Chapter 5:
Lumina Finally it was the morning of Ollie's birthday. He'd been home from the hospital for five days, and though still weak, he was so excited that he was bouncing up on the wall despite his weak state. He was unable to stay in one place. "Is Daddy home?" were his first words when he entered the kitchen, his dinosaur pajamas rumpled from sleep. I looked up from the birthday pancakes I was making—green with chocolate chip "spots" to look like his favorite dinosaur. "He had an early meeting, sweetheart, but he promised to be back for your party this afternoon." The fact I lied to him was making my stomach churn with guilt. Xenois hadn't come home at all last night. His side of the bed remained untouched, his phone going straight to voicemail when I called. But I couldn't bear to start his birthday with disappointment. "Can I open one present now?" he asked, as he climbed onto a kitchen stool, his blue eyes- so like his father's -filled with excitement. "One small one," I agreed, as I gave him a wrapped package across the counter. "Happy birthday, my brave boy." He tore into the package with more strength than he'd shown in days, showing a stuffed triceratops. "Mom! It's just like the one in my book!" He hugged it close, beaming. "I thought you'd like it." I said as I dropped a plate of dinosaur pancakes in front of him, decorated with a "5" candle. "Make a wish." Ollie closed his eyes tightly, thinking hard, then blew out the candle. "What did you wish for?" I asked, though I could guess what he wanted. He shook his head slowly as he said. "Can't tell or it won't come true. But I think you know." I did. He wished for his father to show up for him for once. To be the father he needed. To be present in his life. After breakfast, we spent the morning preparing the place up and setting decorations for the small party. Just a few pack's children, some of Ollie's school friends. I'd hired a dinosaur-themed entertainer, ordered his favorite cake, and turned our backyard into a prehistoric wonderland. By two o'clock, everything was ready except for one thing: Xen was still nowhere to be found. "He'll be here," I promised Ollie as I helped him wear his special birthday outfit—a button-up shirt with tiny dinosaurs printed on it. "He promised." The party proceeded without the Alpha's presence. Ollie put on a brave face, laughing with his friends, blowing out candles on his cake, opening presents. But I caught him looking at the door each time it opened, hope in his eyes only to fall when it wasn't his father. By five, most guests had left. Ollie sat quietly on the sofa, his new toys untouched beside him, as he held on tight to the stuffed triceratops. "He's not coming, is he?" he asked as I sat beside him. I pulled him close, fighting back tears as I shook my head. "I don't know, baby. He might still make it." "It's okay." His small voice broke my heart. "Riley's mommy probably needed him more." He sounded resigned while saying this. I was so furious. No five year old boy should be going through this, accepting he's not important for his own biological father. "How about we go get ice cream?" I suggested on the spot trying to make him happy. "Just you and me. We can go to that place by the park with the thirty flavors." His eyes widened as he looked up at me in surprise and disbelief. "Really? Even though I had cake?" "It's your birthday. Double dessert is definitely part of your present." For the first time all day, he smiled widely as he nodded his head. "Can I bring Tricy?" He held up the stuffed dinosaur. "Absolutely. Tricy deserves ice cream too." As we headed out, I left one final voicemail for Xenois: "We waited for you. Ollie held out hope until the end. We're going for ice cream now because I refuse to let your absence ruin his entire day. I don't know where you are or what was more important than your son's fifth birthday, but I hope it was worth breaking his heart." The ice cream parlor was just a few blocks away, within walking distance of our house. Ollie was getting exhausted as we walked, but his excitement at the promise of ice cream kept him going. "What flavor are you thinking?" I asked, holding his hand as we waited at a crosswalk. "Chocolate chip with gummy worms on top," he decided, bouncing on his toes despite his obvious fatigue on his face The light changed to green and we stepped into the crosswalk. That's when I saw it—the massive electronic billboard across from the park, usually displaying city announcements or advertisements. Today it showed a smiling Xenois, arm around Sophia, both beaming at a dark-haired boy blowing out birthday candles on an elaborate cake. