Hiding The Alpha King's Twins

Chapter 17: Chapter 17

When Fleur returned home, she found Raphael pacing the living room like a restless beast trapped inside a cage. His phone was pressed to his ear as he barked orders at someone on the other end of the line, fury and worry radiating from him in suffocating waves.

The moment he saw her standing at the doorway, he froze.

The call ended abruptly.

"Fleur..."

Her name broke from his lips like a prayer.

Relief crashed across his face so violently that it almost looked painful. In seconds, he crossed the room and dragged her into his arms.

"Thank God you’re home," he rasped, holding her tightly, as though afraid she would disappear again if he loosened his grip.

But the moment his eyes landed on the bandages wrapped around her arms and the bruises staining her skin, relief twisted into alarm. freewebnøvel.com

"What happened to you?" Raphael demanded, pulling back to inspect her. "Where were you? Why was your phone unreachable?" His voice rose with every question, torn between anger and panic.

"Calm down, Raphael," Fleur said softly, though exhaustion weighed heavily in her voice. "First, tell me where Chloe and Gabriel are."

"They’re inside playing," Lea answered as she stepped out of the children’s room, carefully shutting the door behind her.

The moment Fleur saw Lea, her eyes filled with silent desperation.

Emily understood instantly.

"Don’t worry," she said gently. "The twins don’t know anything. They think you’re still at work."

A breath of relief escaped Fleur’s lips.

The tension in her chest eased slightly, but Raphael wasn’t finished.

"Now tell me the truth," he pressed, his dark eyes narrowing. "Who did this to you?"

Fleur forced herself to remain calm.

"I got into a small accident," she lied smoothly. "My phone broke, so I couldn’t contact anyone. Some strangers helped me get to the hospital, and after the doctors checked me over, I came home."

Every word tasted bitter on her tongue. She couldn’t tell them she had been abducted. Couldn’t tell them Christian Wayne had found her. And she definitely couldn’t explain why her wolf still trembled from the memory of his touch.

"An accident?" Raphael repeated sharply. "You call this an accident? Fleur, your body is covered in bruises. These marks look like someone hurt you."

His piercing gaze searched her face, hunting for the truth hidden behind her carefully built walls.

Fleur quickly looked away. Suppressing her wolf meant going back to slow recovery, but she couldn’t tell him that all those bruises were just a fading memory of bigger wounds.

"I was hit by a car," she whispered. "It looked worse than it was. I’m fine now."

Lie after lie. She hated it.

Raphael exhaled shakily and cupped her face in his hands.

"You scared me to death," he murmured. "When no one could reach you, it felt like I couldn’t breathe."

The raw sincerity in his voice made guilt coil painfully in her chest.

No one had ever cared for her the way these people did.

After fleeing from the Blood Moon Pack six years ago, after surviving betrayal, heartbreak, and exile, Fleur had learned never to depend on anyone.

Yet Raphael and Lea had become her new family. Her safe place.

"I’m okay," she whispered gently, placing her hands over Raphael’s. "I’m home now."

Lea’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"You have no idea what we went through tonight," she admitted shakily. "Every time the phone rang, I thought it would be bad news." Her voice faltered. "Mr. Dumas contacted everyone he knew and sent people all over the city looking for you."

Fleur’s heart tightened painfully. Gratitude mixed with guilt until she could barely breathe beneath the weight of it.

"Lea," she said softly, offering her a tired smile, "we’re not working right now. Stop being so formal."

Lea laughed weakly before rushing forward to hug her.

"I’m just glad you’re safe," she whispered fiercely.

"Thank you for staying with Chloe and Gabriel."

Lea shook her head. "They’re my little angels. You never have to thank me for taking care of them."

Lea had been beside Fleur from the beginning. She had witnessed every hardship Fleur endured after escaping the packlands alone and pregnant. She had watched her build a new life from nothing through sheer determination and relentless hard work. freewёbnoνel.com

To Lea, Fleur wasn’t merely a successful businesswoman or a single mother.

She was a survivor. A she-wolf who refused to break.

"Mommy!" Two tiny voices suddenly rang through the house.

The next second, Chloe and Gabriel burst from their room and sprinted toward her.

"My babies!"

Fleur immediately dropped to her knees, opening her arms just as both twins collided with her. Pain shot through her bruised body, but she hid the wince behind a smile.

"What happened to your face, Mommy?" Chloe asked worriedly, cupping Fleur’s cheeks with her tiny hands. Her bright eyes shimmered with concern.

"Mommy slipped and fell," Fleur said playfully, kissing her daughter’s palm.

Gabriel folded his little arms with an expression far too serious for a five-year-old.

"Mommy," he scolded in a tiny but intimidating voice, "I told you to stop looking at your phone while walking."

Fleur nearly laughed.

The boy looked so much like Christian that it was terrifying sometimes. Not only in appearance, but in the way he carried himself. Even at five years old, Gabriel possessed the same commanding aura as an alpha born to rule.

It sent a chill through her every time she noticed it.

"Alright, baby wolf," she said affectionately. "I’ll be more careful next time."

Gabriel gave a solemn nod of approval.

Fleur shook her head helplessly.

Moon Goddess. There was no denying it. Her son was the spitting image of his father.

"Alright, pups," Lea interrupted brightly. "Let Mommy rest while I make your favorite pasta."

"Yes!" Chloe cheered excitedly.

"And Fleur," Lea added gently, "go take a shower and change. I’ll make soup for you too. Something healthy."

Fleur nodded gratefully.

"I’ll be back in a few minutes."

"Take your time," Raphael said lazily, though concern still lingered in his eyes. "And if you need help, I’m available."

Fleur rolled her eyes. "I can manage on my own, thank you."

She finally escaped to her room. The moment the door closed behind her, silence swallowed her whole.

Slowly, she approached the vanity mirror.

Her reflection stared back at her—pale, exhausted, bruised. And draped over her shoulders was Christian’s jacket.

Her fingers instinctively tightened around the dark fabric. The scent lingering on it was unmistakable: cedarwood, smoke, and the wild, dangerous scent of an alpha wolf.

His scent.

The memories of tonight crashed into her all over again—his arms around her, his desperate voice, the way his wolf had recognized her instantly.

For one reckless moment, Fleur pressed the jacket closer to herself, allowing its lingering warmth to soothe the storm raging inside her.

But only for a moment.

Because no matter how much her wolf still remembered him... She could never allow Christian Wayne to discover the truth.

Not about her. And especially not about the two children carrying the blood of an alpha king.