Chapter 7

To celebrate Cici Lane’s return to the country, Maude threw a small party, inviting only a few select people from the industry. The group enjoyed drinks and food while screening some of Cici Lane’s most iconic performances.

In the middle of the party, someone unexpected showed up: Kane. He was accompanied by his two sons and Aurelia. Maude walked up to them. “Alpha Kane, what a surprise to see you here.”

“It’s more of a surprise I wasn’t invited,” he said, his eyes searching the room. “This is my pack, which makes Miss Lane an important guest of mine. I’m afraid that if I don’t show up at her welcome party, she’ll feel wronged.”

Maude waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, I’m sure she doesn’t mind. As you already know, she is a very private person and isn’t interested in the politics of the city.”

“Well, her security and comfort are my concern, so she’ll have to excuse me. Where is she? I didn’t get to meet her at the airport yesterday.”

“As I said, Miss Lane is a private person. She might not reveal herself tonight, so your trip here might have been useless. Since you brought the kids, you can have a snack before you leave. A man like you must be so busy…”

Maude trailed off as Kane walked past her, his long legs carrying him to the other side of the room. His eyes were fixated on one person: Cynthia. He had barely slept last night, debating in his mind whether he had imagined seeing her at the airport. Now, seeing her there, he knew it had been her.

The conversation in the room slowed as the guests watched the reunion. Nobody had seen the luna of Aurora Pack in public for three years.

Since she had never been active in the pack issues, her absence was not as pronounced as it could have been. Regardless, since her children were seen out and about with either their father or aunt, rumours floated around. Some suspected a divorce, others death, others claimed she was too sick to leave the house.

Standing in front of his long-lost ex-luna, Kane gritted out one word, “Cynthia.”

The woman facing him was nothing like the one who had run away three years ago. Three years had passed, but she looked younger. As she looked at him, her eyes held no hint of surprise or even recognition.

“If you need anything, you can ask Maude,” Cynthia replied.

Her reply stunned him. Was she really going to act like a stranger?

“Mommy!” Harry’s voice came from behind him. “It’s mommy!”

While the child tried to get past the crowd, Kane grabbed Cynthia’s hand and pulled her towards the closest door. It opened to a study room.

“What are you doing?” Cynthia demanded, pulling her arm free.

Kane shut the door and stood in front of it, blocking the exit. “Where have you been all this time?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“You’re my mate.”

“Was,” she reminded him. “We divorced, remember?”

“Divorce?” He scoffed. “As if you gave me any choice. You ran away like a coward.”

“Coward or not, it has nothing to do with you,” she told him. “We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Stay away from me.”

Kane stepped away from the door and approached, forcing her to step back. “Nothing, huh? My children have been asking for their mother for three years. My pack has been without a luna for three years. And then you walk back here like you just came back from a vacation and act like you did nothing wrong?”

Cynthia raised her brow. “No luna? What are you waiting for? You already had my replacement when I left. What happened?”

While Cynthia did not care about what Kane and Aurelia had been up to after she left, she couldn’t help wondering. She would have expected them to get married as soon as the divorce was finalised.

Yet, three years later, Aurelia was nothing more than a lover following Kane and his sons around. That was too long a time for someone like Aurelia not to get what she wanted.

The door flung open before Kane could answer. Chloe showed up, her anxious eyes looking for her mother. When she spotted Cynthia, she ran across the room to her. Wrapping her arms around her mother’s legs, she looked at the man in the room.

“What do you want with my mother?”

Kane’s eyes dropped to the girl in shock. Surely, he heard wrong. “Your what?”

Chloe looked up at her mother. “Mom, is he a bad guy?”

Cynthia patted the top of her daughter’s head. “It’s alright, sweetheart. We were just talking.”

“What’s the meaning of this?” Kane growled.

“MOMMY!” Harry flew into the room like a speeding truck. Before any of the adults could stop him, he shoved Chloe to the floor and took her place next to Cynthia. “Get away from my mommy!”

Chloe jumped right off the floor, grabbed his arm, and bit down on it. Harry’s scream could have woken the dead. Aurelia, who had come into the room with Justin, jumped to pull Harry away. Chloe didn’t let go.

“Enough, Chloe.”

At her mother’s words, Chloe let go immediately.

“You rabid dog!” Aurelia screamed at Chloe while gathering Harry in her arms. “Who taught you to bite people?”

“Don’t you dare insult my daughter,” Cynthia warned, her voice clear and firm. “He attacked her first.”

Aurelia looked at her, eyes wide. “Your daughter?” She scoffed. “Well, that explains it.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Kane demanded, struck in disbelief as Cynthia comforted Chloe and ignored the crying boy. “Harry is your child, too.”

“I have only one child,” Cynthia replied.

“You’re not worthy to be a mother!” Aurelia snapped.

Cynthia looked at her coolly. “Good thing they have you. What are you doing here, anyway?”

Aurelia snickered. “I should be the one asking you. Did you get lost? Who would invite a has-been like you to Cici Lane’s party?”

“You weren’t invited either,” Cynthia pointed out. Maude was in charge of the invitations, and Cynthia knew for a fact that Kane and Aurelia had not been invited.

“Kane is the alpha,” Aurelia said. “He doesn’t need to be invited anywhere in his own pack.”

“What does that have to do with you?” Cynthia asked. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but…you’re not his mate, are you?”

Aurelia paled like a ghost in the dead of winter. For that, she had no comeback. Instead, she looked at Kane, expecting him to defend her.

But instead of scolding Cynthia, his voice was annoyingly diplomatic. “Cynthia, let’s talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you.” Holding her daughter securely in her arms, she left the room.