MATTEO
“Mommy”
The word hit me like a silver blade to the chest.
Four children. All hers. All around five years old.
My stomach dropped.
At first glance, it was obvious they were siblings—quadruplets, if I had to guess. Two boys and two girls stood together near the doorway, close enough to brush shoulders. Despite being the same age, something was striking about them. One boy carried himself with a quiet confidence that reminded me of a future Alpha. The other watched me in silence, his gaze sharp and observant. One of the girls met my stare head-on, completely unafraid, while her sister clutched a stuffed wolf to her chest.
And then there was the boy who had spoken.
He had Lara's eyes.
That same piercing silver-gray that had once held me captive without effort. For a moment, it f