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY RILEY!" the caption read, followed by "From Mayor Blackwood and the city of Silver Creek." I froze mid-step shocked at what I was seeing, Ollie's hand in mine. He followed my gaze, his small body going still as he recognized his father celebrating another child's birthday—the birthday he'd promised to spend with his own son. "Mommy?" Ollie's voice was small, sounding confused. "Why is Daddy at Riley's birthday?" Before I could answer, or pull him away from the billboard, I heard the sound of tires screeching. Everything slowed down for me. I turned to see a car headed toward us, the driver's face filled with panic. We were still in the crosswalk, frozen in shock at Xenois betrayal. I moved immediately, shoving Ollie forward with all my strength. He stumbled as he got to the curb while the car slammed into me, sending me flying. I felt a lot of pain and then nothing else as my vision became dark I woke up with Ollie's cries in my ears. He knelt beside me on the pavement, tears running down his pale face. Around us, a crowd had gathered. Someone was calling an ambulance. "Mommy! Mommy, wake up!" I tried to move, to reach for him, but my body wouldn't cooperate at all. Something was very wrong with me. I could taste blood. "Ollie," I managed, sounding hoarse and tired as I scanned him with my eyes. "Are you hurt?" He shook his head, holding Tricy to his chest with one hand while the other patted my face gently. "The car didn't hit me. You pushed me away." I felt relief flooding through my body. He was safe. Nothing else mattered. But then Ollie shook, and stumbled, his face going pale from shock. His eyes rolled back, and he fell beside me on the pavement. "Ollie!" I screamed, as I felt new pain flooding my body trying to move. "Someone help him! Please!" A woman from the crowd rushed forward, checking his pulse. "He's breathing, but barely. The ambulance is coming." I reached for our mate bond, sending a desperate plea to Xenois. Ollie collapsed. We need you. Please.* For the first time in months, I felt the bond come to life. Xen's shock and fear came flooding back to me. He'd received my message. As sirens approached, Ollie's eyes opened slowly as he found me, looking at him. "Mommy," he whispered, his voice sounding weak. "I saw Daddy on the big TV." "I know, baby. I'm so sorry." "Tell him..." he paused, trying to breath, "tell him it's okay. He doesn't have to love me best. I understand." Tears ran down my face. "No, Ollie. He does love you. He does." But Ollie's eyes had drifted to the billboard again, still displaying the happy scene of the birthday Xenois had chosen to attend instead of his own son's. A single tear slid down his pale cheek. "I'm really tired, Mommy." "Stay with me, sweetheart. The doctors are coming. Just hold on." But I could feel that he was slipping from our bond as it was getting weaker and weaker. The mysterious illness was too much for him to battle. "I love you, Mommy," he whispered, his small hand holding on tight to mine. "Don't be mad at Daddy. He just loves Riley more." And then, as the ambulance pulled up and paramedics rushed toward us, Ollie closed his eyes for the last time. His hand went limp in mine, the stuffed triceratops falling forgotten to the pavement as his heart stopped beating.Chapter 121: A Good Morning IndeedXENOISThe morning had started perfectly well, with some sort of clarity that I hadn't felt in months. For the first time since Lumina and Ollie had left, my mind was alert and focused, like a fog had lifted off me that I hadn't even realized was there. I'd woken up energized, ready to take control of my life again and start making the changes that needed to be made, quickly now that I had a chance to make it all right.The meetings with the board representatives from another company who wanted to partner with us because they had ideas of expansion for a project that would benefit everyone had gone better than anyone expected. Thorne had warned them beforehand that I'd been in a terrible mood lately, and I was very prone to anger and harsh decisions that reflected poorly on the pack's leadership. But instead of the angsty Alpha they'd been prepared to face, they'd found me reasonable and easy to work with."The quarter projection revision looks so
