Hiding the Alpha’s Heir

“Wow, Mama! This is beautiful!” Sander exclaimed as he started running towards the Sierra Lakeside and transformed into his little wolf form.

“Sander!” I groaned and sighed when he couldn’t help barking and following the geese.

Niscia chuckled. “So, by his age transforming into a wolf form, he has the blood of an Alpha, correct?”

I stiffened and realized that Niscia was with me. I turned at her and smiled wryly. “I can explain, Niscia…” I gulped.

She shook her head. “No need, Seraphina. If you are that uncomfortable talking about your mate, then I shall not insist on it. I respect your privacy.” She smiled gently.

“Thank you.” Niscia was very thoughtful. I thought she would try to pry on me but I was wrong.

I was grateful to have her as a friend. She knew how to respect someone’s privacy. That was why I was comfortable with her and sometimes when I was ready I would tell her about my life before becoming a seamstress to work with Madam Ibanez.

“Let’s set up the blanket. Shall we?” Niscia asked. I nodded and helped her before I looked for Sander who was barking happily as he tried to catch one of the geese.

“He really likes going to the bodies of water…” I couldn’t help commenting as I sat beside Niscia as soon as we were finished setting up the blanket.

Niscia chuckled. “I think all of us have been in that stage, Seraphina. It is all fun.”

I only smiled as an answer. I wanted to say that my life was different back then. I had never gotten to enjoy my childhood before because I lost my father when he was captured and was set up in the Goldenpeach Woods to be an enjoyment for the nobles to hunt and kill.

I was a rogue from the moment I was born. Then I grew up to be a prostitute in order to earn money and fend for myself. With that, I got to meet Desmond back in the forest where they were hunting rogues who made chaos back in the capital.

That was the time we got to know that we were each other’s mates.

I couldn’t help smiling. “Sander really has the blood of an Alpha,” I said, finally starting to talk about my past with Desmond. I glanced at Niscia who looked surprised that I opened up. I smiled and returned my gaze to Sander who was swimming in the lake already. “I was a Luna from this pack and that Alpha was my mate and the father of my son.”

“Really?!” She sounded surprised. Her eyes even widened. “I mean… you were? What happened? Did you two divorce your marriage?” She tilted her head, bewildered.

I couldn’t blame her if she was shocked that I was the former Luna of the Rising Diamond pack.

“Well…” I inhaled before I told her my story. “… he cheated not once, but twice.” I smiled bitterly. I started talking about how I caught Desmond by that time. From the time he slept with a courtesan and to Hazel…

“That’s awful that he did not tell you he had plans to make that woman a surrogate mother just because you were infertile at that moment,” Niscia said, creasing her forehead. “Did you confront your mate when you heard their conversation?”

I shook my head. I waved my hand when Sander called me and waved his hand to me. “No… I have heard enough. Plus, I saw that he was kissed by her.” I started clenching my hand when that memory was recalled to my mind.

My wolf was feeling enraged all of a sudden. We knew by that time that we must not forgive Desmond no matter what happened. Desmond knew that I hated Hazel yet he was making a deal with her… by sleeping with that bitch.

“That’s… I don’t know what to say,” Niscia said. “So, you rejected him without asking him about the truth? Do you think… there shall be a miscommunication and you failed to communicate it to your mate, Seraphina?”

“I’ve already lost my trust, Niscia. You already saw your mate sleep with another woman once. Do you think you will still trust your mate if you caught him for the second time around?” She stayed silent. “Will you still believe him? I don’t think so,” I said, smirking. But right at that moment, I could feel my heart shattering again. “Why would I still stay by his side when I could get away from him to halt this madness? I hated that woman yet he still continued having a deal with her. I already have trust issues with him since the beginning. I caught him and now… I shall communicate my feelings? If I did that, would I be at ease? Would I forget it immediately?”

I couldn’t help the annoyance that arose inside me. I just didn’t like the question Niscia had uttered. I felt insulted like she wanted to put the blame on me.

My wolf had been through those painful memories. I tried to forget the first time I caught him and Desmond said that there was an aphrodisiac drug to his drink.

“I am sorry, Seraphina… I have stepped into the line,” Niscia said as she took my hand. Her eyes were full of sincerity before she hugged me. “It must have been hard for you to listen to their conversation. ”

“It was hard to trust him again…” My voice croaked. “How much more that he slept with that woman I hate…” I bit my lower lip as I sniffed.

I couldn’t help crying. The time I caught Desmond sleeping with a courtesan… and the pain that night I saw Desmond and Hazel…

“Mama! Mama!”

I immediately separated from Niscia and instantly wiped my eyes when I heard Sander calling me. I turned my head to see him running in our direction. He had a worried expression on his face.

“Mama, why are you crying?” Sander asked as he immediately cupped my face. “Is Auntie Niscia making you cry?” His face darkened.

I shook my head and tapped his little nose, chuckling. “No, little man. Niscia and I talked about something. It is nothing serious actually.” I glanced at Niscia meaningfully. “Right, Niscia?”

Niscia smiled and nodded. “Yes, indeed. I did not do something with your Mama, Sander so you need to relax.” She raised her hands, surrendering.

“But… you cried, Mama…” he said in a dejected tone. The way he sounded… I could tell that he wanted to know what Niscia and I talked about.

I heaved out a sigh and gathered him so I could allow him on my lap. I cupped his face, having a debate if I must tell him about his father or not. Until now, he had been so clueless about his existence.

What frightened me was Sander would look for Desmond’s presence. But I knew Sander had the right to know about his father, especially since he had a great resemblance to Desmond. Only that the difference was he had some golden locks which he inherited from me.

“Should I tell him?” I asked Niscia when I hugged Sander.

