Chapter3
1040 Words
Present Day – Selene
The wind was sharp as I stepped out of the car, slicing through my coat as if it could cut through my very skin.
The last time I set foot on Crescent Moon territory, I had been a different person. Younger. More hopeful. Foolishly in love with a man I had no right to claim.
Now, I was back.
Not for love. Not for unfinished promises.
I was here for my son.
Caelum stirred in his car seat, his tiny fingers twitching as he shifted in his sleep. The motion sent warmth surging through me, grounding me against the chaos brewing in my chest.
It didn’t matter how fast my heart was racing, how much I wanted to turn around and leave before I was seen. I had no choice. Kieran had found us. And no matter how much I hated it, this confrontation was inevitable.
I reached for Caelum, lifting his small, sleeping body into my arms. His little head rested against my shoulder, his soft breath warm against my skin.
I closed the car door gently, adjusting my grip on my son as I turned toward the massive estate that loomed ahead.
The Crescent Moon packhouse.
It was just as imposing as I remembered—tall, with dark stone walls and an aura of power that clung to it like a living thing.
I had spent nights here once. Not often, but enough to remember the way it had felt to be inside, to exist within Kieran’s world as something more than just an outsider.
Now, I was walking in with his child in my arms, a child he hadn’t known existed.
The thought sent a fresh wave of nerves spiraling through me.
Would he be angry?
Would he hate me?
I sucked in a breath, pushing those thoughts aside as I reached the entrance.
Before I could knock, the door swung open.
And there he was.
Kieran Byrne.
His presence was just as devastating as I remembered. Maybe even more so.
Four years had changed him. His shoulders were broader, his jaw sharper, and his expression—colder.
But his eyes.
God, his eyes.
Dark, piercing, and locked onto mine like I was the only thing in existence.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The air between us crackled with unspoken words, with the weight of the years that had passed, with the secret I was holding in my arms.
Then, finally—
“Selene,” he said, his voice rough, as if he hadn’t spoken my name in years.
I swallowed hard. “Kieran.”
His gaze flickered down—to the sleeping boy in my arms.
And just like that, the ground beneath me felt unsteady.
Because I saw it. The way his entire body tensed. The way his breath caught for the briefest moment.
He knew.
He knew.
I braced myself, waiting for the explosion. For the rage. For the accusations.
But when he finally spoke, his voice was deadly quiet.
“Inside. Now.”
There was no room for argument.
With a steadying breath, I stepped inside.
The inside of the packhouse was exactly as I remembered—grand, elegant, and carrying the scent of cedarwood and something unmistakably Kieran.
He shut the door behind us, and the silence pressed in.
Caelum shifted, rubbing his cheek against my shoulder. He yawned, stirring awake.
Kieran’s gaze never left him.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“Sit,” he said, motioning to the couch. His tone was firm, but I knew Kieran well enough to hear the strain beneath it.
I sat, adjusting Caelum so he was more comfortable.
Kieran didn’t sit. He remained standing, watching me like I was an enigma he was trying to solve.
“How old is he?” His voice was tight.
I swallowed. “Three.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Three.” He exhaled sharply, his hands balling into fists. “And you didn’t tell me?”
I opened my mouth, then closed it.
What could I say?
That I had been afraid? That I had convinced myself he was better off not knowing? That I had spent every day wrestling with the guilt?
Nothing would make this easier.
“I—” I started, but the words tangled in my throat.
Kieran’s eyes darkened, his frustration evident. “You kept my son from me.”
Those words hit harder than a slap.
I flinched, but held my ground. “I did what I thought was best.”
“For who?” His voice was sharp, cutting through the air between us.
Caelum stirred again, his small fingers clenching the fabric of my coat. I rubbed his back, willing him to stay asleep.
“I wasn’t ready, Kieran.” My voice was quieter now. “And neither were you.”
His jaw clenched. “You don’t get to decide that.”
“I didn’t have a choice.” I met his gaze, forcing him to see the pain I carried. “I was alone, Kieran. I had no one.”
His expression faltered—just for a second.
A flicker of something else. Something that looked like regret.
Then, it was gone.
“You should have come to me,” he said, his voice rough. “You should have told me.”
I let out a shaky breath. “And what would you have done?”
“I would have been there.” His voice was firm, unwavering.
My heart ached at the certainty in his tone.
He meant it.
But it was too late for what-ifs.
I shook my head. “It doesn’t change anything now.”
Kieran took a slow step forward. “No,” he agreed. “But it changes everything from this moment on.”
My breath hitched.
Because I knew what he meant.
He wasn’t going to let me leave.
Not without a fight.
And for the first time since stepping foot on Crescent Moon territory, I wondered if I had made a mistake coming here.
Because Kieran Byrne had just found out he had a son.
And there was no way in hell he was going to let him go.
- Writer
