The first step
ISABELLA’S POV
“You’re going to introduce him to the kids as their father?” Alexander had a grave look on his face. His voice was tight, and the weight of his sudden question hung heavily between us.
We were now back at the Bluemoon Pack, just an hour ago. After settling Liam home and reuniting him with Lily, I decided to find Alexander. Earlier, during the trip back here, I had also informed Raymond and Hailey of my decision, and now, it was time to tell Alexander too.
In fact, I have troubled him enough because of my past choices and even got him implicated in the matters he shouldn’t have been. It was only right to inform him of my decisions – that tomorrow, I would bring the twins back to the Lunar Crescent Pack to introduce them to their
father, Xavier.
“I don’t think this is a good idea, Bella,” Alexander insisted, his gaze shifting between me and Raymond, who was sitting across from me, while I had Hailey sitting beside me too.
“You’re really letting her go back to that pack? To that man?” Alexander’s voice hardened, his eyes fixed on Raymond, who also wore a serious expression on his face.
Raymond sighed, his eyes meeting mine briefly before he turned back to Alexander. “She’s made up her mind. I can’t do anything about it.”
“But we all know how much she’s suffered because of him!” Alexander’s rebuttal was sharp, and the words ignited something deep inside me–a burning sensation in my chest as I
recalled the past once more.
But I tried my best to ignore it.
Taking a deep breath, I finally spoke. “I’ve already decided. I think this is the right thing to do.”
Alexander grumbled in frustration, making my guilt intensify. He had done so much to protect me and the twins, to keep Xavier away from us, and now, I was about to undo all his efforts. He had gone out of his way to help me, and I couldn’t deny that I felt bad for dragging him into
my mess.
I glanced helplessly at Hailey and Raymond, silently asking for a moment alone with Alexander. They understood immediately as they rose to leave the room, giving me the chance
to speak with Alexander alone.
“We’ll leave you two to talk first,” Hailey said, offering me an encouraging nod before she turned to Alexander. “Don’t be too hard on her, Alexander. She’s been through enough.”
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The first step
I felt a wave of gratitude at Hailey’s words. It wasn’t surprising that she could speak so openly with Alexander, given their close relationship as cousins. As she and Raymond left, it was just
me and Alexander in the room. The tension in the room seemed to thicken as I turned to finally face him.
To say I feel guilty was an understatement, but I knew this decision had to be made.
“I can’t believe he’s not even stopping you,” Alexander muttered, referring to Raymond, his
frustration evident as he looked at me.
For a moment, silence enveloped us once more, the air grew heavier with unspoken words.
Alexander stared at me intently, his expression serious. After what felt like an eternity, he
finally spoke again.
“Have you really made up your mind?” His tone was firm yet slow, as if giving me one last
chance to reconsider.
I took a deep breath before nodding. I found it difficult to speak, not knowing where to start.
“I can’t keep running from my past anymore,” I finally began, my voice steady yet filled with
conviction. “This is also for Liam and Lily. They deserve to know the truth.”
Alexander was silent for a moment, his jaw tight before he looked away, sighing deeply.”
Alright, if that’s what you want to do, I won’t stop you.”
I bit my lip, the guilt gnawing at me as I watched the troubled look on his face. But this was now or never. This decision was necessary, and I had already made up my mind. I need to
correct the mistakes that had been made because of my past decisions.
“I’m sorry, Alexander,” I finally said in a low tone.
He looked back at me, his expression softening slightly. “What are you apologizing for? I’m not
mad at you. I’m just worried.”
“I know,” I replied, my guilt evident. “I just… I’m sorry for dragging you into my problems.”
“I helped you because I wanted to, Isabella,” he said firmly. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me and the twins,” I nodded, replying in a sincere
tone. “But I’m still sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”
Alexander went quiet, the silence stretching on for what felt like minutes before he finally
spoke again, his voice low, serious and somewhat hesitant. “You’re still coming back, right?”
His question took me by surprise, and I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Alexander’s eyes
searched mine, his concern evident.
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The first step
“Please don’t tell me you’re leaving the Bluemoon Pack, Isabella,” he said, a hint of
helplessness in his tone.
I was confused, the uncertainty of the situation pressing down on me. After a minute, I sighed deeply before answering. “Of course… The Bluemoon Pack is where I belong now. I’ll just take
the kids to meet Xavier.”
I tried to sound certain, but deep down, a nagging feeling told me that something was going to
happen.
Alexander nodded, his tone lightening. “Then I’ll be rest assured.”
But then, the heavy feeling in my heart refused to dissipate, and it only grew stronger as the day wore on. I wanted to believe that everything would go as planned, but I couldn’t shake the sense of unease–the sense that this decision would lead to something I wasn’t prepared for.
“Brother… those bad wolves… won’t they really come back anymore?” Lily’s voice was small
and uncertain.
I paused outside the twins‘ bedroom door, just before entering, when I overheard their
conversation.
“Yes, don’t worry,” Liam replied, his tone comforting. “I’ll do my best to get stronger, just like Uncle Raymond, Uncle Alexander, and…”
Liam’s voice trailed off. After seconds, Lily pressed on with an inquiring voice. “And who?”
“And the uncle who saved me from the rogues,” Liam finally answered, his tone now lighter and filled with admiration. “He was really strong! He defeated all those bad wolves so quickly.
He’s very powerful!”
“Really?” Lily’s voice mirrored Liam’s awe.
“Yeah! And I want to be like him when I grow up! I’ll work really hard so I can be like him and protect you and Mommy from the bad wolves.”
A small, bittersweet smile tugged at my lips, warmth and worry battling in my chest. I couldn’t imagine what my brave boy had gone through under the hands of those rogues. Fortunately, it hadn’t left him traumatized. He didn’t sound scared–just proud and full of admiration for
Xavier, his savior.
But a thought nagged at me. If Xavier had fought and defeated the rogues in front of Liam, then my son must have witnessed the violence. I can still remember Xavier’s brutalness each time he was on the battlefield, so how could Liam not be intimidated by his ferocity? Instead,
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The first step
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he was just admiring Xavier’s strength.
I took a deep breath, feeling both troubled, as I slowly came to understand. A part of me knew the answer–Liam had inherited more from Xavier than just his looks. My brave, strong little boy had his father’s spirit too.
“Alright, you two should go to bed now. It’s getting late.” I finally stepped into their room, sitting on the bed as I kissed each of their foreheads.
“Tomorrow, Mommy will take you somewhere.” I told them gently.
Their curious eyes locked onto mine, and Lily was the first to ask, her eyes full of innocence and curiosity.
“Mommy, where are we going?”
My heart skipped a beat at her question, but I knew this was the first step. I had to prepare them for what was coming, to take the first step in introducing them to Xavier.
With a sigh, I finally said, “We’re going to meet your daddy.”
