003| THE CHILD THAT CHOOSE ANOTHER

~Vixen~

I was up before the first ray of sunlight hit, seating in the open prison room that was made for criminals, as though I was one of them.

Burying my head between my legs, I let more tears fall.

It is almost unbelievable to see how I ended like this.

Just then, the locks rattled as someone unlocked the door.  Kael pushed the door open and walked in.

As soon as he entered, I felt all hairs on my body rise, my heart twisting painfully.

“Have you come to mock me, dearest Alpha?” I asked, sarcasm dripping from my every word.

For a moment, something flashed across his eyes—something that looked almost like pain.

“Vie—”

He took a step closer, but I moved back.

“What do you want?” My voice shook lightly, but I swallowed hard.

“I didn’t plan for… for any of this to happen.”

Looking up at him, I scoffed painfully.

“Oh really, you didn’t? That’s big news.”

“Vixen.”

“You slept with my sister, you marked her. I understand you don’t like me, but how could you betray me like this and on our…” I trailed off, unable to bring myself to complete the statement.

I looked away then, tears blurring my vision.

“Olaine is the one I love. If you… if you haven’t tried to kill her and made her run away. None of this would have come to this.”

I turned to him, barely restraining myself from slapping him hard across his face.

“Are you crazy? I didn’t try to kill Olaine. She’s lying, and you believe her.”

He fell silent, enough for me to be stupid enough to think he actually believed me.

But then he spoke again, his voice low, forced.

“We can let all this go. We can all pretend none of this happened, and you won’t be punished for this. Just apologize sincerely to Olaine.”

My heart twisted painfully at that.

“Apologize to Olaine?” I laughed painfully. “Are you crazy? I am never doing that.”

“Vixen. You don’t have any choice. I haven’t punished you yet because of our past, but keep this up and I wouldn’t be able to protect you.”

My chest twisted painfully. I swallowed hard. “I have never even dreamt of harming Olaine. I have been nothing but kind to her, but she had done nothing but harm to me, and you want me to apologize to her?”

He didn’t respond; he only kept his face straight as though to say this wasn’t up for discussion.

I nodded as another tear slid down my face. “Alright. You know what, you can do you whatever you want, but I’m never apologizing to her.”

He moved so fast that I didn’t even notice him coming. In a moment, I was pinned to a wall, his hand on my jaw and his body holding me in place.

“Stop. Being. Stubborn,” he said through gritted teeth.

I smirked, another tear rushing down my face.

“Kael, I loved you for five years, but this is what I get in return. I promise you, you will regret all this one day, when you finally learn the truth.”

His eyes narrowed, and then he let me go. “That’s enough. Apologize to her, or don’t blame me for what I do.”

I nodded weakly. “I won’t stop you.” I shut my eyes briefly. “But before anything, can I see Paul one last time.”

It was strange how I still thought of Paul. Kael was clearly taken aback by that, because he let me go then, taking a step back.

“You can do whatever you want with me. Just let me see Paul again. I promised to read him a bedtime story.” My voice kept shaking and breaking as I said this, tears streaming down my face.

I almost thought he would refuse, but he nodded instead.

“You have ten minutes. After that, I will have to talk to your father and the elders on how to punish you.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t even trust myself to speak without breaking down completely.

I walked past him and left the room.

Outside my room, everything felt different from how I first saw it—or maybe it was my heart that had changed, broken completely and lifeless.

Paul wasn’t in his room, but I learned he was in the garden.

My throat felt tight as I went to see him. It was hard not to see Paul as my own child. I had raised him from when he was just a few months old until now.

From a distance, I saw him playing with his toys. That sight alone was enough to warm my heart a bit.

I felt tears welling up in my eyes, ready to drop. Even if I lost everything, I was glad I had him in my life.

At that same moment, he looked up and a wide smile spread across his face.

“Mom!” he shouted excitedly and got up running towards me amidst giggles.

I couldn’t help the giggles that tore through my own lips as I bent to his level.

But just when I was waiting for him to hug me, he ran right past me, still shouting, “Mom!”

For a moment, everything went silent.

It felt as if the world stopped moving, as if even the wind forgot how to blow.

The smile froze on my lips.

My arms stayed mid-air, empty.

I did not breathe.

Then I slowly turned.

Paul rushed to hug Olaine who also walked in.

“Mom,” he whispered with excitement. “I missed you.”

My heart jumped, I staggered back. “What?”