Hiding the Alpha’s Heir

“Mama, I wish to leave here…” Sander said when we were in the tub to take a bath. “It’s been three days…”

I combed his wet golden wavy hair. “I told you we can’t, Sander. This place is heavily guarded,” I said softly.

“But I do not want to see Papa…” He hugged me. “He hurt you… I did not know that sire is my father. Now, I know why he said that he was guarding his son while his Mama was at work… I am sorry, Mama.”

I released a sigh. “It is fine. You did not know. He was in disguise and wanted to get close to you by that time.” That was the plausible reason I could think of.

I should have known that Desmond was already here trying to get along with our son. I did not know that he already knew about the existence of our son. It was a good thing that Sander did not like his father now because he already witnessed how we argued.

It would be a hard time for Desmond to get along with us.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“Let’s get you out.” I decided to say. “You might catch a cold.”

As soon as the north hall was fixed, I was surprised that Desmond had already prepared our clothes to wear. Even the sizes were matched to us.

I even refrained from having maidservants when they were told that they would help us to get dressed.

“Do you wish to take a stroll?” I asked when I was finished combing his hair.

“Um…” He looked away. I smiled because I could tell that he wanted to see the whole mansion. Even though he was hating his father, he couldn’t hide the fact that he was astonished to see a house that was larger than ours.

“Come on.” I offered my hand. “I shall tour you around.”

His face brightened up. “Really, Mama?” I nodded, smiling.

“We shall see if I still remember the parts of this manor, little man.” I could vividly remember honestly. Nothing had changed except the north hall.

Desmond did not even renovate his whole mansion. It was still the same when I was still living here. Or perhaps, he did not decide to move things from here and then.

I was the only one who even made that decision before which Desmond did not mind it.

We went first to the drawing room where we stayed for a few hours because they were settling in the north hall by that time. We even checked the chambers which were meant for guests but we didn’t go to the east hall where I was certain that it was Desmond’s chamber.

“It feels lonely,” Sander said when we were checking each room.

I didn’t say anything for a while. It was a fact somehow. “This is once a flamboyant mansion, Sander,” I said as we were going through the two-way stairwell.

We came to a halt as my heart fluttered when I saw Desmond and I’s painting portrait hanging in between the two-way stairwell.

It was the same portrait when we got married. I suddenly felt teary-eyed upon seeing it.

Looking at it… We were happy before. We had a very nice wedding. Our wedding happened in his pack as we exchanged our wedding vows.

“Mama, you are so young here.”

I immediately fluttered my eyes and chuckled. “Of course… Mama was 23 by that time when I married your Papa.”

“How old was he when you married Papa, Mama?” He looked at me before his eyes lingered in the portrait painting.

I released a sigh. “He was… six years older than me.” I felt my heart constricted somehow. I remembered how Desmond emphasized before that. It was a good memory that I thought I could still recall.

“Twenty-nine,” he uttered, which I nodded. “Mama, have you been happy before?” he asked innocently.

I smiled and gently tapped his nose. “I am way happier when I have my little man in my life,” I said, diverting it.

He giggled at my words. “Mama really knows how to sweep me.”

I chuckled. “You know how much I love you, of course.” I winked as I took his hand. “I will show you Luna’s garden.”

“Hmm!” Sander said excitedly.

I smiled more when I immediately looked up at the gallery. My wolf and I almost jumped because I saw Desmond looking in our way. I looked away when I saw a melancholy expression he had on his face.

I could see that he wanted to join us but there was a big barrier that blocked our way so he couldn’t just come near us knowing about what he did, Sander wouldn’t even dare to come near him.

As soon as we arrived at the garden, my eyes widened when I came to see that the garden was filled with different colors of orchids.

“Wow! Mama! Your favorite flower!” Sander exclaimed as he started to saunter to the arch that was made with vines.

I felt shivers down my spine because the last time I remembered was the garden was only filled with yellow orchids. Right now, all I could see right now was different colors aside from yellow.

I mindlessly approached them and grazed my fingers to their petals. I held my breath because of how beautiful they were. I realized that having different colors was more beautiful rather than having one color.

“Did you like it?”

I gasped and turned my head to my right when I felt Desmond’s presence. I didn’t notice he was already beside me if I hadn’t smelled his masculine scent.

My heart flipped when his eyes were darting on me after he picked one yellow orchid and placed it behind my ear. I almost jerked his hand but Desmond managed to halt me. I felt waves of sparks tickling my whole being.

I immediately stepped backward and scoffed. I removed the orchid flower he placed behind my ear. “Can you not approach me as if we are getting along, Desmond?” I almost crumpled the yellow orchid but I did not do that.

“Seraphina, please… Allow me to explain…” he begged.

“Sander does not even want you to be here.” I looked straight into my eyes. “I told him that you hurt me before.”

