Calvin’s POV
I watched my sons pull their new suitcases into the living room, looking happy and lively, very different from the sick, weak children in hospital beds just weeks ago.
I sat on the sofa and stretched my legs, letting my muscles relax as I watched them unpack.
"Dad, this is for you," Rowan said, presenting a small wrapped package.
Cyra rumbled with satisfaction at seeing our pups so healthy again. I accepted the gift with a nod, carefully unwrapping it to find a handcrafted leather bookmark with wolf patterns etched into the surface.
"Mom took us to see Duskwatch Bay," Rhys added, "Look what we did at the most famous beach there!"
Rhys pulled out a stack of photos from his backpack. The background showed golden sands and the glittering waters of Veridia’s renowned coastal harbor.
I smiled,pleased to see my sons looking so vibrant and happy.
Until I saw one particular photograph.
A man, tall and with sharp features, held Alexis in his arms.Evelyn stood between Rowan and Rhys, holding their hands. Beside them was a beautiful woman with a boy who appeared slightly older than my sons. Everyone’s faces radiated pure happiness, the kind of carefree joy I rarely saw in my own ho.
I recognized the man instantly. Julian Walton. My smile vanished.
Wasn’t this the sa man who had been all over Evelyn at the Silver Moon Gala? How generous of Evelyn, not only being soone’s mistress but also taking my children to et his legal wife? How inappropriate could she be? What had happened to her in these three years to change her so much?
Rowan, ever observant, noticed my change in deanor. He moved closer, looking at the photo and then up at .
"Dad, that’s Julian uncle," he explained helpfully. "And that’s Irana auntie, and their son Nathan. They were really nice to us. Mom took us to visit her old university there too."
Rhys jumped in, apparently oblivious to my darkening mood. "Julian uncle is so funny! He knows all these magic tricks and told us stories about when Mom was in college." His eyes sparkled with excitent. "Alexis really likes him. She even called him daddy!"
The word hit hard.My Alexis called another man daddy? In Viremont, she had sweetly called Daddy. Now she called this man that? What did this an,was this man really Evelyn’s new mate?
"Did you have fun?" I managed to ask, keeping my voice calm despite my anger.
"So much fun!" Rhys continued, not noticing how upset I was. "Uncle Julian has this huge boat and he took us sailing. He said we could co back anyti!"
I nodded slowly, keeping a pleasant face while my mind filled with questions. Evelyn wasn’t just starting a new life without , she was building a new family for our children. One where other n took my place.
"Mom knows a lot of people there," Rowan added quietly.
As my sons kept talking about their adventures, I stared at that photograph, studying every detail, every smile, every touch. How relaxed Julian looked holding Alexis. How comfortable Evelyn seed beside him. They looked like a perfect family - with my children.
Cyra, grew restless inside . Part of wanted to rip the photograph apart, but I put it down carefully instead.
"I’m glad you had a good ti," I said. "Now tell more about this beach. Did you build any sandcastles?"
As they excitedly described their beach adventures, I made a note to have Zeon find out more about Julian Walton,and exactly what kind of relationship he had with my forr mate and children.
***
Next morning, I watched the twins eating their breakfast in the kitchen. They were discussing sothing in hushed voices over their cereal bowls.
"Boys," I said, joining them at the table. "We need to talk about your birthday plans."
They looked up at the sa ti, eyes bright with excitent.
"Dad," Rowan put down his spoon, sitting up straighter. "Rhys and I want to spend our birthday with Mom and Alexis this year."
I paused, the coffee cup halfway to my lips. This was unexpected. For years, we’d followed the sa tradition,a formal dinner at the packhouse with my parents presiding over the celebration.
"You know your grandparents have already made arrangents,"I said firmly. "They’ve been planning this for weeks."
"But Dad," Rhys chid in, "we haven’t had a birthday with Mom in three years. And now we have Alexis too!"
"What if we invite your mother and sister to join us at the pack house?" I suggested.
Rowan’s face fell imdiately. He shared a look with his brother before speaking seriously, "Dad, Grandma Diana doesn’t like Mom. I don’t want Mom to co and feel uncomfortable."
"Yeah," Rhys added quickly. "Grandma acts all nice when you’re around, but she gets really an about Mom when you’re not there."
I fell silent. I knew Mother had never liked Evelyn, but had she really been that obvious about it? Obvious enough for the children to pick up on her hostility?
"Are you mad at us, Dad?" Rowan asked nervously, noticing my prolonged silence.
"No," I assured them quickly. "I’m just thinking."
As the Alpha’s heirs, the twins’ birthday had always been a grand celebration within the pack.Without a Luna by my side, my mother Diana had taken charge of organizing these large gatherings. She had been preparing for this one for months.
"What if..." Rowan suggested carefully, "we have lunch with Mom and Alexis, then go to the packhouse for dinner with Grandma and Grandpa?"
I looked at my sons’ hopeful faces, weighing the suggestion. As an Alpha, I needed to consider the implications, but as a father...
"Alright," I finally agreed. "Lunch with your mother and sister, then dinner at the packhouse."
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