Transcription
5 years ago, Alpha King Dominic Sterling threw his fated mate out of the pack house in the dead of winter. His reason, a doctor's report claiming she was barren. He didn't just reject her, he humiliated her, calling her a genetic dead end and replacing her with a mistress before her scent had even faded from their bed.
Today he invited her back to the royal anniversary gala, intending to flaunt his new life and finally break her spirit. But Dominic forgot one thing. Nature doesn't make mistakes. When the palace doors open tonight, the king won't just see his rejected queen. He's about to face four impossible miracles who all share his eyes, and they are hungry for revenge.
The rain in Seattle was different from the rain in the Blood River territories. Here it was cold, impersonal, and clean. It didn't smell like wet fur, pine needles, or the lingering metallic tang of blood. Is older Izzy Vance? No, she corrected herself, looking at the brass name plate on her desk. Isolder Wilder stared at the envelope resting on the glass surface. It was made of heavy cream colored card stock embossed with the gold crest of the royal pack. A wolf rampant holding a crown. It smelled of cedar and arrogance.
"Mom, you've been staring at that thing for 20 minutes. You're going to burn a hole in it with your laser vision." His older looked up. Standing in the doorway of her office was Kyle. At only 4 years old, he already had the posture of a soldier. His messy dark hair fell over eyes that were a startling icy blue. Eyes that belonged to a man she hadn't seen in 5 years.
"It's nothing, Kyle. Just junk mail," his older lied, sweeping the envelope into the top drawer.
"Junk mail doesn't come by private courier," Kyle countered, walking into the room. He was followed immediately by three others. Isolder's heart did that familiar flutter it always did when she saw them all together. Her miracles, her impossible quartet. Kyle was the oldest by two minutes. The leader. Then came Reicher, the brawler with the short temper and the protective streak. Then Silas, who was already reading at a fourth grade level and dismantling toasters for fun. And finally, Finn, the charmer, the one who could smile and get away with murder. Four boys, quadruplets.
5 years ago, Dr. Arthur Sterling, the Royal Pack's head physician, and the Alpha King's uncle, had looked his older in the eye, and told her her uterus was infantile, scarred, and completely incapable of carrying life. He had held up the charts. He had sighed with fake sympathy while Bianca, the alpha's secretary, stood in the corner trying to hide a smirk.
"A king needs heirs," is older, Dominic had said that night. His voice hadn't even trembled. "You are broken. You cannot fulfill your duty. I reject you." She had left with nothing but the clothes on her back. She hadn't known then that Dr. Sterling had lied. She hadn't known that the nausea she felt 2 weeks later wasn't grief, but the rapid aggressive metabolism of four alpha pups growing inside her.
"It's from him, isn't it?" Reker asked, crossing his small arms. The air in the office grew heavy. Even at 4, their combined aura was suffocating. It was pure alpha blood, times four. His older sighed, rubbing her temples. She couldn't lie to them. They were too smart, and their wolf instincts were too sharp.
"Yes, it's an invitation to the fifth anniversary gala of his coronation."
"And the anniversary of him kicking you out," Silas added quietly, adjusting his glasses. "Statistically, the audacity is off the charts."
"Why does he want you there?" Finn asked, climbing onto her lap. He smelled like baby shampoo and ozone. Isolder opened the drawer and took the invite back out. She flipped it open. The handwriting was elegant, likely Bianca's.
"To Isold Wilder, King Dominic and Queen Consort. Bianca request your presence to celebrate 5 years of prosperity. The king wishes to extend an olive branch to old acquaintances and show that there are no hard feelings regarding your shortcomings."
"Shortcomings?" His older whispered the word tasting like bile. "He wants to gloat. He wants to show me that he's happy, that the pack is thriving, and that Bianca gave him what I couldn't."
"Did she?" Kyle asked sharply. His older smirked. Rumor has it no. 5 years and no public announcement of an heir, just whispers of miscarriages and bad timing. The irony was delicious, but it was also dangerous. If Dominic knew the truth, if he knew that the barren woman he discarded had birthed four alpha sons, who were currently dominating the playground of a private school in Seattle, he would burn the world down to take them.
"We're not going," is said firmly. "It's too dangerous."
"If he sees you, he won't recognize us," Riker said. "We don't look like him." That was a lie. They looked exactly like him, just with his older softer mouth.
"We are going," Kyle said, his voice dropping an octave. It was a command, not a request. It sent a shiver down his older's spine. It was the alpha tone. He was developing it early.
"Kyle," she warned.
"Mom," Kyle said, stepping closer. He placed his small hand on her knee. "He hurt you. He threw us away before we were even born. You built this company. You own Silver Moon Security. You're rich, you're powerful, and you're the strongest wolf I know. Why are you hiding?"
"I'm protecting you."
"We don't need protection." Reker growled, his eyes flashing gold for a split second. "We want to see him. We want to see the man who thought you weren't good enough." Silas looked up from a tablet he had seemingly produced from nowhere. "According to the invite, the dress code is royal formal. And by the way, Mom, if we go, we can finally initiate the merger with the Eastern Paxs. Their representatives will be there. It's a good business move."
