CHAPTER 49: Meeting The Boys

CHAPTER 49: Meeting The Boys

Jared's POV
"What else are you hiding?" I roared at the prison transport as it drove away with Caleb inside.
But he just laughed, the sound fading into the distance.
"Forget him," Georgia said tiredly. "He's just trying to scare us."
But I couldn't forget. Through the mate bond, I felt her fear too. She was worried about what other lies might come out.
We walked back to the palace in silence. The children were tired, especially Kaia who kept crying softly.
"It's okay, baby," Georgia whispered to her. "That bad man can't hurt you anymore."
"But he's my real daddy," Kaia sobbed. "Does that make me bad too?"
I stopped walking and knelt down in front of her. "Listen to me, Kaia. Who your father is doesn't describe who you are. You're good and kind and brave. That's all that matters."
"But everyone will know," she cried. "Everyone will know my real daddy is a bad man."
"Then we'll tell them the truth," I said strongly. "That you're my daughter in every way that counts. And anyone who says different will answer to me."
Kaia threw her arms around my neck. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, princess," I said, my voice breaking.
When we got back to the palace, Oracle Mira took Kaia to fix her injuries. Georgia went with them, leaving me alone with Kelvin and Kelsey for the first time since learning they were truly mine.
I looked at them really closely now. Kelvin had my exact nose. Kelsey had my chin. They both had my green eyes and red hair. How had I not seen it before?
"So," Kelvin said awkwardly. "You're really our dad. Like, for real this time."
"For real," I stated.
"That's cool, I guess," Kelsey said, but he wouldn't look at me.
I sat down on the floor so I was at their level. "Listen, I know this is weird. I know I wasn't there for your first six years. But I want to be there now. If you'll let me."
"Why weren't you there before?" Kelvin asked bluntly. "If you're our dad, why did you let Mom raise us alone?"
"Because I didn't know you existed," I said honestly. "And that's my fault. I hurt your mother so badly that she had to run away. She couldn't stay here because of me."
"You rejected her," Kelsey said. "Emma told us. You said Mom was too weak to be your mate."
Shame burned through me. "I did. And I was wrong. Your mother is the greatest person I've ever met. She's brave and kind and amazing. I was too stupid to see it back then."
"Are you still stupid now?" Kelvin asked seriously.
Despite everything, I laughed. "Probably. But I'm trying to be less stupid."
"Good," Kelsey said. "Because Mom deserves someone who's not stupid."
"You're right," I agreed. "She does."
We sat in silence for a moment. Then Kelvin spoke up.
"I have a question. If you're our real dad now, does that mean we have to call you Dad instead of Daddy like we've been practicing?"
"You can call me whatever feels right," I said.
"What about Papa?" Kelsey suggested. "That's different from Daddy but still nice."
"Papa works," I said, my throat tight. "I'd be honored if you called me Papa."
Kelvin suddenly got serious. "Can I ask you something else?"
"Anything."
"That night when we were born," he said softly. "Mom told us she almost died giving birth to us. That she was alone and scared. Were you really drugged? Did you really not know what was happening?"
The question hit me like a punch. "Yes. I was drugged. But that's not an excuse. Even drugged, some part of me should have known something was wrong. Should have stopped."
"But you couldn't stop," Kelsey said. "Because of the drugs."
"Maybe," I said. "But I still carry the guilt. Your mother suffered because of me, even if I wasn't fully in control."
Kelvin and Kelsey looked at each other, having some silent twin chat.
"Mom says you're a good man now," Kelvin finally said. "She says people can change."
"Do you believe that?" I asked.
They both nodded slowly.
"Then we'll give you a chance," Kelsey said. "But if you hurt Mom again, we'll use our magic on you."
"Deal," I said, holding out my hand.
They both shook it gravely.
Emma walked in then, looking tired. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," Kelvin said. "We were just talking to Papa."
Emma's eyes widened. "Papa?"
"That's what we're calling him now," Kelsey stated.
