Chosen By Fate, Rejected By Hate

Chapter 5

Mavi

"Mommy!" Moses called out loudly the moment he spotted me.

A sharp pain shot through me as if a viper had sunk its fangs into my skin when Alpha Magnus' eyes landed on me. I fixed all my attention on Moses, doing everything I could to pretend I did not see the man standing beside him. But from the corner of my eye, I caught him staring at me, his brow drawn tight in deep confusion.

"Moses, come here right now," I commanded, my voice tight with suppressed panic. Moses ran and darted straight to my side.

"Mommy, Alpha Magnus said he will give me the toy robot I wanted! He said it is the very last one and he bought it just now," my son happily told me. My blood ran cold when he spoke that name, the name I had spent six years trying to forget.

He must have introduced himself to Moses that's why my son knew his name. I had no idea what else they had talked about, but I prayed with every beat of my heart that it had been nothing more than words about toys.

"Let us go, Moses. Hurry," I said before he could say another word. I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the exit. But Moses loved that toy more than anything, so he dug his heels in and twisted around to look back at Alpha Magnus.

"Wait, Mommy! I really want that toy robot," Moses protested, his face crumpling with disappointment.

"They do not have any more left here. We will find another one in a different store, okay?" I tugged at his hand again, desperate to get away.

"Just a moment, Miss!"

The sound of Alpha Magnus’s voice froze me in my tracks. I stopped but did not turn around.

My heart hammered wildly against my ribs as I heard his footsteps drawing closer. Why was I shaking? What did I have to fear? Even if he looked right at me, he would never recognize the girl from the bar was me.

He was too drunk to remember my face back then, and the lights had been dim and shadowy all night. And he would certainly never connect this face to the Mavi he had rejected before in front of the different packs. That girl was gone forever.

"What is it, Sir?" I asked, keeping my voice cold and steady.

"He is Alpha Magnus, Mom. He said he wants to give it to me if I want it," Moses chimed in, his voice bright with hope. He looked up at the tall man. "Will you really give it to me, Alpha Magnus?"

"Of course I will. But it seems your mother is not very keen on accepting my offer," Alpha Magnus replied. I could feel his gaze burning into me even though I still would not meet his eyes.

"Mommy, please?" Moses begged, squeezing my hand tight.

I took a long, shaky breath and finally turned to face him. "Thank you for your kindness, but we will look for another toy somewhere else," I said firmly.

I hid every trace of the terror twisting inside me. I told myself over and over that I was safe. He could not know. He would not know.

"I do not mean to insist," Alpha Magnus said, his eyes never leaving my face. "But I am certain this is the very last one in the whole mall. I checked every other shop before I came here. You will not find another like this anywhere nearby." He paused for a moment, then asked softly,

"R-Really?" I stammered. I failed to keep my composure. His presence made me shake in fear.

"By the way. Have we met before?" he asked, his forehead furrowed.

My breath caught in my throat. I felt my knees go weak. Even with my new face, even after all these years, he still felt something familiar.

"No, Alpha Magnus. We have never met before," I said, my voice was sharp and sure.

Alpha Magnus glanced down at Moses, then slowly lifted his gaze back to me. His frown deepened. He did not believe me.

"Are you really—"

"Are you serious about giving that robot meant for Argus to this child?" the woman who had called him earlier interrupted. She walked over quickly, her face twisted with irritation, and shot me a sharp, scornful look.

"Yes, Sonia. I am sure," Alpha Magnus answered without hesitation. "Argus will be happy with something else for his birthday." He turned back to Moses and held out the toy. "This robot belongs to you now. Take good care of it."

I let out a breath I felt I had been holding for hours as he turned his full attention to my son. Moses beamed, his eyes shining bright with pure joy as he took the toy he had wanted so badly.

"Thank you so much, Alpha Magnus!" Moses said with a wide, grateful smile.

"You have given away the gift meant for my nephew, so we should leave now," Sonia said, making no effort to hide her anger. "We need to find something else for him."

"I am truly sorry my son ended up with the toy you had bought," I said to the woman named Sonia. "If you like, I will pay for whatever gift you choose for your nephew."

I would not let her think I could not provide for my child. I could see the way she looked at me, like I was nothing at all. It was true I no longer had the wealth I had known growing up in my father’s care, but I would never let my son go without anything he needed.

"No, thank you. We can afford whatever we want," Sonia replied, lifting her chin and looking down her nose at me. "And besides, I am sure you could never afford the kind of gift I will pick. It is very expensive."

My temper flared hot. If Alpha Magnus had not been standing right there, I would have told her exactly what I thought of her arrogance. But I could not risk drawing more attention to myself. I swallowed my anger and kept my voice calm.

"Since she refuses my help, we will take our leave now," I said, turning to Alpha Magnus instead of answering Sonia. "Say thanks to Alpha Magnus before we leave, Moses."

"Thank you so much for this toy, Alpha Magnus." My son smiled, his eyes full of excitement with his new toy.

I took my son’s hand and started to walk away. But before I could take even two steps, Alpha Magnus's voice rang out behind me, clear and sharp.

"May I know the father of Moses?" he suddenly asked, which made my heart sink.