Circumstances 

ISABELLA’S POV 

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Xavier’s name – of him saving my son. It sent a cold shiver down my spine, making me freeze. 

Of all people, why does it had to be him? 

The world suddenly felt too small, closing in around me as the implications of this unexpected twist settled in. I had spent years carefully constructing walls to keep our lives separate, to shield both Liam and Lily from the truth and from the man who unknowingly fathered him. 

Yet, fate had other plans, still intertwining our paths despite all my efforts. 

However, the overwhelming relief the Liam was safe and rescued topped all my emotions. For a moment, I couldn’t bother to think of those uncertainties and the threat of Xavier finding out 

about the truth – that we have another son. 

What matters to me the most was the safety of Liam. I needed to see him, to hold him, to 

assure myself that he was truly okay. 

“Can you drive faster?” I urged Raymond from the backseat. 

“I’m trying my best.” He replied curtly, his hands gripping the stirring wheel as he pressed 

down harder on the accelerator. 

We have been driving for almost two hours now – towards the Lunar Crescent Pack to get 

Liam. Raymond and Hailey decided to come with me. Even Alexander was insisting to come 

with us too earlier, but the Bluemoon Pack has just suffered from another rogue attack, and he 

has to deal with a lot of matters. 

I watched as the trees outside blurred past us in a haze. 

Despite knowing that Liam was safe, anxiety twisted inside me like a coiled snake, ready to strike at any moment. I couldn’t shake off the thought of what those despicable rogues might 

have done to my precious little boy. The need to see him, to reassure myself of his well–being, 

was an ache that consumed me entirely. 

But beyond that, another fear loomed ominously in the back of my mind. 

Xavier and his resemblance to Liam. 

Liam was a spitting image of his father, a miniature version that bore all of Xavier’s striking features. Anyone with eyes could see the resemblance at a single glance. And the thought of 

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Circumstances 

Xavier seeing Liam, of possibly putting the pieces together, made my stomach churn with 

dread. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll be there soon.” Hailey’s soft voice echoed through my trouble thoughts. She 

was sitting beside me at the backseat, her arms wrapping around my shoulders in comfort. 

“I just can’t help it,” I heaved a sigh, trying to steady my voice. “Besides, it’s not just Liam I’m 

worried about, Haile.” 

Her eyes flickered with realization after I said that, her face turning serious. “You’re scared he’ll 

find out?” 

I nodded, biting my lower lip anxiously. “Liam looks exactly like him. There’s no way he won’t 

notice.” 

“And that’s why I told you, you should’ve just let us go to the Lunar Crescent Pack.” Raymond 

joined in the conversation, his tone deep and serious. “You shouldn’t have come with us. We 

can bring him back safely. Xavier will connect all the dots together once he sees you.” 

“But I need to see my son, Ray.” I spoke back in a hard tone. “I understand your concern, but 

you should know my worries too as a mother. My son needs me.” 

“Alright,” Hailey’s voice cut through as she sent a warning look towards Raymond despite him 

still with his eyes focused on the road. 

“We should just follow the plan. Later, once we arrived at the Lunar Crescent Pack, you should 

stay in the car and let us get Liam. We can’t risk Xavier seeing you.” 

I nodded, pursing my lips into a thin line. This was a plan we came up with. And since 

Alexander has given me a necklace that could conceal my scent, I could hide and not let my 

presence known later at the Lunar Crescent Pack. 

It’s cowardly of me wanting to avoid any confrontations and keep my secrets safe, but then, 

it’s because I was still not ready for it – for everything to be unveiled. 

The dirve took almost four hours, with the sky gradually lightening with the approaching dawn 

as we finally neared the Lunar Crescent Pack’s territory. 

As we approached the patrol guards at the border, I could feel my heart racing faster. A mix of anxiety and nostalgia seemed to wash over me. The guards verified our identities first before 

granting us entry. Luckily, they seemed not to recognize me. Or perhaps, my total existence in 

this pack has been totally erased. After all, it’s been a long time. 

