Chapter 11

Their father

Melissa's POV

After Knox left, I sat on the edge of the bed, watching Dylan sleep while Tyler played with his hand.

The events of the day kept replaying in my mind, and my thoughts kept returning to Knox and the huge mess he had put me in.

This house was very lavish and comfortable, yes, but it felt more like a golden prison to me.

My heart began to ache at the thought of being here for longer than 24 hours. I didn't want to be here. I never wanted to ever come back here.

I just want to be back home with my Sam.

A sharp knock on the door suddenly interrupted my thoughts.

I quickly glanced at the boys to make sure they were still resting before answering the door.

"Come in," I called out softly.

The door opened and a woman in a neat maid's uniform stepped inside.

Her hair was pulled back in a sleek bun and her face was completely stoic, like she didn't know the meaning of a smile.

She had an arrogant air about her and I noticed her eyes looking me up and down with a light frown that sent a chill down my spine.

"Good afternoon, madam," she said with a curt nod. "My name is Bethany, and I have been assigned by the Alpha to attend to you and your children during your stay here."

Oh so Knox had sent me a maid… or a spy, someone that could watch me and report all my activities back to him.

I was not dumb, I knew how mischievous Knox could be, but I had to accept this maid and find a way to keep her from my secrets, because if I rejected her, Knox might just hire a skilled private detective to watch me and that would be way worse.

I smiled at Bethany. "Please, just call me Melissa," I replied, hoping to break the ice a little. But I was immediately met with nothing but a rude and icy stare.

Bethany didn't return my smile. "It is better for us to stick to formal manners, madam. Any true noblewoman would know this," she replied with a voice that was soaked with more than a little disgust.

Her expression made it clear that she wasn't open to any sort of friendship, and I quickly realized that she was one of those people who looked down on me because of my banishment.

I sighed inwardly but chose to ignore her thinly veiled insult. This was not even among the top hundred of the many issues I would have to face here.

I nodded. "Alright, Bethany," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "Could you please bring some food for my boys?"

I was about to tell her which food when Tyler, who had suddenly heard the word food, quickly sat up with a burst of energy.

His eyes were practically glowing with excitement as he bounced on the bed.

"Mummy! Mummy! Can we have Coco Pops for snacks, please?" he asked.

His voice was filled with that irresistible childlike enthusiasm that always made me smile.

I chuckled, shaking my head at his antics. "Coco Pops again, Tyler? If you keep eating them this much, they'll start falling out of your ears!" I teased.

Tyler giggled at me. "No, they won't!" he protested with a wide grin.

I shook my head at him. "No way, you need proper food, aren't you hungry?"

It was Tyler's turn to shake his head. "I and Dylan already ate with Alpha, so we just want snacks. Please mummy?

Despite the stressful circumstances, I couldn't help but laugh at my son.

Coco pops was actually not a bad idea for their mid day snack. Besides, Dylan needed some sugar to help restore his energy after the seizure, so Coco Pops were actually a practical choice today.

"Okay, okay, Coco Pops it is," I said, turning to Bethany with a gentle smile. "Could you please bring some Coco Pops for the boys?"

Bethany looked annoyed. "A good mother would not feed her children such sugary snacks," she said with voice thick with judgment. "Perhaps I should call for something healthier."

My patience snapped, and I felt a rush of irritation consume me. "Look here Bethany, Don't you ever question my motherhood," I snapped. "Bring the Coco Pops, right now, before I have Knox replace you immediately."

The maid's eyes widened at the threat, and her professional mask slipped for just a moment before she nodded stiffly.

"Of course, madam. I'll bring them right away." She turned and left.

She clearly never expected me to snap back, they must have all assumed I was the same pitiful girl of the past. Well I was about to shock them all then.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and turned back to the bed just as Dylan began to stir from his sleep.

His beautiful eyes fluttered open, and he looked around in the new and unfamiliar room with sleepy confusion.

"Mummy?" he murmured, rubbing his eyes as he tried to sit up.

I immediately rushed to his side, checking his forehead for any signs of fever. Thankfully, he seemed fine.

"Hey, sweetheart," I said softly, smoothing back his hair. "You're okay."

He looked around the room with curiosity. "Where are we?" he asked. His voice was still thick with sleep.

"We're at home," I replied gently, trying to keep my voice steady as I caressed his cheek.

Dylan's brows furrowed in confusion as he looked at the new place. "Is this going to be our new home from now on?" he asked, looking up at me with those pretty eyes.

I hesitated, and looked out the window and saw that Knox's guards were still outside.

Knox had probably instructed them to guard us and make sure we couldn't leave without his permission.

It was a painful reminder of the power Knox held over me right now. Still, I had to stay strong for my boys.

"This is just our temporary home for now," I assured him, "We'll soon be going back to Uncle Sam soon."

The mere mention of my fiancée Sam brought a spark of joy to the boys' faces. They must have missed him too.

"Do you want to see Uncle Sam?" I asked, pulling them both into a tight hug.

"Yes, we miss him, when will we see him again?" they chorused with voices full of longing and innocence.

I held them close and just enjoyed the warmth of their little bodies against mine. "Remember, Mummy is a doctor, right?" I said, and they nodded.

"Well mummy just needs to treat the Alpha's son, and then we'll be back home soon. I know this new place and that big Alpha might seem scary, but I need you both to be strong for Mummy, okay?" I explained, hoping they would understand the situation.

To my surprise, Tyler shook his head. "You're wrong mummy, We're not scared of the Alpha. We like him." he declared proudly."

I looked at Dylan in surprise and he nodded in agreement, echoing his brother's words. "Yeah, he's been really nice to us and he's a lot of fun."

I blinked, taken aback by their unexpected answers. How where they not scared of the man who kidnapped them?

"Really? How come?" I asked.

Dylan sat up. "The Alpha man has been very kind since we got here. He put us in this big, beautiful room with this HUGE TV, then he let us order anything we wanted to eat, and he kept asking about you, like he missed you."

I was very shocked by his words now. "What exactly did he ask about me?" I inquired, trying to keep my tone normal despite the flutter in my chest.

Tyler spoke, eager to share the story. "He asked how you were, if you were happy, and what you liked doing."

Dylan nodded. "And he asked about our daddy too."

I froze as a wave of raw fear hit me. "And what did you tell him?" I asked carefully, trying to keep my voice steady despite my growing panic.

Knox could not find out or even get a hint that my children were his. If he did, there would be nothing stopping him from taking them away from me by force. Knox was a selfish man that only ever cared about what he wanted.

"Dylan. What did you tell him?" I asked again but my voice was beginning to quiver with fear.