Chapter4
865 Words
Kieran
Selene kept her eyes locked on me, her grip tightening on the boy—our son—as if she expected me to snatch him away at any moment.
I wasn’t going to.
Not yet.
But the rage inside me was barely contained.
Three years.
Three years my son had been breathing, laughing, growing, and I hadn’t known.
Three years Selene had been raising him alone.
And she hadn’t told me.
The betrayal ran deep, carving through the anger, mingling with something dangerously close to heartbreak.
My wolf growled low in my chest, demanding justice. Demanding retribution.
Selene had stolen time from me. Time I could never get back.
But right now, I needed to focus.
I forced my voice to stay even. “Does he know?”
Selene hesitated. “Know what?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Who I am.”
Her lips pressed together, and she shook her head.
The answer shouldn’t have hurt.
But it did.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. “So what does he think?”
Selene’s grip on our son didn’t loosen. “He doesn’t ask about a father.”
Something twisted inside me.
“Why not?” I demanded.
Her expression darkened, a flicker of guilt crossing her features before she masked it. “Because I made sure he never felt like he was missing anything.”
I clenched my jaw. “You think that justifies keeping him from me?”
Her shoulders squared. “I didn’t think I had a choice.”
I stepped closer, my voice dropping. “You always had a choice, Selene. You just made the wrong one.”
She sucked in a sharp breath, her wolf flashing in her eyes for a moment before she steadied herself.
But I saw it. The conflict. The pain.
Good.
Because I wasn’t the only one suffering in this.
I took another step forward, my hands itching to reach for the boy.
My son.
He stirred, his small face scrunching up as he let out a soft whimper before his lashes fluttered open.
For the first time, I saw his eyes.
And my breath caught.
Golden.
The exact shade as mine.
Something primal inside me clicked, an overwhelming surge of protectiveness slamming into me like a tidal wave.
My wolf rumbled in approval. Ours.
The boy blinked sleepily, his tiny fingers curling into Selene’s coat.
Then, he turned his gaze to me.
I held still, letting him take me in.
He wasn’t afraid.
He didn’t shrink away or bury his face in his mother’s neck.
He just stared.
Like he knew something had changed.
Like he could sense me.
I swallowed hard, my voice coming out rough. “What’s his name?”
Selene hesitated. Then—
“Caelum.”
Caelum.
The name settled into my chest, burning into my bones.
I crouched slightly, leveling my gaze with his. “Hey, kid.”
Caelum blinked again, his little brows drawing together. Then, to my utter shock, he reached a small hand toward me.
My breath locked in my throat.
Slowly, carefully, I lifted my own hand, letting him grab onto my fingers.
Tiny.
Warm.
Mine.
The bond between us snapped into place, and I saw the moment he felt it too.
His little mouth parted, his golden eyes widening slightly as if something inside him recognized me.
And I knew—Selene couldn’t take this away from me now.
I had missed three years.
But I wasn’t missing another second.
I lifted my gaze to Selene, my grip on my son tightening.
Her lips parted, as if she wanted to say something. Maybe even argue.
But I didn’t give her the chance.
“You’re not leaving,” I said, my voice final.
Her breath hitched. “Kieran—”
“I’m not asking,” I cut her off. “You kept my son from me. Now, you’re staying here.”
Her eyes flashed with defiance. “You can’t force me—”
I took a step forward, towering over her. “Try me.”
Her breathing was uneven, her wolf pushing against her skin.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Then, finally, she exhaled sharply. “This isn’t fair.”
I scoffed. “Neither was you disappearing for three years.”
She flinched.
Good. Let her feel the sting of it.
Let her understand.
She shifted Caelum in her arms, her fingers brushing through his soft curls. “This was never the plan,” she murmured, more to herself than me.
I narrowed my eyes. “You should have thought about that before you made the decision to keep him from me.”
Her jaw tightened.
She hated this.
Hated losing control.
But she had no choice.
I wasn’t letting them go.
I wasn’t losing my son.
Not again.
Selene swallowed hard, finally meeting my gaze. “Fine.”
My wolf rumbled in satisfaction.
But I knew this wasn’t over.
She wasn’t surrendering.
She was just biding her time.
And I would be ready.
Because Selene had been gone for three years.
But now, she was mine again.
And this time, I wasn’t letting her go.
- Writer