His older stared at her sons. They weren't just children. They were a force of nature. For 5 years, she had lived in the shadows, building her wealth, training her body, and hiding her scent. She had convinced the world she was just a human businesswoman. But the wolf inside her, the wolf that had been broken and rejected, was waking up. She scratched at the surface of his older's mind. "Let them see," her wolf whispered. "Let him see what he threw away."
His older stood up, smoothing down her pencil skirt, she looked at the invitation. Then at her boys, "If we go," she said, her voice still steel. "We do it my way. No shifting, no growling. And if I say we run, we run." Understood? The four boys grinned. It was a terrifying sight. "Understood," they chorused.
Isolder picked up her phone and dialed her assistant. "Jessica, cancel my meetings for the week and call the tor. I need four miniature tuxedos and I need a dress. Not black. No, I need red. Blood red."
The royal estate of the blood river pack was less of a house and more of a fortress disguised as a castle. Nestled in the mountains of Colorado, it was a sprawling Gothic masterpiece of stone and glass. Tonight, it was lit up like a beacon. Limousines and armored SUVs lined the driveway. The paparazzi were kept at the gate, but the flashbulbs still popped like distant lightning.
Inside the grand ballroom, the air was thick with the scent of wealth, perfume, and power. Wolves from neighboring territories, human politicians, and high-ranking business mogul mingled under massive crystal chandeliers. At the head of the room, on a raised deis, sat two thrones. Alpha King Dominic Sterling sat on the larger one. At 32, he was in his prime, broadshouldered, with hair as black as a raven's wing and eyes the color of glacial ice. He looked bored. He swirled a glass of amber whiskey, his gaze scanning the crowd, looking for threats or entertainment.
Beside him sat Bianca. She was beautiful in a manufactured way, blonde hair quafted to perfection, a dress of shimmering silver that cost more than most people's houses. But her smile was tight. Her eyes were anxious.
"Stop fidgeting," Dominic murmured, not looking at her.
"I'm not fidgeting," Bianca hissed, keeping her smile fixed for the crowd. "I'm just—"
"Is she coming? Do you think she's actually coming?" Dominic took a sip of his drink.
"Is older? I doubt it. She's probably working as a waitress in some roadside diner in Nevada. I sent the invite to the last known P.O. box just to torment her. It was a joke, Bianca."
"It's cruel, Dom," Bianca said, though she didn't sound like she disapproved. "What if she makes a scene?"
"She won't. She was always meek, quiet. That was the problem. A king needs a queen who can command a room, not a mouse who hides in the library." Dominic's eyes darkened. The truth was he hadn't felt complete in 5 years. The mate bond had been severed by the rejection, leaving a hollow ache in his chest that no amount of whiskey or Bianca's affection could fill. He told himself it was just the stress of ruling.
"Besides," Dominic added, his voice lowering. "We have the announcement tonight."
Bianca flinched. "Dom, please, let's not."
"We have to, Bianca. The council is breathing down my neck. 5 years, no air. They're starting to talk about the curse."
"I am trying," Bianca whispered harshly, tears pricking her eyes. "Dr. Sterling says my stress levels are too high. If you would just stop pressuring me."
"I am the king," Dominic snapped, his aura flaring enough to make the nearby guard stiffen. "I need a son. I threw away my fated mate because she was barren. If I replaced her with another barren woman, I look like a fool and a failure." Bianca looked away, biting her lip.
Suddenly, the chatter in the ballroom died down. It wasn't a gradual silence. It was instantaneous, starting near the massive oak doors and rippling inward like a wave. Dominic looked up, annoyed. "What is it now? Did the prime minister trip on the rug?" Then he smelled it. It was faint at first, buried under the scents of hundreds of other wolves, but it cut through the noise like a knife, vanilla, rain, and something else. Something distinct and powerful. Winter berries, his solder.
The heavy oak doors groaned open. The Herald, a nervous man in a tuxedo, stepped forward, checked his clipboard, and frowned. He looked back at the open door, his eyes going wide. He cleared his throat, his voice trembling into the microphone. "Presenting Miss Isela Wilder, CEO of Silver Moon Security."
Dominic froze. CEO. Isolder stepped into the light. If Dominic had expected the mouse he threw out, he was dead wrong. The woman standing in the archway was a goddess of war. She wore a gown of deep blood red velvet that clung to every curve of her body. It was strapless, revealing toned arms and shoulders that spoke of hours in the gym. Her hair, once a mousy brown, was now a rich chocolate wave cascading down her back. Her makeup was sharp, accentuating eyes that burned with a golden defiance. She didn't look down. She didn't look scared. She looked bored. The crowd parted for her. The silence was deafening. Every male wolf in the room turned to look. Their inner wolves perking up at the sight of such a high status female.
"Is that the reject?" someone whispered.
