Chapter 85 A Mother in Chains, A Child in Tears

Chapter 85 A Mother in Chains, A Child in Tears
Skai's small body thrashed violently on the bed, pushing away the doctor's hand that was trying to press the stethoscope to his chest. A shrill scream escaped his pale lips, accompanied by heartbreaking sobs.
The pack doctor sighed heavily, putting away his medical equipment. "This isn't a physical illness," he reported, looking from Shax to the others in the room in turn. "He's under severe stress."
From the doorway, Anton snorted harshly. "It's all that lowly maid's fault."
Kate, who had been standing next to Anton, nodded in agreement. "That's right. She kidnapped the young Alpha, taking him away from the luxuries of the pack and making him live like a homeless wolf out there."
"What do you expect from a kidnapper's upbringing?" Anton retorted.
The servants peeking from outside the room murmured in agreement.
Shax remained silent, his jaw clenched tightly to hold back the turmoil in his chest.
'Nonsense,' his heart was cold.
They knew nothing. During her time on the run, he knew for certain that Skai had never been sick. With Michelle, Skai always seemed cheerful, laughing freely, and clearly well-nourished. The child lived a better life on the streets with Michelle than in this gilded cage.
'Is it because Michelle is his mother... that Skai feels so at ease with her?' The thought crossed his mind, leaving a bittersweet feeling he couldn't explain.
From that day on, Skai lived entirely in Shax's room. The man no longer trusted any of the servants in the mansion to be left alone with his son. The child seemed to sense Shax's protective aura. He clung to him.
This situation undoubtedly made for a spectacle. The pack members who had business at the mansion and witnessed Shax's return were shocked. The closeness between Shax and Skai seemed so natural. Rather than awkward, Shax acted like a real father, far kinder and more caring than Alpha Sylas had treated the child.
Perhaps to Sylas, Skai was merely a valuable trophy, a trophy labeled 'Heir', not a living, living child in need of love.
However, no matter how well Shax cared for him, there was one thing he couldn't give him. In the middle of the night when his fever rose, Skai would always whimper softly, "Mommy... Mommy..."
Every time those whimpers rang out, Shax could only rub Skai's forehead in frustration. He couldn't reunite them. Not yet.
Later that night, after making sure Skai had finally fallen asleep from the exhaustion of crying, Shax stepped out of the room. Taking advantage of the shadows, he slipped down to the mansion's basement, the cold, damp prison area.
Shax's footsteps were nearly silent as he arrived in front of the holding cell. Behind the sturdy iron bars, the sight before him stopped him in his tracks. Michelle lay on the hard stone floor, curled up in a ball, freezing like a steamed shrimp.
His wolfish senses immediately picked up Michelle's unsettling scent, a mix of cold sweat, dirt, and dried blood. Her usually soft, flowing hair was now tangled in disarray, and through her torn clothes, Shax could see how much thinner she had become in just a few days.
Seeing the scene, Shax felt something sharp stabbing into his heart from within. It was an invisible pain, but it squeezed his internal organs.
“What’s wrong with me?” He clicked his tongue.
Shax glanced at the neighboring cell and realized that Rachel had also been captured and locked up there. He simply clicked his tongue in surprise, unconcerned, then refocused all his attention on Michelle.
He threw a rock at Michelle.
When the woman opened her eyes, staring at him with a sad, vulnerable gaze, Shax’s heart felt like it was being squeezed as hard as it could. A curse escaped his lips.
Michelle’s lips trembled palely. Without any regard for her own condition, the first thing that came out of her mouth was…
“Skai…” she murmured, delirious with fever. “Have you… noticed her?”
Michelle’s weak hands tried to reach for the hem of Shax’s shirt. “You have to pay attention to him… take care of him, even though I can’t ask you to love him. You… of all the people here, should take better care of him… please.
Hearing her desperate plea, Shax clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. His jaw tightened, holding back anger mixed with dark jealousy.
He leaned forward, replying in a low, hissing voice, "If that's so, why did you make him another man's son?"
Michelle didn't seem to fully grasp Shax's anger. Her consciousness was still hazy. She continued mumbling through half-closed eyes, trying to force herself to sit up.
"I tried so hard, Bertha..." Michelle whispered, her voice breaking with suppressed sobs. "To take our son away from this place... I'm sorry... I'm sorry, for bringing him back to this place..."
Shax's brow furrowed deeply. His brows furrowed sharply. "Bertha?"
“Was it Bertha who told you to leave?”
Shax dropped into a crouch in front of Michelle, bringing himself level with her. His eyes searched her face, sharp, alert, like he was trying to catch something she hadn’t said out loud. His voice lowered, quieter now, but more dangerous.
“Or… was it because she didn’t want anyone finding out?” he pressed, watching every flicker of her expression. “That the child she’s carrying isn’t even her husband’s… and that’s why you took Skai?”
The words hit as a bucket of ice water poured directly onto Michelle's face.
Her muttering stopped abruptly. Her body stiffened, and as if pulled from a dream, she awoke fully. Her previously dull eyes were now clear and wide, staring at Shax.
"What did you say?" Michelle's breath hitched. "Her husband... finding out what? What... did you mean?"
Shax grinned sarcastically. A cold grin that didn't reach his eyes. "'What did I mean?' You know exactly what I mean, Michelle. Skai... isn't Sylas's son, right?"
A deafening silence reigned in the cell for several seconds.
Slowly, Michelle pulled herself up into a sitting position. The fear and weakness that had enveloped her seemed to evaporate, replaced by heightened alertness. She narrowed her eyes, staring straight into Shax's eyes as if dissecting the man's mind.
When she spoke, her voice was much lower, calm yet edged with emphasis that sent shivers down her spine.
"You..." Michelle whispered sharply. "Has your wolf revealed who Skai's true father is?"