He released a sigh and nodded. There was a distressed expression. I could even see that he had sleepless nights based on how his amber eyes looked jaded. Desmond had been trying to speak with us for three days straight but he couldn’t initiate a proper conversation especially when he was trying to get along with Sander.

Sander was avoiding him which was why I always saw him having a melancholy expression.

“I just want to make things right, Seraphina… I just want to make amends for the things I did and I want to spend my time with our son…” he said as his voice was shaky, sighing. In my peripheral vision, he was glancing at Sander who was busy admiring the orchid flowers.

“I suggest you should leave before Sander sees you with me,” I said coldly.

He returned his gaze to me. “Seraphina… Help me to get along with our son… Please… He is my son, too.” I only stared at him and didn’t say anything. His eyes were begging right now.

I scoffed. “You already managed to do that, right? Why don’t you do it behind my back?” I asked sarcastically. “Again,” I added.

“I tried but he is avoiding me…”

“Then there is your answer.”

He looked dejected right now. He had been trying to annoy me that he wanted to get along with Sander but I couldn’t do that. Sander had already made up his own. It was up to him now if he would want to spend his time with his father or not.

“Seraphina…” Desmond begged.

I panicked when I saw him folding his knees as he was about to kneel in front of me but Sander chimed in.

“Stay away from Mama!” Sander’s angered little voice echoed through the garden.

I immediately halted Sander when he was about to lunge at Desmond. “Sander, do not do that,” I said and held his wrist when he was about to transform into his little wolf form.

“But, Mama…” I shook my head. He bit his lower lip.

“Please, Sander. I refrain you from acting hostile like that. I did not teach you like that,” I said softly as I released a nervous sigh when I glanced at Desmond who looked hurt right now. Our son wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him because Sander already saw me crying so many times whenever his father was being mentioned.

He even knew that I hated his father which was why it took me so long to finally tell him about it.

“What if Papa will hurt you?” he asked. His amber eyes were getting misty.

“Sander, I will not do that to your Mama,” Desmond said as he knelt, pleading. “Please, son. I just want us to get along… Please…”

“No!” Sander said in a firm tone before he escaped from my hold and ran inside the manor.

“Sander!” I called but he did not turn his head. I sighed and turned at Desmond. “I told you to leave already. You know that he acted like that because you are here.” I couldn’t help blaming him. “I suggest that you let us out now before-”

“No!” I scoffed when his voice became firm and frigid. “I am not going to do that! Never!” He growled. His amber eyes were glowing in gold.

I clenched my hands. “Then don’t blame me if we kept treating you like this, Desmond. For us, you are already dead the moment I absconded from your pack,” I said through gritted teeth.

Damn it… I had been avoiding him for three days to avoid this kind of argument. But I found it to my advantage that Sander was not here so he wouldn’t have to witness that I was arguing with his father.

I had been wanting to burst out but I couldn’t. As long as Sander was with me, I wouldn’t allow him to see that we were being toxic to each other.

Desmond’s face darkened in annoyance. “I am not going to give up, seraphim. I am not going to allow our family to be ruined! I waited…” His voice croaked. His eyes were getting misty as well. “I waited long enough so I can bring you here and our son you kept from me. I wanted us to be the family we ever dreamt of. Please… Can you not think of Sander’s welfare? He deserves to have a father. He deserves to have a family… Don’t be selfish!”

I couldn’t help to come at him and slapped his face. All the anger I felt that time when I wanted to confront him suddenly arose inside me.

“How dare you even say that I must not be selfish!” I accused him. “This is your fault in the first place, Desmond! This is your fault why we fell apart!” I raised my voice.

That was the time Desmond fell silent. His eyes lowered down to the ground, unable to say anything.

“I am certain that you know everything. So, do not act so dumb and you did not realize that it is your fault why I am being like this to you. Niscia told you the reasons, right? So, halt yourself from being so delusional that I would dare to get along with you, Desmond.” I smirked.

I wanted to add salt to his opened wounds right now. I wanted him to realize that it was futile and that what he was doing right now was pretty useless.

However, there was a part of me that I wanted to fulfill by having a complete family for Sander. It was a selfish decision for me that we must not complete.

I wanted him to suffer but if I did that, Sander would also suffer between our fights.

I snapped back when Desmond sniffed. I caught him wiping his eyes before he turned his back. “I am not going to give up on our son, Seraphina. That also includes you. I shall do everything to make us complete and shall have listened to my explanation.”

My wolf reacted when his voice croaked before he started running away. I could feel my chest constricted because I knew that when Desmond was in so much pain and he was overwhelmed with emotions especially if it was regarding our mate bond, he would end up crying.

It meant that what he was doing was a purely genuine intention.

But did I really have to believe that act?