The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer - Chapter 16: Chapter 16
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The crisp mountain air carried the earthy scent of pine as I leaned against the porch railing, watching Ethan dart through the meadow. His laughter—bright and unburdened—rippled across the valley as he chased a butterfly, his bare feet kicking up tufts of grass. Sunlight caught in his golden-brown curls, and his hazel eyes sparkled with the kind of joy only childhood could bring.
My son. My everything.
I hugged myself against the fading warmth of the afternoon sun. Ten years. A whole decade since I'd slipped from Ivan's grasp. A decade of running, of rebuilding, of pretending the past couldn't touch us.
But some shadows never fade.
A quiet sigh pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to find Damon beside me, his arms crossed as he watched Ethan with that same quiet intensity. Time had etched itself into him—streaks of silver threaded through his dark hair, his features sharper, more weathered. But his eyes… those deep, soulful eyes still held the same fierce devotion.
He'd been there for every scraped knee, every nightmare, every first step. To Ethan, he was simply Dad. And I'd never corrected him.
Damon's voice was low. "He's growing up fast."
I swallowed. "Too fast."
A beat of silence. Then, softer: "Cynthia… we need to talk."
My muscles tensed. "About what?"
He didn't look at me. His gaze stayed fixed on Ethan, now sprawled in the grass, arms flung wide as he stared up at the sky like it held all the answers.
"I think about it sometimes," Damon admitted. "What happens when Ethan finds out the truth?"
A cold weight settled in my chest. "He doesn't need to know."
Damon's jaw tightened. "He's not a kid anymore, Cynthia. One day, he's going to ask questions."
I whirled on him, my pulse hammering. "And when that day comes, I'll tell him whatever I have to—but I will never let Ivan near him."
Damon exhaled roughly, dragging a hand over his neck. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what?"
His eyes met mine, heavy with guilt. "I feel like a fraud. He calls me Dad, but I'm not his father."
My breath hitched. "You are."
"Not by blood."
Before I could stop myself, I reached for him, my fingers brushing his stubbled jaw. "You don't have to be a father by blood, Damon." My voice dropped to a whisper. "You're his father in every way that matters."
His breath caught. Something raw flickered in his gaze, and for the first time in years, I let myself lean in—
"ALPHA!"
The panicked shout shattered the moment.
I spun just as Amara, our most trusted servant, stumbled onto the porch, her face ghostly pale. She clutched the railing, gasping. "Ethan—he's—"
My vision tunneled. "Where is he?"
Her lips trembled. "Gone."
The world stopped.
Then Damon was already moving, sprinting toward the meadow. I was right behind him, my pulse roaring in my ears as we tore through the grass, shouting Ethan's name.
Nothing. Just the whisper of the wind and the crushing silence.
Damon's nostrils flared as he scented the air. "No blood."
But I barely heard him. Memories clawed at me—the night Ivan took everything. The helplessness. The terror. Not again. Not again.
Then—movement.
Near the tree line, a small figure stood beside a man cloaked in black, his hood shadowing his face. A stranger.
No.
I lunged, but Damon yanked me back. "Wait," he hissed, his wolf bristling beneath his skin. "He's not running. Why?"
The man lifted his head—and my blood turned to ice.
Not just any stranger.
One of Ivan's sentinels.
A slow smirk curled the man's lips as he nudged Ethan forward. My son stumbled, his wide, terrified eyes locking onto mine.
"Mama—"
I surged again, but the sentinel raised a hand. "Ah, ah, ah."
Damon's growl was pure menace. "You have five seconds to explain why you're still breathing."
The man didn't flinch. Instead, he pulled out a letter—black seal, a mark I knew too well. Ivan.
He tossed it at our feet, his smirk never fading. "A message from your mate, Luna."
My hands shook. I didn't want to touch it. I already knew what it would say.
Damon snatched it up, tearing it open. His expression darkened with every word before he thrust it at me.
The ink blurred as I read:
Did you really think you could hide from me, my love?
Did you think I wouldn't find my heir?
Enjoy the time you have left.
Because I'm coming.
The ground tilted beneath me. He knew.
He'd always known.
Damon stepped forward, but the sentinel raised his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, Alpha. I was just the messenger." His grin widened. "For now."
"Get out," Damon snarled.
