Calvin’s POV
The envelope trembled in my hands as I stared at the test results. My heart hamred against my ribcage while my vision blurred with tears.
"DNA PATERNITY TEST RESULTS: 99.9999% PROBABILITY OF PATERNITY"
I collapsed onto the leather sofa, the paper clutched to my chest. Alexis was mine. My daughter. My flesh and blood.
"She’s mine," I whispered, my voice breaking. "She’s actually mine."
Cyra roared within , a sound of both triumph and anguish. "Our cub. Our daughter. We missed everything."
Counting back from Alexis’s birth date, the truth hit like a physical blow. Evelyn had been pregnant when she left . When I had rejected her. When she had stood before with tears in her eyes.
My God. She had been carrying my child while my mother desperately pushed Clara to be my Luna.
The mory of the security footage from that day crashed through my mind. Evelyn, alone, dragging her suitcases through the pack house. How she had paused in the foyer, one hand pressed to her stomach, tears streaming down her face.
I hadn’t even noticed. Too wrapped up in Clara’s lies and my mother’s manipulations to see what was right in front of .
"She knew," I gasped, doubling over as pain sliced through . "She knew she was pregnant when she left."
"We abandoned her when she needed us most," Cyra snarled. "We abandoned our mate and our unborn cub."
I stumbled to my feet, needing to move, to release the energy building inside . I paced the length of my study. The paternity test results still clutched in my fist.
But sothing didn’t add up. I’d ordered DNA tests before. They had co back negative. How was that possible if she truly was mine?
"Soone tampered with the results," I growled, anger replacing so of my shock. "Soone made sure I wouldn’t know Alexis was mine."
I sent a mind-link to Zeon.
"I need to see you in my office. Now."
Ten minutes later, my Beta stood before my desk, watching warily.
"I want you to investigate every DNA test I ordered regarding Alexis," I said, sliding the new results across the desk. "Soone falsified them. I want to know who."
Zeon’s eyes widened as he read the report. "She’s yours?"
"Yes," I confird, my voice tight. "Find out who’s been lying to ."
After he left, I stared out the window. My thoughts chaotic.
"Why wouldn’t she tell ?" I asked. "Why keep this from even after returning to Ravenshade?"
"Would you have believed her?" Cyra challenged.
His words struck deep.
But now?
"We have to fix this," I said, determination hardening my voice. "We have to win them back. Both of them."
"She avoids us," Cyra reminded . "She can barely stand to be in the sa room."
"Then we change that," I decided. "We prove ourselves worthy of a second chance."
I needed allies. Alexis adored her mother, standing firmly in Evelyn’s corner. But the twins... they might help bridge the gap.
Later that evening, I gathered Rowan and Rhys in my study. Their curious expressions turned to confusion when I sat them down.
"I have sothing important to tell you both," I began carefully. "It’s about your sister, Alexis."
"Is she sick again?" Rowan asked imdiately, his face creased with worry.
"No, nothing like that," I assured him. "It’s good news, actually. I just found out that Alexis is... she’s my biological daughter. Your true sister."
Silence fell over the room as they processed this information.
"But we already knew that," Rhys said, looking confused. "She’s our sister."
"Yes, but I thought she was born after your mom and I separated, and that she had... another father." The words tasted bitter in my mouth. "But I was wrong. The test results prove she’s mine."
I handed the test results to the twins.
Rhys’s face lit up. "So Alexis is really our sister? Like, really really?"
I nodded, smiling at his excitent. "Yes. Really really."
"That ans we’re all a real family!" Rhys jumped up, bouncing on his toes. "We need to tell Mom and Alexis right away! Then we can all live together again!"
"Wait," I cautioned, reaching for his arm. "It’s not that simple, buddy."
"Why not?" Rhys demanded. "If Alexis is your daughter, then you and Mom should be together."
Rowan had remained silent through this exchange. His eyes thoughtful.
"Dad," he finally said, his voice quiet but firm. "If Mom cos back... will things be different this ti?"
His question cut straight to my heart. My son was asking if I would hurt his mother again.
"What do you an, Ro?" I asked gently.
Rowan squared his shoulders. "Mom cries sotis. When she thinks we’re asleep. And Alexis gets sick a lot. She needs special dicine and doctors. If Mom cos back and then you guys fight again, it would be really bad for Alexis."
I moved to kneel before him, looking directly into eyes that mirrored my own.
"Rowan, I made terrible mistakes before. I hurt your mother deeply, and I’ve regretted it every day since." I placed my hands on his shoulders. "But I swear to you, I’ve changed. I want to make our family whole again, to take care of all of you. Especially your mother and Alexis."
Rowan studied my face. "You promise you won’t make Mom sad again?"
"I promise I will do everything in my power to make her happy," I vowed. "To make all of you happy."
Cyra rumbled his agreent. "Family. Pack. Protect."
"Alexis needs her dad," Rhys insisted. "And we need our mom. We should all be together."
Rowan hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Okay. I’ll help. But Dad, if you make Mom cry again..."
The threat hung in the air. All the more powerful coming from my son.
"I understand," I said solemnly. "Thank you for giving a chance."
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