Chapter 3

Damon bent down slightly, his gaze moving back and forth across Noah’s face. “What’s your name? How old are you?”

Noah shrank deeper into my arms.

I was about to take him away when he peeked out from beside my shoulder and answered softly, “My name is Noah. I’m four years old.”

Damon stared at Noah’s features as his fingers slowly tightened.

“Four?” He reached out a hand. “Lift your face and let me have a look. Come here.”

I immediately turned sideways and shielded Noah behind me.

Damon’s hand stopped in midair, and his expression darkened.

“Evelyn, what are you doing? He’s my pup too. You have no right to stop me from holding him.”

I froze for a moment. “What?”

“Isn’t that why you brought him here today, so you could bargain with me?”

Damon straightened and gave a cold laugh. “You’re trying to use the pup to force me to give you what you want, aren’t you?”

This time, I laughed in sheer anger.

Just because Noah had the same eye color as him and the timing seemed to fit, Damon had decided that Noah was his son.

Whispers once again spread through the banquet hall.

“I can’t believe Evelyn secretly gave birth to the Alpha’s pup.”

“Using a child as leverage? That she-wolf really has no shame.”

“Does she actually think having the Alpha’s pup means she can become Greyrock’s Luna?”

Vivian folded her arms and watched me warily.

I pulled Noah in front of me and straightened the collar that had been rumpled earlier.

“Don’t misunderstand. Noah isn’t your son.”

The smile on Damon’s face stiffened.

“Then why does he look so much like me?”

“He looks like his father.”

I enunciated every word clearly. “His father’s name is Kieran.”

Damon suddenly laughed, his voice filled with ridicule.

“So that idiot you mated with has been raising my son for me?”

“Evelyn, you really are vicious. You ran off with my bloodline, took shelter with another male, and even taught my son to call someone else his father?”

Noah clutched the fabric of my dress and looked straight at him without fear.

“I have a daddy! My daddy’s better than you. You’re not my daddy!”

Damon’s fingers slowly curled into fists.

“Evelyn,” he said through clenched teeth, forcing out each word, “you’ve taught my pup to hate me.”

Vivian’s expression darkened beside him.

“Damon.” She raised her voice. “You never marked Evelyn, so this pup is nothing more than an illegitimate child.”

She lifted her chin and deliberately spoke loudly enough for everyone in the hall to hear.

“A bastard of uncertain parentage has no right to take any part of my pup’s territory.”

The banquet hall filled with deliberately hushed murmurs.

Some of the guests even pointed at Noah while repeating the word “bastard” under their breath.

Frightened, Noah pressed himself into my arms.

Tears clung to his long eyelashes as his lips trembled and he looked up at me.

“Mommy, what does bastard mean? Are they talking about me?”

The hurt on his little face made my chest tighten painfully.

Only moments ago, he had been running toward me with a bright smile, calling me “Mommy.”

Now he was so frightened that he could barely bring himself to lift his head.

I bent down and kissed his forehead.

“Don’t listen to them. You’re Mommy and Daddy’s son, and you’re the future heir of the Frostmoon Pack.”

Noah sniffled and tightened his small hand around my collar.

“Still keeping up this act?” Damon said impatiently. “I don’t have time to play along anymore. What do you want? Money, a place to live, or territory?”

He stepped closer, irritation written all over his face. “Just name your price.”

I didn’t answer him again.

Instead, I picked Noah up and turned toward the entrance.

Damon stepped sideways and blocked my path.

“Where do you think you’re taking my pup?”

“Move,” I said coldly. “Once Kieran gets here, you’ll answer for this.”

“You’re the one who brought the pup here to see me, and now you’re pretending to have some dignity?”

“I’m telling you for the last time, he is not your son. Get out of my way!”

Rage twisted Damon’s face.

The next second, he raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

My head snapped to the side, and the metallic taste of blood immediately filled my mouth.

Noah froze. Then he burst into shrill sobs.

“You’re a bad man! Don’t hit my mommy!”

He wriggled free from my arms and charged at Damon with his little fists clenched.

Damon caught him and pulled him into his arms.

“Let me go! You’re a bad man! I don’t want you to hold me!”

Noah struggled desperately, kicking so hard that one of his shoes flew off.

I was just about to lunge forward and take Noah back when a crushing wave of Alpha dominance slammed down over me.

My knees struck the stone floor, scraping the skin raw.