"She looks better than the queen," another murmured. His elder walked into the room. her heels clicking rhythmically on the marble floor. She wasn't alone. She was flanked by four security guards, massive men in black suits, but they weren't leading her. They were trailing her. Dominic stood up slowly. His heart was hammering against his ribs. "She's beautiful." The thought was involuntary, primal. His soldier stopped in the center of the room directly in front of the deis. She looked up at Dominic, then shifted her gaze to Bianca. A slow, terrifying smile spread across her red lips.
"Happy anniversary, Dominic," she said. Her voice was smooth, carrying effortlessly through the silent hall. "I heard you were having a party. I hate to crash, but I had some business in the area."
"Is older." Dominic breathed. He descended the first step of the dis drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
"You— You came. You invited me?" She counted, tilting her head. "And I wanted to see if the rumors were true."
"What rumors?" Bianca demanded, standing up. Her voice was shrill compared to Isold's alto. Isolder's eyes locked onto Bianca's flat stomach. "That the fertile replacement is just as empty as I was accused of being." Gasps rang out through the hall.
"How dare you?" Bianca shrieked. "Guards, remove this trash." Four royal guards stepped forward, growling. Isolda didn't flinch. She didn't even look at them. She just raised one hand, snapping her fingers.
"Boys," she said softly. "Come say hello to the king." The four large security guards behind her stepped aside. From behind the wall of muscle, four small figures stepped out. They were dressed in impeccable miniature tuxedos. They moved with a synchronization that was eerie. They lined up in front of their mother, facing the king.
Dominic stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at the four boys. He looked at Kale, who stood in the center, chin lifted, glaring with icy contempt. He looked at Reiker, whose fists were bowled up. He looked at Silas, who was analyzing the room, and Finn, who offered a mocking little wave. He looked at their eyes, his eyes. And then the scent hit him. It wasn't just his older scent anymore. It was the scent of fresh pine, ozone, and unmistakable, high concentration royal alpha blood. The glass in Dominic's hand shattered, slicing his palm. He didn't feel it.
"Isolder." Dominic choked out, his voice barely a whisper. "Who? Who are they?"
Isolder placed her hands on Kale and Riker's shoulders. She looked Dominic dead in the eye, her expression one of ultimate victory. "Oh, I forgot to introduce my plus ones," she said, her voice dripping with venomous sweetness. "Dominic, meet Kale, Riker, Silas, and Finn. My sons." She paused, letting the weight of the moment crush him. "And don't worry, Dr. Sterling checked them himself 5 years ago. He said there was nothing there."
The silence in the ballroom didn't last. It shattered like a dropped vase. "Bastards!" Bianca screamed, her face twisting from manufactured beauty into ugly desperation. She pointed a manicured finger at the four boys. "They are mongrels. She slept with some stray to try and trick you, Dom. Look at them. They're too small. They're weak."
At the word weak, Riker, the second born, stepped forward. He didn't look at his mother for permission this time. He looked straight at the queen consort. His lips pulled back, revealing canines that were slightly too sharp for a human child. A low, vibrating growl started in his chest. It wasn't the high-pitched growl of a pup. It was deep, resonant, and heavy like a rolling thunderstorm. The wine glasses on the nearby tables began to tremble. The crystal chandelier overhead jingled ominously. The wolves in the room gasped, clutching their chests. They recognized that sound. It was the sound of a pureblooded alpha command, raw and unfiltered.
"Ryiker," his elder said calmly. She didn't scold him. She just said his name. Reker snapped his mouth shut, but his glare remained fixed on Bianca.
Dominic hadn't moved. He was staring at the boys as if they were ghosts. He looked at Kale's icy blue eyes, his own eyes staring back at him with a hatred he had never experienced. He looked at the stubborn set of Riker's jaw. He saw Silas tapping his fingers against his leg in a rhythm that Dominic himself used to do when he was thinking.
"Silence!" Dominic roared, his voice booming through the hall. He turned his gaze to Dr. Arthur Sterling, who was trying to inch his way toward the service exit. "Uncle Arthur," Dominic said, his voice deadly quiet. "Where are you going?" The old doctor froze, sweat beaded on his forehead. "I— I was just going to get my medical bag, sire, to to verify this fraud."
"Fraud?" His older laughed. It was a cold, sharp sound. "By all means, doctor. Let's do a test right here right now."
"We will go to the private infirmary," Dominic commanded. "Everyone else, stay here. If anyone leaves, the guards will consider it an act of treason." He looked at his older. "You with me?"
His older adjusted the hem of her red dress. "Come along, boys. The king wants a science lesson."
The royal infirmary was sterile and white, a stark contrast to the gala. Dominic paced the room like a caged tiger. Bianca sat in the corner sobbing into a handkerchief while Dr. Sterling nervously prepared the DNA sequencing kit. Isilda sat on a medical bed, her legs crossed, looking perfectly at ease. The four boys stood around her like a farlank.
