Chapter 76 MOTHER?
Adam's POV
“…she’s claiming to be your mate’s mother.”
“What?”
For a second, the room tilted.
Mother?
My mouth opened, but nothing came out. My thoughts slammed into each other all at once, loud and sharp and wrong. Mother how. Which mother? Brian’s mother? Marcus’s wife? The woman who made my life hell on earth. The woman who told me I was sick in the head, that I imagined things, that the pills were for my own good. The woman who took my scholarship papers and handed them to her son like sleepless nights and hard work was for nothing. The woman who looked at me like I was something she’d scraped off her shoe. How the hell did she find her way here?
My chest tightened.
No. No, no, no.
Kael’s voice cut through the noise. “Bring her in.”
I turned to him so fast my head spun. “Kael—”
“It’s fine,” he said calmly, already signaling the guard. “I’m here.”
That shouldn’t have helped as much as it did, but it did. I swallowed and nodded, even though my hands were already shaking.
“Alpha,” Heather said softly, bowing again. “Shall I—”
“Yes,” Kael said. “You may go for now. Thank you.”
She bowed once more and left quietly, her presence slipping out of the hall like warmth fading from a room.
The doors opened.
The woman rushed in like she’d been waiting for this moment her entire life, arms wide, eyes wild. “Archie—”
Kael stepped in front of me instantly.
The guard grabbed her arms and shoved her back. She stumbled, then dropped to her knees hard enough that the sound echoed.
“Please!” she cried. “Please, don’t throw me out! I’m begging you! I’m in danger!”
Kael held up a hand. “Slow down.”
Her sobs came fast and messy. “They’re going to kill me. Please, Alpha, I just want to see my son.”
Kael turned slightly and guided me to sit, his hand firm on my shoulder, grounding. He sat beside me, close enough that our thighs touched. Only then did he look back at her.
“Sit,” he said.
She hesitated, then crawled awkwardly to the bench across from us and sat, hands twisting together.
Kael’s voice was calm, controlled. “Who are you, and where are you from?”
“I’m Sara,” she said quickly. “From Star Moon pack. And I’ve come for my son.”
The air went cold. I felt goosebumps spreading across my arms.
Kael leaned back slightly. “How much did you get paid to risk your life?”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Do you realize,” he continued evenly, “that you won’t leave here alive if this is a lie?”
She shook her head frantically. “I wasn’t paid. I swear. Please, hear me out. My life is in danger. Our Alpha—he sent men after me. I’ve been hiding for months. I know it’s only a matter of time before they find me.”
Her voice broke. “I just wanted to see my son before I die.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. “And you think your son is my mate?”
She nodded vigorously. “Yes.”
She turned to me then, eyes filling with tears. “Yes, dear Archie. You don’t recognize mama?”
My body visibly relaxed as I felt pity for her. She's mistaken me for her son. Poor woman.
“Oh,” I said weakly. “Ma’am. I’m… I’m really sorry about your situation. Truly. But you’re mistaken. I’m not your son. My name is Adam. Not Archie.”
She shook her head, slow and certain. “No, my dear. Your name is Archie. You’re my son. You're no longer 9 years old, you’ve grown so much, but I would know you anywhere.”
My stomach twisted. “I would remember you,” I said. “If I was with you at that age, I would remember.”
“They took you,” she said quickly. “They took you away and did something to you. That’s why you don’t remember me.”
Kael’s voice cut in sharp. “Enough.”
He looked at her hard. “I’ll give you the benefit of doubt. I’ll provide you with accommodation under my protection. But you will tell me why you think Adam is your son and how you knew where to find him.”
She reached into her pocket with shaking hands and pulled out two old paper photos. She stood and walked forward slowly, like she was afraid we’d disappear.
Kael took them.
I leaned in despite myself.
The first photo showed a boy, maybe eight or ten, dark hair, thin face, eyes round and innocent. The second showed the same boy standing beside a younger version of the woman, her arm wrapped tight around his shoulders.
The boy looked like me.
My breath caught and I opened my mouth to breathe.
“This isn’t me,” I said quickly. Too quickly. “I would remember this.”
She shook her head again. “They erased you. But you’re my son.”
“I don’t remember a childhood like that,” I said. “I remember spending that age with Brian. You know Brain?”
I remember playing with trying to get Brian to play with me, at that age, and he'll just bully me. I remember being pushed. Being punished. Being told I was wrong all the time, by our parents, even though Brian was the bully.
Her brow furrowed. “Brian?”
Kael’s eyes narrowed. “Continue.”
“I knew you were here,” she said, turning back to him, “because word spread. About the Alpha's plan to attack—”
Kael stood abruptly. “That’s enough.”
“These photos are not proof,” he said coldly. “You will be given protection tonight. But if your story isn’t straight by morning, you risk losing your life.”
He turned to me and pulled me up gently. “Come.”
As we walked away, my head spun. The photos burned behind my eyes. The boy. The lack of memories. The way my childhood felt like fog, like it had holes punched through it.
In our chamber, Kael paused at the door. “Go in first.”
I nodded numbly and walked in, sitting heavily on the couch.
Who was I?
Why didn’t I remember anything before Brian? Before pain and pills and fear?
Kael came back minutes later and sat beside me, pulling me into his arms.
“Don’t worry about what she's claiming,” he said softly. “I’m here. We’ll figure it out.”
I rested my head against his chest, liste
ning to his heartbeat.
I hoped, very desperately, that this wasn’t another change crashing into my life without asking permission.