Her expression softened. “You should ask yourself if you are ready, to tell the truth, Seraphina,” she said softly.

I bit my lower lip when I looked at Sander whose forehead was creasing. “What truth, Mama?” He slightly tilted his head. I chuckled when I realized that he was still wet from swimming in the lake.

“Let me wrap this first for you.” I fished out the bath towel to wrap it around Sander. Then I kissed his forehead. “Alright, Sander. Listen to Mama.” I held him in one place. “I shall tell you about your father.”

“Papa?” He gasped, blinking.

I nodded. “Yes. Papa…” It felt strange to utter that endearment. Perhaps, if only we were a complete family and those disastrous events did not happen, I might have to get used to calling Desmond Papa, too. Then Desmond would call me Mama. “Your Papa… hurt me.”

That time, my voice croaked. I only told him why he hurt me but I filtered out some words because there were some words I did not wish for him to learn at a young age. I also told him how we met and how I ended things with Desmond by rejecting our mate bond.

I did not forget the details of how he was a loving mate and husband but there were some unfortunate events that led me from leaving the pack where I lived.

“It is up to you to decide, sweetheart. To me, your father is dead…” I said when I finished telling him the story. I looked beside me when Niscia placed her hand on my shoulder.

She smiled softly and nodded, silently telling me that I did a great job of telling him the truth. I smiled back and returned my gaze to Sander.

But I remembered that from my point of view, Desmond was dead. Then, why did I allow him to touch and please me? Why was I looking for his presence ever since he returned to the Rising Diamond pack?

Hypocrite… I was such a hypocrite.

I lied to my son. I lied that I acted like he was dead but only then, I just saw him last week and even fooled around with him.

“Then, Papa is dead for me, too.”

I snapped back and gasped when Sander uttered those words. “Sander…” My eyes widened. I didn’t expect that Sander would decide immediately. “I thought you wanted to know your father. Why are you saying that?” I was expecting that despite the things that Desmond did to me, I thought Sander would still want to approve of having to meet Desmond.

But it looked like I was wrong in assessing the situation.

Sander cupped my face with his fragile hands. He was looking at me intently as if he was an adult. It felt strange because I could see Desmond from him. The gesture he was doing was the same as what his father was doing.

That was for certain now that Sander was really Desmond’s son.

“Papa hurt Mama. I do not wish to see Mama crying because of Papa. I do not want to see him,” Sander said, frowning.

My heart was racing wildly when he said those words with finality. “Sander, you must be kidding, right? You cannot just hate your father. It is already enough that it was me who had this feeling…” I said softly as I brushed his wet hair using my fingers.

Sander shook his head. “Papa hurt you, Mama. I will never forgive those who will hurt you. I love Mama so I will protect her at all cost,” he said in his determined tone.

That surprised me more. He sounded childish yet his mind was set on mature thinking.

“Sander really cherishes you, Seraphina,” Niscia said, smiling as she took a sliced apple and bestowed it on to Sander. “Here, Sander. Would you like to take a bite? Your Aunt Niscia prepared it,” she said, beaming.

“Hmm!” Sander nodded his head. Excitedly, he took the sliced apple and munched it.

Throughout the whole day, I kept thinking of Sander’s words. I knew that I must be happy about this matter and that he was not going to look for his father. However, why did I feel like that must not be happening?

Somehow, I was thinking of that time when I told him about Desmond, I was expecting he would be thrilled. But looking at him right now, he was not bothered about Desmond anymore.

“Sander, do you really hate your father?” I asked when we arrived at the establishment where our flat was located after our day was well spent at the Sierra Lakeside.

Sander looked at me with his innocent eyes before he nodded. “I mean it, Mama,” he said and hugged my waist. “I do not wish to see you crying again. Papa hurt you really bad. I saw you crying so many times,” he added.

I bit my lower and blinked my eyes. I got teary-eyed and realized that Sander was really observing how I behaved every time he would talk about Desmond.

“I am very sorry about that, sweetheart.” I kissed the top of his head.

He shook his head. “Mama, if Papa comes back, I will protect you from him. I promise you that,” he said in an earnest tone. He even raised his hand as if promising that he would keep his word.

I softened. “It is alright, Sander. I do not wish for that. But I am more at ease if you shall stay by my side.” I did not want him to grow hatred for Desmond.

It was already enough if that was me who hated him. I did not think that Desmond would deserve hatred coming from his son even though there was already a low probability that Desmond and Sander would meet.

“I love you, Mama,” Sander uttered after a moment.

I felt my chest tighten because his words were very heartwarming. I gently tapped his nose which earned him a giggle. “I love you, too, my little man…”

We held and swayed our hands together when we went to the floor of our flat. Sander was jumping while I was humming softly.

When I saw that we were near the flat, I came to a halt when I saw the familiar body built of a man leaning against the wall. Just by seeing his lean body, his black jet hair, and his frigid amber eyes… I already knew who it was.

The man turned his head in our direction. I held my breath when his amber eyes darted on me before his eyes fixated beside me which was when Sander halted when he saw that there was a strange man waiting for us in front of our flat.

“Desmond…” I uttered his name as I could hear the loud pounding of my heart. What the hell was he doing here?

“Seraphina,” he said in a cold tone before he glanced at Sander. I immediately hid Sander behind me.

“Mama…” I looked behind me when Sander tugged my dress. I creased my forehead when I saw his eyes sparkling. “He is the one I was talking to, Mama. He is the sire I always talked to in the riverbank!”

“What?!” I parroted, wide-eyed.

At that moment, I could already tell that the day of hiding my precious treasure was over. I slowly looked at Desmond who had a soft smile on his lips, looking at Sander.

“Hello to you, too, little pup.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.