The man laughed but melted into the trees.
The second he vanished, my legs gave out. I collapsed to my knees, pulling Ethan into my arms so tight I feared I'd never let go.
My son. My everything.
I hugged myself against the fading warmth of the afternoon sun. Ten years. A whole decade since I'd slipped from Ivan's grasp. A decade of running, of rebuilding, of pretending the past couldn't touch us.
But some shadows never fade.
A quiet sigh pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to find Damon beside me, his arms crossed as he watched Ethan with that same quiet intensity. Time had etched itself into him—streaks of silver threaded through his dark hair, his features sharper, more weathered. But his eyes… those deep, soulful eyes still held the same fierce devotion.
He'd been there for every scraped knee, every nightmare, every first step. To Ethan, he was simply Dad. And I'd never corrected him.
Damon's voice was low. "He's growing up fast."
I swallowed. "Too fast."
A beat of silence. Then, softer: "Cynthia… we need to talk."
My muscles tensed. "About what?"
He didn't look at me. His gaze stayed fixed on Ethan, now sprawled in the grass, arms flung wide as he stared up at the sky like it held all the answers.
"I think about it sometimes," Damon admitted. "What happens when Ethan finds out the truth?"
A cold weight settled in my chest. "He doesn't need to know."
Damon's jaw tightened. "He's not a kid anymore, Cynthia. One day, he's going to ask questions."
I whirled on him, my pulse hammering. "And when that day comes, I'll tell him whatever I have to—but I will never let Ivan near him."
Damon exhaled roughly, dragging a hand over his neck. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what?"
His eyes met mine, heavy with guilt. "I feel like a fraud. He calls me Dad, but I'm not his father."
My breath hitched. "You are."
"Not by blood."
Before I could stop myself, I reached for him, my fingers brushing his stubbled jaw. "You don't have to be a father by blood, Damon." My voice dropped to a whisper. "You're his father in every way that matters."
His breath caught. Something raw flickered in his gaze, and for the first time in years, I let myself lean in—
"ALPHA!"
The panicked shout shattered the moment.
I spun just as Amara, our most trusted servant, stumbled onto the porch, her face ghostly pale. She clutched the railing, gasping. "Ethan—he's—"
My vision tunneled. "Where is he?"
Her lips trembled. "Gone."
The world stopped.
Then Damon was already moving, sprinting toward the meadow. I was right behind him, my pulse roaring in my ears as we tore through the grass, shouting Ethan's name.
Nothing. Just the whisper of the wind and the crushing silence.
Damon's nostrils flared as he scented the air. "No blood."
But I barely heard him. Memories clawed at me—the night Ivan took everything. The helplessness. The terror. Not again. Not again.
Then—movement.
Near the tree line, a small figure stood beside a man cloaked in black, his hood shadowing his face. A stranger.
No.
I lunged, but Damon yanked me back. "Wait," he hissed, his wolf bristling beneath his skin. "He's not running. Why?"
The man lifted his head—and my blood turned to ice.
Not just any stranger.
One of Ivan's sentinels.
A slow smirk curled the man's lips as he nudged Ethan forward. My son stumbled, his wide, terrified eyes locking onto mine.
"Mama—"
I surged again, but the sentinel raised a hand. "Ah, ah, ah."
Damon's growl was pure menace. "You have five seconds to explain why you're still breathing."
The man didn't flinch. Instead, he pulled out a letter—black seal, a mark I knew too well. Ivan.
He tossed it at our feet, his smirk never fading. "A message from your mate, Luna."
My hands shook. I didn't want to touch it. I already knew what it would say.
Damon snatched it up, tearing it open. His expression darkened with every word before he thrust it at me.
The ink blurred as I read:
Did you really think you could hide from me, my love?
Did you think I wouldn't find my heir?
Enjoy the time you have left.
Because I'm coming.
The ground tilted beneath me. He knew.
He'd always known.
Damon stepped forward, but the sentinel raised his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, Alpha. I was just the messenger." His grin widened. "For now."
"Get out," Damon snarled.
The man laughed but melted into the trees.
The second he vanished, my legs gave out. I collapsed to my knees, pulling Ethan into my arms so tight I feared I'd never let go.
End of The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer Chapter 16. Continue reading Chapter 17 or return to The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer book page.