#Chapter 51 – Closet Conversations

As I tuck the boys into their beds, the television in their room set to stream a Disney Channel show for the next couple of hours, I hear the phone in my closet ring.

“Do you have another secret call, Mama?” Ian asks, his eyes fastened to the screen as he asks.

“What?”

“Your secret phone,” Alvin says, absently tossing popcorn into his mouth as he watches the bright colors, “the one in your closet.”

“How…” The boys, sensing a problem, both look at me at once. I sigh. Genius twins, Evelyn, remember? I don’t know why I thought I could keep anything from them.

The phone continues to ring.

“I have to go take that call, boys, but it’s for work. I want you to keep away from the secret phone, okay? It’s secret for a reason. It’s our secret. So don’t tell anyone, not even Edgar or Daddy or Amelia.”

I tried to hide “daddy” between two other innocuous persons – Edgar and Amelia wouldn’t care.

Ian gives me a thumbs up and Alvin gives me a conspiratorial smile. The boys love a secret. Problem solved for now, I pull their door closed behind me and hurry into my room and then my closet.

“Hello?” I say, answering the phone a little breathless.

“Did we not have a call scheduled.” It’s a question, technically, but Victor doesn’t present it as such. He knows we did.

“Yes, I’m sorry,” I say, settling into my closet’s corner. I even added a little pillow back here, for greater comfort. “My children needed a little…unexpected attention. I apologize.”

“That’s fine,” he says. “I understand.”

“Wonderful. So, how are things going for you lately?”

“Things are…complicated,” Victor grinds out. My heart sinks a little bit in my chest. What? I thought things were going well after the camping trip. At least on my end, everything is pretty smooth.

“What happened?” I ask.

of my relationship, which is largely what I wish to work through with you, I discovered that my partner betrayed

voice even and professional, like an uninvolved therapist. “I’m very sorry to

puts my family, my plans, in jeopardy. It’s caused a lot of problems for me, but I confronted her about it and she didn’t even seem contrite. She tried to persuade me

“was she right? Was her plan the right

says the word vehemently, with finality. “No, with her plan, I lose everything that I’ve worked

I need to be careful here, but I also need to know. “I find myself…struggling to comprehend. I understand

“But most significantly,

drop in my stomach at this, dread filling my body and bones. “Are they safe?” My voice comes out in almost a

he says bruskly and I feel a slight lessening of my fear. “They are perfectly fine. The ultimate result, the solution to her meddling, is that I’m going to have to move up the event of my sons’ claiming, marking them as my heirs and as part of my

and find that I am fine with this. We agreed long ago that Victor would claim Alvin

up the date is not as much of an issue for you,

much planning and preparation. That’s not the issue. The problem is that my fiancé went behind my back to speak with another

I say, “considering everything you’ve

“Strong feelings, certainly, but also, a certain unwillingness to cede control to

him that it

situation, she has crossed a line. It’s not merely that she’s asking to change or delay our

say, my voice full of disbelief, my eyes wide with shock.

situation. I change tactics.

than I would have liked it to be. But she maintained that she was correct – that the best plan of action is for the boys to leave our lives, to remain unacknowledged by me – for me to support them and be a less-signficant

a b***h, pretending to be my friend all this time – fireside sisters my ass. She’s a

important Alpha and instead leading totally normal lives. As Victor’s heirs they will be destined to take up his track in life. Not a bad path, but

that he will acknowledge them. To

what you’ve said already about moving up the ceremony, that you disagree with your fiancé – that you plan to acknowledge the boys. So that’s that settled.

and wonder if he has slammed his fist against something. That would be very Victor. “She has betrayed me – the kind of action that I would accept from no one. But she is my mate, and if what she says about wanting

heart steely. “That this is

“What do you mean?”

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