***
"Are you okay?" Leland asked when he saw Sophie enter the building, looking so pale. She pressed her lips and shook her head weakly. The man became worried and quickly lifted her in his arms. "You must be sick."
Before Sophie could say anything, he strode toward their bedroom and shouted orders to Duncan to find their healers.
"I am just feeling nauseous," Sophie protested after Leland put her down on their bed. "It's the baby."
"Oh..." The Alpha's face suddenly turned bright at the mention of their baby. "Was he naughty in there?"
His voice was so gentle and soothing. There was no trace left of his rage when he wanted to kill Nicholas outside earlier. Sophie shook her head and touched his cheek.
"No. It's normal. Soon, I will start vomiting and feel so much discomfort," she explained. "It's similar to my previous pregnancy. Just ask the healer to give me some potion to help with nausea."
"Ah, okay." Leland nodded. He sat beside her and hugged her from the side. Luciel knocked on the door and asked to be let in.
"I want to see mom," his little voice demanded.
"Come in, Sweetheart," Sophie said. She wanted to check how her son was doing after the incident outside earlier. She hoped Luciel didn't get too affected by the confrontation he witnessed.
Gosh... what should she tell the boys if they kept asking why their father and 'Uncle Nicholas' hated each other?
Luciel walked in. He pursed his lips adorably and crossed his arms on his chest. His usually happy demeanor now looked gloomy.
"Why did father and uncle Nic fight?"
Sophie coughed when she heard her son ask that question without further ado.
"They had a misunderstanding, honey," she quickly made up something. "It's now settled. They are not fighting anymore."
Luciel raised an eyebrow. "Is he our real father?"
"Huh? What???" Sophie instantly sat up and looked at Luciel in surprise. "Why did you ask that? Did Uncle Nicholas tell you that?"
Knowing Nicholas, he might already tell Luciel and Jan that he was their father. Ugh... this made Sophie feel agitated. Even if someday she would tell the truth to her sons, she wanted it to be done in her own way and at the right time.
She felt disappointed in Nicholas.
Luciel gave Sophie a side-eye. "I am not stupid, Mom. His scent is so familiar, and he looks a lot like us, me and Jan. We thought he might be our uncle from our father's side... but, today, I started to think that he might be our father."
Sophie felt as if the space around her was devoid of air. From the corners of her eyes, she could see Leland's expression change, and his body turned cold.
Was he upset because their young son could deduce that Nicholas was his biological father? They knew Luciel was really smart, but they surely didn't expect him to make the correct guess and be this mature about the situation.
"Luciel..." Sophie spoke with a choked voice. "There are so many things that happened in the past... that I cannot share with you now. However... I want you to trust me."
"I trust you, mother..." Luciel approached the bed and touched Sophie's arm. He looked confused, but he tried to not ask too many questions when he saw Sophie wince in pain. "Mom... are you unwell?"
"It's nothing," Sophie replied with a forced smile. "I will be fine tomorrow."
She turned to her husband and saw Leland move his body a little from her. It seemed like he was feeling uncomfortable with their closeness because Luciel just dropped the bomb that he knew Nicholas was his biological father.
Suddenly, Leland felt like he was the stranger among them, again.
He hated this feeling and he had been working hard to get rid of it. When Sophie told him he was finally pregnant with his child, he was over the moon, and this stupid feeling left him.
However, today, it returned.
"Leland..." Sophie called out to him. She touched his arm, but the man unconsciously dodged. She was surprised by his reaction, and so did he.
Why did he do that?
"Sophia, please rest. I will get the healer to prepare some potions to help you," he said flatly. Then, he climbed down the bed. The man rubbed Sophie's hair and patted Luciel's back before he walked out of the room.
Sophie could only watch his back view until it disappeared from sight. She knew he was upset because of what Luciel said just now. However, what could she do? It was not Luciel's fault that he was so smart and understood things fast.
"Can I sleep here?" Luciel begged his mother. "I want to stay close to you."
"Sure, Luciel," Sophie replied with a smile. She rubbed his hair lovingly and patted the space beside her. Her mind wandered to the past. To the old shabby hut in Hauntingen.
Nicholas' words today reminded her of the beautiful memories she had with him many years ago. If only he didn't make that stupid mistake and left her behind, things would have been different.
She and Nicholas would live happily in their little home, taking care of their sons. She could imagine the life that her father and mother had after they decided to elope and live together.
Her father, Jack Hansley was a wealthy young man from a good family who chose to leave behind all his family's comfort and wealth so he could live with the woman he loved.
Her mother, Anne, was the princess from a werewolf tribe who also left behind all the power and influence her father had, to build a life with a human. And they were happy together, until the very end.
Sophie couldn't hold back tears from streaming down her face when she remembered her parents. If she still had them, she would have a place to lean on when Nicholas left.
They would take care of her. And when Nicholas finally regained his memory and came back to pick her up, she would still be there.
Things would have been different.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)ebnov(𝒆)l