ATHENA'S POV.When I opened my eyes, the room was dark. After labor, I had slept, awoken, stared at sleeping Aiden, and had slept again.I smiled. It had been a long ordeal. Nine months with Aiden in me had countless events. Unfortunately, Gary, Earnshaw and Bronch would be unable to see him, but I was sure they would have loved him. I looked over to Aiden's crib, and spotted Tristan looking at him, with a kind of awed look, like he'd never seen a baby up close.“How many months of vacation did we agree on?” I asked, as I tried to sit up gently, and he jumped slightly.Then he turned to me and smiled. “Two.”“Two? Wow…. So you're trying to wiggle your way out of this, uh? You clearly said a three-month vacation on the phone.” I retorted, and he chuckled. “You know, I rushed into my car immediately after the call, but was stuck in the traffic for hours. It was no joke. By the way, do babies sleep like this?” He asked, and I peered into Aiden's crib.“How?” I asked, since he wasn't s
ATHENA'S POV.My heart jolted, and I realized I wasn't ready to see him. Watching him alone made me feel like thrusting a dagger into him, and asking why he was there. I had felt the same feeling when I had searched him up to see his face. It had been such an uncontrollable urge that made me feel like I'd go mad. How dare he walk into the party of a woman he left to die. It had been ruthless of him. I was blind, yet he had pushed me out to the woods. That memory would never leave me until I took my revenge. What would happen when he discovered the woman he had mistreated had actually been the daughter of the former Alpha of his friend's pack?Unfortunately, my father wasn't alive. If he had, he'd have been the one to carry out my revenge. Tristan got to them, and Alpha Jeremy smiled, shaking hands with him. They began to converse, but just as Tristan was about to show them their way to me, Alpha Jeremy lagged behind, and placed his phone to his ear.Then his expression changed dras
ALPHA JEREMY'S POV.A YEAR AGO.I straightened my tie in the mirror, and gave a sigh. We were having a huge Alpha meeting, where Ruling Alphas who controlled regions, came together with the town Alphas. We had a lot to discuss on how we handled our politics, and issues. A maid knocked on my door, reporting that Octavia wanted to see me, but of course, I declined. I didn't want to talk to her unless she repaid everything she had taken. The main reason I was so resentful was because I knew she couldn't provide the money in the short time I'd need it, and it meant I had to walk around to get the money for us to use. The month was ending rapidly, and I needed to pay for some workers' salaries. Also, I had debts to settle for breaking the contract. I was going through a tough time thanks to her carelessness, and stupidity. None of the friends she helped reached out to her, or maybe she just didn't call them.She was such a vain woman, but I had to take the blame because I should never h
ATHENA'S POV.BACK TO PRESENT.“That is Li…Lac.” I said to Aiden; sitting on a stool in front of the bed where he was, as the sound of Lilac's clacking heels approached the bedroom door, pronouncing Lilac's name slowly even though I knew it would be tough for him to repeat.“Iiiiiii!” He screeched, and I laughed.“Li…lac… Lilac…”“Iiiiiii!” He screeched again, and the door was pushed open gently.“Hey, Aiden.” She greeted, and he began to bounce, raising his hands upwards for her to carry him. “Woah. He wants me to carry him?” She asked, incredulously.“That's new. Try it.” I said, urging her, and she dropped some papers she had been holding, and lifted Aiden into her arms, only for him to frown at her, and struggle to be dropped.“Then what do you want? You clearly asked me to lift you.” She said in frustration, and Aiden began to cry.She dropped him gently on the bed, and he rolled over, trying to suck his feet, which he eventually did and grinned.Lilac stared at him, and smiled.
ATHENA'S POV.We both stared into each other's eyes, and a lot of emotions flitted through her green ones. She looked like she couldn't believe she was seeing me. Like I said earlier, she really seemed like she was seeing a ghost.Maybe she was expecting to see a ghost. Apart from the shocked look on her face, she looked depressed, and utterly lost. Taking little uncertain steps, she approached me.“You… why, why do you look like this, and… and why are you alive?” She asked, like my being alive was the beginning of her destruction.“Can… Can you see me?” She asked, looking at me to be certain I could really see, and she wasn't the one imagining things.I didn't say a word. I just kept on staring at her. Then her eyes fell to Aiden, who was craning his neck to look at her. She couldn't stop staring at him. It was like she was torn between confronting me further, and staring, mesmerized by Aiden's sheer beauty, and loveliness.“I… Can, can we talk?” She asked, still looking at Aiden, an
ALPHA JEREMY'S POV.I lay on my bed, not willing to go to work for the first time. I needed a desperate break. Telling my workers not to call me for anything regarding business for two months didn't work. I needed no additional problems. Searching for money was already a lot. If they began to tell me of their every move in the company, it would only burden me.So, I let the financial team take care of everything regarding finances. In short, I let the different superior teams— who make decisions with me— make their decisions alone. I was simply tired of everything. Things had gotten really worse. After a while of staying on my bed, I got up, and went to the library. Maybe if I got lost in a book, I'd be able to take my mind off everything that was happening.In the library, I checked out the different books available, and picked out a single one about business. When I picked it out, there was a picture frame there, covered in dust.I dropped the book, took it, and dusted it, looking
ALPHA JEREMY'S POV.Once, there was a time I loved Octavia. It was challenging to think back on those times. She was beautiful, smart, and witty with words. Being with her was like a puzzle… I had to figure out all the things about her. She had a mysterious air around her that made her desirable. Even if she hadn't been as beautiful as Athena was, there was just something about Octavia's beauty that had struck me hard, and I wondered if I had loved Octavia for her beauty alone. Maybe I had been blinded by my obsession for her. I didn't see how frequently she shopped, nor did I see how vain she was on the outside, and how eager she was to impress others, and hold on to the position of being the best. It wasn't until the past year, when Athena had left that I began to see Octavia for whom she really was. Countless times, I had compared her to Athena, who was more calm, laid-back, and thoughtful.It was when the comparison started that I really began to see Octavia for what she really
OCTAVIA'S POV. When Athena left the restaurant, I had felt ashamed, hopeless, deserted… I didn't even mind if some people were staring. I had reached a stage where I didn't care much for people anymore. If only I could lift myself out of the ditch I had run into. Maybe things would be good again.Athena had it all. She had all I ever wanted. The money, the confidence, the beauty, and… the baby. He was so beautiful, and when he had come to me, it had felt like he was talking to me, like he… he admired me.Spit had dribbled down from those little lips, and the only teeth he had, had been two adorable lower teeth which shone bright as he smiled.His skin was so impossibly soft, smooth, and he smelled of Vanilla. Was that how it felt to hold a baby? Athena must be happy daily to hold such a baby, to have him smile at her, to own him, and be the one he loves more than anyone else.I sat there in the café for a very long time, thinking hard on where it had all gone wrong. Well, I didn't