The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter
Chapter 81: A Baby’s Secret

Chapter 81: A Baby’s Secret

Natalie~

Alex’s scream ripped through the house like a siren, sharp and filled with terror.

My heart jumped into my throat, the sound slicing through my chest with a force so strong it left my breath ragged.

"Alex!" I bolted, feet pounding against the marble floor as I sprinted down the hallway.

Jacob was right behind me, his body tense, muscles coiled like a predator ready to strike.

I braced myself for the worst—blood, an intruder, something lurking in the shadows. But when I turned the corner, I found Alex pressed against the wall, trembling violently. Nora and Charlie stood in front of him, hands raised, trying to calm him.

But Alex wasn’t calming down.

His tiny body shook, his wide brown eyes brimming with unshed tears as he pressed himself further into the wall, as if trying to disappear.

"Stay away from me!" he cried, his voice trembling.

Something inside me snapped.

In one swift motion, I stepped between Alex and them. He gasped, then scrambled behind me, his small fingers clutching the back of my dress so tightly it nearly ripped.

Jacob tensed beside me, his gaze flicking between the two. "What the hell did you do to him?" he demanded.

Nora opened her mouth to speak, but I didn’t care to hear it.

I raised my hand and flicked my fingers.

A pulse of power shot from me like a shockwave.

Nora and Charlie’s eyes rolled back, and their bodies crumpled to the floor like marionettes with their strings cut.

The hallway suddenly went silent.

Jacob let out a low whistle. "Damn, sis. That was... terrifyingly impressive. You’re almost as bad as me now."

Alex, still clutching my dress, peeked out from behind me. His little face twisted in shock as he stared at Nora and Charlie, unmoving on the ground.

"W-what happened to them?" he whispered, his voice small, uncertain.

I crouched down, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "They’re asleep, sweetheart. I put them to sleep."

His eyes widened, round as saucers. "You can do that?"

I smirked, ruffling his soft blonde hair. "Of course I can. I can do anything." My voice softened. "And I will always protect you and your daddy. No one will ever hurt you. I promise."

For a moment, Alex just stared at me, his little chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. Then, suddenly, a huge grin stretched across his face.

"I knew it!" he said excitedly. "Uncle Mist already told me you would!"

Jacob—Uncle Mist—smirked behind me, crossing his arms. "Well, at least someone appreciates me."

I shot him a look but mouthed a silent thank you.

Jacob winked.

But before I could question Alex further, he fidgeted in place, his smile fading. He bit his lip, glancing at the unconscious figures on the floor.

"Alex, sweetheart," I said gently. "Can you tell me why you were so scared?"

His fingers twisted into the hem of my dress.

He hesitated.

Then, finally, in a quiet voice, he said, "Because... I heard them talking."

Jacob and I exchanged a sharp glance.

I crouched lower, making sure I was at his eye level. "Talking about what, baby?"

Alex shuffled his feet, his little hands fisting at his sides. "When me and Daddy lived in our old house... before you came... I heard them talking." He looked up, brows furrowed in concentration, as if trying to remember every word.

Jacob and I leaned in.

Alex gulped. "They said... they were waiting."

"Waiting?" Jacob echoed, his voice tight.

Alex nodded quickly. "Waiting until Daddy found someone called The Celestial Princess. Then..." His little hands curled into fists. "They said they were gonna kill Daddy."

A sharp, icy chill ran down my spine.

Jacob cursed under his breath.

"You heard all that?" I asked, my voice dangerously soft.

Alex nodded, eyes glistening. "And..." He hesitated.

"And what?" I pressed, my heart hammering.

"And me." His voice wavered. "They said they were gonna kill me, too."

The world stopped.

A red haze clouded my vision.

I didn’t breathe.

Didn’t blink.

Didn’t move.

"These little shits! They deserve a fate worse than death." Jasmine growled in my head.

Jacob exhaled a sharp breath beside me. "Oh, these bastards are dead."

Alex flinched.

