10

LEONARDO

“Perhaps you could adopt a child. I mean why not?”

Nina’s voice sounded in my head again. I couldn’t take her little voice out of my mind. She had said those words so casually the last time I visited the orphanage.

It stuck.

And then I saw this ad.

It said I could connect with anyone I wanted—even single mothers. It didn’t sit right with me. Hell, I hated it. But I had no choice. I needed an heir to take over the way I had from my father. It was tradition. Legacy.

Eventually, after searching endlessly, I found a woman who had a newborn.

Actually—twins. A boy and a girl.

It made sense to choose a woman with newborns. Her reward? Becoming Luna. Her child—children—would have a father. I would get an heir. A win-win.

But when I saw the picture of her kids… I froze.

They looked familiar. Too familiar.

I knew I was hallucinating. I had to be. Still, the resemblance nagged at my mind like a loose thread. I shook the thought off. I couldn’t afford distractions.

I didn’t want her to know it was me—Alpha Leonardo—reaching out. If she knew, she might instantly give herself to me for the money and position. That wasn’t what I wanted.

So, I introduced myself as Andrew, a mechanic. A nobody.

I sat in front of my laptop, eyes on her inbox. My hands hovered over the keyboard.

I hadn’t engaged a woman in conversation in years. Not since Bianca died. Even before that, I wasn’t the type to flirt or talk. I had a pack to run. A kingdom to manage.

But this? This was different.

Finally, I sent the text: Hi, I’m Andrew. I fix cars. What’s your name?

It was awkward. But honest. Not genuine honest.

She didn’t reply right away, which annoyed me more than I cared to admit. When she finally did, her answer was short:

“Maya.”

Maya?

That name stirred something in me. It sounded so damn familiar, but I ignored the feeling. Maybe it was the guilt.

Staring at the screen, I sighed. Why did this feel so wrong? Like I was cheating on Bianca. She was dead, and yet her memory still wrapped around me like chains. Maybe her spirit was cursing me. Maybe that was why nothing had been going right.

Maybe I should stop this altogether.

“No,” my wolf growled. “An heir. We can’t give up.”

He was right. I needed someone to take over. Someone to carry my name.

Someone to call family.

I typed again: Why do you want a father for your kids? You have two, right?

Her profile had said she had twins. Newly born. Looking for a father.

This time, she replied fast. And not very nicely.

“None of your damn business. Is this how to speak to a lady? You came into my DMs asking random questions. Do you not know how to be polite or make a woman feel safe? I can already tell you won’t be a good father to my kids. Bye!”

I blinked. What the hell?

Who did she think she was talking to? Didn’t she know who I was?

Wait—no. She didn’t. She thought I was Andrew. A nobody.

Was that why she disrespected me?

I typed two question marks and hit send, hoping to understand her attitude.

Boom.

Blocked.

Her profile vanished. Her pictures. The babies. Everything.

I sat there, stunned.

Did I come off too strong? Did I rush things?

Maybe.

Still, did she have to be so mean?

I shut my laptop, the weight of rejection sitting heavy on my chest. First day, and I got blocked. Perfect.

I needed air.

Damn, that actually hurt my freaking ego. First time talking to a girl without the aid of the mate bond and I messed up. No.

No.

I didn't mess up.

She just didn't see my potential.

She probably responded that way because she thought I was a mechanic. She was the gold digger!

But those kids?!!

They really looked familiar.

Like me.

* * *

MAYA.

“You know, maybe getting a man to be a father for your kids wouldn’t be so bad,” Stella said casually as she poured juice into a glass.

We had been talking about the secret. There was someone how there who knew about the kids and that they belonged to Leonardo. Goodness, I hadn't been able to take that out of my head. There was a big

I rolled my eyes. “And what will that do?”

The thought of getting a man had never crossed my mind. My world revolved around revenge. The babies. And survival.

I love my children. So much. It breaks me that they have to grow up like this—hidden, secret, tainted by the weight of my revenge.

But what Leonardo did… what he took from me… I couldn’t let it go. I wouldn’t.

“This way, no one would suspect you,” Stella said, placing the glass on the table. “Not Leonardo. Not the messenger. They’d think the new man is their father.”

I stared at her, lips pressed tight.

“Okay,” I muttered. “Maybe you’re right. But what sane man wants a woman with two newborns?”

I chuckled bitterly. “I’ve given up on love. Family. Marriage. Who would marry me?”

“Well,” Stella said with a grin, “there Is this app for single mothers. It’s called Momkind. Men there are actually looking for moms. So, you don’t have to hide your babies.”

“Momkind?” I laughed. “That sounds so fake.”

“What’s funny?” she shot back. “You know what? I’m signing you up. Right now.”

She snatched my phone off the table before I could protest and ran around the kitchen island like a damn child.

“Stella, you’re crazy!” I laughed.

“Hey! I’m way older than you,” she said with mock seriousness.

“Four years, Stella. Chill.” I snorted. Ever since she found out I was younger, she’d been acting like she was my mom or something.

“Okay, done!” she said after a few minutes of battling with my phone.

“You have a profile now.” She paused. Her eyes widened. “Oh wow, you already have a message!”

She squealed, raising her arms dramatically.

“So fast?” I frowned.

“Probably because I uploaded pictures of your babies,” she said with a wicked grin.

My heart skipped. “What the hell? You know they look like Leonardo! What if someone recognizes them?”

“Calm down,” she waved me off. “There

There is no way Leonardo is on this app. He is too proud. Too impatient. He never even asked out the women he dated, his creepy stepsister did all the work!”

I gave her a hard stare… but she had a point.

Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming. Something unexpected. Perhaps it was that letter. I needed to trace where it came from!