Chapter 4 Episode 4

Roxanne's POV

The entire room went quiet, whispers rising in the background. I glanced at him, a faint smirk on his lips as he looked over at me.

"First time anyone's willingly sat next to me," he murmured, his voice sending shivers down my spine. It wasn't surprising that this was the first.

Everything in me screamed at me to get the hell out of that place, put some distance. But I ignored it.

"I guess I like taking risks," I replied, my heart racing.

He chuckled, his voice sounding dark. He screamed of danger, not the type I should find exhilarating but the type I should run away from.

But I was done running.

The stranger leaned in closer until his scent filled my senses. "Is that so?" He reached up, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingered for just a moment.

"Tell me, do you know who I am?" I shook my head, matching his stare.

"No. But does it matter?" It should matter. Knowing his identity should matter a lot to me, But right now I wasn't thinking straight.

His smirk widened, showing his canines."Maybe not."

We talked for a few more minutes, flirting and testing each other's limits. I could feel everyone's eyes on us with the tension in the room thickening.

But as he leaned in, brushing his lips softly against mine, the world around us faded away.Somehow, we ended up in a room upstairs our clothes sitting in a heap somewhere.

His touch was firm, claiming as he pulled me closer as if he wanted to erase the world beyond these walls.He seemed to be exactly like I was, wanting to forget about what haunted us.

And for the first time in so long, I felt wanted– not needed.I didn't hesitate. We lost ourselves in each other.

Six years had passed since that night, and I never saw him again. The man I had spent a night with.

He had disappeared before I woke up, leaving behind nothing but a memory that confused me. I kept wondering if that night had happened, or if I had imagined it.

But I knew it wasn't some sort of an imagination. I had to prove that it had happened. Now, I worked the same job in the same bar, but I wasn't the same person.

Life had changed, two little lives made sure of that. My twins, Liam and Layla, were my entire world.

They were what was left of the memory of the stranger I never met again. Raising them alone hadn't been easy, especially with no clue about their father's identity.

All I had was a name he mentioned once when we were together, and that was Adrian.

A lot of Adrian existed so I couldn't start on a journey to find him.I wasn't foolish enough to do that.

The twins kept me on my toes, always full of energy and always curious. They were my joy, but sometimes I saw too much of him in them.

Especially Liam, with his piercing blue eyes, the exact shade Adrian had.

I didn't mention just how different their eye shade was, how unique it was. I had never seen something as striking as that, but I said nothing about it.

I never talked about their father, not even when the twins asked. And that they did a lot.

Every other kid had a father, but theirs was nowhere in the picture. Each time they asked, I always replied with one thing.

"He's far away,"

And that would be used to dodge all the questions they threw at me.

It was safer that way. For all of us.A dead man was better dead.

The bar buzzed with excitement for the whole day.Everyone was talking about the Werewolf King's visit.

He was coming to our town for some celebration, though I didn't care about the details.I never did bother with things like this.

I just wanted to stay out of sight, keep my head down, and get through the day. I didn't need trouble, especially not the kind that came with a king. Or any ruler for that matter.

I've had my fair share of Alphas and Rulers."Liam, Layla," I called out, watching them play near the bar's back door.

"Stay close. Don't wander off."

I didn't want anything to happen to them, I just wanted them close to me.

"Yes, Mama," Layla answered sweetly, but Liam barely glanced at me, his curiosity already pulling him toward the crowd gathering outside.

"Liam," I called out once more and he turned to me immediately.

"Yes, Mama," He answered, his eyes snapping back outside.

Letting out a sigh, I prayed nothing happened today and I went back to what I was doing. I was wiping down tables when it happened.

A loud gasp swept through the marketplace, followed by the sound of people stepping aside. My heart sank as I glanced out the window.

There he was, the Werewolf King.

Seeing him, I finally realized Adrian was the werewolf king, The same person I had spent a night with many years ago. "How did I not know this?"

I had children for the werewolf king who was childless.

The air felt heavy as he walked into the center of the square, his presence making them all silent. His features were just as I remembered, but there was something more-something colder.

It seemed that something in him had changed after all these years. I froze, unable to move, as memories of that night rushed back.

"Liam!" Layla's voice snapped me out of my daze. My son, who was curious as always, had wandered too close.

"Oh no."

