Dahlia's POV
Six Years Later…
"Mommy, wake up! It's past 8!"
A chorus of chattering voices broke through the fog of my sleep, followed by a flurry of soft kisses and tiny, energetic hands.
"Let's go for the tickle, it always works," Axel's mischievous voice commanded.
I cracked my eyes open, giggling as six small hands began a coordinated assault on my ribs. "Okay, okay! Mommy's awake!"
They cheered, tumbling over one another like a litter of pups; which, in a way, they were. My heart swelled as I looked at them: Aidan, Axel, and Ariana. My triplets. My reason for breathing.
They sat on my bed, grinning with a mix of human innocence and a predatory spark in their eyes that I prayed every day would stay hidden.
"How are my little angels this morning?" I asked, pulling them into a massive hug.
"We're hungry!" they echoed in perfect unison.
For a moment, I forgot the nightmare; the forest, the pack, the screams, the memory of fleeing the pack six years ago that still haunted me in my sleep.
Six years, I had spent building a wall between Dr. Dahlia Willow and the rankless orphan who had been discarded like trash.
"Mommy, there's a mailman at the door," Aidan announced, his ears twitching. At six years old, his hearing was already sharper than a normal human's.
"Okay, angels, mommy needs to get the door. Can you please get off me?" I asked with a smile.
I watched them scramble out of the room before I threw on a robe and headed downstairs. At the door stood Robin, our local mailman, but more than that, he was a neighbor who respected the quiet doctor who lived on the corner.
He looked tired and worried.
"Good morning , Dr. Willow. Letters for you," he said, handing over two envelopes.
"Thank you, Robin. Is everything okay? You look like you haven't slept."
He sighed, his shoulders sagging. "It's my daughter, Tessa. She's been burning up with a fever since yesterday. I was hoping… well, I know you're busy, but could you check on her?"
"No worries, Robin. Expect me in the evening," I promised.
His face brightened instantly. "Thank you, Dr. Willow."
As he left, the triplets swarmed me again, pulling at my robe.
"Tessa is sick?" Ariana asked, her face falling into a pout. "That's why she couldn't play with us yesterday. Can you help her, Mommy?"
"Don't worry, my love. I'll go and check on her. She'll be back on her feet soon," I promised. Their little faces lit up with smiles, proud of their "smart doctor mommy."
I watched him walk away, a pang of bittersweet pride hitting me. After fleeing the Silver-Crest Pack, I had to erase every trace of my past. I moved to the human suburbs, I had to erase the "Dahlia" who was called worthless and become "Dr. Willow."
I had inherited my father's healing skills, and over the years, I had honed them until word of my talent spread across several states.
Mr. Sinclair had taken me in, and lent me the funds to start anew, helping me secure a clinic where I could treat both humans and the occasional rogue wolf in secret.
But a quiet fear always lingered. My children were nearing the age where their wolf traits would surface. My goal was simple: pay off my debt, then take my babies and travel the world. I wanted to give them the life I could only dream of as a child.
Then, my breath caught.
The first envelope bore an emblem that made my blood run cold. The Silver-Crest Pack. My eyes darted outside the window, scanning the street for any sign of danger, any hint that I had been found.
My hands trembled as I opened it.
"Dahlia. It has been six years since your disappearance. I hereby summon you to the pack at once. I need to know you are alive." — Alpha Nate.
I scoffed at the paper, a bitter laugh escaping my throat. He wanted to "know if I was alive"? After six years of silence? After the trial he surely wanted to put me through because of Gina?
Then, I opened the second letter, it was addressed to Dr. Willow.
My pulse quickened. It was also the Silver-Crest Pack, inviting the famed "Dr. W" to treat their failing Luna.
'They knew of my reputation?' That should have been impossible. I never showed my face to werewolves; I never left a scent.
Fear and panic tangled inside me. What if this is a trap?
A tug at my dress yanked me out of my spiraling thoughts. "Mommy? Are you okay? You're speaking to yourself," Axel asked, wide-eyed.
His words pulled my back to reality. I blinked, grounding myself. I looked at their faces; miniature versions of the man who had just summoned me. If Gina was Luna now, and she discovered Nate had illegitimate children... she would kill them.
"Yes, Mommy's fine," I whispered, bending down to hug them tightly. "Just going over some notes."
"I want to be a doctor just like you, Mommy," Ariana giggled.
Her words warmed my heart, but my resolve was already hardening. I wouldn't let Nate or Gina anywhere near them. Whether Nate knew who Dr. Willow was or not didn't matter. I couldn't risk it.
I must protect them, no matter what. Even if it costs me everything.
The letters lay on the counter, calling me back to a past I had worked so hard to escape. My job, my children, my life, all of it depended on my next move. I picked up my phone and dialed Mr. Sinclair.
"I need you to take care of my children for a few days," I said firmly.