"I don't need a test to know," Dominic said, stopping in front of them. He looked at Kale. "I can smell it. I can feel it. The bond, it's pulling at me."
"That's funny," Kyle said, his voice crisp. "Because we don't feel anything for you." Dominic flinched as if he'd been slapped.
"I am your father."
"You are a sperm donor," Silas corrected, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Biologically necessary but socially irrelevant. According to my research, a father provides protection and provision. You provided an eviction notice."
Dominic looked at his older, his eyes pleading. "Isolder, teach them some respect."
"They respect people who earn it," his older replied coolly. "You forfeited your right to respect when you threw me out into a snowstorm while I was pregnant."
"I didn't know," Dominic shouted, slamming his hand on the counter. "Arthur told me you were barren. He showed me the scans."
"And you believed him without a second opinion," is older counted. "You were so eager to get rid of the weak human mate that you jumped at the first excuse. You didn't fight for me, Dominic. You didn't even hesitate."
"I have a duty to the pack."
"And look how well that's going." She gestured to Bianca, who was glaring at her. "5 years, no heirs, weak alliances, and a king who drinks too much whiskey to drown out the silence in his bond."
"Ready?" Dr. Sterling croked. He held up the swabs.
"I don't trust him," Finn said, narrowing his eyes. "He smells like lies and expensive perfume. Not mom's perfume. Her perfume." He pointed at Bianca. Dominic froze. He turned slowly to look at Bianca, then at his uncle.
"What did the boy say?" Dominic asked.
"Children have active imaginations," Bianca snapped, standing up. "Just do the test, Arthur. Prove she's a liar so we can execute her for treason."
"I'll do the swab," Isolda said, snatching the kit from Sterling's shaking hands. She swabbed Kale's cheek, then tossed the swab to Dominic. "You do yours." Dominic swabbed his own mouth and placed both samples into the rapid analyzer. It was state-of-the-art werewolf technology. It would give a result in 3 minutes. The machine hummed. The room was silent, save for the hum of the ventilation and Bianca's ragged breathing.
Beep. The screen lit up green. Match confirmed. Paternity probability 99.9% lineage royal alpha. Dominic let out a breath. He felt like he'd been holding for 5 years. He stared at the screen, tears filling his eyes. He turned to the boys, falling to his knees so he could be at their eye level. "My sons," he whispered, reaching out a hand. "I have sons, four of them." He reached for Finn, the one who looked the most forgiving. Finn stepped back.
"Don't touch me."
Dominic's hand hovered in the air. "I— I made a mistake. A terrible mistake. But I can fix it. You are princes. You are the future of the blood river pack. You belong here."
"We belong with mom." Reker growled.
Dominic stood up, his alpha aura flaring with possessiveness. "She is my mate. She stays and you stay. We will be a family. I will fix this."
"You can't fix it, Dom." Bianca shrieked. "What about me? I am your queen."
"You," Dominic snarled, turning on her. "Are nothing if you don't give me an heir. And now, now I have four."
"Wait," Silus interrupted. He walked over to the counter where Dr. Sterling was trying to delete files from a computer. Silas was small, but he was fast. He grabbed the mouse. "Mom, he's trying to wipe the medical history logs from 5 years ago."
"Let go, you little brat," Arthur shouted, raising his hand to strike the boy. Before Arthur's hand could descend, Isolda was there. She didn't shift. She didn't use magic. She used a crav maga technique she'd learned from her head of security. She caught Arthur's wrist, twisted it behind his back until the bone snapped and slammed his face into the desk. "Touch my son," Isolda hissed into his ear, "and I will rip your throat out with my human teeth."
Dominic stepped forward, confused. "Arthur, why are you deleting logs?" Silas clicked a few keys. "Recovered. Look at this." He turned the monitor toward the king. It was a bank transfer receipt dated the day before Isolder was rejected. A transfer of $5 million into an offshore account owned by Arthur Sterling, the source of the funds, the house of Bianca Rossi.
Dominic stared at the screen, the color drained from his face. He looked at the scan attached to the file. Isold's original scan. Uterus healthy. Multiple heartbeats detected. Estimated count four.
"You knew," Dominic whispered. The air in the room grew so cold that frost began to form on the windows. He turned to Bianca. She wasn't crying anymore. She looked terrified. "You paid him to lie," Dominic said, his voice shaking with rage. "You paid him to tell me my mate was barren. You paid him to kill my unborn children."
"I did it for you, Bianca screamed. "She was a weak human. She wasn't fit to be queen. I saved you from her."
"You stole 5 years of my life," Dominic roared. His skin began to ripple. Fur sprouted along his jaw. He was losing control. "You stole my sons."
"Dominic, stop," Isilda said sharply. Dominic froze, his wolf acknowledging the command of his mate. He turned to her, his eyes wild. "They betrayed us. I will kill them. I will kill them both right now."
"No," his older said. She smoothed her dress and placed a hand on Silas's shoulder. "You won't because that's the easy way out, and I want them to suffer."