He bumped into Adrian, nearly falling over. "Liam!" I called out again, panic rising in my chest as I rushed forward, but it was too late.

Adrian had already stopped. He crouched, steadying Liam with a firm hand.

My son looked up at him, wide-eyed yet fearless, and my stomach twisted as Adrian's gaze narrowed.

"Careful, little one," he said, his deep voice cutting through the silence.

Maybe Adrian didn't remember me. It had been six years; there was a chance he had forgotten what I looked like.

With that in mind, I pushed through the crowd, grabbing Liam's hand and pulling him behind me. "I'm sorry, my son didn't mean-"

I stopped mid-sentence when his eyes met mine. Recognition flashed in his eyes

He knew who I was. He remembered me.

"It's you," he murmured, his voice laced with surprise and something else I couldn't place.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak. "I don't know what you mean."

I could still leave with my children and stay indoors until this whole thing was over. But Adrian didn't look like he was going to let me leave like that.

His eyes drifted to Liam, and then to Layla, who had followed me. His expression shifted, his sharp features hardening.

It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

Their ages and resemblance were too much of a coincidence.

At that moment, I regretted letting the children on their own. "Who are they?" he demanded, his tone sharp.

"They're my children," I said quickly, trying to sound calm.

"They were mine and mine alone. Adrian had no claim to them, and I would never let him take them." I thought to myself.

His jaw clenched as he stepped closer, towering over me.

He reached out, gently taking Liam's chin and tilting his face up. "No," I whispered, panic bubbling in my chest.

Adrian stared at Liam, his piercing blue eyes mirroring my son's. The resemblance was undeniable, no matter how much I wished otherwise.

"These are mine," he said, something shifting in his tone.

"No, they're not," I lied, stepping back. "You're mistaken." I wasn't going to let him take my children away from me.

"Who is their father?" he demanded. My throat tightened as I struggled to respond.

"He died shortly after their birth. Even the kids don't remember him," It was a lie, but a passable one.

I could only hope he believed me, but his expression said otherwise.

"You kept them from me." He retorted.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I argued, trying to steady my voice. "They're not yours,"

"Your Highness. I know just how much you want an heir. But claiming my kids as yours..." My sentence wasn't completed before he wrapped his fingers around my throat, cutting my air off.

"Do I look like a fool to you, Roxanne?" He growled, his face a few inches away from mine.

Liam and Layla immediately clung to me, trying to get Adrian to let go of me.

"You claim they aren't not mine?" He asked once more and I nodded, tears slipping from my eyes."Liar," he hissed, his calm demeanor slipping.

"I want a blood test." He pushed me away and I coughed violently, rubbing my neck.

"What did he say? Did he want a blood test?" There is no way I was going to let that happen

"No," I said firmly.

"You have no right-"Before I could finish, he snapped his fingers, and guards appeared out of nowhere. They moved toward us, and my heart dropped.

They wanted to take my children.

"Take them," Adrian ordered coldly when they made no move to step forward.

"No!" I screamed, clutching my children tightly. Layla started crying, and Liam struggled to stay calm, but the guards pried them from my arms.

"Let them go!" I begged, tears streaming down my face as I fought to reach them. Adrian grabbed my arm, stopping me effortlessly. His grip was firm but not painful.

"You had no right to keep them from me," he said, his voice cold. "They are mine."

"They're not!" I yelled, trying to pull free. "Please, don't take them!"

"You weren't there when I stayed awake through their fevers. When I taught them to walk, to laugh, to live. I've been both their mother and their father!" I screamed, glaring furiously at them.

Loud gasps ran through the crowd; everyone was shocked at my behavior. I had just yelled at the king, would I live to tell the tale?

They won't try to stop him, they just watched.

"I won't let you take my children away from me. Over my dead body," I spat, my chest heaving.

He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear as he whispered, "Run if you want, Roxanne, But you won't get far."

I fell to my knees as the guards dragged my children away, their cries tearing through the air. Adrian watched coldly, his expression unreadable.

""When a Royal first bonds with their werewolf, it's said to be a bloody affair. You won't be able to protect them I'd raise them better" Adrian said coldly.

And for the first time in years, I felt utterly powerless.

"No, you can't do this, you can't take my children."I cried out, clinging desperately to Adrian's robe.

"Take her away and lock her in the dungeon!" He shouted to his guards.