The fight

Selene hesitated outside the house. She had never called him before, not ever. But today, she took out her phone and scrolled to his number.

Her thumb hovered over the call button. What’s the worst he can do? Hang up?

She pressed it.

“What is it?!” Kyle's voice thundered through the phone, low and harsh.

Selene froze, her heart leaping to her throat.

“I— I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I just… I came by, but you weren’t home. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

There was silence for a beat before his voice came again, colder than ice. “Since when do you care where I am?”

Her stomach sank. “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just—”

“I’m busy,” he muttered. And just like that, the line went dead.

Selene stared at the phone, her chest tight. Why did his voice cut her so deep? She had no reason to expect kindness from him. Not anymore.

" More importantly, why do I fear offending him?' Selene wondered as she left to finish her other tasks before returning home.

By the time she got home, Liam was already back from school. His shirt was scuffed, and his knuckles were red.

“Liam, what happened?” Selene demanded.

“Nothing,” he muttered, but the anger in his voice told her otherwise. “Some kid said something about you. I told him to shut up.”

“Liam…” Her heart ached, but before she could say more, the sound of a truck engine roared up the driveway.

Selene’s breath caught when Kyle’s black truck stopped in front of the house. As if scared that she'd done something awful and had to apologize so as to not offend him. It was just the same as she felt earlier when she called him.

He stepped out, his expression unreadable but intense.

For a moment, Selene’s heart leaped.

Was he here for her?

“Kyle,” she started, but he cut her off.

“I heard about the fight, and came rushing down here,” he said, his gaze sliding past her to Liam.

Selene blinked, confused as to him not coming for her but for Liam . “What fight?”

“Don’t ‘what fight’ me, Selene,” Kyle said sharply. “We need to talk about this.”

Selene’s pulse spiked. Whatever hope she’d had that he came for her crumbled, but the thrill of his presence lingered anyway.

Of course she knew Liam had gotten into a fight, she just didn't want to add to the list of things she'd done to offend Kyle. And she was willing to play innocent to achieve this.

Kyle’s eyes were locked on Liam, but Liam didn’t look afraid. He looked… angry. His fists were clenched at his sides, his young face twisted into something raw and defiant.

“You think you can just show up and tell me how to live my life?” Liam burst out before Selene could say a word. “You’re not my dad! You don’t know anything about me!”

“Liam—” Selene tried to calm him, but he stepped back, his voice rising.

“No! You don’t get it, Mom. I don’t want him here! I don’t want him acting like he can be some kind of father. I already know what kind of place this is. Everyone in this stupid hometown hates you! They all talk about you like you’re nothing. And now you’re letting him—”

“Liam!” Selene’s sharp voice cut through his tirade, stopping him before he could go too far. Her chest heaved as she stared at her son, shocked by his sudden eruption.

Liam’s face crumpled for a moment before he turned and bolted up the stairs, slamming his bedroom door with a force that made the walls rattle.

The house went quiet. Selene stood frozen, the echo of Liam’s words ringing in her ears. She turned slowly to Kyle, her chest still tight.

“I’ll… I’ll talk to him,” she muttered, brushing a hand through her hair.

Kyle’s jaw was clenched, his gaze dark and unreadable. “Be careful,” he said, his voice low and steady. “That feeling he has? That rage? I know it too well. I don’t want to see him end up like...” he trailed off his words.

Selene blinked at him. The weight in his voice was heavy, heavier than she’d ever heard him speak before. It wasn’t just an Alpha’s warning. It was personal. Too personal.

She swallowed hard. “Why do you care so much about him?” she asked softly.

Kyle didn’t answer right away. He looked away, his hands tightening into fists as if he was holding something back. “ Because someone has to teach him to control it. Before it consumes him.”

The way he said it sent a shiver through her. There was something in Kyle's gaze. It wasn't just hate, but a shadow of his own past. A wound that never healed.

Selene nodded quietly. “All right… I’ll accept your help. For Liam.”

Kyle’s dark eyes flicked back to her. “About this morning,” he said suddenly, his voice softer than she expected. “I shouldn’t have been so harsh on the phone. I was… busy with work.”

Selene froze, stunned. Kyle apologizing wasn’t something she’d ever imagined. “Oh… I’m sorry too,” she murmured, her tone almost shy. “I shouldn’t have called like that. I just- never mind.”

His brows lifted slightly. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

Her mind went blank. She couldn’t ask him for money now. Not after all this. Heat rose to her cheeks, and she shook her head, avoiding his gaze. “It’s nothing. It’s not important.”

Kyle smirked faintly, the expression cutting but oddly teasing. “Nothing, huh? you shouldn't speak that dismissively about matters of the heart?”

Selene's breath caught. “What- what do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said.” His voice dropped lower, a hint of amusement in it. “You’re bad at hiding your thoughts, Selene.”

Her pulse raced.

Was he teasing her? Flirting? Before she could respond, he nodded toward Liam’s room. “Go talk to your son first. He needs you.”

Selene nodded quickly, but as she turned toward Liam’s door, something made her stop. Kyle’s words from training yesterday echoed in her mind:

" Sometimes, the one truly hurt doesn’t look like the victim, but the villain."

She turned back, her voice soft. “Kyle… about what you said yesterday, I—”

But the doorway was empty. He’d already walked out.

A sigh left her lips, and she sulked slightly as she went to Liam’s room, donning her best “serious mom” face.