The Rejected Luna Came Back With Her Triplets

Chapter 4: Credentials and Consequences

Chapter 4: Credentials and Consequences

(Garrett's POV)

My expression darkened as I stared at Eliza. No one had ever dared to dismiss me like this. As Alpha Heir of the Blackwood Pack, I commanded respect everywhere I went.

Yet here she stood, completely unmoved by my presence.

What stung even more was watching Dawn reach toward Eliza with such longing. My daughter, who rarely connected with anyone, had formed an instant bond with this woman—and now Eliza was coldly ignoring her attempts to reach out.

A possessive growl rumbled in my chest. My wolf, Logan, stirred restlessly beneath my skin, bristling at her dismissal.

"Future Alpha, see yourself out. I won't be seeing you off," Eliza said, her voice clipped and formal.

I felt a vein twitch at my temple. She wanted me to leave? It wouldn't be that easy.

I loomed over her, using my height to full advantage. "Eliza Rivers, let me remind you—you're not fully qualified to stay here yet. Didn't you say you'd provide proof of your medical credentials? I want them now. Whether you can stay in the South Den depends on my review."

Her blue eyes remained glacial. "Don't worry, I remember what I said. Wait downstairs. I'll print them for you now."

She turned toward the study annexed to her bedroom, her posture rigid with irritation.

As Eliza disappeared into the study, I noticed Max and Aiden exchanging worried glances. Their young faces clouded with concern for their mother.

In my arms, Dawn grew increasingly anxious. She clutched my shirt, her small body trembling slightly as she struggled to express herself.

"Don't be afraid, Princess," I whispered, stroking her hair. "Daddy will take you home soon."

Before I could turn to leave, Max and Aiden stepped forward with surprising boldness. They planted themselves directly in my path, their small chins lifted in defiance.

"Doubting our Mommy's ability is the biggest mistake you'll ever make, Uncle Garrett!" Max declared, his voice stern despite his childish pitch.

Aiden nodded vigorously beside his brother. "Wait till you see her credentials—don't be shocked!"

I blinked, taken aback by their fierce loyalty. These boys couldn't be more than four or five years old, yet they stood before me without a trace of fear, defending their mother with the conviction of seasoned warriors.

Strangely, I felt no aversion toward them, despite knowing they were Eliza's children—conceived after she left me. Instead, I found myself curious about these unusually composed and protective boys.

Eliza emerged from the study, holding a slim data drive. Her eyes narrowed when she saw me still standing upstairs.

"Didn't I ask you to wait downstairs?" she said, displeasure evident in her tone.

I finally descended the stairs, feeling Max and Aiden's eyes boring into my back. From the corner of my eye, I could see them watching from the landing, their expressions eager.

Eliza handed me the drive, her movements precise and controlled. "If you think I forged any of this, feel free to verify it now."

Forgery? The accusation caught me off guard. I hadn't suggested anything of the sort.

Walter Thompson, our long-serving House Steward, appeared at my side with a tablet. I plugged in the drive and began reading.

What I saw left me stunned.

After severing our mate bond, Eliza had attended the world's most prestigious university for werewolf medicine. She'd published groundbreaking research papers that revolutionized pack healing practices. She'd achieved numerous breakthroughs in treating previously incurable werewolf ailments and maintained a perfect surgical record.

But what truly shocked me was the name attached to these accomplishments: Hathaway.

The legendary "Shadow Healer" we'd been desperately trying to contact for my grandfather's treatment was none other than Eliza Rivers.

The tablet nearly slipped from my grasp.

"Well? Is Mommy qualified now?" Aiden's voice cut through my shock, his tone dripping with childish satisfaction.

I swallowed hard, struggling to maintain my composure. "These credentials are... adequate."

My voice sounded strained even to my own ears. Bitterness surged through me as I looked at Eliza—this successful, accomplished woman who had walked away from our bond without a backward glance.

"No one is as ruthless as you, Eliza Rivers!" I spat, unable to contain my resentment. "To walk away from your mate, your pack..."

She looked genuinely baffled by my accusation. "What pack?" she asked coldly. "I never truly belonged to the Blackwood Pack, did I?"

Her words hit like a physical blow. Before I could respond, she continued, "If you now recognize my qualifications, please leave. I have preparations to make for Elder Blackwood's treatment tomorrow."