Chapter 120: Riley's Last AdventureSOPHIA Riley didn't resist or cry out when I pulled him with a grip that would leave normal bones broken, which only helped to fuel my anger further. The compulsion spell was still working perfectly well, he couldn't disobey me directly, he couldn't fight back or run away. But somehow, he'd found a way to work around it, to strike at the spot where I was most vulnerable.In his room, I checked his necklace first, running my hand along the chain to make sure it was still well fastened and locked around his neck. The pendant was a bit warm against his skin, the magic was still humming with power. Whatever loophole he'd found to remove Xenois's necklace without me knowing, he hadn't been able to use it on his own."Did you think this was going to change anything?" I asked him as I aggressively pulled out clothes from his dresser, throwing together an outfit that was suitable for our trip to the woods. "Did you think being a little hero would someh
Chapter 119: The Necklace Is MissingSOPHIAI was humming softly to myself as I flipped the pancakes in the pan, the sweet smell of breakfast filling the kitchen. Everything was falling into place perfectly. Today was the day I would finally remove the last obstacle standing between me and my happily ever after with Xenois.The sound of footsteps on the stairs made me turn with a bright smile, expecting to see Riley coming down for breakfast. Instead, Xenois walked into the kitchen, already dressed in his business suit and looking more alert than I'd seen him in weeks."Good morning, darling," I said sweetly, gesturing toward the stove. "Breakfast is almost ready. I made your favorite pancakes."But instead of the warm greeting I was expecting, Xenois kept his distance, his expression oddly serious as he leaned against the kitchen counter."Sophia, I've found you a place to live," he said without skipping a beat, his voice sounding businesslike in a way that made my stomach clench wit
Chapter 118: In Another Life, I Would Be Your SonRILEYI nodded eagerly, scooting over to make room for him to sit on the edge of my mattress instead. The book was about a brave little wolf who went on adventures and learned important lessons about friendship and courage. Mr. Xenois had read it with different voices for each character, making me giggle despite the heaviness in my chest.When he'd finished the story and closed the book, I'd looked at him carefully in the soft light from my lamp."Mr. Xenois?" I asked quietly."Yes?""Are you sad that I replaced Ollie?"Mr. Xenois had looked confused, his eyebrows drawing together. "What do you mean, replace him?""I know you're my father," I'd said, the words coming out in a rush before the magic could stop me. Maybe because I was talking to him instead of trying to tell someone about Mommy, the necklace wasn't preventing me from saying this part. "I figured it out, and I want to know if you hate me for that.""Riley," Mr. Xenois had
Chapter 117: The Last DinnerRILEYThe grandfather clock in the dining room chimed at midnight, its deep, resonant tones echoing through the quiet house. I'd been lying in bed since dinner, staring at the ceiling and thinking about everything that had happened today – and everything that was going to happen tomorrow.Dinner was different tonight. Mr. Xenois had come home just as we were sitting down to eat, which surprised both me and Mommy. He'd been staying away from the house ever since he got out of the hospital, and I'd started to think he might never come back.But tonight he'd sat across from me at the big dining table, asking me questions about how I was doing, what I'd been playing with, if I was sleeping okay. His attention felt warm and genuine, not like the distracted way he sometimes looked at me when Mommy was around."I'm sorry I haven't been here more," he'd said, cutting his food but watching my face carefully. "I know I should have been spending time with you, especi
Chapter 116: Fractured Royalties LUMINAI left the office quickly, my mind filled with a lot of conflicting emotions. The conversation with Xenois had shaken me more than I wanted to admit, especially when he'd mentioned that dream about us dying in a car accident.My steps faltered in the hallway as the memory of that terrible night crashed over me.The rain, the desperate need to get away from the pain of watching Xenois choose Sophia and Riley over us again, trying to make Ollie feel better about the broken promise by taking him to get ice cream as an additional treat. the way the car had skidded on the wet pavement, the moment of absolute terror before the impact, Ollie's heart not withstanding the pain and pressure before dying, me dying in his arms...But that was my previous life, my previous death when Sophia had won. How could Xenois have dreamed about it? Was it possible that somehow, in some way, he remembered about it? Or was it simply a coincidence, his subconscious fe