Chapter 25
Third POV
Hearing his agreement, Rowan immediately threw his arms around him. “Thank you, Dad p>
Holding his mother’s and brother’s hands, he happily hopped into the Blackwell family car.
Evelyn had finally taken the two boys away as she wished.
Clara Whitmore stood quietly behind him, her face flushed with excitement. With the kids away, she finally had Calvin Wolfe alone for dinner. She planned to slip something into his drink tonight, a special potion she kept in her purse. One night together would give her what she wanted most: a heir, and a place as his mate.
She was certain that once she got Calvin into bed, he would never resist her again. All she needed was to sleep with him enough times to get pregnant. After that, she wouldn’t have to pretend to be nice to Rowan and Rhys anymore.
A few more photos of them together would bring her one step closer to becoming the Luna of the Bloodbane Pack.
“Calvin, let’s go back and have dinner,” Clara said, reaching out to grab him. But he deftly avoided her hand as his phone rang.
After answering, Calvin’s face darkened instantly.
Turning to Clara, he said coldly, “Sorry, there’s a problem at the company. You shouldn’t have come today. I’ll arrange another driver to take you back p>
She pouted, “Calvin, you promised we’d have dinner at the Calypso Packhouse tonight p>
His eyes, distant and unreadable as an abyss, glanced indifferently at the departing Blackwell family car.
Politely, he added, “Clara, if your father Alpha Dave has any requests, contact my secretary directly. You helped me before, so I’ll do what I can for you p>
With that, he got into his car and left.
The onlookers slowly dispersed.
Clara’s mind churned with rage and dark plans.
“Evelyn Blackwell, you’re forcing my hand. Only when you and those children disappear can he be truly mine p>
Pulling out her phone, Clara dialed a number. “Rocco, it’s me, Clara… I need you to do something for me p>
Evelyn’s POV
I stared at Calvin in surprise, having expected more resistance.
My gaze shifted to Clara beside him. Her face lit up at his words, and she looked up at him with feigned shyness. In that moment, everything became clear, further cementing my suspicions.
Calvin had likely agreed to let the kids have dinner at her place because he planned to spend the evening with Clara. And this was just the beginning – once he allowed it once, there would be a second time, then a third, and a fourth p>
Her strategy was obvious: win the children over to her side, and victory in the custody battle would follow.
The children climbed into my car, and I quickly drove away. During the ride, Rowan chatted animatedly about his day at kindergarten. Beside him, Rhys remained unusually quiet.
I tried engaging him in conversation. “How about you, Rhys? How are things at school p>
He mumbled a response, his eyes downcast. I felt a twinge of guilt. Had I been giving too much attention to Rowan and not enough to Rhys? The realization struck me hard，I needed to rebuild my relationship with both my sons equally.
As we pulled into the driveway of my home, a small figure appeared at the large bay window—Alexis, my precious daughter, her tiny face lighting up at the sight of us. Before we could even get out of the car, she was already racing to the front door, her little feet clad in fluffy slippers.
“Mom! Brothers!” she squealed, launching herself at the boys the moment they stepped through the doorway.
Rowan immediately wrapped his arms around her. “Alex p>
The hesitation in Rhys’s voice broke my heart a little. “S-sister p>
I gently stroked Alexis’s curls. “Sweetheart, take your brothers to wash up. Dinner’s almost ready p>
Alexis beamed at them both, grabbing each by the hand without a trace of resentment toward Rhys for his previous coldness. My daughter had the biggest heart I’d ever known.
As I watched the three siblings disappear down the hallway, joy filled every corner of my being. This,this was what I wanted our future to look like. My three children together, safe and happy under one roof.
Dinner was everything I’d hoped for. The chef I’d hired had prepared all their favorites, and afterward, the children disappeared into the playroom where new toys awaited them.
I changed into comfortable loungewear and joined them, content to watch them play together. Time seemed to slip away as we laughed and built elaborate structures with blocks and figurines.
“Let’s take some pictures,” I suggested, noticing the new instant camera on the side table. I asked my maid to help us capture a few family photos.
