Chapter 2
1241 Words
ELARA'S POV
Kade was walking toward us like he had every right to be here.
Like he hadn't rejected me in front of hundreds of wolves five years ago.
My wolf was losing her absolute mind inside me, pushing forward so hard I could barely hold her back.
Mate! Mate! Mate!
She kept howling and I wanted to scream at her that no, he's not, we buried that the day he threw us away.
"Elara," Kade said and his voice was exactly the same, deep and commanding and it made my whole body react in ways I really didn't want.
"Don't," I said and pulled Kai and Luna closer. "Don't you dare."
He stopped but his eyes were locked on the twins.
On his kids that he didn't even know existed until two minutes ago.
"They're mine," he said and it wasn't a question.
"No," I said even though everyone could see it now, everyone knew. "They're not yours, you gave up that right."
"I didn't know you were pregnant."
"Yeah well I didn't know either until after you destroyed me," I shot back and my voice was shaking. "So forgive me if I didn't run back to tell you."
Damon moved between us and I'd never loved him more.
"You need to leave," Damon said in his Alpha voice, the one that made wolves submit. "Now."
"Those are my children," Kade said again. "My blood."
"They're her children," Damon said. "She raised them, protected them, been their whole world for five years while you were doing what exactly?"
Kade's jaw went tight and I saw his wolf flash in his eyes.
Gold and pissed.
"I couldn't bond with anyone," he said quietly, looking at me. "My wolf wouldn't accept anyone but you."
"Not my problem," I said but it came out weak because the mate bond was pulling so hard I felt like I was being torn apart.
"Mama," Luna whispered and she was crying, tears just streaming down her face. "Everything hurts."
I dropped to my knees fast, pulling both of them into my arms.
"What hurts baby, where?"
"Everywhere," Kai said and he sounded terrified which was so wrong because Kai was never scared. "Something's trying to get out."
Oh God.
No.
"Their wolves," Raine said and suddenly she was right there. "The Lycan genes are activating."
"What does that mean," I asked even though I knew.
I knew it was bad.
"That power thing wasn't a one time deal," she said. "Their bodies are trying to finish what got started and they're not strong enough yet."
"They're five," I said like that would stop this. "Too young."
"Not for Lycans," Raine said and her face was serious. "Normal wolves don't shift until thirteen, fourteen, but Lycan bloodlines are different, they wake up when they want to."
"So what do we do," I asked.
"Get them somewhere safe," she said. "And hope their bodies can handle it."
Hope.
That was all we had.
Hope.
"Inside," Damon said. "Now, away from everyone."
He reached for Kai but Kade was suddenly right there, his hand on Luna's head all gentle.
"Don't touch her," I snapped.
"She's hurting," Kade said, looking at me with something I couldn't read. "I can feel it through the bond."
"You don't get to feel anything."
"The bond didn't break," he said quietly. "Just went quiet and now it's screaming and I feel everything she does, every bit of pain."
"I don't care."
"Elara please," and him saying please made my chest tight because Kade didn't beg. "Let me help them."
"You don't get to play dad now," I said. "You don't get to just show up and pretend you care."
"I'm not pretending," he said and his voice cracked. "They're mine, I didn't know but I know now and I'm not walking away from them."
"It's not your choice to make."
"Actually," someone else said and I looked up to see Marcus Thorne standing there looking way too happy about all this. "Pack law says it is his choice."
Marcus Throne, Kade’s father—the man who was so much against Kaden claiming me as his mate five years ago. What was he doing here now?
My stomach just dropped.
"What," Damon said as his whole body went tense.
"Lycan bloodlines fall under ancient pack law," Marcus said. "And according to that law, biological fathers have rights to their heirs."
"He has a father," I said pointing at Damon. "Five years worth of being a father."
"Chosen bonds don't override blood bonds," Marcus said like he was reciting from some stupid book. "Not when it comes to Lycan heirs."
"This is such bullshit," Raine said.
"This is law," Marcus said, looking way too smug. "And if Alpha Kade wants to claim his biological children, it's his right to do so."
"Over my dead body."
"Nobody's taking them," Kade said fast and he actually looked panicked. "That's not what I want, that's not what this is..."
"Then what," I asked. "What exactly do you want, Kade?"
He looked at me with actual pain in his face and for a second I almost felt bad.
Almost.
"What I should've had five years ago," he said. "You and them, my mate and my family."
"You can't have that."
"I made a mistake, Elara," he said. "The worst mistake of my life."
"Yeah," I said. "You did and now you get to live with it."
Luna shook harder in my arms and Kai made this awful whimpering sound that broke my heart.
We were out of time.
"Taking them inside," Damon said and grabbed Kai carefully. "Right now."
I picked up Luna but Kade followed and before I could tell him to back the hell off Marcus spoke again.
"There will be a Council hearing in three days," he announced loud enough for everyone to hear. "To determine custody and parental rights."
The word custody hit me like a physical punch to the gut.
"No," I whispered.
"Pack law requires it," Marcus said. "The biological claim has been made, the matter must be settled officially before the Council."
I looked at Damon and saw my fear reflected right there in his face.
Three days.
We had three days before everything could change.
Kade stepped closer and his voice dropped low so only I could hear.
"I'm not trying to take them from you," he said. "I swear I'm not, I just want to know them, want them to know me."
"You should've thought about that five years ago," I said. "Before you stood in front of everyone and called me too weak to be your Luna."
"I know," he said and he actually sounded sorry. "I know and I can't take it back but please, they're in pain and I can help."
I wanted to tell him no.
Wanted to tell him to go to hell.
But Luna was burning up in my arms and Kai was crying now and I didn't have time for my pride.
"Fine," I said. "You can come inside but you follow my rules, you hear me?"
"Anything," he said.
I pushed past him and started running toward the pack house.
Luna's skin was so hot it felt like I was holding fire and Kai was making these awful sounds that no five year old should ever make.
Damon ran beside me with Kai and behind us I could hear Kade's footsteps following close.
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