my voice laced with a dangerous edge. “He wants me to release his son in exchange, but I don’t trust him.”
“You are right, Alpha. We can’t trust the Vampire king. Vampires are cunning and wicked,” Maddox agreed, his voice carrying the weight of concern.
I pondered for a moment, my mind racing with thoughts and plans.
“Let’s go to the prison. I need to talk to the vampire prince, Damon. I am going to make a deal with him,” I announced, my tone resolute. Maddox nodded in agreement.
“Zander, please let me come with you.” Selena’s plea hung in the air, her voice trembling with sincerity as her eyes filled with a mixture of desperation and determination,
My anger flared up again. “No way, Selena. I had already trusted you, and now you have broken it twice. I could never trust you again. You have lost your chance,” I gritted out, the words heavy with the weight of her betrayal.
“No, please! It’s about my son, too. Please trust me. We have to do it together to save our son,” she insisted, her words carrying the weight of a mother’s love and desperation.
“I think she is right, Alpha,” Maddox stepped in, supporting Selena as he had always done. “It will be easier to track your son if she is with us. She is his mother, and a mother knows her child better,” he advised, making a compelling argument that I couldn’t ignore.
I stared at Maddox for a moment. Reluctantly, I conceded, my anger still simmering beneath the surface.
“Okay, she can come with us,” I allowed, acknowledging that Maddox had a point.
But I was still very furious and couldn’t forgive Selena just like that.
We made our way to the prison where we had incarcerated Damon, the vampire prince. The air inside was heavy, and the faint scent of dampness filled my nostrils. When we reached his cell, I wasted no time in confronting him.
“What’s your father’s plan, Damon?” I demanded, my voice laced with anger and impatience. The guards responded to my motion, unlocking the cell door.
“What do you mean?” Damon asked, frowning, trying to feign innocence, a thin veneer over his true intentions.
I couldn’t stand the facade.
“Don’t be so innocent,” I growled, my patience wearing thin. “Your father has kidnapped my son. I will not spare either of you if anything happens to him,” I threatened, my anger simmering dangerously.
Damon’s expression shifted from feigned innocence to shock as my words hit him. “Your son?!” he exclaimed, his gaze darting toward Selena, who stood beside me. My blood boiled at the direction of his gaze, and I fought the urge to lash out.
“Yes, my son,” I replied firmly, my voice steely with determination. “Your game is over. Now tell me your plan,” I demanded, fixing him with a penetrating glare.
“Trust me, Alpha Zander. I don’t know about your son, and I have no knowledge of my father’s actions. He didn’t inform me of any such plan,” desperation crept into Damon’s voice as he insisted.
I closed my eyes briefly, taking a deep breath to calm the storm of emotions within me. When I opened them again, I found myself staring at the vampire prince.
My patience was wearing thin, and anger pulsed through me like a raging fire.
“Don’t try my fucking patience,” I growled, clenching my fists as I fought to contain the fury threatening to consume me.
Maddox held me back, his strong grip preventing me from lashing out at Damon. My instincts screamed at me to punch Damon square in the face, but I knew it would only make matters worse.
Damon, seemingly unfazed by my anger, turned his attention to Selena. His eyes bore into hers as he pleaded desperately, “Selena, trust me. I don’t know anything about your child. If I had known, I would have never let that kid get kidnapped.”
“Don’t talk to her. Talk to me instead, if you have the guts, because my son was kidnapped,” I growled angrily.
Selena snapped back at me, her voice tinged with frustration. “He is my son too.”
I shot her a withering glare before turning and locking the cell door. I needed to distance myself from Damon before I did something that would make the situation worse.
As I moved to leave, Damon’s desperate voice called out from behind me, halting my steps.
“Wait, Zander. I can help you get your son from my father’s possession,” he said, his tone more serious now.
I couldn’t help but scoff at his words.
“Really? You want me to believe that you will go against your father and help me get my son back?” I sneered, my skepticism palpable.
Damon remained surprisingly calm.
“Maybe I don’t do this for you, but I will do it for my mate, Selena,” he stated, his words striking a chord.
I couldn’t contain my rage any longer. “Shut up!” I roared. “She is not your mate. So, stop calling her that.” With that, I pushed the cell door open and seized Damon by the throat, my fury finally boiling over.
“We don’t need your help,” I whispered dangerously, my grip on his throat tightening.
Damon choked on my firm hold, struggling to speak. “Don’t be so stupid and make a rash decision. Use your fucking brain, stop thinking from your heart,” he managed to murmur between gasps for air. “I may not know my father’s plans, but I can help you if he has your son,” he suggested, his voice strained but earnest.
My rage had blinded me to Damon’s words, and I was on the verge of snapping his neck when Selena intervened. She grabbed my arm, her touch surprisingly firm, stopping me in my tracks.
“No, Zander. It’s insane. Don’t kill him. Our son is in his father’s possession,” she pleaded desperately. “Listen to him, at least. Perhaps he can help us get our son back,” she pressed, her voice trembling with a mother’s anguish.
“Do you really want me to believe you, Selena? Do you really think I would take his help?” I bellowed, my fury unabated.
Selena’s eyes pleaded with me, her desperation palpable. “Zander, please, just for this time, can we keep our hatred aside and focus on getting our son back from the grasp of the Vampire king?” she persisted, her voice cracking with emotion.
For the first time in my life, I felt a vulnerability I had never known before. I understood how parents could become weak and helpless when it came to their children. And the Vampire King knew this very well. He had kidnapped my son to force me into agreeing to his peace pact and releasing his own child.
I released my grip on Damon’s throat, but my anger and distrust still smoldered within me like a burning ember.
“Okay, Damon,” I said, my voice low and menacing. “Make sure you don’t do anything stupid or try to be too smart, or you’ll be dead the moment you try it,” I threatened, my eyes locked onto his.
He met my gaze with unwavering determination. “Don’t worry, Zander. I gave you my word that you will get your son back, and I will do anything to prove my honesty,” he declared firmly, his resolve clear in his voice.
As I stepped away from the cell, I couldn’t help but seethe with anger. Those filthy vampires had crossed the line. First, their prince had tried to take my mate, claiming she was his, and now their King had taken my son. My patience had run thin, and a deep, burning hatred for the entire Vampire community festered within me. It was only a matter of time before I took action, and when that moment came, I vowed to bring down the entire vampire community for what they had done to my family.