Chapter 94
“Mommy, Daddy promised he would come home tonight,” Chloe whined, her wide blue eyes swimming with innocent hope as she looked up at Fleur.
“Sweetie, he has a lot of pack business to handle,” Fleur coaxed gently, running her fingers through her daughter’s soft, blonde curls.
“But you said he’d be here if we ate our dinner on time. We finished everything, and he’s still not here,” Chloe complained, her little face twisting into a disappointed pout.
Fleur sighed, a worried crease forming between her brows as she stared at her daughter. It wasn’t like Christian to break a promise, especially to the twins. As the pack’s Alpha, his word was law, and he fiercely cherished his pups. What could possibly be keeping him?
She stared at her phone, torn between the desperate urge to call him and the fear of intruding on dangerous pack affairs.
Ever since the terrifying explosion at the restaurant, Fleur had been caught in a relentless internal storm. Her children craved their father’s presence, and their bond to Christian was undeniable. Yet, binding her life to the Alpha meant raising her children under a permanent shadow of violence, silver blades, and rogue threats.
“I’m going to call him myself,” Chloe declared stubbornly.
“Sweetie, wait—” Fleur tried to intervene, but Chloe was already scrambling across the bed. She snatched the phone from the nightstand and eagerly dialed Christian’s private number.
The line rang repeatedly, each tone stretching the tension in the room. Finally, the call connected, and a gruff, strained voice echoed through the speaker. “Hello p>
Chloe’s face instantly lit up at the sound of his deep rumble. “Daddy!” she cheered, her voice bursting with excitement despite the late hour.
“Chloe? Sweetheart, why aren’t you asleep yet?” Christian asked, his brow furrowing as he glanced at his watch.
“Daddy, you promised you would come see us tonight and tell us stories,” Chloe reminded him, her voice dipping into a pout.
Christian rubbed his temples, a heavy sigh rattling through his chest. “Chloe, I’m buried in work right now p>
“But you promised,” she pressed softly.
“I know, Chloe, but pack business comes first,” Christian snapped, his voice sharper than intended.
Chloe flinched at the harsh, cold edge in his tone. She had never heard him speak to her like that. She was his princess, the very center of his fierce wolf’s heart. How could he sound so distant?
“Daddy Her voice trembled, and tears pooled in her innocent eyes. “I… I just missed you,” she whispered, the raw longing in her voice cutting through the line.
Across the city, Christian’s heart clenched with agonizing pain. His wolf howled in torment, rejecting the cruelty he was forcing upon his own flesh and blood.
He desperately wanted to tell his little pup how much he missed her, too, but he forced the urge down. He had to be ruthless. He had to make them push him away.
As long as they were associated with the Alpha, their lives were in jeopardy. To keep them safe from the enemies circling his borders, he had to sever the bond and stay away from the only people he loved more than life itself.
“Chloe, I have to go. I’m busy. Don’t call this number unless it’s an emergency,” he commanded coldly.
He knew the words would shatter her, knew she was likely crying already, and the realization felt like a silver dagger to his chest. But he couldn’t let his resolve crumble. Without waiting for her reply, he abruptly cut the call, his thumb trembling as he cleared the screen. He had to disconnect before his wolf took over and begged for her forgiveness.
Chloe stared blankly at the dark screen, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks. Gabriel, who had been watching the exchange from the corner of the room, narrowed his eyes, his little jaw clenching with a maturity beyond his years. He stepped forward and gently took the phone from his twin sister’s hands.
“Don’t cry for him, Chloe. It’s better this way,” Gabriel said bitterly, though a sharp sting of rejection burned in his own chest.
He had truly begun to look up to Christian as a real father, even secretly hoping for a real wedding between their parents. But seeing the Alpha’s sudden heartlessness shattered those dreams instantly. “He’s just a cold leader. We don’t need him p>
“But I love Daddy,” Chloe sobbed, burying her face in her hands.
Fleur immediately wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling both twins close to her chest. “Chloe, Gabs, listen to me. He is carrying the weight of the entire pack on his shoulders right now. Let’s just give him some time, okay?” she murmured, trying to soothe the raw hurt radiating from both children.
“Really, Mommy? Will he come back when the work is done?” Chloe asked, a tiny flicker of hope returning to her tear-filled eyes.
Gabriel looked up at their mother with equal eagerness, his stoic facade slipping. Fleur offered them a warm, reassuring smile, extending her arm to pull Gabriel fully into the embrace. They snuggled deep into her lap as she gently stroked their hair, humming a soft melody to coax them toward sleep.
“Yes, your daddy will come back. After all, no Alpha can stay away from his pups forever,” she whispered against their brows.
But beneath her comforting words, Fleur’s mind was in turmoil. The sudden, freezing shift in Christian’s behavior felt wrong. It didn’t make sense.
Meanwhile, back in the Alpha’s private office, Christian sat in total silence, the shadows of the room wrapping around his brooding figure. Syrus, his trusted Beta, who had witnessed the entire phone call, couldn’t remain silent any longer.
“What the hell was that, Christian?” Syrus demanded, stepping into the light.
“Syrus, drop it,” Christian warned, his voice dead and hollow as he ran a hand over his dry lips.
“Are you losing your mind? You tore up half the territory to bring them back under your protection, and now you’re treating them like dirt?” Syrus pressed fiercely. “You’re actively pushing them away. If you break the bond with them now, they will leave, and you’ll never get them back p>
“I know,” Christian breathed out, the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders. “That’s exactly what I’m counting on p>
“What? You’ve completely lost it! How can you do that to those kids? They carry your bloodline, Christian!” Syrus yelled, his own wolf bristling at the apparent rejection of the pups.
Christian finally snapped his head up, meeting his friend’s gaze. Syrus froze, the anger dying in his throat as he saw the raw, agonizing remorse swimming in the Alpha’s eyes, tears threatening to spill over.
“They are the only real family I have left, and I am trying to keep them alive,” Christian whispered, his voice fracturing under the immense weight of his grief.
“My life is a magnet for violence. I live on a battlefield, surrounded by traitors, and enemies who want to see my world burn. If a bomb takes Fleur or my pups away from me because they were standing next to their Alpha, I will tear the world apart before taking my own life.” Christian let out a ragged breath. “They are safer without my mark. They are better off without me p>
Syrus stood speechless, the harsh reality settling into the room.
He knew the Alpha was right—the target on Christian’s back was immense—but the pups deserved their father.
Looking at his broken leader, Syrus found no words of advice left to offer. All he could do was stand by his Alpha, silently hoping that destiny would somehow find a way to grant the pack’s fierce protector the peace and family he truly deserved.