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Pausing briefly while she regarded Tony, Nelly’s eyes glinted with an otherworldly intensity. She then nodded in affirmation. “Yes.”
There, she had confessed to it, the truth that lingered in the shadows.
Regardless, the thought of keeping it from the children had never crossed her mind. In her own approach to childhood education, she could never allow herself to take advantage of their youthful ignorance to deceive them or lie to herself.
Nelly, with her ancient wisdom and a touch of the wild, was fully committed to addressing whatever queries they might have, except that they had never broached the subject prior.
Nodding staidly, Tony appeared to be quite unfazed by the answer he was given, to say the least. “Okay. Got it!”
“Isn’t there anything else you would like to say to me?” Nelly asked, her voice carrying a hint of a growl.
“Nope.” Tony shook his head. All he sought was an answer, and the fact that he got one was satisfactory enough for him.
“Actually, I wouldn’t have kept it from all of you had any one of you had asked earlier,” said Nelly, her eyes gleaming with a primal knowingness.
“Nelly.” At that moment, Tony snuggled up close, his wolfish nature shining through. “This answer isn’t going to change anything. You’re still my mommy who I love very, very much. I’ll never ever want to leave you!”
Being more accustomed to expressing himself through his actions most of the time, Tony had seldom been so chatty, and much rarer still had he been so sweet.
Hearing such words come off his lips thus made Nelly feel especially moved.
“All right, then!” She nodded coolly as usual, her eyes now fiery with determination. “I’d be holding you to that.”
“Certainly.” Tony nodded in affirmation, his eyes mirroring his mother’s unwavering resolve.
“In the event he and I went to court over this…”
“I’d refuse to go with him even if he won, and I’d still come back even if he took me away. He might be able to stop me once or twice, but he can’t stop me forever.”
That led Nelly to burst out laughing, her laughter echoing with a hint of the wild nature within her. She then reached out her hand to pat him on the head. “Now, that’s my boy.”
“That’s why you needn’t worry about this lawsuit, Mommy. In any case, you can only come away a winner.”
“I believe so too.” Nelly concurred with a nod, her eyes gleaming with a predatory confidence.
Tony finally smiled as innocently as any child ought to in front of Nelly, his fangs glinting in the moonlight.
Just looking at him prompted Nelly to drop the questions she wanted to ask, her gaze softening with the love and protectiveness of a mother wolf.
Being such a restrained person herself, she did not want her own children to inherit that particular trait of hers. Hence, she did not want to interfere with their personal development.
“Go and pour me a glass of water,” Nelly commanded, her voice laced with a hint of alpha dominance.
Tony happily approached and began to serve Nelly, his movements fluid and graceful like the predator he would someday become.
Elsewhere, Alpha Kilian went to inspect the wrecked car after he departed from the hospital and also purposefully made a trip down to the police station to reiterate his own stance on the whole affair.
Considering that it concerned Nelly’s safety, he was determined to ferret out the one who wished to cause harm to her as soon as possible.
Alpha Kilian received a call from Lara almost immediately after he stepped outside the police station, but with the events of the previous day still fresh in his mind, Alpha Kilian declined to pick up and hung up on her instead. The call of his primal instincts outweighed any desire for human connection.
He had thought about returning to the office, but aside from looking quite unkempt, his attire was also spotted with bloodstains. Thereupon, Alpha Kilian opted to head straight back to the Morris residence, his senses heightened.
Alpha King Larry was practicing his drawing techniques at home, his hands moving swiftly across the paper, creating images of both beauty and danger. He did not even look up when the butler informed him that Alpha Kilian had returned. “Hmph. He treats this house as though it’s a hotel. Coming and leaving whenever he pleases.”
Knowing well that those comments were meant for him, Alpha Kilian considered his own words before he spoke. “I’m back, Grandpa,” his voice carried an alpha tone, low and commanding.
Meaning to take a dig at him when he turned, Alpha King Larry was left astounded when he saw the bloodstains on his counterpart and noticed the state of dishevelment the latter was in. “What happened to you? Are you hurt?” his eyes narrowed, his instincts demanding answers.