I quickly forced down the rage bubbling inside me and refocused on Alex, stroking his hair to comfort him. "It’s okay, sweetheart. I won’t let that happen. Ever."

But Alex wasn’t finished.

His tiny face twisted in frustration, like he was struggling to piece something together. "And then... Charlie said... after they kill Daddy and me, they were gonna call his brother."

Jacob stiffened. "Who’s brother?"

"Charlie’s brother." Alex replied. "They were going to tell him about the princess. Then... Charlie’s brother was gonna help them kill someone else."

"Who?" I asked, my throat dry.

Alex scrunched up his face, thinking hard.

"Someone they called Nathan."

Silence fell again.

A thick, heavy silence.

Jacob and I locked eyes.

So Nathan wasn’t their original boss?

I took a slow breath and looked back at Alex. "Sweetheart, is that why you were scared of Nora and Charlie? And everyone else?"

Alex swallowed hard and nodded. "I didn’t want to die." His voice cracked. "And I didn’t want Daddy to die, either."

I pulled him into my arms, hugging him tightly. "You won’t die," I whispered fiercely. "Neither will Daddy."

Alex sniffled against my shoulder. "I didn’t know who to tell. I didn’t know who to trust. What if I told Daddy and they found out, and then sent someone else to hurt me and Daddy? What if everyone around us were all bad guys?"

I closed my eyes, my arms tightening around him.

Alex trembled in my hold, his little fists still curled tightly against my chest. His breath hitched as he sniffled, his small body warm against mine. I held him tighter, running my fingers through his curls, trying to soothe the storm raging inside him. My heart ached at the weight of his fear—this innocent little boy had carried such a heavy burden, alone, for so long.

"I’m so sorry, sweetheart," I whispered, my voice clouded with sadness. "I’m sorry you had to go through all that. You should never have felt that scared, never have had to keep something like that inside."

Alex sniffled again, his fingers gripping my dress as he clung to me.

I leaned back slightly, cupping his small face in my hands so he could see the truth in my eyes. "Listen to me, Alex. No one—no one—can kill me. And that means no one can kill you or your daddy either. Do you understand?"

His lower lip wobbled, uncertainty clouding his gaze.

I smiled softly. "From now on, if you ever feel too scared of Nora or Charlie—if you ever feel unsafe at anytime—all you have to do is call for Mommy. And instantly, I will appear."

His big brown eyes widened in wonder. "Really?"

I nodded. "Really. You’re never alone, baby. I will always be there for you."

Alex’s tiny hands pressed against my cheeks, his gaze searching mine as if looking for any sign of a lie. But when he found none, a small smile broke across his face. Then, in the next second, he threw his arms around my neck again, hugging me as tight as he could.

"Mommy Natalie, I love you," he whispered against my shoulder.

My throat tightened, and I closed my eyes, letting the moment sink in. "I love you too, my little prince."

Jacob, who had been watching silently, cleared his throat. "Alright, enough of the tear-jerking moment. Time to deal with the trash."

Alex giggled against me as I rolled my eyes.

Jacob turned toward the unconscious bodies of Nora and Charlie, still sprawled out on the floor like discarded rags. He snapped his fingers, and immediately, they jerked awake. Their eyes fluttered open, confusion flashing across their faces as they groggily sat up, glancing around as if trying to piece together what had happened.

As if on cue, Bubble strolled in, his white hair practically glowing under the hallway lights. "Alex, my boy!" he grinned. "Want to go on a little adventure with Eagle and me? I promise it’ll be fun."

Alex’s face lit up. "Really?"

"Really, really," Bubble said with a wink.

Alex turned to me for permission, bouncing on his feet.

I chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Go have fun, sweetheart. Just don’t let Bubble get you into too much trouble."

"No promises!" Bubble sang, scooping Alex up and twirling him around before jogging off, the sound of Alex’s excited laughter trailing behind him.

The moment they were gone, I turned back, catching Nora’s glare as she pushed herself up onto shaky legs. Charlie followed, rubbing his head. They exchanged a brief look before, without a word, they turned and stalked off toward the kitchen.