I didn’t know if I should feel relieved or sad at that. In fact, place was once my home. It was a 

place filled with both joy and pain for me. Memories started flooding back inside my mind, 

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Circumstances 

making my chest tighten with a bittersweet ache settling deep within me. 

But I quickly pushed all those thoughts aside. I came here for a most important thing. My son. 

As we finally drove deeper into the pack’s main territory, the packhouse finally came into view, standing tall and proud against the early morning sky. It looked almost exactly as I remembered it, untouched by time. 

Raymond pulled the car to a stop a few meters away from the packhouse, turning off the 

engine before looking back at me. 

“Stay here and wait for us. We’ll bring Liam back.” 

I nodded. Beside me, Hailey gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before exiting the car 

alongside Raymond. I watched them walk towards the packhouse, their figures gradually disappearing from view. 

Left alone inside the car, I exhaled lowly, trying to calm the swirling emotions inside me. My eyes wandered back to the packhouse at the distance, taking in every detail. 

It felt surreal being back here after all these years, under such unexpected circumstances. 

I remained my gaze outside the car, eagerly waiting for both Hailey and Raymond to come 

back with Liam. But after half an hour, there was still no sign of them coming out from the 

packhouse. 

I started to grow anxious, with each passing second heightening my worry. 

What was taking them so long? 

I nervously fiddled with my fingers, trying to calm my thoughts. Perhaps, they were just caught up in formalities or discussions. I shouldn’t get impatient. 

A few moments later, I finally caught sight of two figures approaching. I realized it was Hailey with a small figure walking beside her. 

Liam. 

When they were much nearer from the car, I immediately flung the car door open and rushed towards them, my eyes locked solely on my son. 

“Mom!” 

Hearing my son’s sweet voice call out to me made the corner of my eyes stung as tears threatened to escape. I crouched down in front of him, finally pulling him into a tight embrace. 

The warmth and solidity of his small body against mine was the greatest relief I could have 

asked for. 

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“Oh, my baby,” I murmured, pressing kisses to his forehead and cheeks as I tried to prevent 

myself from choking up on my words. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” 

He hugged me back just as fiercely, his little arms wrapped around my neck. “I’m okay, Mom…” 

I pulled back slightly to examine him, my eyes scanning over his face and body. There were a 

few scratches and bruises marring his fair skin, each one causing a pang in my heart. 

Tears blurred my vision once more as I gently cupped his cheeks. “I’m so sorry, baby. Mommy’s late.” 

Liam shook his head earnestly, his big, expressive eyes gazing up at me with pure innocence 

and love. “It’s not your fault, Mom.” 

His words brought a fresh wave of emotion crashing over me, and I pulled him back into my 

arms, holding him close as I whispered, “Mommy will not let this happen again, darling. I 

promise.” 

He nodded against my shoulder, his small hand patting my back comfortingly. After what he’s 

suffered, his bravery and resilience amazed me, filling me with immense pride and love. 

After a moment, I drew back, forcing a smile in front of him as I stood up holding his little arm 

on mine. “Alright, let’s go home now, okay?” 

Liam’s face broke into a bright smile as he nodded eagerly. But before we could move, Hailey 

spoke in a hesitant tone beside us. 

“Bella…” 

I looked up, noticing the uneasy expression on her face. My heart skipped a beat, suddenly 

realizing something was wrong based on the look on her face. Moreover, Raymond was also 

not around. 

A sudden premonition crept up in my chest. Hailey stared at me in worry and hesitance, 

before I saw how her eyes moved and stared at someone behind me. 

I could feel a familiar presence looming behind. The air was suddenly thick with tension, and 

the only thing I could hear was the loud pounding of my heart. 

Slowly, I took the courage and finally turned around. Then my breath caught in my throat as 

soon as my eyes met the intense, penetrating gaze of Xavier. 

He stood just a few feet away, his towering figure exuding authority and power. His dark hair 

was slightly disheveled, and his piercing green eyes bore into mine with an unreadable 

intensity that made my heart race. 

“You’re not going anywhere.”