Chapter 3 Celeste
Celeste's POV
Liam looked at me a few times and opened his mouth hesitantly, but no words came out. Liam only talked to Levi and Elliot.
I’ve been staring at the laptop for over an hour but haven’t replied to any emails. Thoughts of Liam kept bothering me.
Beta Dylan would lecture me if he found out I was neglecting my work, and then he wouldn’t let me help him anymore.
“I’m afraid Liam will be disappointed in me, and then he’ll choose to live with his biological father,” I mumbled.
‘Why do you have such thoughts?’ My wolf looked at me strangely, as if I was a creature from another planet.
‘I never even told him Benedict was his stepfather.’
‘Liam already knows about mate and reject. He will understand your decision.’ My wolf was very sure of her opinion. ‘He is smart. Look now, he is waiting for you to explain what you hide from him.’
I let out a sharp sigh through my mouth. ‘I think I have to discuss this with Benedict. I have no idea how to tell Liam the truth.’
‘That is a wise decision.’ My wolf agreed with me. ‘Benedict is also responsible for explaining it to Liam.’
I took a deep breath and exhaled it quickly.
“Alright, back to work, Celeste!” I forced myself to work until I didn’t realize the blue sky had changed to orange.
Liam and Levi took a shower together. I sat on a chair in front of the open bathroom door, watching them because if I let them, they would be in the bathroom for an hour.
They came out of the bathroom, and I checked if soap and shampoo were left on their bodies. Then, I went to the kitchen to make dinner.
They chose the clothes they would wear and put them on themselves. They have been independent since they were little.
I thought Liam would wait patiently for me. It turned out I was wrong.
After we finished dinner, the atmosphere became quiet, and I could hear my heartbeat when Liam asked, “Who is the Alpha werewolf, Mom?”
Liam sat across from me with a straight look, expecting me to answer honestly. “Why did he say I was his son and you were his ex-mate?”
‘Oh, Moon Goddess, he remembers everything the bastard said,’ my wolf commented.
Benedict turned to me wide-eyed and asked me through the mind link. ‘Did you guys meet Alpha Eiden?’
I squeezed my hands and bit my lower lip. My breath quickened. I realized I was overthinking again when all I needed to do was be honest with Liam.
‘Yes, we met him yesterday and today.’ I answered Benedict, and then I explained the chronology in detail.
‘I didn’t know he would come again today.’ I looked at Benedict with teary eyes. ‘What should I tell Liam?’
Benedict held my hand tightly and looked at me with a serious face. Several times, he glanced at Liam, demanding an explanation from us.
Benedict and I had talked about this when Liam was a baby, but I was sure that Liam would never meet his biological father.
We never thought enrolling Liam in a school in the rogue clan would bring him together with his biological father.
“Is he my biological father?” Liam’s question was like a sledgehammer that shook my heart.
“I’m not a rogue like Daddy. My eyes are gray like his.” His eyes were glassy, showing his broken heart.
“Liam.” I approached him and gently hugged him.
“I’m sorry I never told you this.” I kissed his hair. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and my body shook.
Liam didn’t cry or say anything because he was so shocked.
“Liam.” Benedict stood behind us, stroking Liam’s back. “You can be mad at Mommy, but don’t hate her, okay? Your Mommy just wants to protect you from sadness.”
I let go of Liam's hug. My hands wiped the tears on my cheeks.
Liam's eyes were glossy with tears as he looked at me and Benedict. Anger and sadness shone in his gray eyes.
"Is he mean to you? Why did he reject you?" Liam held my hand tightly. I was touched by his question. He cared about my feelings.
'I told you Liam is smart,' my wolf said.
"I don't want to meet him. He's mean to you and glares at me, too." Liam shook his head hard, then got off the chair to hug Benedict's legs tightly. "I already have a daddy."
I didn't expect Liam to react like that. My eyes met Benedict's. We were speechless for a few seconds.
“Don’t introduce me to him!” Liam shouted while crying. Benedict carried him and rubbed his back. Then they left the dining room.
My tears dropped again, making it hard for me to breathe. As I lowered my head and looked at the floor, Levi's hug gave me strength and warmth.
“Mommy, are you okay?” Levi’s adorable voice made me smile.
“I’m okay.” I tried not to cry. My hand patted Levi’s back gently. “What do you want to do before going to bed?”
Levi released his hug from me to look at me. “I want to play puzzles. Will Daddy and Liam play with me?”
“Sure.” I nodded with a smile. “Liam loves you so much. He won’t let you play without him. Let’s give Liam some space until he calms down, okay?”
“Okay.” Levi nodded twice.
Like I told Levi, Liam played with Levi until they were tired and fell asleep in the playroom.
That night, after our kids were in their rooms, Benedict and I sat on the couch in our room, talking about Liam and Alpha Eiden.
I was most frightened of Alpha Eiden taking Liam, especially after Benedict told me he had broken up with his girlfriend of three years just a month ago.
That morning, for the first time, Benedict came with me and Levi to take Liam to school. We sang happily all the way.
Liam forgot about his biological father and didn't care that Benedict was his stepfather, but his joy disappeared when he saw Alpha Eiden standing in front of the gate.
I was surprised to see Liam running fast into his school.
My eyes met Alpha Eiden's gray eyes. I gasped in surprise when Benedict held my hand, and we smiled at each other.
Alpha Eiden approached us with fast steps. Levi hugged Benedict's neck. The alpha werewolf scared my two sons.
"We need to talk," he said firmly.
"Okay." I nodded.
It wasn't in vain that Benedict came with me. My hunch was right, he had no idea to prove that Liam was his son other than asking me to tell the truth.
We sat in a newly opened restaurant in the same area where Liam's kindergarten was.
"Do you remember me now?" Alpha Eiden asked me, breaking the frozen silence between us.
"Yes." I would never tell him that I never forgot him.
"Don't you want to get to know me?" With one eyebrow raised, Benedict looked at Alpha Eiden, sitting across from him, and held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you." Alpha Eiden shook Benedict's hand. "I'm Eiden. Alpha of the River Dectagon Pack. I'm Celeste's ex-mate."
“Nice to meet you, too.” Benedict nodded. Then their hands parted. “I am Celeste’s second mate. I am a rogue and just a civilian.”
Benedict hid his Alpha aura with a special perfume made by his group. None of us, his group members, including me, his mate, could reveal our true identities.
“I met Celeste when she was five months pregnant.” Benedict held my hand, giving me strength and calmness, and he glanced at Levi, who was chewing on fried chicken. “Levi is my and Celeste’s son.”
“I see.” Alpha Eiden nodded twice. “So was my guess right?” He looked at me, hoping I wouldn’t deny it again.
“Yes.” I nodded. “His name is Liam.”
“That’s a nice name.” Alpha Eiden smiled slightly, his eyes fixed on the table. I didn’t want to guess what he was thinking. “I had no idea you would get pregnant with my child.”
“I never imagined that either,” I said. “But even so, I never had the desire to abort it.”
“Thank you,” Alpha Eiden said. Then, hesitantly and looking embarrassed, he said, “I wanted to meet and get to know Liam.”
“I don’t know if I can do that for you because last night, when I told him who you were, Liam didn’t want to meet you,” I said.
“It’s okay.” Alpha Eiden looked sad. “It takes time for Liam to accept me.”
Moon Goddess, tell me, will something bad happen in the future if Liam finds out about his biological father?