I sat in the middle with Alexis nestled in my lap, Rowan and Rhys flanking us on either side. “One, two, three… smile p>
We went through two packs of film before we finished. It was only when the photos developed that we noticed Calvin standing in the background, the maidlooking nervous behind him.
How long had he been standing there? The first few photos captured his momentary surprise, but in all the later ones, his expression was cold and unreadable, a stark statue in his black suit while the four of us smiled and laughed.
Rowan noticed him immediately. “Dad!” he called excitedly.
Calvin stepped into the room, his powerful presence filling the space. “I’ve come to take you boys home p>
Alexis burrowed deeper into my embrace as we both watched the interaction unfold. Neither of us spoke.
Rowan and Rhys pulled their father down to sit with them on the carpet, eagerly showing him the photos we’d just taken.
“Look, Dad,” Rhys pointed at Calvin’s image in the background. “You’re in these too.” His little brow furrowed. “But you look so serious p>
Rowan glanced at me shyly before turning to his father. “Dad, will you take a picture with us p>
Rhys quickly chimed in, his eyes bright with hope. “Yes, please! It’s been so long since we had a family photo. I want one with Dad and Mom and Rowan and Alexis together p>
I looked up sharply, my heart catching at his words. “What did you just call me p>
Calvin opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off with a raised hand. “Don’t p>
To my surprise, he actually listened.
Rhys ducked his head, suddenly shy.I could tell he hadn’t planned to call me “Mom”,it had slipped out naturally.
Before I could respond, Alexis crawled across the carpet to Calvin and raised her arms. “Up,” she demanded simply.
Calvin froze for a moment before lifting her. She looked so tiny in his strong arms. Something complicated flickered in hisblue eyes as he held her.
Alexis seemed genuinely drawn to him, to his scent. She placed her small palm over his mouth and made a shushing gesture. “No talk, Alpha p>
I nearly smiled at Calvin’s bewildered expression.
Rhys stood awkwardly beside Rowan, who nudged him encouragingly. “Brother, Mom wants to hear you say it,” Rowan whispered.
Alexis clapped her hands from her perch in Calvin’s arms. “Say Mommy p>
Rhys looked up at me with hesitation, then whispered, “Mom p>
My heart pounded in my chest. I wanted to sweep him into my arms, but something held me back—years of pain, perhaps.
“Yes,” I managed, my voice coming out harder than I intended.
I saw the way Calvin’s eyes darkened at the exchange. He clearly found the situation ironic, given how he’d kept the boys from me for so long.
Just as he seemed ready to announce their departure, the camera clicked again.
“Just testing the new film,” the maid explained with an awkward smile.
Rowan dragged Rhys back to my side. “Please take more pictures of all of us together,” he begged the maid.
I wanted to refuse. The last thing I needed was photographic evidence of Calvin and me together, especially when it might give the boys false hope.
But Rowan’s pleading eyes weakened my resolve.
“Just one pack of film,” I conceded.
Calvin remained silent, but didn’t object—his version of consent, I supposed.
When we finished, Alexis examined the new photos critically. “Alpha doesn’t smile. Ugly,” she declared with the brutal honesty only a toddler could manage.
I bit back a laugh at the expression on Calvin’s face. Probably the first time in his life anyone had called the mighty Alpha of the Bloodbane Pack “ugly p>
Encouraged by their sister’s boldness, Rowan and Rhys began making silly faces, trying to coax a smile from their perpetually serious father.
The sight of the three children circling Calvin like playful cubs attempting to engage an adult wolf was both amusing and heartbreaking.
For a brief moment, our eyes met over Alexis’s head. Something electric passed between us before he stiffened and held our daughter out to me. “Take your daughter,” he said gruffly.
I reached for her, but before I could take her, Alexis’s eyes filled with tears. I quickly moved closer, alarmed. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong p>
She clung to Calvin’s neck, turning to me with a trembling lip. “Mommy, Alpha was mean to me p>
Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, landing on Calvin’s hand. I saw him flinch slightly at the contact, his expression shifting as he awkwardly tried to soften his voice. “I wasn’t mean to you p>