Chapter 17
Evelyn’s ’s POV
“What do you mean?” Calvin’s breath caught as soon as I mentioned the custody.
I kept my voice steady, despite the storm of emotions inside me. “Let’s renegotiate the custody of our children p>
The air around us seemed to freeze.Calvin stepped forward,his handsome face covered in frost, those bottomless blue eyes fixed on mine. His presence radiated a terrifying dominance that would have scared anyone else to death.
But I knew him too well after five years as his Luna—this was his anger, compressed to its breaking point.
Rowan wasn’t light for a seven-year-old, but my arms remained steady as I held him. Now that I’d made my decision, I felt oddly calm looking at Calvin.
“It’s too hot outside for the children,” I said. “Let’s talk inside p>
I carried Rowan while Astrid held Alexis, and we walked toward the hotel. Behind us, Rhys reached out and grabbed Calvin’s hand, quietly following along.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Clara try to take Rhys’s other hand,desperate to complete the picture-perfect family she always dreamed of.
But to my surprise… Rhys pulled his hand away. He refused her.
I knew my son was troubled. The twins had always shared a special bond, sensing each other’s emotions. Rowan had been crying, and Rhys must have felt his twin’s distress. I wondered if he was questioning his own closeness with Clara now.
Clara’s face darkened, her fingers curling tightly into her palm.
The hotel was right next door, and check-in was quick. Many of Astrid’s friends and family were part of the same social circle in Ravenshade. Several recognized the twins who had always been the pride of the Bloodbane Pack.
They watched curiously as Rowan clung to me.
In the elevator, I caught Astrid sneaking glances at Calvin from the corner of her eye. I couldn’t blame her,even I had to admit he was devastatingly handsome with his perfect features and that cold, distant aura that kept everyone at arm’s length.
Astrid looked down at my daughter in her arms and kissed her cheek. I saw the way she alternated between watching Calvin and looking at Alexis, and immediately understood her thoughts.
I shot her a warning glance.
She returned a reassuring look. My friend would never tell this man that Alexis was his daughter.
“Honey,” she whispered, leaning close with a mischievous smile, “once you get custody of the twins back, can I be their godmother too p>
I gave her an exasperated look, and Rowan, his head resting on my shoulder, watched her curiously.
The elevator dinged, and I led the way to my suite with Astrid following close behind. Before entering, I turned to Clara, who seemed determined to shadow us.
“Miss Whitmore, this is between us parents and our children,” I said. “Regardless of where you and Calvin stand, it’s not appropriate for you to be involved in this matter p>
Clara gave Calvin a pitiful, wounded look. I noticed Calvin frown at my insinuation about their relationship. He seemed to agree with me on one point though: this was family business. Clara was an outsider, nothing more.
“Go back to your room,” he told her.
Clara clearly wanted to seize this opportunity to drive a wedge between us, but Calvin had already walked into the room with Rhys.
I shut the door in front of her. For a moment, she couldn’t hide her true feelings. I saw venom in her eyes before she calmed down and left.
The suite Astrid had arranged for me was spacious, and my luggage had already been delivered. I first settled Rowan and Alexis in the bedroom, unpacking the toys I’d brought,all the latest models and their favorite snacks.
I stroked Rowan’s hair gently. “Rowan, would you stay here and play with your sister for a while? Mommy and Daddy need to talk, and I’ll come back to be with you soon, okay p>
He nodded and did what I said, but I could tell he was not sure about it. My heart ached as I hugged him. Though I didn’t want to defend Calvin, I hated seeing my son upset.
I carried him to the bathroom, took out a clean towel from my suitcase, dampened it with warm water, and gently wiped away the tears from his face.
“Daddy was wrong earlier, and Mommy’s going to scold him for you,” I promised softly.
“My Rowan is such a good boy, not impolite at all. Mommy knows you were just protecting your sister when you pushed her away. You’re a brave big brother p>
The warm towel made him feel better. My kind words helped too. He stopped crying.
After consoling my son, I turned my attention to Alexis. She was so young that she forgot upsets quickly. Soon she was smiling again, pulling her brother to play with the new toys.
Rhys peeked into the room cautiously. Once he saw they weren’t crying anymore, he looked relieved.
Rowan spotted him and invited him to join their play.Rhys hesitated, stealing a glance at me, but I deliberately avoided eye contact.
I felt a twinge of guilt when I sensed his hurt, that feeling of abandonment.
Astrid wanted to stay and help with the kids. But she knew it was better to leave. She went back to her room and left Calvin and me by ourselves.
In the living room, I sat on one end of the sofa, positioned so I could see all three children. Calvin sat opposite me, his lips pressed into a thin line, his black clothing making him look even colder and more regal.
I broke the silence first, meeting his gaze calmly. “Calvin, you and Clara are getting serious, aren’t you p>
His blue eyes darkened further as he scoffed.”I’m not like you. I don’t treat relationships the way you do p>
I took several deep breaths, reminding myself not to get angry with this blind and deaf man. What if he hid the children from me?
The most important thing right now was to secure custody of my children.
I looked up at him again and found myself caught in those unfathomable blue eyes. There seemed to be emotions churning in their depths that I couldn’t quite identify. Before I could decipher them, he looked away.
I addressed him with the same distance I’d felt when we first met. “Alpha Calvin, I know you were forced to marry me, which is why you’ve never liked seeing me all these years.
“Just give me custody of both children, and I’ll take them away. I promise we’ll stay far away from you, with no contact for the rest of our lives p>
“If you want children, you can have more with Clara p>
I’d thought it through. Even if Calvin and Clara got married and had children, even if Calvin didn’t favor their children over ours, Clara certainly would.
My children would inevitably suffer.
Calvin’s face turned glacial as he snarled through gritted teeth, “You should know that pack heirs are pack property,did you really think you could just claim custody rights on a whim? Besides, you think I would agree to let you take my sons to live with your new mate p>