Lyric On the bed was a young boy, just about the girl's age, shaking profusely. It wasn't shivering-kind of shake. He looked like someone that was in hell. His forehead was beaded with sweat, and his tiny hands were fisted around the sheets. I didn't think I'd seen a little child in so much pain before. "My goodness, what is wrong with him?" I asked, alarmed, as I ran to meet him in the bed. His eyes were tightly shut, small grunts of pain escaping his throat. "It happens to him often but it's getting worse by the day. I don't know where mummy went, and daddy's busy. I can't go to him." Touching the boy's forehead, it was as hot as burning coal, I almost hissed. For the love of Selene, he was in a terrible state! A child like him didn't deserve to go through this. I should be finding a way to get him to his parents to take him to a doctor, but I think I might know what to do. I turned to the little girl to ask her something, only to discover she was crying. A part of my heart fractured. "Don't worry, honey, he'll be fine. I'll make him fine," I said, hoping that'll assure her. "I just need your help gathering some things." With her help, I was able to get a bowl of warm water from the bathroom and some napkins. I sat on the bed, lifted the boy's head onto my legs and gently massaged his forehead with one of the napkins which I'd dipped into the bowl. I repeated the process for a while, the whole time, praying to the protectors of the moon to help him. By the time I finished with the napkin, he was a bit calm. I moved to massage the back of his head, a spot in particular. This should do the final trick. In a few minutes, the boy had stopped shaking and looked like he was in a simple nap. Being more calm, I was able to see how handsome he looked. His hair looked so lustrous and perfect that for a moment, I was tempted to tousle it. "He looks fine," the little girl said. "What's your name?" "Xyla," she blushed, amusing me. "That's a pretty name." More to my amusement, her cheeks became increasingly rosy. She was such a cute little girl. "Do your parents go to work? Is that why they aren't here?" I was curious to know why the boy was alone when he was clearly sick. "Mummy goes to work sometimes, but daddy's here. My father is the Alpha." It was like a cannon blast rang out in my skull. My fingers which were still massaging the boy's head instantly froze, my pulse quickening. I looked at the girl, wide-eyed. "Y—Your father is Alpha Jaris?" She nodded, wearing a smile like she was proud of it. My world came crumbling all over. No, this was not possible. Jaris had kids!? And possibly a lover? It was not supposed to be a problem, but these kids looked like five year olds—the exact time he had slept with me, right before he abandoned me in the morning. So, he already had a family when he met me at the bar? What did that say about him? He was a cheat? "Are you alright, aunty?" The little girl asked, snapping me back to reality. Staring at her now made me a little emotional. Of course, there had never been any hope for Jaris and I. He already had a beautiful family to start with. "I'm fine, sweetheart." I managed a smile. I couldn't help but wonder who their mother was. She must have been prettier than I was five years ago. How could Jaris have left her for me? I wouldn't have had an issue with him abandoning me in the morning if he hadn't given me hope that night. He had called me beautiful and even asked for an extra day. But in the end, he was just like the others. This whole thing had been a mistake. The door suddenly opened, happening just in time to stop my stupid tears from spilling. A young woman—who looked about my age—entered, wearing a long pretty dress. She froze at the door, her face contorting in a frown as she looked at me like I was a ghost. "Who are you?" Her voice when she spoke was smooth, hinting at a woman who had been privileged in life. The little boy was still asleep on my legs. I was afraid to wake him up with any slight movement. "Hi. I'm Lyric," I said with a small smile. Who was she? "I don't give a hoot about your name, lady. What the hell are you doing here? And why are you holding my son?" It crashed over me like an unexpected wave, leaving me reeling for some seconds. Oh, wow... She was Jaris' lover. Of course, he must love her to have kids with her. As gently as possible, I lifted the little boy's head onto a pillow and stood. "Do I have to call the guards on you?" The lady asked, her tone not friendly one bit. Before I could respond, Xyla did. "I called her, mummy. Xylon was having one of his crises and needed help. I was on my way to get help when I found her in the passage." The lady huffed. "So, you invite strangers into your room? Where did you learn that, Xyla?" There was something about the way the lady communicated with the kid that made me uncomfortable. Even the little girl slightly recoiled. Her gaze sharp, she turned back to me. "I think you're grown enough to know better than to listen to what kids say. It was wrong of you to have followed a little girl in here." "Okay... But I had to save a suffering child. Wasn't that worth it?" What was her problem? I thought she'd be appreciative or something. She rolled her eyes. "It's not like you can do anything for him. I have been the one taking care of Xylon since his crisis began. Nobody has been able to help him other than me." "But the aunty was able to help him, mummy," the little girl said. "And Xylon got better immediately. I'd never seen him recover so quickly." I watched a surprise flicker through the lady's eyes. She looked at the boy on the bed again, and this time, there was a certain recognition in her eyes, like she was just noticing he was indeed better. "It must be mere luck," she cleared her throat. "I'm sure she didn't have to do much." I was tempted to laugh. Mere luck? Did she have any idea the effort I had to put in? She stepped away from the door. "Leave. Now." For a split second, I wondered why Jaris wasn't making her his Luna. She looked beautiful and already had kids for him. "I'm sorry I invaded your kids' privacy. The little boy just needed help, and I thought it'd be wrong to ignore him." Dipping my head, I left the room. And here I was, thinking my new face could never be rejected. Apparently, Alpha Jaris was an exception. It stung when his mother had returned and told us the Alpha was busy but promised to get back to us. I didn't need anyone to tell me it was a polite way of saying "he is not interested." Well, maybe it was a good thing, because I didn't think I was interested in him anymore. He was a liar and rude and arrogant. I didn't want to be with someone like that. Father was clearly disappointed. The entire ride home, he didn't say a word to me. Reaching home, Nora stormed toward me, looking furious. "Why did you have to take so long to come home? Roderick was here and ready to take you to the temple. But he got tired of waiting!" She stomped her feet like the spoilt brat that she was. "Tune it down, Nora. She was with me, don't forget," father said, putting a rein on her anger, though she rolled her eyes. "You'd better be home tomorrow. He'll be here again to take you to the temple." She huffed. "I wish you were here to see how eager he was to end this silly thing with you." "I am just as eager, Nora. You don't have to worry; I have no intentions of taking back something I rejected." I turned to leave. "Drop the illusion, Lyric. He rejected you first." Nora's words wounded me, freezing me to the spot. For a moment, I felt the bitter reminder of a pain I'd been trying to bury.Without sparing her a glance, I walked away.