Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Similar Faces
Seraphina’s POV
Dawn broke with the familiar weight of despair settling over my chest. My thoughts churned relentlessly as consciousness fully returned. Today has to be different, I whispered to myself. Today I have to find an escape route.
The problem was my wolf recoiled every time I even considered abandoning Julian. She fought against my survival instincts with a ferocity that left me exhausted.
Each passing day in this place felt like another link added to invisible chains. Julian took visible pleasure in my suffering, like a predator savoring the fear of prey that had nowhere left to run.
I sat upright in bed, wrapping the bedsheet around myself like armor, when the bedroom door exploded inward. My body tensed, bracing for another confrontation with Julian’s security team or the man himself arriving to continue his psychological games.
Instead, a tiny whirlwind of pure energy burst through the entrance.
"Mommy!"
That single word struck me with the force of lightning, stealing every breath from my body.
Theo.
My little boy flew across the room, throwing his small frame against mine, his arms locking around my neck with desperate intensity. His familiar scent overwhelmed my senses, so achingly real that reality seemed to shift around me. I embraced him fiercely, my vision blurring as emotion threatened to choke me.
"Theo, sweetheart, what are you doing in this place? How did you get here?"
He leaned back to study my face, his expression filled with concern that seemed too mature for his years. "I’ve been missing you terribly, Mommy! Why did you disappear?"
I pressed my lips to his forehead, struggling to process the impossible joy of holding him again. Nothing else existed in this moment except my child in my arms.
Then my gaze traveled beyond Theo’s golden hair and landed on the figures waiting near the doorway.
Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins.
Terror crashed over me like ice water. My embrace around Theo slackened as shock paralyzed every muscle in my body.
"Mr. Jenkins? Mrs. Jenkins?" The names came out as barely a whisper.
Mrs. Jenkins hurried forward with her characteristic kindness, though worry lines creased her gentle features. "Seraphina, dear, we’ve been beside ourselves with concern about you."
I managed an awkward embrace with both of them, my mind screaming danger signals. This situation was catastrophically wrong. They were ordinary humans who had somehow penetrated deep into werewolf territory. Such a breach was unthinkable without explicit alpha permission.
Breaking away from their arms, I dug my nails into my palm until pain confirmed this wasn’t some fevered dream. Theo was here. The Jenkinses were here. This was happening.
"How is this possible?" I breathed, searching their faces desperately. "Who escorted you inside? No one was supposed to discover your existence, especially not Theo!" Panic tasted metallic on my tongue. Julian learning about my connection to the Jenkinses would be disastrous. Learning about Theo would be catastrophic.
Before I could voice the dangers surrounding us, new sounds echoed through the room. Measured, commanding footsteps that belonged to someone who considered everything in sight his personal property.
Julian appeared in the doorway.
He positioned himself casually against the frame, surveying our reunion with predatory satisfaction. His mouth curved into a smile that promised cruelty.
"Seraphina, darling," his voice dripped false warmth, "I assumed this would bring you joy."
I stared at him, my throat closing completely. "You did what?"
"I contacted them personally," he stated with the casual tone of someone discussing weather. "They expressed such distress about your wellbeing that I felt compelled to provide reassurance and extend an invitation."
Horror replaced shock in an instant. My legs trembled beneath me. I met Julian’s gaze, trying desperately to communicate through desperate glances: Why would you do this? Please spare him. Don’t hurt my son. Forgive me.
Julian remained unmoved. His cold stare promised retribution was coming, and mercy wasn’t an option.
He abandoned his position by the door, closing the distance between us with that fluid alpha confidence. Soon he was kneeling directly in front of Theo and me. My son observed this newcomer with innocent fascination, completely oblivious to the volatile undercurrents filling the space.
"And who might this remarkable young gentleman be?" Julian inquired with manufactured warmth, extending one finger to playfully touch Theo’s nose.
"My name is Theo," my son declared with obvious pride, straightening his small shoulders. "You’re Julian, aren’t you?"
Somehow Theo had learned his name, though my shock-addled brain couldn’t process how or when that information had been shared.
"Indeed I am, Theo," Julian confirmed. He tilted his head, examining Theo’s features with intense scrutiny.
Theo returned the inspection, then broke into a bright smile. "You know what? We have similar faces."
The atmosphere turned arctic.
Julian’s pleasant expression evaporated instantly, replaced by a murderous glare aimed directly at me. His eyes became twin daggers, conveying his complete awareness of what I’d hidden and my failure to keep this secret buried.
While his anger was justified, I understood how circumstances had unfolded beyond my control. I’d believed this truth could remain concealed forever, but now it had returned to destroy everything.
Tears threatened to spill, burning behind my eyelids, but I forced them back. Crying wasn’t permitted. I needed strength to maintain normalcy for Theo’s sake.
"We were terrified, Seraphina," Mr. Jenkins said gently, moving closer. "After your call from that unfamiliar number kept disconnecting, we couldn’t reach you again. Then Julian telephoned us directly. He assured us you were safe and invited us to verify your condition personally."
I manufactured the most believable smile possible, though it felt like wearing a ceramic mask.
"Everything’s fine now," I lied with practiced ease. I squeezed Mr. Jenkins’s weathered hand, acutely aware of how vulnerable these humans were surrounded by an entire werewolf pack. "Your visit was thoughtful. Thank you for traveling such a distance."
I focused on Theo, who continued studying Julian with guileless curiosity. "Theo, honey, would you accompany Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins to find some refreshments in the main kitchen? I need a private moment with Julian."
I waited until they’d departed completely, Theo’s cheerful chatter fading down the hallway while the Jenkinses followed in bewildered compliance, before turning to confront the man who’d just discovered his paternity.
