CHAPTER 31

JAYDEN

I leaned forward slowly, my glare locked on his. “Who the hell are you really?” My voice was low, steady, edged with the growl that never belonged to men. “Because no normal cop knows what I am.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, his smirk darkening into something uglier. His silence was worse than words, like he was letting me drown in the truth he refused to give. His eyes went cold, a chill that slid straight into my bones.

Then—he drew back, casual as if nothing had passed between us.

The door creaked open. The chief returned, a stack of papers in hand. He didn’t spare his colleague a second glance as he dropped the documents onto the desk. “Mr. Evers, sign here.”

I scanned the fine—reckless driving, overspeeding, endangerment. A joke compared to what I’d feared. I scrawled my name, teeth gritted. The chief slid me the final page. “You’ll also need to pay this sum.”

I shoved the cash across the desk without hesitation. My wrists still burned where the cuffs had sat.

“Fine is settled. You’re free to go,” the chief said curtly, pushing my car keys toward me. “But do not speed again. Next time, you won’t be walking out so quickly.”

I gave a sharp nod, biting back the words that wanted to rise.

The hostile officer lingered in the corner, his eyes still cutting into me as though we both knew this wasn’t finished. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

I pushed out of the station, into the night air.

Sliding behind the wheel, I started the car and pulled away, the city lights streaking past me. This time, I kept my speed just under the limit, not out of obedience—but because I needed to get there, no interruptions.

With one hand tight on the wheel, I grabbed my phone with the other. My thumb hovered only a second before I pressed call.

“Catriona…”

The call had ended with her voice tight—relief tangled with anger—and the drive to the hospital had never felt so long. Even when I finally pulled into the lot, my chest didn’t ease. My wolf prowled under my skin, restless, demanding I get to them faster.

I shoved the car door open and strode toward the hospital entrance. The sterile brightness of the halls burned my eyes after the night outside.

Then I saw her.

Catriona stood outside Abriel’s room, her hands twisted together, her face pale but set with that familiar steel. The moment her eyes found me, her body broke its stillness. She closed the distance in a rush, throwing herself into my arms.

I caught her, holding her against me, inhaling her scent like I’d been starved for it.

“Why are you out here?” I murmured, leaning back just enough to search her face. “How’s Abriel?”

Her eyes flickered, her lips trembling. “He’s fine. Awake. Stable.” She drew a shuddering breath. “But we’ve got another problem.”

My gut tightened. “What problem?”

She bit her lip, then forced the words. “He called Gabriel ‘Daddy’ again. He refused to leave his side. He wouldn’t even let me take him back.”

For a moment, fire lit through me. My fists clenched—but then I saw the pain in her eyes, the helplessness she’d been carrying all day.

I exhaled slowly, my hand cupping her cheek. “I know it’s the old man. I know now. But listen—our boy has been through enough. We don’t have to push him, not now. If he wants Gabriel, then… let him. For now. Until—”

Her voice cut me off, sharp with urgency. “But Gabriel told me the witch refused to help you. She sent you away.”

My jaw hardened. My hands gripped her shoulders. “I’ll go back tomorrow. I’ll convince her—no matter how hard I have to push. I will.”

Her eyes searched mine, desperate. “Maybe… maybe if we take Abriel with us, she won’t turn us away. If she sees him—if she sees what’s happening to him—she might have a change of heart. She can’t just send a child back who’s fighting spirits inside his own body. She wouldn’t. Would she?”

Her words hung heavy in the space between us.

I stayed silent for a moment, the thought sinking in, the risk of it gnawing against the hope. Then finally, I gave a slow nod.

“That,” I said, my voice low, “would be a great idea.” I leaned down, pressing my forehead to hers for just a second before pulling back. “Let me first see my son.”

I pushed the door open, my chest tight as I stepped inside.

And there it was—the sight that nearly cracked me in two.

Abriel was curled against Gabriel, his tiny arms wrapped around his neck, his face pressed into his shirt as though it were the safest place in the world. His stuffed wolf dangled forgotten in one hand.

Gabriel sat stiff in the chair by the bed, his eyes lifting to mine the moment I entered. There was no triumph there, no smugness—only a weary heaviness that matched the weight pressing against my ribs.

But it didn’t matter. My son was clinging to him. Not me.

For a heartbeat, I just stood there, frozen, the wolf in me snarling, my human heart breaking.

“Daddy,” Abriel whispered again, his small voice muffled against Gabriel’s chest.

The word carved straight through me like a blade.

I swallowed the fire in my throat, forcing my voice steady as I stepped closer. “I’m here now, Abriel.”

But he didn’t move. He didn’t even look at me. His hold on Gabriel only tightened, as though letting go of him would mean losing everything.

Gabriel’s gaze stayed on me, unblinking, waiting—for what, I didn’t know. Permission. A fight. Something.

And all I could think was: This isn’t him. This is the old man twisting my boy against me again.

I clenched my fists, holding myself together by sheer will, and stepped closer to the bed.

I crouched beside the bed, lowering my voice. “Come on, Abriel. Daddy’s here. Let’s get you back to bed, huh?”

