Adele's POV
"Mom, is Raphael coming to see us today?"
Chloe's voice floated into the dining room, bright and hopeful, as she padded in after changing out of her school uniform. Her blonde curls bounced with every step, moonlight pale even in daylight—a trait she'd inherited from something older and deeper in our bloodline.
I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling, already knowing what was coming next.
Both of my little wolves adored Raphael Dumas far too much for my peace of mind.
"I don't know, sweetheart," I said calmly as I stirred the risotto warming on the stove. "He's a famous actor. He's probably busy filming or being chased by cameras."
Gabriel slid into his chair beside his sister, resting his chin in his hands. "But he promised," he said solemnly, as if promises were sacred oaths sealed under a full moon. "He never breaks promises."
I glanced at them—two identical pairs of blue eyes staring at me with unwavering faith—and had to press my lips together to keep from smiling.
"Well," I said, lifting the pot and carrying it toward the table, "maybe we should ban him from our house if he breaks it this time."
"No!" Chloe and Gabriel shouted in perfect unison.
Their voices overlapped with another—deeper, warm, unmistakably amused.
"That would be tragic."
I froze.
Raphael stood in the doorway, tall and effortlessly handsome, dressed casually but carrying the same magnetic presence that had once made entire theaters go silent. His smile was lethal—soft enough to disarm, sharp enough to wound if you let it get too close.
"No matter how much your mom pretends she wants me gone," he said gently, his silver-gray eyes locking onto mine, "I will never break a promise to you two."
My cheeks heated instantly.
I turned away under the excuse of setting plates, pretending not to feel the subtle pull my wolf always sensed around him—steady, protective, warm. Not dominant. Not demanding. Just… there.
"Raphael!" I warned.
Chloe and Gabriel didn't bother with warnings. They sprinted toward him, laughter filling the apartment as he scooped them both up effortlessly, spinning them around like gravity had never applied to him.
"I missed my little pack," he murmured, kissing the tops of their heads. Then his gaze flicked back to me. "Did you miss me too?"
I didn't answer. I busied myself with glasses, pretending my heart wasn't pounding like a frightened creature cornered by kindness.
We sat together to eat, and for a fleeting moment, it really felt dangerously like a family.
Raphael wasn't a star here. He didn't posture or perform. He listened to the kids' stories, laughed at their jokes, asked about their lessons. He belonged too easily—like a wolf who'd found a den he'd never intended to claim.
When dinner ended, I stood and cleared the table. "Be good," I told the twins. "I have a meeting, and I'll be late."
Gabriel's lip trembled. "But you promised you'd stay today."
I sighed. "I know. But this client insisted on meeting me personally."
Raphael waved dismissively. "Go. We'll survive without you. In fact—" he leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially, "—we're going out."
"No," I snapped too quickly.
Raphael raised a brow. "Why not?"
"The last time you took them out, the media followed you," I said carefully. "I don't want that again. I want a normal life for my children."
What I didn't say was this:
I don't want him to find me. I don't want to take any risks.
The Alpha who once owned my name.
The mate bond I severed but never truly destroyed.
Caden Wayne.
"Mom," Gabriel said confidently, "if that happens again, we'll just delete the photos like last time."
I stared at him.
"You did what?"
Chloe nodded proudly. "And I can bankrupt the company if they bother us again."
I covered my face with my hands.
"Children," I said weakly, "hacking is illegal."
"Only if you get caught," they replied together, grinning.
Raphael laughed outright. "Don't worry. I'll wear a mask. And if anything happens, my PR team will handle it."
I exhaled slowly, defeated. "Fine. Be good."
I kissed the twins goodbye and gave Raphael a look that said this is your fault.
***
After Adele left, the apartment filled with excitement.
"Where are we going?" Chloe asked.
Raphael pretended to think. "Shopping. Snacks. And we'll bring food back for your mom."
"You love her," Gabriel said knowingly.
Raphael didn't hesitate. "I do."
The twins exchanged identical grins.
At the mall, Raphael booked private spaces, wore a mask, kept his guards at a distance. He bought them toys, clothes, books—things he never used to care about before meeting Adele and her children.
Then Chloe spotted it.
A gown. Elegant. Moonlit silver. Soft as starlight. Just what a princess would wear.
"That's Mommy's," she declared.
Raphael smiled. "Then we'll take it."
They turned toward the counter—
"I want that dress."
The voice sliced through the air like claws.
Raphael stiffened.
So did the children.
Standing across from them was Carrie Channing—supermodel, predator, all sharp beauty and sharpened intent. Her painted smile didn't reach her eyes as she stared at the gown… and then at Raphael. "I'm taking it."