Chapter 8

Samantha's POV

I walked out of Alpha Ric's office, not wanting to admit the state of my heart after our meeting, but somewhere deep down, I knew that seeing him and Lily still together after all those years hurt me. To think they were engaged and to be married enraged me.

My fists were folded tightly around the file Ric had handed to me earlier. I felt suffocated; despite breathing, my chest constricted painfully. I couldn't understand myself at this moment. All those years of building a defense around my heart to be strong, to forget Ric and the love I had for him, right now, it all felt like a waste.

Why was I hurt? Why was I so jealous of Lily?

I didn't realize I had already started tearing up until a teardrop fell from my eyes. I stopped abruptly and wiped the tears from my face, then I looked at my hand to be certain that those were tears.

My breath came out shaky, and my eyes widened in horror. I quickly sniffed back my tears and wiped my face completely of the fluid.

"You better get a grip of yourself, Samantha. He's nothing to us," I cautioned myself, but the past came haunting. I lost my innocence to someone who didn't deserve it, got rejected and heartbroken by the same man, and all those years, life was good to him, and he loved another woman.

I felt anger rise in me to the point my throat constricted, and pain filled me, that I had not realized Luna Tamia was walking towards me on time.

"Mommy!" I heard Adrain call, and that was when I snapped back to reality. Luna Tamia held his hand, but he quickly let go and ran to me. I squatted to his level to welcome him into my arms. I needed the hug so badly that I held him so tight until he winced in pain. "I'm sorry, Adrain, I didn't realize my grip was too tight," I said, patting his hair gently. Then I took his hand and rose to face Luna Tamia.

"Luna Tamia," I called, dipping my head slightly in respect, and she beamed a warm smile at me. My gaze shifted to that of curiosity. I knew I had let Adrain play with some kids at the field when he requested to join them. I didn't expect him to end up in the hands of his grandmother.

I wondered, did Luna Tamia approach him? Had she noticed something too?

"Hello, Samantha. It's really good to see you," she said, and I forced a smile on my face. In truth, I was terribly nervous standing before her.

"Thank you. I hope my son Adrain wasn't bothering you?" I asked, and she shook her head, her face brightening even more at the mention of Adrain.

"Not in the slightest. I saw him walking alone in the hall. He said he was looking for his mom, so we were on our way to find you."

A gasp left my throat, and I briefly glanced at Adrain before returning my gaze to her.

"I apologize for the stress he caused you. It won't happen again," I said, but she didn't seem bothered at all.

"I was actually hoping to meet you, Samantha. How about tea by evening at the garden?" she said, and I didn't feel good about it. First was Ric, and now his mother. I swallowed hard, feeling a bitter taste in my mouth.

That wasn't a request; it was a demand in a subtle way, and I had to bend to it. ________

Alaric's POV

It had been six years since I let go of the woman I swore to love like I had never loved anyone. She was my mate, and yet I rejected her.

The moment Samantha walked through the door, I wasn't ready for what happened next. I froze and got lost in a trance. She was strikingly different from what I remembered her to look like.

Her usual rumpled blonde hair was neater now, wavy and rich. Her facial features were more enhanced: her striking high cheekbones, plump, pink lips, her innocent eyes that held within them a storm of emotions despite her attempt to conceal it, and her curves....

I could remember my hands wrapping around her tiny waist six years ago. Every part of her looked soft, as soft as they felt in my hands that night.

It wasn't guilt I felt seeing Samantha return. It was gladness that I got to see her again, and that feeling scared me to my core. I had a fiancée I had been together with for six years and a wedding to plan, so how could another woman make my heart skip?

I was walking along the field, heading to the training ground with Kayson my beta, when I saw little kids playing by the field. I chuckled, admiring them. I had imagined my kid playing one day with them, but that required me to be married and bear a legitimate heir with Lily. But right now, the thought of having a kid with Lily didn't excite me.

I was soon swayed from my thoughts when I saw the kids fighting. Three of the kids had gathered around one, trying to bully him to get the ball from his hold. I didn't tolerate bullying in my pack, so I went to correct their mindset, but to my surprise, the kid with the ball had overpowered the other three, pushing them to the ground.

Kayson and I rushed to the scene, helping the crying kids up. We managed to calm the kids from crying, then I turned to the stronger kid but was completely left speechless and shaken to my bones when my eyes met his.

"Alpha, I think one of the kids is..." Kayson stopped, as if he had noticed the same thing I did. "...bruised," he completed his sentence and remained quiet after that.

I looked more closely, and I wasn't mistaken, his eyes were exactly as mine. "It's my turn to play, but they won't let me," the boy defended, and I had to hold it all together. I let out a nervous sigh and nodded, placing my hands above his on the ball.

I shook slightly the moment my hands came into contact with him. There was something about him that sparked curiosity in me. His aura seemed to dominate the other kids.

"What's your name, boy?" I asked, and he pulled his hand forcefully from me.

"I'm not telling you, Mister," he said and ran off with the ball. I wanted to go after him but realized how weird it would look chasing after a kid. The others ran as well, and I turned to Kayson, who didn't seem as curious as I had expected.

"Who is that boy?" I asked, my curiosity growing by the second. He hesitated a little before answering.

"He is Samantha's son, Alpha." I was shocked to hear that, then I looked in the direction the boy had gone. The similarity was uncanny.

"She has a son?" I muttered.

I didn't want to think it or consider it. Samantha and I made love on the night we found out we were mates. Was there a chance that that boy was my son?