The ballroom was restless. 30 minutes had passed since the king and the intruder had left. Rumors were flying. Some said the woman was a witch. Others said the children were illusions. The great doors opened. Dominic walked in first. He looked different. The boredom was gone. In its place was a terrifying, vibrant energy. He walked with a purpose that made the crowd part instantly. Isolder walked beside him, not behind him, and flanking them were the four boys. Bianca was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Dr. Sterling.
Dominic ascended the deis. He didn't sit. He stood at the edge, looking down at his pack, at the council members, at the press. "Turn off the music," he commanded. The band stopped instantly.
"5 years ago," Dominic began, his voice amplified by the acoustics of the room. "I made a choice based on lies. I rejected my fated mate, Isolder, believing she could not provide the pack with a future." He paused, looking at his older. There was raw pain in his eyes, displayed for everyone to see. "I was wrong. I was deceived by those closest to me. My uncle Arthur Sterling and the woman you knew as Queen Consort, Bianca." A gasp ripped through the crowd. "They conspired to hide the truth. They forged medical records. They tried to steal my legacy." Dominic gestured to the four boys. "Behold the truth. They tried to hide. Kyle, Reiker, Silas, and Finn Sterling. My sons, the princes of Blood River."
The boys stepped forward. Kyle, sensing the gravity of the moment, looked at the crowd. He didn't smile. He let out a short, sharp bark. It triggered a chain reaction. The wolves in the front row dropped to one knee, then the second row, then the back. Within seconds, the entire ballroom was kneeling before the four children. It was biology. It was instinct. These boys radiated power that eclipsed even the kings.
"From this moment," Dominic declared, "Bianca Rossi is stripped of all titles and rank. She and Arthur Sterling are currently in the dungeons awaiting trial for treason against the crown. The penalty will be death." He turned to his older. He held out his hand. "And I," Dominic said, his voice softening, "humbly ask my true mate to take her rightful place, not just as the mother of my children, but as my queen."
The room held its breath. This was the fairy tale ending. The king apologizes. The queen accepts, and they live happily ever after. Isa looked at his hand. She looked at the ring on his finger, the ring he had never given her. She smiled. It was a sad, tired smile.
"No," she said. The word echoed in the silent hall. Dominic's face fell.
"Isolder. I didn't come here to get you back, Dominic," she said, her voice clear and steady. "I came here to clear my name. I came here so my sons could see where they came from. I came to expose the liars who ruined my life." She stepped back, gathering her boys close to her. "You rejected me, Dominic. You broke the bond. You can't just tape it back together because you found out I'm useful to you now. You called me a genetic dead end. You let them drag me out of this house."
"I didn't know."
"You should have known," she yelled, her composure cracking for the first time. "You should have felt it. But you were too busy trying to be a king to be a mate." She turned to the crowd. "I am Isold Wilder. I am the CEO of Silver Moon Security. I built an empire without a king. I raised four alpha heirs without a pack. I don't need your crown and I definitely don't need you." She turned to her sons. "Boys, we're leaving. We have a plane to catch."
"You can't leave," Dominic shouted panic. Rising in his voice, he stepped off the deis, moving to block her path. "They are my heirs. They cannot leave pack territory."
Kyle stepped in front of his mother. He looked up at the giant man towering over him. "Move," Kyle said.
"I am your king, son," Dominic pleaded.
"You're a stranger," Rker added, stepping up beside his brother.
"And you're in our way," Silas said.
Dominic looked at them. He could stop them physically. He was a full-g grown alpha. But if he used force against his own pups, the pack would turn on him. And more importantly, he would lose them forever. He stepped aside. His older walked past him, her head high. She didn't look back. Dominic watched them go, the heavy doors closing behind them with a final booming thud. He stood alone in the center of his ballroom, surrounded by his subjects, technically the most powerful man in the region. But as he looked at the empty space where his family had just been, he realized the truth. He was the poorest man in the room.
His older and the boys made it to the limo in silence. Once the doors closed and the tinted windows rolled up, the tension broke. "That was intense," Finn let out a long exhale. "Did you see his face?"
"He looked like he was going to cry," Silas noted, typing rapidly on his tablet. "I've already shorted the stock on Rossy Enterprises. Bianca's family is going to be bankrupt by morning."
"Good," Riker grunted. "She called us mongrels."
Isolder leaned back against the leather seat, closing her eyes. Her hands were shaking. She hid them in her lap so the boys wouldn't see. "You did good, Mom," Kyle said softly. He climbed over the seat to sit next to her. "You were strong." His older opened her eyes and pulled him into a hug. "I was terrified, Kyle."
"You didn't smell terrified," he said. "You smelled like victory." His older smiled, kissing the top of his head. "We're going home. Back to Seattle. Back to normal." But as the limo wound its way down the mountain, Isolda looked out the window at the moon. She knew deep down that normal was gone. Dominic knew about them now. He knew he had four alpha sons. He knew he had made the biggest mistake of his life. Dominic Sterling was a man who always got what he wanted. He had given up tonight because he was in shock, but he wouldn't give up forever. The war for her children and perhaps the war for her heart had only just begun.