Emma looked at me, then nodded. "Okay. Papa it is."
Something warm filled my chest. These were my children. Really, truly mine. And they were accepting me.
"Where's your mom?" I asked.
"Still with Kaia," Emma said. "Oracle Mira is doing a full examination to make sure there's no dark magic left from the blood ritual."
"I should go check on them," I said, standing up.
But before I could leave, Daemon burst through the door, his face pale.
"Jared, we have a problem," he said quickly.
"What now?" I asked tiredly.
"It's Caleb," Daemon said. "He fled from the transport. Killed all the guards and disappeared."
My blood ran cold. "How long ago?"
"Twenty minutes," Daemon said. "We've got search groups out, but he's good at hiding. He could be anywhere."
"He'll come here," I said with confidence. "For Kaia. He said she was his."
"I've already doubled security around the palace," Daemon assured me.
But then Emma gasped. "Where's Mom? And Kaia?"
We all traded looks of horror.
"They're in the medical wing," I said, already running. "It's on the other side of the palace."
We raced through the corridors. My heart pounded in my chest. Please let them be okay. Please.
We burst into the hospital wing.
Oracle Mira was asleep on the floor. Blood pooled around her head.
And Georgia and Kaia were gone.
On the wall, written in Oracle Mira's blood, was a message: "I TOLD YOU SHE WAS MINE. COME TO THE OLD WAREHOUSE ALONE, OR THEY BOTH DIE. YOU HAVE ONE HOUR. -C"
"No," I breathed.
Emma, Kelvin, and Kelsey started crying. "He took them! He took Mom and Kaia!"
Daemon checked Oracle Mira's pulse. "She's living. Barely."
"Get her help," I ordered. "I'm going to the warehouse."
"This is a trap," Daemon warned.
"I don't care," I said. "He has my mate and my daughter."
"What if it's not just about Kaia?" Emma said suddenly. "What if the other secret he mentioned has something to do with Mom?"
Her words made me stop. What if Caleb had been hiding something about Georgia all these years?
Anna ran in, holding a piece of paper. "Jared! We found this in Caleb's rooms. You need to read it now."
I grabbed the paper. It was a letter, written six years ago. From Georgia's mother to Caleb.
My hands shook as I read: "Dear Caleb, Thank you for your help with my daughter Georgia. As promised, here is your cash. The child she carries is yours—I've used magic to ensure it. In six years, I will call you again to claim what is rightfully yours. But there's more I haven't told anyone. Georgia isn't just a tool for making powerful children. She's also the key to opening the third Gateway. The one that goes to the realm where the Original Lycans sleep. Wake them, and you'll have power beyond belief. The ritual demands Georgia's willing sacrifice. Make her love you. Make her trust you. Then, when the time is right, bring her to me. -Serefina Brooke " The paper fell from my hands.
"Georgia's mother has been planning this for six years," I whispered. "And Caleb has been working with her the whole time."
"But her mother is dead," Anna said. "We all saw her die."
"Did we?" Daemon asked grimly. "Or did we see what she wanted us to see?"
Emma's eyes went wide. "The red eyes I saw at the Palace of Shadows. I thought it was Grandmother. What if it really was her?"
"Then she's been alive this whole time," I said, fear filling me. "Watching. Waiting. Planning."
"And now she has Georgia and Kaia," Kelsey said.
I looked at the letter again. "The ritual demands Georgia's willing sacrifice. What does that mean?"
Oracle Mira groaned, regaining awareness. "It means... they'll torture Kaia... until Georgia agrees to die... to save her..."
"We have to go now," I said.
"Wait," Oracle Mira gasped. "There's something else... about that night six years ago... something no one knows..."
"What?" I asked.
She coughed up blood. "Georgia... she wasn't pregnant with just four kids... there was a fifth child... your mother took it the night they were born... She's been raising it in secret... as a tool against you..."
The world turned.
I had another child. A six-year-old child I'd never met.
And Georgia's mother had been raising it to destroy me.