Chapter 26
Samantha’s POV
“Mommy, look! I made a butterfly!” Diana exclaimed, as she held up her craft project a messy combination of glitter, glue, and construction paper.
“That’s beautiful, sweetheart,” I said, crouching down to admire her creation. Devon sat nearby with his tiny hands busy assembling what looked like a spaceship made of popsicle sticks.
A knock on the door pulled me out of the small bubble of peace.
I straightened and glanced at Annic, who had just walked into the room. “Annie, keep an eye on them,” I said as I stepped to the door and opened it.
Killian stood there. He smiled warmly, but the tension in lils eyes betrayed the purpose of his visit.
“Killian,” I greeted with a smile. “What brings you here?”
“Can I come in?” he asked, his voice was calm but it carried something that put me on edge.
I nodded and stepped aside, closing the door behind him. As soon as we were in the living room, I folded my arms. “What’s going on?”
Killian’s expression softened as he glanced toward the doorway where Diana and Devon’s giggles floated from the next room. “I needed to check on you. And the kids.”
“We are fine,” I said quickly, too quickly.
His eyes narrowed. “You don’t look fine, Samantha.”
I sighed and sank onto the couch, motioning for him to sit. It’s… complicated. The kids mentioned that they talked with a man. Was it Dominic?” I asked.
Killian took a seat across from me, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Yes. He found them first and called me to pick them up,” he replied and I sighed, brushing my palms on my face. I did not expect that the truth will be catching up this fast.
But the news Killian carried pushed me more to the edge.
“And Dominic had been sending his people to dig into your life, and about the twins.”
The air left my lungs in a whoosh. My head whipped up to meet his gaze. “What?!”
“He’s not subtle about it,” Killian said. “My pack caught wind of his men snooping around. They are asking questions about the twins.”
My pulse raced, my thoughts a tangled mess of panic and anger. “What does he know?”
“Not much yet,” Killian admitted. “But if he keeps digging, it’s only a matter of time before he finds out everything.”
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. My first instinct was to grab the twins and run, but I couldn’t. Not again. “I can’t let him find out,” I whispered while my head was searching for another escape route. A place where he would not be able to find us ever again. I wanted to run.
Killian’s gaze softened. “Samantha, you can’t do this alone.“‘
“I’ve been doing it alone for years,” I snapped as I stood up and paced around, the frustration spilling out before I could stop it.
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Chapter 26
“And look where that’s gotten you,” he countered calmly but firmly, making me understand the situation with a more rational view. “You’re stressed, paranoid, and one wrong move away from Dominic knowing the truth.”
I clenched my fists as I forced myself to sit back down. “I won’t let him take them from me.”
Killian leaned closer, his expression was earnest. “Then let ne help you.”
“How?” I asked, unable to stop my voice from shaking.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Let me act as their father.”
The words hung in the air like a thundercloud. I stared at him, my mind reeling.
“What?”
“It would make sense,” he said. “I’ve been around them since they were born, Samantha. I carried them with you. I have always been here. People already assume I’m their father. If Dominic’s people come asking questions, it’s a believable cover.”
I shook my head, my stomach churning. “Killian, I can’t ask you to do that. This isn’t your fight.”
“It became my fight the moment you came to me,” he said firmly. “You and those kids are under my protection. And I would do anything to keep you safe.”
His words hit me harder than I expected. Killian had always been there, a partner when everything else in my life was falling apart. But this… This was too much.
“I don’t know,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “It feels wrong. Like I am dragging you into a mess you don’t deserve.”
He reached out and took my hand gently. “You are not dragging me into anything. I am offering because I care about you. And I care about them.”
The sincerity in his eyes made my chest ache. But doubt clawed at me, whispering that this would only make things worse. “What happens when Dominic finds out the truth? He’ll see through it eventually.”
“Then we deal with that when it happens,” Killian said. “Right now, we need to buy time. This is the best way to do that.”
I pulled my hand back, standing up to put some distance between us. “I need to think about it.”
Killian stood too, his gaze never leaving me. “Take all the time you need. Just know that I’m here for you, no matter what. And I am willing to be the father of the twins.
His words were like a lifeline, but I was too afraid to grab hold of it.
He stepped closer, and his presence made my heart race. “Samantha…”
The way he said my name sent a shiver down my spine. And before I could react, he closed the remaining distance between us. His hand came up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against my skin, and my breath caught in my throat as his lips descended on mine.
For a moment, I was frozen, caught between the pull of his kiss and the storm of emotions swirling inside me. His lips were warm and insistent, a mix of comfort and something more.
But then reality crashed down like a tidal wave, and I gently pulled away. I wasn’t ready yet to do this. No matter how much I try to deny to myself that I had already moved on from Dominic, the mate bond’s pull was telling me otherwise. “Killian, I can’t-”
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Chapter 20
He stepped back immediately, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have
“No,” I interrupted. “I just… I need time. To think. About everything.”
Killian nodded in understanding, “I understand. I’ll give you all the time you need.”
He turned to leave, but before he reached the door, he paused and looked back. “Just remember, Samantha. You are not alone anymore. You don’t have to carry this on your own.”
And then he was gone, leaving me standing in the middle of the room, my lips still tingling from his kiss and my mind was a mess of confusion and doubt.
I sank back onto the couch with my head in my hands.
What was I supposed to do?
Killian’s offer was tempting, too tempting. But it felt like I was playing with fire, and I was not sure I could survive the burn.
