The unexpected encounter.

Alice POV

“Umm, Principal Margaret, can you please… first of all, is my son okay?” I asked, my voice trembling with worry.

From the other end of the line, Principal Margaret let out a reassuring sigh. “He is, but you need to be here as soon as possible,” she said, her tone filled with urgency.

“Thank goodness he’s alright. “I’m coming right away,” I said before ending the call.

Andrew frowned. “Is everything alright?” Andrew asked, his brows knitting together with concern.

“I just got a call from my son’s school, and I need to be there as soon as possible,” I blurted out almost immediately.

“I’ll come with you,” Andrew offered without hesitation.

I quickly shook my head. “No need. They said Bryan is okay, but I need to get there and see him for myself.”

“Alright,” he purred. “Go ahead. I’ll find someone to replace you while you’re away.”

I thanked him before hurrying out of the hospital, still wearing my nurse’s uniform as I silently prayed that whatever had happened wasn’t serious.

When I finally arrived at my son’s school, I hurried straight to the principal’s office and saw Bryan sitting quietly on a bench outside the office. His school uniform was slightly wrinkled, and a faint bruise marked one of his knuckles, making my heart sink.

“Bryan!” I called out as I rushed over and sat beside him, but my eyes instantly widened in shock.

“Bryan… what happened to your face? Who did this to you?” I yelled.

The corner of my son’s lip was bruised, one of his cheeks had swollen slightly, and his hair was messy as though he had been in a struggle.

“Who did this?” I demanded again.

“I…”

Before Bryan could answer, the principal’s office door opened.

I immediately rose to my feet and looked toward the woman standing in the doorway.

“Good afternoon, Principal Margaret,” I greeted quickly. “Please… what happened to my son?”

She let out a weary sigh.

“Your son was involved in a fight with another student,” she explained. “Alpha Damien Ashford of this Silvermoon Pack is extremely upset about what happened and has demanded to you.”

“What?” I exclaimed. “Bry… Bryan wouldn’t just fight someone without a reason.”

“Bryan… did you fight with one of your classmates?”

Bryan nodded, tears filling his eyes. “I… I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry,” he whispered before bursting into tears.

My heart ached as I immediately crouched in front of him and gently cupped his cheeks.

“Hey, baby,” I murmured softly. “Can you tell Mommy why you fought with your classmate?”

Bryan sniffed his nose as he swallowed hard. “Ethan said that I’m fatherless and that… he said that no one wants to be my daddy. I… I told him to stop, but he got angry and punched me,” Bryan said between sobs. “I only hit him back because he hit me first.”

I let out a trembling sigh as I pulled him into a warm embrace while gently rubbing his back.

“Bryan,” I called gently, forcing myself to stay calm despite the anger burning inside me. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, sweetheart. You don’t have to apologize because you didn’t do anything wrong by standing up for yourself.”

I wiped the tears streaming down his cheeks with my thumb. “Fighting isn’t the answer, okay? Next time, if someone says something hurtful, tell your teacher instead.”

“Mom, I’m sorry,” he whispered, more tears streaming down his eyes. He lowered his head, refusing to meet my eyes as though he was afraid I would be disappointed in him. “I won’t… Mom, I won’t do it again,” he added.

Just then, I heard footsteps approaching from behind me. I turned my head around, and it was Alpha Damien Ashcroft and his son as they walked into the principal’s office without sparing Bryan or me a single glance.

“Miss Whitmore, please come inside. We need to discuss about what happened,” Principal Margaret said before turning around and walking back into her office. Bryan and I followed behind her.

Inside the office, Alpha Damien took his seat on the chair opposite Principal Margaret’s desk. There was another vacant chair beside him, so Bryan and I took our seats there.

At this moment, he wasn’t the Alpha of this pack in my eyes. He was simply a father, just as I was a mother.

“Miss Whitmore and Alpha Damien, you both need to…”

“Pfft!” Alpha Damien scoffed, his deep voice cutting Principal Margaret off. “Young lady, from what I was told, my son and yours were only playing around, just as children do, and your son had the nerve to hit mine for no good reason.” He stated, his voice laced with displeasure.

“Is that what Ethan told you? That he and Bryan were playing, and Bryan suddenly decided to hit him?” I questioned, my eyes fixed on him.

Alpha Damien tilted his chin proudly. “Then tell me, isn’t that exactly what happened?”

“No!” I swiftly protested. “That’s not what happened, okay? Your son called Bryan fatherless and made fun of him. “He kept saying no one would ever want to be my son’s father and when Bryan told him to stop, Ethan got angry and beat him up, so…”

“That’s enough. You’re twisting the story to make your son look innocent.” Alpha Damien interrupted. “Ethan was only joking around. Your son simply overreacted and decided to throw the first punch.” Alpha Damien added.

In rage, I swiftly rose from my seat. “That’s not true, and Bryan would never react that way. I didn’t raise my child to be violent.”

Alpha Damien scoffed. “Miss Whitmore, your son should apologize to Ethan and to me. Then, we’ll consider this matter settled.”

This time around, I scoffed.

“Bryan won’t apologize. He was the one who came out bruised, yet you’re blaming him without hearing both sides.” I seethed and Bryan instinctively moved closer to me and held onto my hand.

“I’m a busy man, Miss Whitmore. Your son is in the wrong. He should apologize.” Alpha Damien said impatiently.

“No. My son will not apologize for defending himself.” I blurted out with firm determination, not the least bit afraid that he might use his status against me.

Besides, as an Alpha, he had the authority to make life difficult for ordinary pack members.

Just then, a sudden knock echoed through the office, drawing everyone’s attention. I instinctively turned toward the door.

Slowly, it swung open, and Alpha Damien’s beta, Logan stepped inside. He leaned over and whispered into Alpha Damien’s ear. Out of curiosity, my eyes subconsciously followed the movement of his lips.

“Alpha Damien,” Logan called out respectfully, lowering his voice. “The Alpha’s sons of the Bloodfang Pack have arrived.”

My entire body froze.

“Did… did you say the Alpha’s sons of the Bloodfang Pack?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I stared at him in disbelief.

Logan glanced at me before giving a small nod and instantly, My breathing hitched.

I had been paying close attention to his lips while he whispered to Alpha Damien. I thought Beta Logan was discussing what punishment Alpha Damien intended to give Bryan and me. But hearing “Bloodfang Pack” made my hands began trembling uncontrollably while panic spread through every inch of my body.

Cold sweat gathered on my forehead as every terrible memory I had buried over the last five years came rushing back.

They… they can’t find me.

“I… I need to leave,” I blurted out, my voice shaking as panic tightened around my chest before immediately grabbing Bryan’s hand.

Without waiting for permission, I practically dragged Bryan behind me as I rushed toward the door.

I barely heard Principal Margaret calling after me, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop. Fear had completely taken over my senses.

Unfortunately…

The moment I pulled the door open and stepped outside, my body crashed into a broad, muscular chest. I was moving too fast to notice the figures approaching from the opposite hallway.

The impact forced me back a step and ever so slowly, I lifted my head. My eyes locked with a pair of piercing golden ones.

Ryder Blackwood.

The air around me seemed to vanish from my lungs as my heart stopped beating. My trembling gaze slowly drifted to the man standing beside him.

Silas Blackwood.

The two men I had spent the last five years desperately trying to forget… were standing right in front of me.

I’m… I’m doomed.