Darius's POV
The door to my office slammed open, and my son walked in.
I froze with a coffee cup halfway to my lips. For three days since the battle, Sera had kept Kai away from me. She said he needed time to recover from using so much power. But I knew the real reason—she didn't trust me with him yet.
And now here he was.
Kai stood in the doorway, small and perfect, with Adrian's hand on his shoulder. My heart twisted painfully. He had my grey eyes. My dark hair. But his face—that was all Sera. Beautiful and stubborn.
"Go on," Adrian said gently, nudging Kai forward. "It's okay."
Kai walked toward my desk with careful steps, studying me like I was a puzzle he couldn't solve. When he got close enough, he crossed his arms—exactly like his mother did when she was angry.
"You're the man who made Mommy cry," he said.
The words hit me harder than any physical blow. I set down my coffee cup before I dropped it. "Yes. I am."
"Uncle Adrian says you're my daddy." Kai's voice was matter-of-fact, but his eyes were ancient. Too knowing for a child so young. "But Mommy never talks about you. She cries sometimes at night when she thinks I'm sleeping. Is that because of you too?"
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. I'd imagined meeting my son a thousand times since learning he existed. But nothing prepared me for this—for the weight of his judgment.
"Yes," I said quietly. "That's because of me."
"Why did you make her cry?"
How did I explain this to a four-year-old? How did I tell him that his father was a coward who'd thrown away the best thing in his life?
"I made a lot of mistakes," I started. "I hurt your mother very badly. I wasn't honest with her. I wasn't kind. And I'm sorry."
Kai tilted his head, considering. "Uncle Adrian says sorry doesn't fix things. You have to do better."
"Uncle Adrian is very smart." I glanced at the Lycan King, who stood by the door with his arms crossed, watching. Waiting to see if I'd mess this up. "You're right. I have to do better. And I will. Every single day."
"Mommy says you signed a paper that said she had to leave after I was born." Kai's small hands clenched into fists. "Did you not want me?"
Oh goddess. No. "Kai, I didn't know—"
"That's not what I asked!" His voice rose, and suddenly the windows rattled. Power—raw and uncontrolled—rippled through the room. "Did you want me or not?"
Adrian moved forward, but I held up a hand. This was my son. My mess to fix.
I got down on my knees so we were eye level. "I didn't know you existed until three days ago. Your mother left before I knew she was pregnant. But Kai?" I waited until he looked at me. "I would have wanted you. From the very first moment. I would have protected you. Loved you. Been there for you."
"But you weren't," Kai whispered. "I grew up without a daddy. Other kids had daddies. I didn't. That's your fault."
"You're absolutely right. It is my fault." My throat burned. "And I can't change the past. I can't give you back those years. All I can do is promise that from now on, I'll be the father you deserved from the beginning."
Kai stared at me for a long moment. Then he said something that shattered my heart completely.
"I don't believe you."
He turned and walked out of my office.
Adrian lingered, his expression unreadable. "That went about as well as expected."
"He hates me," I said, still kneeling on the floor like an idiot.
"He doesn't hate you. He doesn't know you well enough to hate you." Adrian moved closer. "But Darius, you need to understand something. Kai is special. That power he showed during the battle? It's growing stronger every day. He hears things. Feels things. He knew you were dying even before the mate bond was accepted. He feels his mother's pain like it's his own."
I stood up slowly. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that boy has lived his entire life feeling Sera's heartbreak. Her fear. Her loneliness." Adrian's eyes were hard. "Every tear she cried over you, he felt it. Every nightmare she had, he sensed it. You didn't just hurt Sera. You've been hurting your son for four years without even knowing it."
The guilt was crushing. "How do I fix this?"
"I don't know if you can." Adrian headed for the door. "But if you're serious about being his father, you better figure it out fast. Because something's coming. Something dark. And when it arrives, that boy is going to need both his parents standing strong together."
He left me alone with my thoughts and my regrets.
I was about to follow when I heard voices in the hallway. Kai's voice. And someone else.
I crept to the door and looked out. Kai stood at the end of the corridor, talking to... no one. Empty air.
"I can't tell Mommy," Kai said to the empty space. "It'll make her sad again."
Cold dread filled my stomach. I stepped into the hallway. "Kai? Who are you talking to?"
He spun around, eyes wide with fear. "Nobody! I wasn't—I didn't—"
But I'd seen enough. The air where he'd been looking shimmered slightly. Like heat waves. Or like something invisible was standing there.
"Kai, who was that?" I asked gently.
He bit his lip, tears welling up. "Promise you won't tell Mommy?"
"I promise."
"She's my friend. She comes to visit sometimes. She says she knew you when you were little." Kai looked back at the empty space. "She says her name is Elena. And she's going to help me get stronger so the bad people can't hurt Mommy anymore."
My blood turned to ice.
Elena.
The granddaughter who'd tried to kill us. Who'd made a deal with dark magic. Who'd sworn revenge.
She'd been visiting my son.
"Kai, how long has Elena been talking to you?"
"Since before the big fight. She's nice. She brings me candy and tells me stories." He smiled innocently. "She says if I do what she says, I can protect everyone I love. Don't you want me to be strong, Daddy?"
It was the first time he'd called me that. And it broke my heart because I knew what I had to do next.
"Yes, buddy. I do." I knelt down again. "But I need you to tell me something very important. Has Elena asked you to do anything special? Any... tasks?"
Kai's face went blank. Empty. And when he spoke again, his voice was different. Hollow.
"She says it's time. Tonight at midnight. At the old well behind the pack house. Come alone or Mommy dies." His eyes focused on me again, confused. "Daddy? Why am I in the hallway? I was just in your office..."
He didn't even remember delivering the message.
Elena had been inside his head. Using him. Controlling him.
And she wanted me to come to her alone.
It was obviously a trap.
But what choice did I have?
I picked up Kai and carried him back toward Sera's room. "It's okay, buddy. You're okay. Let's get you back to Mommy."
"Daddy?" Kai's small arms wrapped around my neck. "I'm scared. Something bad is in my head sometimes. Something that whispers."
"I know. But we're going to fix it. I promise."
I just hoped I could keep that promise.
Because in eleven hours, I'd be walking into a trap that would probably kill me.
And I couldn't tell anyone.
Not Sera. Not Adrian. Not the pack.
Because if Elena sensed I'd told them, Sera would die.
My mate or my life.
The choice should have been easy.
So why did my hands shake as I knocked on Sera's door?