Melissa's POV
I tried to focus on the charts in front of me, but my mind kept drifting back home. Back to Knox and the twins. I had sent Knox to watch the boys because I didn't like the way Susie had been talking about them, i felt like the things she said were veiled threats, and her words lingered in my mind. For the first time in years, I felt a tiny bit of relief knowing Knox was with them. But that relief came with a healthy dose of anxiety too. What if the boys were saying too much to Knox? They were only five, but they were sharp—smarter than I sometimes gave them credit for. What if Knox figured our secret out? The thought of Knox discovering the truth about the twins being his sent a chill down my spine. What would he do? He could take them away from me, and there wouldn't be a damn thing I could do to stop him. He was an Alpha, and with his influence and power, I'd lose them before I even got home. Painful fear began to build In my chest, making it hard to breathe. I glanced at the clock. It was earlier than I'd planned to leave, but I couldn't stay here any longer. Not with this excruciating anxiety eating at me. I gathered my things, made a quick excuse to the staff, and left the hospital in a rush. The drive home felt agonizingly slow. I kept picturing Knox figuring out the truth, taking the twins, and vanishing before I could stop him. Why had I even trusted him? Just because he seemed different now, more mature, more caring, didn't mean he wasn't still the same man who had threatened my children's safety. I should've known better. I should have taken better precautions. When I finally pulled my car into the driveway of the guest house, I was surprised not to see the boys playing outside. I instantly froze and my spine tingled. Dylan and Tyler loved the garden and would usually spend hours running around, but today they weren't and the house was quiet—too quiet. I hurried out of the car with my heart pounding madly in my chest, and called out as I entered the house. "I'm home!" The silence that followed only made my anxiety spike higher. I rushed through the halls, calling for the twins, my mind already racing with the worst-case scenario possible. Had Knox already taken them? Was I too late? Was this some twisted revenge? "Tyler? Dylan?" I called out again, my voice more strained. My legs felt weak as I pushed through each room, desperately searching for them. I wanted to bang my head on the wall as the fear crawled up my spine. How was I going to get my babies back now? How could I have been so stupid to trust Knox, of all people? I should've known better. I'd been a fool to think— Suddenly, I heard the sound of little feet thudding against the floor, and before I could react, the twins came barreling toward me, their faces lighting up with joy. Knox was right behind them, looking amused but relaxed. "Mommy!" Tyler shouted, practically launching himself into my arms. Dylan followed, hugging me tightly. Unbelievably sweet relief washed over me, and I pulled them close, unable to stop the laughter of joy that bubbled up in my chest. "You're back!" Dylan grinned. "Uncle Knox gave us ice cream!" I should've been annoyed with Knox for spoiling them, but I was too relieved to care. I kissed the tops of their heads and smiled at them. "Did he now?" I joked with a lighter chest. The boys nodded excitedly, chattering about their day. I glanced up at Knox, who was watching the twins with an expression that softened the usual hard lines of his face. He looked handsome, and paternal. There was a look of longing pride and maybe fondness in his eyes and I somehow knew that look was for my sons. It seemed like he was growing attached to them. Could he sense the connection between them? Would he even want to be their Dad? For a moment, I let myself imagine what life would've been like if he had chosen me instead of Susie. If he had been there to help me raise these boys, instead of— I stopped myself immediately. No. I couldn't go down that road. It wouldn't do me any good. Just as I was about to tell the boys to go wash up, Dylan suddenly looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes. "Mom, can Uncle Knox be our second daddy?" My heart froze in my chest. "What?" I gasped, my voice sharper than I intended. Dylan repeated his question and I frowned. "Why area you asking me that? What has the Alpha been telling you?" I demanded before looking up at Knox. I shot him a viscous glare but Knox immediately put his hands up, looking just as startled as I was. "Melissa, I haven't said anything like that. I swear." Tyler nodded eagerly. "It wasn't him mummy. We thought of it ourselves." Tyler revealed. "We like him and we want him to be our second daddy while we're here." