Hiding the Alpha’s Heir

“Mama. Mama. The maid said breakfast is ready.”

I groaned before I slowly opened my eyes to see the cute face of my son. Then I looked at the wall clock to see that it was already six in the morning. “I see…” I yawned before I got up.

“Mama, can we stroll around the pack today?” Sander asked.

“Let’s see…” I paused and rubbed my eyes, yawning one more time. I sniffed in the air when I smelled the rice porridge prepared for this morning. I smiled and went to the sink to wash my face before I approached Sander who was already eating his meal. “We can do that after we take a bath and have our meal. I forgot to tell you that there is a nearby river here. Do you wish to see it, too?”

Sander gasped. “There is?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“I would love to go there, Mama!” he beamed.

Chuckling, I nodded. “Alright, alright. Finish your meal and take a bath. Then, we can go out.” I winked at him.

“Hmm!”

It has been a week since we were here at the manor and until now, we hadn’t gone out to stroll around the pack. I was just waiting for Sander to say that he wanted to take a stroll and I didn’t ask or push him for us to go outside.

I wanted him to get comfortable first in Desmond’s manor before we would go outside.

“M-Milady, you cannot go out,” Elron said.

“And why not?” I asked in a hostile tone. I told him that we were going to take a stroll.

Elron glanced at me and at Sander who was waiting on the bench of the garden. Impatient, I glared at Elron.

“What could have been the reason? We will just take a stroll to the pack. It is not like we are going to abscond from this heavily guarded pack,” I said through gritted teeth.

He bowed his head. “Alpha told me that you cannot go out without him as your escort.” My face darkened upon hearing that. “Rest assured, Lady Seraphina. I already mind-linked Alpha Desmond.”

“I don’t have much time in waiting for him to arrive if he is that busy managing his pack. My son and I will take a stroll with or without him,” I said coldly.

“But, Lady Seraphina-”

I walked passed by him and ignored him. “Sander, let’s go.” I called him.

I couldn’t help but smile when he was running toward me and immediately held my hand. Just as we were walking to the road, I shivered when a loud howl was resonating from afar. I turned around and hid Sander from behind me when I came to see Desmond’s black wolf form coming toward us.

“Mama…”

“Sshh… That is your Papa.” I caressed Sander’s shoulder to calm him down.

I remained my stoic expression when he came to a halt seeing that there was a look of annoyance with the way he snorted right now.

“You cannot stop us from strolling around.” I already stated the purpose of why he was here right now. “You know it is impossible for us to abscond here, Desmond,” I said earnestly, squinting my eyes at him.

Desmond returned to his human form and glanced behind me. He looked earnest as well right now. “I told them to forbid you two to go out unless I am your escort, Seraphina. Do not make me punish them if you shall dare to defy what had been ordered to them.”

I scoffed, couldn’t believe that I was hearing this from him. Now, he was about to his old demeanor-a cold, strict, brutal one. It was based on his posture as well. I could see the Alpha aura he was emitting right now.

But I knew better that I shouldn’t be frightened even if I said that I was frightened of him before.

“Do you think I still have the heart of halting you from punishing them? Do you think I still have compassion for your pack members? I don’t, Desmond,” I said coldly. “Go ahead,” I challenged. “Go and punish them. But remember, Sander is watching how you shall behave. And if you show that, I swear, you just prove to me that you do not deserve to be loved by our son and be a father to him.”

What matters to me now was Sander and how Desmond would show his parental guidance to our son. If he would try to teach my son by this kind of method of parenting, then I wouldn’t have to consider talking to him to have a truce with him.

Desmond clenched his hands, glaring at me. But his expression disappeared when Sander growled as he hugged me. It was as if he was trying to protect me from Desmond.

“If you try to hurt Mama, I am not going to forgive you, Papa!” Sander said angrily.

“Sander, halt,” I said and gently tapped his shoulder.

Desmond panicked. “I-It’s not.” He looked frightened at Sander’s words.

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As someone who was trying to coax and redeem Sander’s trust, Desmond would surely be frightened if he kept ruining his image towards our son.

“I am not going to do that to your Mama, Sander… Please believe me…” Desmond said softly. He didn’t look pissed right now. He looked more frustrated because he didn’t manage to control his emotions when he was in front of our son.

Even if he would try to conceal it, Sander was a smart one and could easily define a human’s emotions so my son was not that blind.

“But you are trying to hurt other people. I heard you!” Sander stated. He had this cold expression which surprised me because that was the same expression Desmond was emitting every time he wanted to express his power as the Alpha of the pack and as the Marquis of Blackmont.

Desmond looked helpless right now. He couldn’t utter a word because he was being apprehended by our son right now.

“Let him, Sander,” I said and winced his hair. “If your father keeps having that attitude seeing or without seeing him, you do not need to consider forgiving him just as what we talked to,” I added.