With no further grounds to contest her presence, I turned and left, Dawn clutched tightly in my arms.

Outside the South Den, Dawn was even more upset than I was. She turned away from me in silent protest as I carried her back toward the Blackwood Main Compound, her little body rigid with anger.

Once inside the main house, I gently turned her face toward mine. "Tell Daddy, what's wrong, Princess?"

Her eyes filled with tears. "I hate Daddy..." she said, her voice thick with emotion. "You were mean to Pretty Auntie..."

I froze in shock. Dawn rarely spoke more than a word or two at a time. That she was defending Eliza so passionately after just one meeting was astonishing.

"How was I mean to her?" I asked carefully.

"Just mean..." she mumbled, struggling to get down from my arms.

I reluctantly set her on her feet in the hallway. She immediately tried to walk away but stumbled on the rug and fell, scraping her hands and knees on the polished floor.

My heart twisted with guilt and worry as I knelt beside her. "Don't cry, Little Dawn, it won't hurt after Daddy blows on it."

She turned away, refusing my touch, her small shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

"Don't be angry," I said softly, the words feeling foreign on my tongue. "It was Daddy's fault for treating Pretty Auntie badly. I was wrong."

The admission cost me, but Dawn's tears cost me more. Eventually, she allowed me to tend to her scrapes with a soothing balm, but she remained distant for the rest of the evening, picking at her venison stew and refusing to speak to me further.

Meanwhile, back in the South Den, Lucas "Luke" Shade's security team arrived swiftly. Luke, Eliza's loyal Beta and bodyguard, oversaw the upgrade of all surveillance systems and reinforced the locks with silver-laced alloy on the internal mechanisms, effectively preventing me from barging in unannounced again.

Eliza, determined to ignore the unsettling revelation of me having a daughter—a constant reminder of her own barren years as my mate—hid any outward reaction, focusing instead on settling her sons.

However, Max and Aiden, deeply affected by the day's confrontation and their mother's veiled pain, couldn't help but feel unsettled. Later that evening, in their shared bedroom within the South Den, Aiden fumed quietly, fiddling with a small robotic spider Luke had given him.

"Such a cute little sister, but she belongs to that Bad Uncle Garrett!" he muttered.

Max, always the more composed twin, sat cross-legged on his bed, tapping thoughtfully on his hacking computer. "I wonder if Mommy had another baby wolf after she left him?" he mused logically.

Aiden nodded vehemently. "Dawn is so sweet, but that Uncle Garrett is awful to Mommy."

Their fierce protectiveness for Eliza quickly turned into a desire for mischief. Deciding I needed to be "taught a lesson" for upsetting their mother, the boys put their heads together, their fingers flying across the keyboard as they initiated a plan to hack into my personal phone.

At that exact moment, fresh from a shower and trying to work through pack financial reports in my study, I noticed my phone behaving erratically. An animated turtle began crawling slowly across the screen, accompanied by blinking text: "Garrett Blackwood is a big meanie~".

I'd been hacked.

My lips thinned in annoyance. I immediately attempted to regain control and trace the intrusion through the pack's sophisticated network security, but found the adversary surprisingly skilled, employing evasive maneuvers that masked their digital signature.

After a tense hour-long cyber duel, the hacker vanished without a trace, leaving the annoying virus still active on my phone.

Frustrated but grudgingly impressed by the technical skill involved, I contacted my Beta, Daniel Pierce, ordering him to mobilize the pack's cybersecurity department and track down the insolent culprit immediately.

Relishing their small victory, Max and Aiden exchanged triumphant grins in the dim light of their room, quickly shutting down their hacking computer just as they heard their mother's soft footsteps approaching.

Eliza entered, checking on them before bed. She found them wide awake, their eyes bright with suppressed excitement. They quickly masked their glee, claiming they were just feeling a bit restless and unaccustomed to the new place.

Touched by their perceived vulnerability and wanting to offer comfort after the day's stressful events, Eliza smiled warmly. "Why don't you both come sleep with Mommy tonight?" she invited gently.

The boys, delighted by the prospect of extra cuddles and feeling proud of their secret act of defense, eagerly scrambled out of their beds and followed her back to her room, snuggling close under the covers.