For a moment, his grip on Gabriel only tightened. My heart squeezed. Then his lashes fluttered. Sleep, heavy and unrelenting, pulled him under.

Slowly, his arms loosened. Gabriel eased him back, kissing the crown of his curls before settling him against the pillows. He pulled the blanket over Abriel’s small frame with a careful hand.

I straightened, my chest tight. “Let’s have a word.”

Gabriel met my eyes and nodded once.

We stepped out into the hallway, Catriona at my side. I caught her hand and squeezed it as the door shut behind us, leaving Sandra inside to keep watch.

I turned to Gabriel, my voice edged but controlled. “Man, don’t get confused just because my son called you—”

“Fuck that, Jayden,” Gabriel cut in, sharp and certain. “I’m very aware of what’s going on. So relax.”

I held his gaze for a long beat, then exhaled hard through my nose. “Fine. Then… Thank you. For staying with my family.”

Both Catriona and Gabriel stared at me like I’d grown a second head.

I kept my eyes on him. “I mean it.”

The words weren’t easy, but they were true.

Catriona broke the silence first, her brows furrowed. “What happened to you the whole day? You should’ve been here hours ago.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, jaw flexing. “The truth? The police. They pulled me over for speeding. Took me in, held me. And there was this officer who's been a dick—” My voice darkened. “He knew what I was. He knew I was a werewolf.”

Her eyes widened, her breath catching.

“Why?” she asked softly. “Why would he be such a jerk to you specifically?”

Gabriel folded his arms, his expression grim. “Because men like him have a reason. His anger toward wolves doesn’t come out of nowhere. He’s probably lost someone—family, friends—to a werewolf attack.”

Catriona’s hands clenched at her sides. “But why wouldn’t he report it? Why not go to the police, make it official?”

Gabriel gave a humorless laugh. “He probably did. And no one believed him. Because in this world—” his eyes cut to me—“werewolves don’t exist. Not officially.”

I turned to Gabriel, squaring my shoulders. “Well, I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow’s plan—about facing Selena again.”

His brow arched, his tone sharp. “What plan? The kind that doesn’t end with her blasting us halfway across the mountains with her deadly magic?”

Beside me, Catriona’s head snapped toward me. “She blasted you with magic?” You didn’t tell me that part.

I clenched my jaw. “I knew you’d worry. Look, I’m perfectly fine.”

Her eyes narrowed, lingering on me, searching my face. That look told me she wasn’t convinced—not for a second.

I dragged my gaze back to Gabriel. “Catriona suggested we take her and Abriel with us. Selena’s a powerful witch. If she sees Abriel herself, sees what’s inside him, she won’t turn us away.”

Gabriel gave a slow, cautious nod. “It’s a good idea. But don’t you think we’d be putting the boy in more danger?”

Catriona cut in before I could answer, her voice breaking. “He’s already in danger, Gabriel. If we wait another day, I’m scared I might lose my boy for real this time. I can’t—” her throat worked as tears pricked her eyes—“I can’t face that fate again.”

I pulled her close, holding her against me, her pain bleeding into mine. Three children lost already. And the daughter… My chest ached, a truth pressing against my ribs.

Catriona’s daughter wasn’t mine. She was Gabriel’s.

Not even she knew it—not to this day. And if I spoke it aloud, everything between us, between them, would change forever.

The weight of it crushed me, my wolf pacing hard.

“Jayden?” Catriona’s voice nudged me back, sharper this time. “What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” I said too quickly.

Her eyes narrowed. “How do you say nothing when you’ve been gone in your head for over a minute?”

Gabriel pushed off the wall, his tone clipped. “Then let’s leave it there. Tomorrow morning, we meet again. I’ll head back to the hotel.”

I gave a short nod, watching him stride down the hall, his figure swallowed by the sterile light. That heaviness sank back into me, heavier than before. The urge to tell him burned like fire against my tongue.

We stepped back into Abriel’s room. Sandra was still at her post, perched on the chair, her eyes sharp and watchful.

“You should head back to the hotel and rest,” I told her. “We’ll stay here tonight.”

Her lips parted, the protest already forming. “I’d rather stay, Alpha—”

I cut her off, my voice leaving no room for argument. “That’s an order. Go.”

For a moment she hesitated, then her shoulders dropped. She bowed her head. “Goodnight, Alpha. Goodnight, Catriona.”

Catriona managed a small smile through her exhaustion. “Call us when you get back safely.”

Sandra nodded. “I will.” Then she slipped out, leaving the room quiet again, just the three of us.

I turned to Catriona. “Lay down too. You look exhausted.”

She didn’t argue, just gave a faint nod before easing onto the bed beside Abriel. Her hand rested lightly on his chest, her breathing softening almost instantly. Sleep claimed her before she could say another word.

I stayed in the chair, watching them. My son, my mate—peaceful, for now. My chest felt like stone, heavy with everything unsaid, everything I carried alone.

That was when the old man’s voice slithered through my head.

Tell him. Tell Gabriel about his daughter… or I will make you.