Kamrynn’s POV
I practically ran into my room, clutching Astor against my chest like he was my lifeline. My hands were shaking so badly that it took two tries before I managed to turn the lock, securing the door behind us.
Rmonica followed close behind, still holding Arabella, her face dark with confusion and concern.
“Kamrynn,” she said, voice firm but laced with worry. “What the hell just happened? Who was that man?”
I let out a shuddering breath, my chest heaving as I pressed my back against the door, needing its solidness to ground me. I turned my gaze to Rmonica, whose sharp green eyes were burning with questions.
“That was Calvin,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Rmonica’s entire body stiffened. “Calvin?” she repeated, as if saying his name would somehow make the situation less real.
I nodded. “He-he was here at the party. He approached me. Asked for my forgiveness.”
Rmonica’s eyes flashed with pure, unfiltered rage. “That bastard had the guts to show his face? After everything he did to you?” She paced, her grip on Arabella tightening slightly before she forced herself to relax. “How did he even get an invitation? I never sent any to the Obsidian Pack.”
“That doesn’t matter right now,” I said, shaking my head, trying to push away the panic still gripping my throat. “What matters is keeping my babies away from him.”
Rmonica inhaled sharply, then exhaled through her nose, visibly trying to keep herself from exploding. “Start from the beginning,” she demanded. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
I swallowed, shifting Astor in my arms. “He found me at the buffet table. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but then he touched my shoulder and-” My voice broke, and I swallowed hard before continuing. “He dragged me away from the party. I told him to leave, but he wouldn’t listen. He said he knew the truth now-that I didn’t kill Sherelle.”
Rmonica scoffed. “And he thinks that suddenly makes everything okay?”
“He apologized. He begged for my forgiveness,” I murmured bitterly.
“And you rightfully turned him down,” Rmonica said firmly.
I let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Of course I did.” My fingers clenched around Astor’s blanket. “I told him I would never forgive him. That I wanted nothing to do with him. I even-” I hesitated, my stomach twisting at the memory of my own lie. “I told him I got rid of the pregnancy.”
Rmonica’s eyes widened slightly, but then she nodded in approval. “Good. Let him believe that.”
I exhaled shakily, my voice trembling as I admitted, “But he knows now, Rmonica. He saw them. He knows.”
Rmonica was silent for a moment before she said, “He can’t take them from you, Kamrynn.”
“You don’t know him,” I whispered, my voice raw. “I do. I’ve known Calvin since we were kids, and if there’s one thing about him, it’s that he’s relentless. When he wants something, he doesn’t stop until he gets it.” My eyes burned with fresh tears. “And now that he knows about Astor and Arabella, he’s going to come for them.”
Rmonica stepped closer and cupped my face with her free hand, forcing me to meet her determined gaze. “That’s not going to happen,” she said fiercely. “I won’t let it. We won’t let it.”
I sniffled, nodding, but deep down, the fear still gripped me.
“Relax,” Rmonica continued, her voice softening. “Take a breath. Feed the twins. I’ll go talk to Orion.”
I blinked at her. “Orion?”
“I’ll make sure Calvin leaves first thing in the morning,” she declared. “You won’t have to worry about him after tonight.”
I let out a shaky breath, relief washing over me. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Rmonica gave me a reassuring nod before handing Arabella to me. “Take care of them. I’ll be back soon.”
As she left, I settled onto the bed, cradling both babies in my arms. Astor nuzzled against my chest, Arabella sucking on her tiny fingers, both still sniffling from their earlier cries.
My heart ached.
“I won’t let him take you from me,” I whispered to them. “I promise.”
And with that, I began to nurse them, letting their warmth ease the storm inside me.
Calvin’s POV
My world had just been turned upside down.
I stood frozen in place, my chest heaving, my hands clenched into fists as a storm of emotions tore through me, each one more unbearable than the last.
Happiness.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I had something. I had them- two beautiful pups. My twins. My children. The blood of my blood. They were real. They were alive.
Gratitude.
Despite everything, despite the lies, despite Kamrynn trying to erase my existence from their lives, I was grateful that they had made it into this world. That they had survived, had thrived, had lived.
Awe.
They were breathtaking. My little princess, with her soft features and delicate hands, and my son, so small yet already carrying an air of quiet strength. They were perfect in every way. Had Kamrynn named them? She probably had and I didn’t even know their names. The names of my own children. I had missed everything.