I scoffed. "What’s her problem?"

Jacob chuckled beside me. "Oh, I could tell you exactly what her problem is, but that would ruin the fun of you figuring it out yourself."

I rolled my eyes but let it go. I could dig into her mind and find out myself, but honestly, she wasn’t worth my time.

Shaking off the irritation, I turned back to Jacob. "Send me the information on the girl you found."

Jacob smirked. "Your wish is my command, Little Moon."

The moment his words left his lips, a rush of knowledge filled my mind. Images, names, voices—everything I needed to know about the girl, Easter James, was now imprinted in my memory.

I exhaled, blinking a few times to process it all. "Thanks, Jacob."

He cocked his head, studying me. "Just don’t go overboard with her, alright?"

I smirked. "I’ll try."

Jacob shook his head with a laugh. "Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m afraid of."

"Jacob?" I called before he could leave. Jacob turned to look at me, his expression sober. "One more thing—look into who Nora and Charlie are really working for. Something doesn’t sit right with me."

He nodded. "On it."

********

Thirty minutes later, I was in my room, getting ready to go meet Easter, when there was a sharp knock at my door.

I sighed, already sensing who it was. When I swung it open, I wasn’t the least bit surprised to find Nora and Charlie standing there.

"We need to talk," Nora said curtly.

Charlie nodded beside her, looking oddly nervous.

I arched a brow, amusement flickering in my eyes. "Give me a few minutes," I said smoothly. "I’ll meet you in the living room." Five minutes later, we were all seated in the living room.

I leaned back on the couch, crossing one leg over the other as I studied them. They both looked... unwell. There was a sickly sheen of sweat on their foreheads, and though they tried to hide it, I could see the pain they were in—the lingering silver in their systems making them weak.

But I pretended not to notice.

Instead, I smiled sweetly. "So, what can I do for you?"

Nora’s jaw tightened. "I won’t sugarcoat this."

I arched a brow. "Oh, good. I hate sugarcoating."

She looked taken aback, I bet she was expecting a timid Natalie’s answer but anyway, she ignored my sarcasm. "You need to get out of Zane’s life. For good."

There was a bit of silence.

Then I blinked, tilting my head slightly. "I’m sorry, what now?"

Charlie, looking just as uncomfortable as Nora was angry, cleared his throat. "You’re not welcome in his life anymore."

I stared at them for a long moment. Then, slowly, I smiled. A sweet, dangerous smile.

I leaned forward slightly, resting my elbows on my knees as I looked Nora dead in the eye. "That’s cute. Really. But let me make one thing clear."

The air in the room changed, the temperature dropping ever so slightly.

"I’m not going anywhere."

Nora’s expression darkened. "You little... You don’t belong with him."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "And who exactly are you to decide that?"

Nora opened her mouth, but I held up a hand, cutting her off.

"See, here’s the thing," I said, my voice dangerously soft. "I’ve been through too much—suffered too much—to let anyone dictate where I belong." I leaned in, my smile widening. "And I dare you to try and make me leave."

A flicker of uncertainty crossed her face. I bet she was wondering where my sudden burst of confidence was coming from.

Charlie shifted uncomfortably. "We’re just trying to do what’s best—"

"For who?" I cut in. "Because I can guarantee it’s not Zane."

Nora’s hands clenched into fists. "Zane doesn’t need a cursed, wolfless—"

"Wrong again," I murmured.

She inhaled sharply, her nostrils flaring. "You arrogant—"

"Careful, darling," I drawled. "Your jealousy is showing."

Her eyes burned with rage.

I simply smirked. "Now, if you’re done wasting my time, I have places to be."

Nora’s nostrils flared, "You’re going to regret talking to us like this." She shot me a venomous glare before storming out of the room.

Charlie hesitated, then sighed and followed her.

I leaned back into the couch, shaking my head with a chuckle.

Jasmine purred in my head. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

And I had to agree.