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I stared at them, torn between a mix of emotions—anger, , panic fear and confusion. I didn't know what provoked them to say that, but it had to stop immediately. I knelt down to cup their little innocent faces. "But my darling, You already have a daddy back home, and he loves you very much. Do you want to replace him and make him sad?" I asked and the boys immediately shook their head. They loved Sam so I knew my words would make them pause, and I wasn't even lying because I knew that if Sam would probably die of a heart attack if he heard them. My plan worked and the boys instantly looked contrite. They glanced at each other before murmuring a small but sincere, "Sorry, Mom." And I nodded. But now, there was guilt prickling at the back of my mind. They didn't mean any harm. They were just kids, after all and they didn't know the possible consequences of their words. I just forced a smile and reached into my bag, pulling out the small toys I'd picked up for them earlier. "Here, why don't you two go play with these for a bit, okay?" Their beautiful faces lit up again and they quickly grabbed the toys and scampered off to play. Once they were out of sight, I could feel that Knox had been watching me very very closely, and I sensed a tension growing between Us. I turned to face him with an arched brow. "What?" Knox didn't flinch as his gaze turned suspicious, his eyes narrowing at me. "What the hell are you hiding, Melissa?" I stiffened. What? What did he mean? "I-I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not hiding anything." I stammered out as sweat began to bead my brow and neck. Why was he suddenly asking me this? What did he know? Knox suddenly stepped closer, and I stepped back. His presence was imposing but not aggressive. "Let me be more clear. What are you and your fiancé hiding?" He said. "My investigator couldn't find any record of your so called fiancée Sam anywhere. Why is that? Is he a criminal? Is he into some kind of shady business?" He asked and I my vision turned red with anger. How fucking dare he?! My blood ran ice cold, and my temper flared up. "You were spying on my fiancée? How dare you!" I snapped, my voice rising with anger. "How dare you dig yourself into my personal life? You have no fucking right to put your nose in my personal affairs." I screamed angrily but Knox didn't back down. He just frowned at me instead. "I had to know who he was Melissa. I needed to know if you and the boys were safe." I scoffed at his audacity, shaking my head. "You lost the right to have any say in my personal life the day you banished me from the pack, Knox, so don't start acting like a fucking saint now." Knox's eyes suddenly darkened with guilt in that moment, and he looked away for a while. When he spoke again, his voice was softer and more remorseful. "I'm sorry, Melissa. I really am. I know I fucked up back then and I can't change that. But I need to understand what's going on now. I need to know if you're okay truly okay." I paused. That was definitely unexpected. The sincerity in his apology hit me In a way I wasn't prepared for. And for a split second, I saw the man I used to care about—before everything went wrong. But I couldn't let myself soften. Not now. I crossed my arms over my chest defensively and kept my voice firm. "You don't need to worry about me or my fiancé. We're fine." But even as I said it, I could feel the weight of the lies and secrets pushing down on me. First of all, I and Sam where definitely not fine, he hasn't called me even once since I left, and he hasn't returned or replied my several calls and messages even though he read them. I wasn't surprised though. This was the way he was. When he got mad at me, he would ice me out until he was no longer as angry. He said he did that to make sure he never said or did something he would end up regretting. But I really wished I could talk to him now because things were getting too complicated and I didn't know what to do. I had so many questions I needed advice and assurance for. Like How much longer could I keep this up? How much longer could I protect my sons before everything came crashing down? I was brought out of my thoughts when Knox let out a deep sigh but he didn't push any further. Instead, he simply nodded, even though I could see the doubt still floating in his eyes, clear as day. "Okay," he said quietly. "But I'm here if you ever need me." I didn't respond to that. I couldn't. Instead, I turned away and walked toward the kitchen, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling twisting in my gut. Why was he being so nice now? So caring? And how was I supposed to react to that. I have come to accept that Knox was here now, and he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. That much was clear. The main questions were—how do I continue to keep him at arms length? how long could I keep him in the dark about his sons? And what would happen when he finally discovered the truth?