Everything.
The first time they opened their eyes. Their first cries. Their first breaths. Their first moments.
And that’s when the happiness curdled into something darker.
I have been denied my own flesh and blood.
Anger.
It coiled deep in my gut, hot and burning, growing stronger with every breath I took. Kamrynn had lied to me. She had denied me my right to know them. To be with them. To be their father.
Sadness.
Because deep down, I knew why.
Kamrynn had every right to hate me. Every right to want to keep them away from me. And as much as it enraged me, as much as it destroyed me to be cast aside like I was nothing, I couldn’t blame her.
Despair.
Because no matter how much I wanted to change things, I couldn’t.
I had lost what could have been my greatest treasure.
A family.
I could have had a happy home. A mate who loved me. Children who would have looked up to me, who would have called me father with innocent voices.
And it was all gone.
Because of me.
Fenrir raged within me, pacing back and forth inside my mind, his fury barely contained.
“They are ours!” he roared, his voice vibrating through my entire being. “Our pups! We need to claim them!”
I gritted my teeth, trying to keep control of the storm brewing inside me. “I know, Fenrir,” I growled under my breath. “But what do you want me to do? Rip them from Kamrynn’s arms?”
“Yes!” he snapped without hesitation. “Take them! She had no right to keep them from us!”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “She had every right,” I bit out. “And you know it.”
Fenrir’s growl turned into a deep, guttural snarl. “We have been denied our children! She took them away from us! Lied to us! We should have been there for them! Raised them! They should have known us!”
A bitter laugh escaped me. “And whose fault is that?” I snapped. “Mine?” I let my words settle before continuing, my voice cold. “Or ours?”
Fenrir fell silent.
I pressed forward. “Don’t act like you’re innocent in this. You hated Kamrynn. You wanted her to suffer just as much as I did. You wanted to punish her.”
I felt him recoil at my words, but I didn’t stop. “You believed she killed Sherelle. You wanted her dead. And now-what? You’re suddenly on her side?”
Fenrir’s furious pacing slowed, and I felt his rage dim ever so slightly, like a candle flickering in the wind.
“I… I was wrong,” he admitted after a long pause.
I exhaled sharply. “We both were.”
Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.
Then Fenrir grumbled, his tone quieter but still filled with urgency. “We can’t let this happen. We can’t lose them.”
Something inside me clenched. “We already did,” I murmured.
“Then fix it,” he growled.
I swallowed hard, my mind spinning. How? Kamrynn had made it clear-there was no fixing this. There was no happy ending waiting for me.
And yet…
From the corner of my eye, I spotted her.
The woman who had been with Kamrynn. The one who had been holding my daughter.
My entire body tensed as I watched her move through the crowd with purpose, her expression serious, brooding.
I followed her movements, my breath catching when I saw who she approached.
A man sat at a table near the center of the hall, his posture regal, his presence commanding. He exuded authority, his expression calm but unreadable.
I knew exactly who he was.
Orion.
The Alpha of the Blue Bell Pack.
A pit formed in my stomach as the woman spoke with him, her voice hushed but urgent.
And then-
Orion’s sharp, knowing gaze lifted.
And found me.
A subtle, unmistakable challenge passed between us.
My muscles coiled, my wolf baring his fangs inside me.
“He’s challenging us.” Fenrir growled lowly, pacing again. “He knows who we are. He knows why we’re here. He’s daring us to retaliate.”
I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to stay still. Not here. Not now.
“We should fight back,” Fenrir urged, his claws scraping against my mind. “We are Alpha. We don’t back down from challenges.”
I clenched my fists, keeping my breathing steady. “And what good would that do?” I muttered. “We’re in his territory. This is his Pack. The last thing we need is to start a fight with an Alpha on his own land.”
Fenrir let out a guttural snarl, but I could feel him beginning to retreat.
He didn’t like it. I didn’t like it.
But we had to be smart.
After all, the reason I had come here in the first place wasn’t to pick a fight.
It was to form an alliance.
Fenrir let out one last growl but finally fell silent, lurking in the back of my mind, simmering in quiet frustration.
And then-
Orion stood.
My entire body went rigid as he pushed back his chair, his towering frame moving with slow, deliberate steps.
He was coming straight for me.
I squared my shoulders, my jaw tightening.
This conversation…
It wasn’t going to end peacefully.