Desmond’s eyes widened. “What…” he parroted. He blinked, didn’t expect what I said.

“Let’s go, sweetheart.” I didn’t wait for Desmond to process everything I said as I tugged Sander’s hand.

“Seraphina, wait!!”

I turned and glared at him. “You are supposed to escort us. Do your job now,” I ordered him.

His jaw dropped. It looked like I caught him off guard.

He wanted to say something but he ended up nodding his head. “Yes…” He also looked dejected.

I just shook my head in disappointment. I was really planning to speak with him about a matter related to Sander but it looked like it would take a while for me to speak with him in a peaceful way.

We continued strolling while Desmond was behind us, tailing us. We stopped at the playground. I told Sander to go there and enjoyed himself before we would continue strolling again.

His face brightened up as he decided to join the other kids his age. I couldn’t help smiling because I knew he had been wanting to have playmates.

“I am sorry.”

I composed myself when Desmond settled beside me. I almost inhaled sharply when our skin brushed together. I shivered and acted that it was not affecting me even though it really was. With his musky scent as my mate, it added more than meets the eye.

“I acted… harsh. I am sorry.”

“Then you will repeat it until it becomes an endless cycle of apologizing.”

I already knew what he was talking about. It was the way his demeanor never changed and would dare to hurt his pack members for selfish reasons.

“That…” Desmond sighed. “I just have a problem that is related to the pack that is why I had gotten to be a little ill-tempered,” he reasoned.

He sounded distressed as well. He even sat on his one knee, resting for a while. I creased my forehead because he seemed to look tired right now.

“Are you alright?” I couldn’t help getting worried when his face looked like he was pale right now.

Desmond nodded. “Yes.” He glanced at me. “Thank you for worrying about me.”

My heart flipped upside down when Desmond smiled. I ignored how my wolf was reacting to it as well. “You don’t look fine,” I said. “We should have head back.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I told my workers that I shall be the one who escorts you regardless if I am tired or not. It doesn’t matter as long as I can be able to walk with you two. Even if there is a distance between you, me, and our son.”

I could have sworn my heart was fluttering right now. His words almost swayed me. I immediately castigated myself for that thought I just had.

Damn it.

I stayed silent after that and watched Sander introducing himself to his new playmates as he giggled.

“How long have you known about the existence of our son, Desmond?” I finally asked before I glanced at him who I caught him gawking at me. “I had known Niscia for six years, a year after I gave birth to Sander. Does this mean you already knew this for six years?”

For a week, I had been trying to decipher Desmond’s plans and how Niscia was connected to this.

Six years… Six long years…

Desmond nodded. “I watched and observed you for a very long time, seraphim…” His voice croaked.

My eyes widened after confirming that to him. He really was admitting that so easily.

“Why did you decide to make a move this year then?” I asked, creating a barrier right now. I somehow felt frightened because I had no idea that Desmond had been following us. Why couldn’t I know that?

His stealth movements were really beyond par. Should I be impressed with this or not?

“Because-”

“Mama, let’s go to another place!”

I flinched when I was greeted by Sander with a hug. I was bewildered at the moment that he was already there. I looked up at his new playmates to see that they were waving their hands at him.

Sander waved back before he turned at me. “I have fun playing with them!” he beamed, jumping in joy.

I softened and nodded. Then I noticed the beads of sweat he had on his forehead. “You’re covered with sweat now, little man.” It was a good thing that I brought a hand towel especially at this moment when Sander had gotten to meet kids his age.

“Are you also going to the cotton field?”

I turned at Desmond who had just spoken. I was about to speak when Sander beamed.

“There is a cotton field here?” There was enthusiasm in his voice.

Desmond’s eyes widened. I could tell that he didn’t expect that Sander would talk to him in a delighted tone. “Um… Y-Yes, indeed.”

I pursed my lips into a thin line, wanting to laugh right now because Desmond was caught off guard that Sander was talking to him right now. I somehow found it fascinating for my own good.

“Wow!” Sander’s eyes widened. Then he looked at me. “Mama, Mama. I want to see the cotton field!”

I nodded. “Sure, little man. Shall we?” I handed out my hand to him.

“Hmm!” Sander didn’t hesitate to reach for my hand as he giggled which made me smile.

I glanced up to see Desmond whose expression softened looking at us. He snapped back when his eyes landed on me and saw that I was staring at him. I watched how his ears went red before he looked away.

I silently scoffed before I put my attention to Sander, walking and holding hands together.

But I couldn’t ignore the feeling that Desmond’s expression earlier was cute. He was slowly showing who he really was.

Not the cold facade one, but a much more soft man only to the people he cared about.

I knew that because I married him for five years and knew how he reacted.

I hope I was still right up to this day.