Chapter 9

Knox's POV

I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to shut out the world around me.

But no matter how much I tried, the worry kept gnawing at my inside relentlessly.

My son, Chris, was growing weaker by the day, and the doctors still hadn't figured out what was wrong with him. Each day without answers was another day of agony for me as I was watched my only child fade away before my very eyes.

Beside me, Susie, my wife, was dressed in a skimpy nightie that used to turn me on and have chasing her to the bedroom, but that was a long time ago. Not any more m.

Susie pressed herself against me, and I realized that she was trying to seduce me, and in the past, she would have succeeded. But now? Now, I felt nothing but irritation.

"Knox," she murmured, slinking closer. Her hands roamed over my chest and her lips peppered soft kisses down my neck.

It was a familiar routine I had grown tired of, especially now.

I sighed heavily and pushed her gently away. "Not now, Susie, I'm tired," I said and my voice carried a weariness I couldn't disguise.

Susie pulled back but her eyes flashed with anger. "What the hell is wrong with you Knox?!" She yelled. "You never want to touch me anymore. And every time I try to seduce you, you claim you're tired or busy. What's wrong with you, Knox?"

I rubbed my temples, feeling the beginnings of a headachestart to grow.

"Susie, how can you always be thinking about sex when our only son and heir is lying sick in the next room?" I shot back.

I was quickly losing my patience with her.

Susie rolled her eyes dramatically. "Don't be silly Knox, us abstaining from sex isn't going to cure him," she retorted sharply. "You don't even know what's wrong with him!"

I sat up as my own irritation began to rise. "How can you be so self-absorbed, Susie? We should be focused on finding a solution for Chris, not… this."

Susie glared at me, clearly unimpressed. "And what about you, Knox? All you do is brood around the house, acting like that's going to magically make him better. News flash, it's not!"

I felt my frustration grow so much that I was very close to exploding. I swung my legs off the bed, ready to leave this conversation behind. But Susie snarled, grabbed my arm, and yanked me back.

Her grip was surprisingly strong.

"You're cheating on me, aren't you Knox? That's why you don't want me anymore!"

Her accusation caught me off guard and a flash of anger rushed through my blood. "Cheating on you? Susie, I'm not interested in you right now because all I can think about is finding a cure for our sick son and only heir!"

She laughed bitterly. It was a harsh sound that grated on my nerves. "Maybe if you paid more attention to me, Knox, we'd have another child by now. Another heir."

I stared at her, incredulous. "You're talking about Chris like he can be easily replaced with another child. He's barely alive, and you're treating this like it's some inconvenience."

Her eyes narrowed, lips curling in disdain. "He's been sick for months, Knox. Maybe if you were a better father, he wouldn't be in this state."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. "Are you blaming me for our son's illness now?"

"I'm just stating facts," Susie replied coldly. "If you're the Alpha you claim to be, you should have found a cure by now, no matter the cost. And while you're at it, maybe remember how to satisfy your wife, or I'll find someone who can."

Her words were like ice, chilling and brutal. "Are you threatening to cheat on me?" I demanded.

She smirked, shrugging casually. "I'm just stating factsAlpha."

With that, she turned on her heel and stalked toward the door, but not before pausing to deliver one last warning. "And if I ever find out there's another woman in your life, Knox, you can be sure that a lot of blood will flow." She slammed the door behind her, leaving me in stunned silence.

I sat there, trying to understand how I had ended up with someone so cold and self-centered.

There was a time when I had thought she was sweet, captivating even. Now, I wondered how on earth I could have been so blind.

Shaking off the unsettling thoughts, I headed to Chris's roomto see my son.

My boy lay motionless on his bed, his chest barely rose with each labored breath. We had brought him back from the hospital after the doctors failed to diagnose his illness.

As a father, watching him waste away felt like a knife to the heart.

I sat by his side, taking his small, fragile hand in mine. "Hey, buddy," I whispered, trying to muster a smile. "I've sent for the best doctor to come and help you. You're going to be okay, I promise."

Chris didn't stir, didn't respond, and I felt a feeling of helplessness wash over me.

I and Susie hadn't been able to have another child in the last six years. If anything happened to Chris, the loss would be devastating, not just for me, but for the whole pack.

A soft knock on the door suddenly broke my thoughts. It was Andrew, my Beta, standing respectfully at the door. "Alpha, the doctor has arrived."

Instant hope flared in my chest and I gently released Chris's hand and stood. There was hope for my son.

"Thank you, Andrew. I'll be right there."

I kissed my sons forehead and walked out to welcome our guest doctor, —Melissa.

The moment I thought about her name, our memories together suddenly flooded my brain.

The past between two of us was complicated, to say the least.

We'd been involved in an sugar baby affair, and when shediscovered that I was getting married to her sister, she became jealous and refused to become my mistress, even though I had blessed her with the opportunity.

Out of jealousy, she said no, and I'd had no choice but to banish her from the pack, because no one was allowed to disrespect their alpha.

But banishing her had hurt more than I cared to admit. After I sent her away, a part of me mourned the loss of not being able to see her again, not being able to touch her or kiss her ever again.

It hurt more than I cared to admit, but she had rejected me first, and I had been left with no other option but to banish her and save my reputation in front of my fiancée.

Yet here she was, returning as the doctor I hoped would save my son.

I quickly reminded myself of my priorities and the fact that I was still married to her sister, so I couldn't think of Melissa in any other way except in a professional manner.

I had already decided that as soon as she finished doing what she was brought here to do, I'd send her away immediately, back to where she belonged.

I stepped outside and I watched as the car pulled up.

I took a deep breath to regain my composure, but a strange scent suddenly hit me out of nowhere.

It was a scent so delicious and alluring, it seemed to take over my senses completely.

I immediately wondered where it was coming from, and I began looking around for its source.

Then Melissa emerged from the car, and I was instantly taken aback. Melissa had transformed from the scrawny girl I remembered into a stunning woman.

Her presence was commanding and powerful, and she looked full of confidence.

For a strange reason, my breath caught in my throat as I took in the sight of her.

Before I could fully process it, Hector, my wolf, groaned within me, "Mate."

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Melissa was my mate?! How?

The woman I had banished, the one I thought I had left behind, was now bound to me by the strongest of bonds. How was this possible and why?.

Melissa froze, her eyes widening as they met mine. I could see it in her expression; she felt it too. The connection was undeniable. It was like an invisible thread pulling us toward each other.

But before I could say a word, Melissa turned on her heel and started to run.

"Chase her," Hector urged as his voice took a primal growl in my mind. "Never let her go."

Every instinct screamed at me to follow her, and I couldn't resist. I growled and my muscles coiled dangerously as I prepared to pursue.

Ignoring the bewildered looks from my pack members nearby, I bolted after Melissa, driven by a need I hadn't felt in years.

I needed to claim what was mine, to grasp this unexpected turn of fate with both hands.