Anxiously aware of the looming threat to Alpha King Larry’s well-being, Alpha Kilian spoke in a low, growling voice. “I’m unharmed. The blood on my person doesn’t belong to me. Allow me to ascend to cleanse myself and change attire. Then, I shall illuminate the situation.” Saying this, he ascended the stairs.
From his post in the rear, Alpha King Larry could not contain his agitation. “Tell me what has occurred, damn it!”Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.
Alpha Kilian’s only response was the resolute closing of his chamber door.
“That impudent whelp…” Alpha King Larry seethed with a mix of fury and helplessness.
As Alpha Kilian stood in the showers, his thoughts were consumed by Alpha King Larry’s condescending demeanor and Nelly’s apparent indifference towards him. He couldn’t quite decipher the nature of his feelings in that moment, but an unexplained irritation coursed through him.
Once he finished cleansing himself, Alpha Kilian descended to find Alpha King Larry waiting.
Although Alpha King Larry relished the opportunity to scold Alpha Kilian on occasion, he couldn’t help but be deeply concerned when something troubled his grandson.
“Grandpa,” Alpha Kilian approached and settled himself on the couch.
“What in the world happened?” Alpha King Larry asked, his curiosity piqued as he moved closer to inspect his grandson’s shirt.
“What are you doing, Grandpa?”
“Checking for wounds, you brat!” Alpha King Larry continued his probing examination. Only after confirming that his own flesh and blood was unharmed did he find relief.
Alpha Kilian took a seat. “Do you think I would dare return if I were injured?”
Alpha King Larry rolled his eyes in response. “Lord knows what wrangles through your useless head.”
Alpha Kilian bit his lip, restraining himself from lashing out.
Noticing the gloominess on the younger man’s face, Alpha King Larry inquired, “Now, are you going to enlighten me on this matter?”
An idea sparked in Alpha Kilian’s mind. He locked eyes with Alpha King Larry before divulging the details.
“This blood does not belong to me. It belongs to Nelly.”
Alpha King Larry nearly choked on his coffee, his disbelief evident in his glare. “What did you say?”
“She was involved in a vehicular accident yesterday.”
“An accident? Was it severe? How is she now? Why are you only telling me now, you brat?” Alpha King Larry’s distress was palpable.
“Her life is not in immediate danger. She sustained minor abrasions, fractures, and a concussion, that’s all.”
“That’s all? What the hell is wrong with you? How dire must it become for you to consider it serious?”
Alpha Kilian, observing Alpha King Larry’s distress, attempted to calm him. “Don’t get too agitated. Remember, you must be cautious of your own heart condition.”
“And what about you? Why aren’t you at her bedside? What are you doing back here?” Alpha King Larry interrogated, exasperated.
The mere mention of it rendered Alpha Kilian defenseless. “It was Old Mr. Jackson who instructed me to leave…”
Alpha King Larry glanced at him, intensifying his gaze. “You had it coming!”
Alpha Kilian remained speechless, his lips pressed together tightly.
“No, I must go to the hospital to see for myself.” After making his decision, Alpha King Larry summoned the butler. “Prepare the car, Dan. I want it ready by the time I change.”
“Understood. I shall attend to it promptly.” With that, Dan exited.
“Shall I accompany you?” Alpha Kilian, who had been observing, inquired.
Alpha King Larry finally caught on to his cunning, sneering at him. “So, that’s why you waited for me here, huh?”
Raising an eyebrow, Alpha Kilian remained silent, making no effort to deny it.
“Alpha Wade won’t allow you to stay at the hospital, so you thought you could go in my place. I wondered why you returned here… You were planning to exploit your own grandfather!” Alpha King Larry accused.
“I have no such intentions.” With pride as his shield, Alpha Kilian refused to admit it.
“Fine then. In that case, you shall not accompany me.” Alpha King Larry ascended the stairs to change.
When he returned, Alpha Kilian was no longer in the living room. Without questioning further, Alpha King Larry rose and departed.
But as he entered the car, he discovered Alpha Kilian seated in the driver’s seat.
“Dan said his foot was killing him, Grandpa, so I’ll be your chauffeur today,” Alpha Kilian turned to face Alpha King Larry.
Though no one else could discern his intentions, how could Alpha King Larry possibly remain unaware? Without saying a word, he simply shut the car door.
Pursing his lips, Alpha Kilian proceeded to navigate the car forward.