Chapter 27
27 –Like Father Like Son
Madeline:
I panicked and instantly turned my back to him, pulling my robe shut and hugging myself.
I was pretty sure he saw it. He saw my entire front. I closed my eyes awkwardly.
“I’m so sorry,” I heard Baxter murmur.
When I slowly turned around to check on him, I noticed he was facing away, anxiously running a hand through his hair.
“I promise I didn’t see anything. No, no, no–I don’t promise, but I didn’t see anything,” he stammered, trying to explain to calm me down, but only made it worse.
What did he even mean by not wanting to promise?
“It’s okay. I was wearing undergarments anyway,” I lied, quickly tying the bathrobe.
“Yeah, right,” he replied with a hint of sass.
I guess he didn’t really want to make me feel better, otherwise, he wouldn’t have questioned me.
He was calling out my lie, but what could I do now?
I awkwardly clicked my tongue and lightly slapped my forehead.
I had almost forgotten that he had keys to my room, and I had keys to his, just in case of emergencies since my kids were still sick, I didn’t want him waiting if I called for help.
“Anyway, I’m covered now,” I said, and he turned around.
My eyes immediately darted to his pants, noticing the clear bulge. I looked away again.
“Are you fucking serious, Baxter?” I snapped, folding my arms over my chest.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him look down and place a hand over his pants.
“It’s nothing, it’s a calm situation. I’m just not wearing underwear,” he blurted out, trying to make an excuse twearing underwear, he blurted out trying to make an excuse
I almost smiled, remembering how bad he was at lying especially in moments like this.
But my smile faded quickly when I saw him notice it.
“Anyway, you were going to talk about the sickness,” I said, clearing my throat and sitting at the table in the middle of the suite.
It was a luxurious high–rise, I could see the city buildings through the window.
Baxter walked in and sat down, holding a file in his hand.
He opened it and showed me a list of names submitted by parents of the children suffering from the sickness.
“The names keep adding up, Madeline. It’s not looking good,” he muttered, anxiously tapping his pen against the
paper.
“I know. Is that what you came here for?” I asked, thinking maybe he just needed moral support.
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“No, actually,” he said, scratching the back of his neck before pointing to one particular note, a statement from a child.
“The child said he was led into the woods. He was picked up and placed on a swing, and someone was p him. And it hit a nerve because I remember having that dream when I was a kid, Madeline p>
As he s
pushing
spoke, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
“The same place. The same feeling of being lifted, placed on a swing by someone tall whose face I couldn’t see. The purple autumn leaves, everything was the same.” he paused.
“All of it, Madeline. I don’t understand. And you know who mentioned it?” he went on, giving me one shock after another.
But this time, I wasn’t surprised. I already knew.
“Bodhi did,” I whispered in a broken voice.
“Yeah. My son did,” he admitted.
At that moment, we just stared at each other helplessly.
“I think I’ll go and sleep now,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence.
The way he shut the file was gentle, like someone who had accepted defeat.
He placed his hands on the table, pushed himself up, and straightened his posture, showing how exhausted he
was.
I kept watching him the entire time.
Then he slowly picked up the file and gave me a look, a look filled with sadness and longing.
At that moment, I felt like he might be feeling lonely in his room, maybe even wanting me to ask him to stay.
But I didn’t. I stayed silent.
He began to walk away, dragging his feet.
He moved slowly, turning around a few times to give me a small nod, as if to say he was leaving now, but I could tell he was waiting for me to stop him.
I didn’t.
I had taken care of him before. I knew exactly why he was so tired and sad. I knew it all.
But this time, I didn’t want to help him. Taking care of him in the past had only left me feeling uncared for.
v suite.
And just like that, he walked out of my
For a few seconds, I felt guilty for not asking him to stay, but then I reminded myself, he hadn’t cared for me before.
Why should I care now?
I went to bed and woke early the next morning to visit the place with the kids,
They were all excited, thinking it was going to be a picnic.
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And I guess that was fine, because if I told them the truth, they wouldn’t understand. They’d only be scared.
Baxter was the one driving us to the woods, with Alpha Ron following in his own car.
“He didn’t have to stick with us, though,” Baxter complained, knowing full well I wasn’t responding to his whining.
“I’m okay with him coming. It’s his pack anyway,” I replied.
“Did you ask him to come?” he asked again, making me roll my eyes and shake my head while I stared out the window, avoiding his gaze.
Finally, we arrived. I carried Elara, while Gina and Bodhi held hands, happily walking into the woods.
Elara seemed a little scared for some reason.
We led the kids straight to the tree with the purple autumn leaves. And when I say I gasped, I truly gasped.
Even Alpha Ron and Baxter turned to look at me.
It was still the same beautiful tree, holding so many memories, but this time, something was different.
The tree was starting to wilt and die from the top, not the bottom. Somehow, that made it even eerier.
“I’ve seen this tree in my dreams,” Bodhi whispered.
And to make things worse, my kids confirmed it, running toward the tree and touching the swing beneath it.
The same swing Baxter and Bodhi had seen in their dreams.
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Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.