3 days. That was how long it took for the peace to break. Seattle was gray and drizzling, a comfort to Isolder after the suffocating opulence of the blood river gala. She sat in her office at Silver Moon Security trying to focus on a risk assessment report for a tech startup, but her eyes kept drifting to the window. Every shadow looked like a wolf. Every expensive car engine sounded like an invasion.
"You're doing it again," Jessica, her assistant, said, walking in with a steaming latte. "Checking the perimeter."
"You're safe, Izzy. We have the best security in the state because we are the best security in the state." Is older side taking the cup. "It's just he doesn't give up. That's his flaw. He sees something he wants and he bulldozes everything until he gets it."
"Well, unless he has a tank, he's not getting past the lobby security." The intercom on his older's desk buzzed. It was the front desk. "Ms. Wilder. You have a visitor. He uh he says he doesn't have an appointment, but he thinks you'll want to see him."
"Who is it?" His older asked, her grip tightening on the coffee cup.
"He says his name is Dominic. And mom? He brought a truck." His older closed her eyes. "Send him away."
"I tried, Mom. He bought the building." His older's eyes snapped open. "He what?"
"He bought the building 10 minutes ago. He's technically our landlord now." Isa slammed the coffee cup down, splashing foam onto the desk. She marched out of her office, past a stunned Jessica, and down the hall to the elevator. When the doors opened in the lobby, she stopped dead. The sleek, modern lobby of her building was filled with flowers, thousands of them. White lilies, red roses, blue hydrangeas. It looked like a botanical garden had exploded. Standing in the center of the floral chaos was Dominic Sterling. He wasn't wearing his royal regalia. He was wearing a charcoal Armani suit that fit him like a second skin, the top button of his shirt undone. He looked tired, dark circles under his eyes, but his gaze was intense. Behind him stood four assistants holding boxes wrapped in gold paper.
"You bought my building," his said, her voice echoing in the sudden silence of the lobby.
"I needed to ensure my investment was secure, and I needed a reason to be here that didn't involve breaking a restraining order," Dominic turned. "You are insane."
"I am a father," Dominic corrected. He stepped forward, crushing a lily under his polished shoe. "I missed five birthdays, Is older. Five Christmases. I have catching up to do." He gestured to the assistants. "I didn't know what they liked. So I bought everything. The latest gaming consoles, drones, pony rides. Though I was told ponies are impractical in the city, so I bought a stable nearby just in case."
His soldier crossed her arms. "You think you can buy them? They are people, Dominic. Not pack members you can bribe with meat."
"I don't know how to be a father," Dominic shouted, his composure slipping. The receptionists ducked behind their desks. "I was raised to be a king. I was raised to command and provide. So, let me provide."
"We don't want your stuff." The voice came from the elevator behind his older. Kyle, Riker, Silas, and Finn walked out. They were supposed to be in the breakroom doing homework. Dominic's face softened instantly. The arrogance vanished, replaced by a desperate hunger.
"Boys, we have PlayStations," Silus said, adjusting his glasses. "We built our own gaming PC last month. It has better specs than whatever is in that box."
"And we don't like ponies," Riker added, sneering at the flowers. "They smell. We like motorcycles."
"But mom says, 'Not until we're 16.'" Finn piped up.
Dominic looked at the boxes, then at the boys. He looked lost. For the first time, the Alpha King didn't know the next move.
"Then what do you want?" Dominic asked horarssely. "Tell me anything. I will give you the moon if you ask for it."
Kyle stepped forward. He walked right up to Dominic. The height difference was massive, but Kyle held his ground. "We want to know why," Kyle said.
Dominic frowned. "Why? What?"
"Why you didn't feel us?" Kyle said. "Mom says the mate bond is the strongest magic in the world. She felt us the second we existed. Why didn't you?"
The lobby went silent. It was the question that had haunted Esold for 5 years. Dominic dropped to one knee. He didn't care about his suit. He didn't care about the staff watching. He looked Kyle in the eye. "Because I was arrogant," Dominic whispered. "I thought strength came from bloodlines and titles. I let my uncle drown me in potions and treatments to boost my alpha power, not knowing they were dulling my senses. I was numb. Kyle, I was a king of a dead kingdom inside my own head." He reached out, tentatively touching Kale's shoulder. Kale didn't pull away this time. "I was blind," Dominic continued. "But when I saw your mother in that red dress, when I saw you, the world turned back on. I will spend the rest of my life apologizing for the years I was asleep. But please don't send me away. Let me wake up."
Kyle stared at him for a long moment. He looked back at his older. His older gave a tiny nod. It wasn't forgiveness, but it was permission. Kyle turned back to Dominic.
"You can't buy the building." Dominic blinked. "What?"
"Mom worked hard for this company. If you own the building, you own her work. It's insulting." Dominic swallowed. "Okay, I'll sell it back to her for a dollar."
