Chapter 5

My heart was beating so hard it felt like it would break my ribs. I stood my ground, even though every part of me wanted to run. Asher was standing so close that I could see the tiny flecks of silver in his blue eyes. He looked older and more tired, but he still had that same power that made everyone in the room hold their breath.

"I asked you a question, Lana," he said. His voice was quiet but heavy. "Whose children are those?"

I took a slow breath, trying to keep my face calm. I had spent years preparing for this. "They are my sons, Asher. That is all you need to know."

Asher let out a short, dry laugh. He turned away and started to pace the small room. He looked like a caged animal. "Your sons. You disappear for eight years. Everyone tells me you were killed, I saw the torn clothes, I saw the blood on the ground. And now you show up here with three boys who look just like me."

"They don't look like you," I lied. It was a lie. Lucas had his jawline. Mathew had his eyes. Jacob had his exact smile.

Asher stopped pacing and looked at me. His eyes were dark. "Don't play with me. I am the Alpha now. I know everything that happens in this pack."

"You didn't know I was alive," I pointed out. "So you don't know everything."

He winced. It was a tiny crack in his mask. "I looked for you, Lana. For months, I went into those woods. I almost lost my mind trying to find you."

"You banished me," I reminded him. My voice is steady now. "You stood in your room with my sister and told me to leave or you would kill me. You didn't look for me. You threw me away."

Asher stepped closer again. He looked like he wanted to touch me, but he kept his hands at his sides. "Things were hard back then. My father was pushing me, Amelia was lying. I thought I was protecting you by sending you away."

"Protecting me?" I felt a surge of anger. "I was eighteen. I had no wolf. I had no money. You sent me into a forest full of killers."

Asher’s eyes narrowed. "I was a fool, Lana. I know that now."

The door to the lab opened suddenly. A guard looked in. "Alpha, the Beta needs you. Another child has fallen sick."

Asher didn't even look at him. "Tell them to wait."

"But sir, they say it's urgent."

Asher closed his eyes and rubbed his face. He looked back at me, and for a moment, the cold Alpha was gone. He just looked like a man who was drowning.

"I have to go," he said. "But we are not done. You stay in this wing. If you try to leave, the guards will stop you."

"I have work to do," I said, turning back to my microscope. "If you want your people to live, let me do it."

I heard the door shut. I sank into my chair. My legs were shaking, my wolf was howling inside my head. She was scared, but she also felt a strange pull toward him that I hated.

I worked for hours, I looked at blood samples until my eyes hurt, the sickness was moving fast. Around midnight, a nurse brought me food. She was a young girl, maybe nineteen.

"Are you really the famous Dr. Montgomery?" she asked.

"I'm just a doctor," I said. "How many new cases?"

"Four," she said, her lip trembling. "One is my brother. They say once the wolf dies, the human dies too."

"I'm doing my best," I promised.

After she left, I couldn't focus, I needed to see my boys. I walked over to the side door and opened it quietly. The room was dim. My three sons were piled together on the bed, they looked so peaceful.

I sat on the edge of the bed and touched Mathew’s hair.

"Mummy?" a small voice whispered. It was Jacob.

"Go back to sleep, baby," I whispered.

"Where's Jasper?" he asked. "I want to show him my toys."

"He'll be back soon," I said. My heart ached. Jasper was the only father they knew.

I went back into the lab. An hour later, there was a knock, I thought it was a guard, but it was Amelia. She was in a fancy robe, and her face was full of makeup. She pushed past me into the room.

"It smells bad in here," she said.

"What do you want, Amelia?" I asked. I didn't use a fake name. I was too tired.

Amelia froze. She turned around slowly. Her face went white. "Lana? No. You're dead. He told us you died."

I stepped toward her. "Stay away from my husband," Amelia hissed, trying to look brave. "I don't care if you're a doctor. You're still just a maid to me. You won't take my place."

"I don't want your place," I said. "I just want to save these people and leave. You can keep Asher. He’s not the man I thought he was anyway."

Amelia tried to slap me, but I caught her wrist. I squeezed it until she winced. "I am not that weak girl anymore. I have a wolf now. If you touch me or my kids, I will hurt you."

I pushed her toward the door. She ran out, looking terrified.

I went to the hall to get some air. I found Asher sitting on a bench with his head in his hands. He looked broken.

"The elders want to give up," Asher said without looking up. "They think it's a curse."

"It's not a curse," I said. "Someone is poisoning your pack, Asher. I found traces of it in the blood."

He looked up. His eyes were red. "Who would do that?"

"I don't know yet. But I need to see the first person who got sick."

Asher stood up. He walked over to me. "Why didn't you tell me you were alive? Why didn't you send a message?"

"Because you didn't want me," I said.

"I was a kid," he whispered. "I was scared of my father. I thought you would be safer far away from here."

"I was safe," I said. "Until today."

Asher looked at me for a long time. "I saw them, Lana. I went into the room while you were busy."

My heart stopped.

"They have my eyes," he said. A tear fell down his face. "And they have the Alpha mark on their shoulders. I saw it."

I couldn't speak.

"They are mine," he said. "Those three boys... they are my sons."

I looked at the floor. I couldn't lie anymore.

Asher let out a shaky breath. "Eight years. I missed everything."

"You didn't just miss time," I said. "They don't even know who you are. They call Jasper 'Uncle'."

Asher’s face changed. The sadness turned into something hard and strong. He stood tall like an Alpha.

"That ends today," he said. "I don't care about Jasper. Those are my heirs. I am not letting you take them away again."

"You can't keep us here!" I cried.”Just reject me, you have a wife, I don't want anything to do with you.”

"Watch me," he said. He leaned in, his voice a low growl. "You are the mother of my children. You are safe here, I will only grant your wishes once you help my pack."

He turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the dark. I looked at him walking away, I will be damned if I let someone control my life again.