Chapter 4: The Stranger Mother
1273 Words
Chapter 4: The Stranger Mother
(Seraphina's POV)
I hadn't slept all night. My mind raced with plans and desperate hopes. The most important thing now was to mend my bond with my precious twin pups.
I needed to take them away after severing the mate bond with Aiden. But first, I had to win their trust and love.
I wanted to wake the pups myself. I wanted to nuzzle them, have breakfast with them, and watch them go to training. Just like any other mother should.
The problem was, my legs weren't flexible enough yet. My muscles were still weak and unsteady, so I had to rely on Aiden for help, no matter how much it disgusted me.
I heard the shower running in our ensuite bathroom. Steam drifted out from under the door. Soon, Aiden would emerge.
I waited patiently, my heart filled with sweet anticipation. This would be my first real morning with my children in five years.
The bathroom door opened. Aiden stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist. Water droplets clung to his muscled chest.
"Aiden," I called out, forcing brightness into my voice. "Can you help me pick out an outfit Caspian and Elara will like?"
His footsteps paused. I could feel his gaze on me.
"After I'm changed, can you take me to wake them up?" I continued, unable to hide my excitement. "I want to have breakfast with our babies."
After five years of separation, I desperately wanted to rebuild connections with my kids. I wanted to shower them with all the love I'd been forced to keep locked inside.
"Sera," Aiden's voice was as gentle as ever.
He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. His hand reached out to stroke my face apologetically.
"Actually, our puppies... especially Elara, she's always been timid. Last night, she whispered to me that she's afraid of you."
My smile began to falter. Something cold settled in my stomach.
Before I could argue that I was their mother, he gently soothed me. His voice took on that patronizing tone I was beginning to hate.
"I think you should rest a bit more. You can spend your time with the puppies once you can walk normally."
"But I am their mother," I insisted, my voice cracking slightly. "They're my babies, Aiden. I need to see them. NOW."
He sighed and interrupted me with feigned embarrassment. "Seraphina, you've been absent for five years. You're more like a stranger to them now."
Each word was like a dagger to my heart.
"Give them some time," he continued. "Let them adjust to this."
Fury erupted inside me. I wanted to slap his hypocritical face. I wanted to scream at him for his lies.
If he had told the kids the truth - that I had fallen into a coma to ensure their safe birth - they would never have been afraid of me!
But he had apparently done nothing. Instead, he'd let Evelyn usurp my place as their mother.
Under the covers, I dug my nails into my thighs. The pain helped me focus. I forced a resigned smile through my crumbling composure.
"Okay," I whispered. "I'll listen to you."
He was pleased with my obedience.
"Good girl!" he praised, his voice warm with approval. Like I was some well-trained pet.
The way he spoke to me made my stomach churn with revulsion.
He rubbed my forehead gently. "I'll talk to our pups. Help them understand. Get them to accept you slowly."
My eyes, hollow and grateful, met his. "Aiden, thank you."
The lie tasted bitter on my tongue. But I had to play this role perfectly.
He stared at me for a long time, his gaze unreadable. Something flickered in his eyes, but I couldn't quite identify.
Finally, he stood up and moved toward the door. "I should go wake the pups now."
At the doorway, he paused and added one last thing. "Oh, Martha will come care for you tomorrow. This omega has served us for two years. Very reliable."
The door closed behind him with a soft click.
The moment I was alone, the gentle mask fell from my face completely. It was replaced by a cold, sharp glare that could have cut glass.
Aiden was deliberately keeping me away from my pups.
Martha wasn't so much caring for me as she was keeping watch, making sure I didn't cause any trouble or get too close to what he considered his perfect little family.
(Aiden's POV)
Ever since Seraphina woke up, I'd been feeling restless.
During her coma, I realized how much better my life could be without her.
The pack progressed very well, and I already had two excellent heirs. She was no longer useful to me.
Now I just wished the Moon Goddess could put her back to sleep permanently. I had stopped loving her long ago.
At first, I'd been touched by her devotion.
She helped me develop the pack while caring for me wholeheartedly in our family life.
As a Luna, Seraphina was impeccable.
But as a lover, she was too dull. Too predictable. She left me with no interest at all.
Unlike Evelyn... who was wild and quite the flirt in bed.
Thinking of Evelyn made heat surge through my stomach. The way she moved beneath me, the sounds she made... So different from Seraphina's quiet, dutiful submission.
Fortunately, Seraphina was now blind with her wolf dormant. She wouldn't notice my affair with Evelyn.
It seemed the Moon Goddess was again helping me.
If Seraphina dared to cause any trouble, there would be a thousand ways to isolate and imprison her. She was completely at my mercy now.
Just then, I heard Elara calling for me downstairs. Her sweet voice echoed through the house.
I quickly composed myself and headed downstairs to the dining room.
Caspian sat at the breakfast table wearing his best plaid jacket. This little boy looked visibly agitated about something.
His dark eyes - so much like his mother's - were troubled as he picked at his eggs.
"Daddy," he asked awkwardly, "Why isn't she having breakfast with us?"
I was displeased with his obvious longing for his biological mother. It would only complicate things.
"She needs to rest," I replied coldly.
Caspian's disappointment was written all over his small face.
Elara bounced excitedly in her chair. Her blonde curls - inherited from me - caught the morning sunlight streaming through the windows.
"Daddy, when will Mommy come take us to training?" she asked brightly. "I'm talking about Evelyn, of course."
Perfect. This was exactly the opening I needed.
I deliberately sighed, putting on a show of reluctance. "Elara, your real mom is back, so Evelyn can't come over anymore."
The little girl's face scrunched up in confusion.
"You know how jealous women could be, darling," I continued, my voice gentle but poisonous. "If your real mom saw how close you are to Evelyn, she would be upset."
Elara immediately turned annoyed. Her small hands clenched into fists.
"Then why did she have to wake up?" she demanded, her voice rising with frustration. "We were doing just fine with Evelyn!"
Seeing the resentment blazing in my daughter's eyes, I felt a surge of secret pleasure. This was working better than I'd hoped.
Soon, my pups would see Seraphina as nothing more than an unwelcome intruder in their happy lives.
I decided to add fuel to the fire. Gently, I patted Elara's head with false sympathy.
"Mind your words, darling," I said softly. "Remember, now that your real mom is back, you have to listen to her."
- Writer