"And no gifts," Reker added. "Unless you made them."
"Made them?" Dominic looked horrified. "I— I can whittle a little."
"And you have to eat dinner with us," Finn said. "Mom makes spicy tacos on Tuesdays. If you can't handle the spice, you can't handle the pack." Dominic let out a breathless laugh. "I can handle spice."
"We'll see," Silus said ominously.
Isolder stepped forward. She felt a crack in the wall she had built around her heart. Just a hairline fracture, but it was there. "You heard them, Dominic," she said. "Dinner is at 6:00. Don't be late. And get rid of the flowers. It looks like a funeral in here."
Dominic stood up. He looked at his older with a raw intensity that made her knees weak. "Thank you," he said.
"Don't thank me yet," his older warned, turning back to the elevator. "Reker puts ghost peppers in the salsa."
The taco Tuesday test had been a disaster for Dominic's digestive system, but a victory for his standing. He had eaten three ghost pepper tacos without shedding a tear, gaining a nod of respect from Riker. Over the next two weeks, Dominic integrated himself into Seattle. He rented a penthouse down the street. He walked the boys to their private school in the mornings, flanked by his royal guards, disguised as nannies, which was a sight to behold. He was trying. Isolder could see it. He listened to Silus talk about quantum physics for hours. He let Finn practice wrestling moves on him. He taught Kyle how to control the alpha voice so he wouldn't accidentally command the school teacher. But the bubble of domesticity was fragile. His older was in the kitchen washing dishes, watching Dominic in the backyard, teaching the boys how to throw a football. He was laughing. It was a sound she hadn't heard in years. Her phone rang. It was an unknown number.
"Is older Wilder?" She answered.
"You have something of mine," The voice was gravel and smoke. His older froze. She recognized it instantly. Donovan Rossy, Bianca's father, the head of the Rossy crime family, and all the alpha of the Southern Clay Pack.
"I don't know what you're talking about," his older said, drying her hands, her eyes locked on the boys outside.
"My daughter is rotting in a dungeon because of you," Donovan hissed. "You and your bastard brats. You humiliated my family. You took the crown that belonged to my bloodline."
"Bianca committed treason," his older said coldly. "She tried to kill my children before they were even born. She's lucky Dominic didn't execute her on the spot."
"Dominic is a fool who thinks with his heart. I think with my teeth. Listen closely, little human. You are going to convince the king to release Bianca. You are going to tell the world you lied about the paternity. You are going to leave the country or what? Or I turn Seattle into a graveyard. Starting with that pretty little school your sons attend."
His older dropped the phone. "Dominic," she screamed, tearing open the back door. Dominic spun around, his instincts instantly flaring. He saw the terror on her face and was moving before she even finished the sentence. "Inside now." Dominic roared at the boys. They scrambled into the house. Dominic slammed the sliding glass door and locked it.
"What is it? What happened?"
"Donovan Rossy," his older gasped. "He knows where we are. He threatened the school. He wants Bianca released."
Dominic's eyes turned pitch black. His canines extended. "He dares threaten my pups."
"He's not just threatening," Silus said from the living room. He was holding his tablet, his face pale. "Mom. The perimeter sensors just tripped. All of them."
Crash. The front window shattered. A canister of tear gas rolled into the living room. Hissing smoke. "Masks!" Isolder shouted, pulling her shirt up over her nose. She grabbed Finn and Silas. "Upstairs to the panic room. They're here."
Dominic growled. He didn't retreat. He stepped toward the broken window. Wolves were pouring onto the lawn. Not just any wolves, rogues, mercenaries hired by Rossy. They were massive, mangy beasts with madness in their eyes. "Go, Isold," Dominic commanded, his voice shaking the foundation of the house. "Protect them. I will hold the line."
"I'm not leaving you," Isela yelled. She grabbed a decorative sword she kept on the mantle. A souvenir from a trip to Japan, but sharp enough.
"Mom, look out," Reker screamed. The back door exploded inward. Three wolves surged into the kitchen. Isolda didn't hesitate. She shoved the boys behind the kitchen island and met the first wolf headon. She wasn't a shifter, but she was a mother. She sidestepped the snapping jaws and drove the sword into the wolf's shoulder. The wolf yelped and collapsed, but the other two lunged. Dominic was busy in the living room, tearing through three attackers with brutal efficiency. He heard his older scream.
"No!" Dominic roared. The sound was so powerful it shattered the remaining windows. He shifted. It was the first time the boys had seen his wolf form. He was a monster, a massive midnight black wolf, standing nearly 7 feet tall at the shoulder. He moved faster than thought. He leaped over the sofa, cleared the kitchen island, and slammed into the two wolves attacking his older. He tore the throat out of one and snapped the spine of the other with a single bite. He stood over his older, snarling, blood dripping from his muzzle. He was terrifying. He was death incarnate. Isolder looked up at him. She wasn't scared. She reached out and touched his fur.
