Chapter 83 The Shadow of Paternity

Chapter 83 The Shadow of Paternity
Shax's footsteps pounded down the upstairs hallway of the pack's main mansion.
He didn't pause to knock on the thick teakwood door at the end of the corridor. With a gentle but forceful push, the door swung open.
The sight inside made Shax's inner wolf stir and growl, a tremor he barely suppressed beneath his ribs. Something that almost made him break everything around him, forgetting his intention of sneaking into the room.
On the large bed that was supposed to be the heir's resting place, a woman, the nanny, was snoring loudly. She slept with her mouth open, completely unaware of the Beta's presence.
However, that wasn't what made Shax's jaw clench, making the veins in his neck stand out.
Beside the woman, Skai lay in an uncomfortable position. His small body was sticky with sweat, soaking through the expensive sheets beneath him. The smell of spilled, dried milk wafted sharply from the collar of his dirty shirt. The child looked disheveled, unkempt, and completely neglected.
Shax stepped forward, his breath coming in short, raspy gasps.
Again, the urge to destroy something welled up in his chest. He wanted to drag the woman and roll her to the bottom of the deepest ravine in Black Fang territory.
How dare she? How dare she treat Skai as if he were an insignificant burden?
However, an invisible barrier held his hand back. The harsh reality was that in the eyes of pack law, he was merely an uncle. Sylas was the man with complete authority over Skai. Sylas had given him the order to leave this child in the care of a stranger.
And Shax, as his younger brother, and Beta, who had to prove his loyalty, shouldn't interfere too much.
'Whatever it takes, I must claim my son as soon as possible.' He gripped the bedsheet for a moment, then finally loosened it.
Shax reached out, intending to adjust Skai's sleeping position, but when his fingers touched the child's cheek, he flinched. Skai's skin felt like it was burning.
"Skai?" he whispered, his voice hoarse with sudden anxiety.
With quick, meticulous movements, Shax examined the child's body. He peeled off Skai's nightgown, which was damp with cold sweat. And that was when Shax's anger reached its boiling point.
On the small of his back and his tender inner thighs, there were blue and reddish pinched marks. The wounds were clearly not accidental, and they certainly weren't there the last time he'd held him before leaving the Nocturne Pack.
They were deliberately inflicted, perhaps even recently.
"Fuck."
Shax picked Skai up, then kicked the foot of the bed with enough force to send the nanny tumbling to the floor.
The woman screamed in surprise, crawling to her feet, her face bright red. "Who dares—!"
Her sentence was cut off as her eyes met his golden gaze, gleaming with bloodlust. "Be-Beta Shax?"
"What is this?" Shax pointed at the wounds on Skai's body with a finger trembling with rage. "Explain it to me before I rip your throat out right here. Don't try to lie."
The nanny was trembling violently, her face turning as white as a sheet, and her eyes darting from side to side. "He... he wouldn't stop crying for three days, sir. He wouldn't eat, wouldn't listen... I just... I tried the usual method."
"What method?" Shax hissed, stepping closer until he was looming over her.
"That sinner... Michelle... people say she often does that to appease the young Alpha, so he listens to her," the nanny replied in a squeaky voice.
"... Michelle does?"
"Everyone says the young Alpha has fast healing abilities because he's the Alpha's son, so a little pinch won't hurt and can silence him."
"Don't lie." Shax's growl vibrated the air.
She winced wryly.
Shax knew it was a lie. During the months he'd lived with Michelle on the run, when he was still a man without memories, he'd seen how Michelle treated Skai.
She might have been full of lies to Shax, but her concern for Skai was the only thing that was real. Michelle would never touch Skai like this. Michelle would rather cut off her own hand than inflict even an inch of damage on the child.
“You know,” Shax spoke through his clenched jaw. “In all the time Skai was with that sinner, he was never neglected, even to the point of having wounds like this.”
The nanny’s eyes widened and trembled.
“I will report you to the Alpha,” Shax said, his voice now cold and deadly.
“That’s… please, no,”
"You abandoned his heir. You tortured him while you snored beside him. Now, try to argue back."
"Please, sir... please don't tell Alpha Sylas!" The woman knelt, begging, tears welling in her eyes.
At the same time, Skai began to stir. The child woke with a small, piteous whimper. His puffy eyes slowly opened, searching amidst the confusion of his fever. As soon as he saw Shax, his haggard face lit up a little.
"Dadda... dadda..." Skai called weakly.
Shax's heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a giant hand. That nickname... the nickname he used to hear every day as an amnesiac man, now felt like both punishment and blessing. He immediately pulled Skai closer to him, embracing his burning body possessively.
Without another word to the nanny, Shax carried Skai out of the room.
In the hallway, he passed Anton, who was following him to the room. Anton stopped, staring at Shax in surprise as he saw the Beta carrying the heir.
"Tell Alpha, I'll be taking care of Skai from now on," Shax said without breaking stride. "The nanny you chose was careless. This child is sick, dirty, and neglected. She doesn't deserve to be here."
Anton frowned, trying to touch Skai's forehead. As soon as his hand felt the heat radiating from the baby's body, Anton's eyes widened. "He's burned, Beta. You're right."
Anton immediately turned to the maid standing nearby. "Call a doctor now! Say it's an emergency! And you," he pointed to another maid, "get warm water and a clean towel. "Take everything to Beta Shax's room!"
Shax walked quickly to his own room, a room he hadn't been in for almost half a year. It felt unfamiliar, cold, but still well-maintained. At least it was the safest place he had now.
In his arms, Skai began to sob. His voice was small and hoarse. "Mm-mommy... mommy?"
Shax's steps faltered for a moment.
His memory returned to the dungeon cell. He remembered Michelle's broken face, begging him not for her own safety, but for Shax to protect Skai. Michelle wasn't asking for forgiveness; she was just asking for her child to be cared for.
"I guess she really was trying to be a good mother," Shax thought.
His chest throbbed uncomfortably, almost suffocating him. His hatred for Michelle seemed to clash with the reality he saw before his eyes. He wanted to curse her, to see her suffer, but seeing Skai longing for her complicated things.
"That's what you get for being greedy, Michelle," Shax muttered softly, cursing. in the darkness of the corridor.