Roxanne’s POV
Each footstep away from my ho carried the weight of desperation and terror. The fear of discovery pressed against my chest like a vice. I avoided the main pathways entirely, but even my hidden routes seed compromised by the increased security presence.
Double patrols everywhere.
I pressed my spine against the coarse bark of an ancient oak tree as two of Julian’s senior guards passed within re feet of my hiding spot. Their nostrils flared, searching for foreign scents, while their heavy footfalls crushed the dried leaves beneath them. My pulse thundered so violently I was certain it would give away. Getting caught sneaking out now would destroy everything I had worked so hard to build.
The irony burned in my throat. All this risk for the very man who had orchestrated my current predicant.
When I finally made it to the clearing near the northern boundary, Alpha Dorian was already there, casually propped against a boulder as though this clandestine eting was nothing more than a pleasant social call. His all-black attire made him blend seamlessly with the shadows, and he appeared surprisingly fresh for soone who should have traveled the sa treacherous route I had just navigated.
The mont I erged from the treeline, he pushed himself upright and made an exaggerated show of checking his bare wrist.
"Running behind schedule, Roxanne," he growled, his voice carrying that familiar edge of authority. "My patience has limits."
I dispensed with any attempt at civility. The fury that had been simring throughout my dangerous journey finally erupted.
"Behind schedule?" I snarled, advancing toward him with every muscle coiled tight. "The entire territory is swarming with guards because of your constant interference. Patrol routes have been doubled thanks to the chaos you create wherever you go."
His response was a harsh laugh that grated against my already frayed nerves.
"Still pointing fingers at the person who solves your problems, I see."
I closed the distance between us, planting my hands firmly on my hips. "Explain why you summoned here. I made it crystal clear that I never wanted to see your face or hear your voice again. We agreed to cut all ties cleanly."
Dorian’s smile turned predatory, filled with dark knowledge. He moved closer, forcing to crane my neck upward to maintain eye contact.
"Cut ties cleanly?" he mocked. "Sweet Roxanne, we are nowhere near finished. We possess a secret that could destroy lives, and discovery is inevitable."
Hot rage flooded my system. This was his specialty, wielding leverage like a weapon, always seeking control over others.
Driven by panic and pure fury, I lunged forward and seized the front of his jacket, twisting the fabric in my grip.
"Enough of your gas!" I hissed, yanking him close enough that our breath created small clouds in the frigid air. "You achieved your objectives, and I secured what I needed. Why resurrect this nightmare now?"
He remained perfectly still, but sothing dangerous shifted in his expression. His eyes transford from their usual intensity to sothing cold and empty. The temperature around us seed to plumt as he released a low, commanding growl that spoke directly to my wolf’s instincts.
My hands, which had been clutching his jacket so fiercely, began to shake uncontrollably. The overwhelming force of his Alpha dominance crashed over like a tidal wave. It was not a physical blow but sothing far more primal, a direct order to my very essence. Despite every fiber of my being that scread in resistance, despite all my pride and determination, my fingers loosened their hold and my gaze fell submissively to the ground.
I released his collar and lowered my head, my shoulders curving inward in automatic surrender.
"Much better," Dorian murmured, his tone now deceptively gentle after demonstrating his superiority. He allowed the humiliation to settle before using one finger to lift my chin, forcing to et his eyes again. "I genuinely believed you were content with the choices you made, Roxanne. The life you carved out for yourself."
"Stop this," I whispered, fighting the lingering sting where his Alpha command had burned through my defenses. "I have managed to build sothing stable here. I have position, I have a daughter, I have pack acceptance. I will not allow you to destroy it all again."
His laughter returned, colder and more cutting than before.
"Destroy everything? Roxanne, I was the architect of your salvation." Dorian’s hand dropped away from my face. "Without my intervention, everyone would have discovered you were never pregnant. You would have had no child to present months later, and Alpha Julian would have discarded you like worthless refuse."
My chest constricted with defensive anger. "You destroyed everything! You insisted on masking Elena’s natural scent. If you had refused, everyone including Julian’s wolf would have recognized her as his daughter and mine, making the tiline questions irrelevant."
Dorian stopped moving and stared at as though I had revealed profound stupidity.
"Think clearly, Roxanne! Without masking her true scent, they would have imdiately known she was not yours either. Your scent signature would be completely absent from that child’s natural essence. Julian’s Alpha instincts would have detected Seraphina’s scent on Elena instantly, and he would have raced to reclaim his actual mate. That baby’s authentic scent practically broadcasts Seraphina’s identity."
I stumbled backward as the mory of our original desperate arrangent ca flooding back. "You deceived ! That was never part of our initial agreent."
"Show gratitude," he corrected sharply. "The only reason Julian remained with you, the only reason he never expelled you despite suspecting she was not his biological child, is because he feels drawn to Elena. A powerful connection. My understanding of Alpha bonds guided the witch’s work."
He leaned closer, explaining the intricate deception. "When the witch wove her spell around the child, she addressed two critical elents: scent masking and paternal recognition interference. Julian is Elena’s biological father, but the magic ensures his wolf interprets that connection as protective affection rather than undeniable blood recognition. That is why he loves her deeply but never sensed her as his actual offspring."
I despised how accurate his assessnt was. Julian did love Elena with fierce devotion.
Dorian’s smirk widened. "The spell encompassed more than scent blocking. She wove an illusion of resemblance, a glamour that makes any observer see Elena as bearing your physical traits. It was essential for ensuring Julian never questioned paternity."
My stomach twisted with nausea. The deception was too complex, too perilous, and I hated discussing it openly.
"What do you want from now?" I whispered, feeling completely vulnerable. "I refuse to continue this charade. I am a mother."
Dorian’s laughter held no warmth whatsoever. "You cannot mother a child who belongs to soone else, especially when that child’s true mother will be living within the sa pack."
Icy dread crawled up my spine. "The witch’s work was flawless! If Julian has not suspected anything after all these years, Seraphina will never realize the truth now that she has returned. The magic is impenetrable."
"Never underestimate maternal instinct, Roxanne," Dorian warned, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Magical barriers are powerful, but a mother’s intuition runs deeper."
My composure finally shattered completely. "What sche are you planning, Dorian? What is your true objective?" The confusion overwheld because we had maintained this secret successfully for over five years. "Do not dare involve my daughter in your manipulations!"
"Your daughter?" Dorian appeared genuinely entertained. "Stop deluding yourself. We initiated this deception together because we wanted to punish those two. The ga continues, Roxanne, regardless of your emotional attachnt to the girl."
He retreated into the deeper shadows between the trees, preparing to disappear.
"Consider this your warning. Keep Seraphina away from the child, Roxanne, or the witch’s spell will shatter. When it does, the true parents’ scents will overwhelm the air, and you will lose everything."
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