"Behind you," Kyle shouted. A rogue had flanked them. It was aiming for Finn, who was cowering near the fridge. Dominic was too far. Isolder was on the floor. Riker stepped forward. The four-year-old boy didn't shift. He didn't have a weapon. He just held out his hand and screamed. It wasn't a human scream. It was a wave of pure kinetic energy. The air rippled. The rogue wolf was lifted off its feet and thrown backward through the wall, landing in the backyard.
Silence fell over the kitchen. Dominic shifted back to human form, naked and bloody, breathing hard. He stared at Riker. "Did you?" Dominic panted. "Did you just use an alpha roar to throw a fullgrown wolf through a brick wall?" Reker looked at his hands, trembling. He was going to hurt Finn.
Dominic looked at his older. There was awe in his eyes. "They aren't just alphas," his older. "They are something else. Something ancient."
"We can discuss genetics later," his older said, standing up and checking Finn for injuries. "Donovan Rossy just declared war, and he broke my favorite window."
Dominic wiped the blood from his mouth. His expression hardened into the cold, ruthless mask of the king. "He didn't just break a window," Dominic growled. "He signed his death warrant. 'No one touches my family and lives.'" He turned to the boys. "Get your things. We are leaving."
"Where are we going?" Silas asked, clutching his tablet.
"Back to the Blood River Pack," Dominic said. "The safest place in the world is the fortress, and it's time I took back my kingdom properly." Isilda hesitated. Going back meant returning to the place of her greatest humiliation. It meant facing the whispers, the court, the memories. Dominic saw her hesitation. He walked over to her, heededless of the blood and chaos. He took her face in his hands. "I am not asking you to go back as the rejected mate," he said fiercely. "I am asking you to come back as the commander of my army. We are going to war, Isolda. And I need you by my side, not behind me, beside me."
Isolda looked at her ruined house. She looked at her terrified but unheard sons. She looked at the man who had just ripped apart three wolves to save them. The old Dominic would have sent guards. This Dominic had used his own teeth.
"Okay," his older whispered. "Let's go home."
The Blood River fortress was burning. Donovan Rossy had unleashed the Black Talon mercenaries, and the night air was thick with smoke and the howls of dying wolves. While Dominic held the main gate, Isolder and the boys barricaded themselves in the high tower server room to jam the enemy's communications. But they weren't alone. The ventilation grate crashed open and a ragged manic figure dropped into the room. It was Bianca clutching a silver dagger, her eyes wild with madness.
"I'm going to carve you out of my life," Bianca shrieked, lunging at his older. His older raised her weapon, but she was too slow. Bianca was already midair. Suddenly, the room vibrated with a low, terrifying frequency.
"Sit." The command didn't come from a man. It came from Finn. His eyes glowed a blinding gold. Bianca froze midstep, her body betraying her mind as she was forced to her knees by the sheer weight of the Alpha Order. While she struggled against the invisible crushing force, Isolda stepped forward and delivered a swift kick to Bianca's temple, knocking her unconscious.
"Good job, baby," His older breathed, checking the boys. "Now look outside." Below them, the courtyard was a slaughter house. Dominic was fighting Donovan Rossy. Claw against claw. Dominic was faster, but Donovan played dirty. A mercenary in the shadows fired a crossbow bolt laced with concentrated wolf spain, striking Dominic in the neck. The king fell. He shifted back to human form, writhing in agony as the poison coursed through his veins. Donovan stood over him, laughing, raising his claws to deliver the killing blow. "Say goodbye, king!" Donovan spat.
"Hey, ugly!" Donovan looked up. Three stories above on the balcony stood four small figures holding hands. Kale, Reiker, Silas, and Finn took a deep breath. Their eyes flared with ancient unified light. They opened their mouths and unleashed a sound not heard for a millennium. The call of the ancients. It wasn't just a scream. It was a shockwave of pure golden energy. It rolled over the courtyard, flattening every enemy wolf into the mud. Donovan tried to resist, but his knees shattered under the pressure. He was pinned to the earth, helpless. Dominic, however, didn't feel the weight. The golden light washed over him, burning the poison from his blood and knitting his flesh. He stood up, revitalized by the power of his sons. He walked over to the paralyzed Donovan. "You were right about one thing," Dominic said, his voice echoing in the sudden silence. "My sons are the future, but you won't be here to see it." Dominic delivered the final blow.
The invasion was over and the king looked up at the balcony, bowing his head to the four true rulers of the pack. And just like that, the usurpers were crushed by the power of the next generation. Isolder proved that a mother's love and a little bit of tactical genius is stronger than any army. While Dominic finally earned his place, not just as a king, but as a father. With Bianca back in the dungeon and Donovan defeated, the Sterling family is finally whole. It turns out the Baron Reject was the only one capable of birthing legends.
What did you think of the boy's power? Do you think they are too overpowered or was it the perfect karma? Let me know in the comments. If you loved this story of revenge and redemption, please smash that like button, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more daily drama. Thanks for watching.