Chapter 27

Gideon’s POV

I have learned to read people. The lies, half-truths, stiff posture I could see. Yet this time with Raven, I thought I knew everything but now she proved me wrong.

And now this. A child.

Her child.

The way that Child called her Mommy, still fresh in my head.

I was raised to believe in clarity and order. Every warrior had had their own oath, Raven took oath to protect Leo but now she was like an unsolved puzzle. Looking at the little girl clinging onto Raven innocently made me feel like the ground was shaking beneath me.

Who was Raven, really? I felt like I was missing out on something.

Later I stopped her and cornered her against the wall, as Leo and her daughter wandered off to the garden.

“Who is she?” I asked her firmly.

Raven didn’t hesitate and looked away. The way she looked at me was sharp yet determined. “Her name is Nova, She is my Daughter.” She answered standing her ground.

I let the words settle. Daughter. I didn't expect her to admit it so easily. I thought she would try to deny it even if it's a bit .Instead, she’d met me head-on.

“Your daughter,” I repeated, measuring each syllable. “And where’s her father?” Her lips pressed into a thin line. “That’s not your concern, Alpha.”

Alpha. Always formal when she wanted to put distance between us.

I studied her, noting the tension in her shoulders, the protective way her body angled subtly toward the direction Nova had gone—as if even now, her instincts pulled toward the girl. A warrior’s body didn’t move that way unless blood tied them.

“Everything in my pack is my concern,” I said, softer this time. “Especially when it touches my son.”

At that, her eyes flashed. “Then maybe you should focus more on your son than on me.”

It felt like a punch in my stomach when she said that. I pressed my lips together in a thin line, I didn't want her to see the effect of her words on me.

“I am focused on Leo,” I said. “Which is why I want to know why my son’s protector is hiding half her life from me.”

Her silence stretched, thick as storm clouds. I thought she might break it, might give me a piece of her truth. Instead, she shook her head.

“My life outside this pack is mine,” she said firmly. “I kept my professional and private life apart for a reason,”

She didn't stay any longer and left quickly. There were still a lot of questions which were not answered.I should have been very angry. And I was. But anger wasn’t the only thing curling inside me.

Watching Nova with Leo in the meadow shifted something I hadn’t expected.

Leo, still pale, still too thin from his time in bed, looked lighter than I’d seen him in months. He sat on the grass while Nova weaved a crown of clumsy flowers and plopped it onto his head. A genuine innocent laugh escaped from Leo's mouth which instantly calmed down my anger.

Nova smiled proudly at her handiwork and gently tugged his arm making him stand up. Leo wanted to protest but followed her anyway as he let her lead him through the grass, he didn't realize even though he was stumbling, he was smiling the whole time.

The sight knotted my chest. They looked… natural together.

I folded my arms, watching from a distance. My instincts stirred again, whispering questions I wasn’t ready to face.

Later, when the children finally collapsed in the grass, catching their breath, I moved closer. “Leo seems stronger,” I said quietly, almost to myself.

Raven glanced at him, her eyes softening before she forced them back to neutrality. “He is,” she said.

“And Nova brings that out of him,” I added, testing her.

Her gaze flicked to mine, wary. “Children find comfort in each other. That’s all.” “Maybe,” I allowed. I let a pause linger before I added, “They should spend more time together.”

Her spine stiffened. “What are you suggesting?”

I met her eyes steadily. “Bring Nova to Silver Crescent. Let her come to my pack. Leo would definitely like her company and..” I paused for a bit as I spoke carefully “she might like it too.”

Her breath hitched, It was barely noticeable but I noticed. She clenched her hand on both sides as if trying to keep her voice steady.

She quickly answered, “ No,that's not possible.” “Why not?” I pressed.

“Because she belongs here,” she snapped, her composure finally cracking. “This is her home. Her safety.”

Safety. Her words hung heavy yet tensely between us.

I closed our distance and whispered softly yet firmly “She would be safe with me. With my pack.”

There was a flash in her eyes, there was defiance and something more which I can't understand. “Safe you said?,” she asked bitterly, as if the word “safe” was a lie.

I was getting irritated by her coldness and was about to ask what she meant, but I heard heavy footsteps behind me.

Prince Ivan approached, his expression dark as storm clouds. I’d dealt with many men in my life, but few carried the kind of quiet, brooding danger he did. His eyes didn’t leave me as he drew near, but his words aimed at Raven.

“Nova is hungry, she is asking for supper,” He said simply, his tone was calm but his eyes were cold.

Raven gave me a glance and nodded at Ivan and walked past us. After she was gone Ivan looked at me coldly, his shoulders tense.

“You are not allowed to suggest that,” He said firmly, his voice was edged with steel. “Things like what?” I asked coolly.

“Bringing Nova to your pack.” His jaw tightened, a muscle flickering at the corner. “She’s not part of your world. You are not dragging her into your mess.”

I studied him rubbing my chin. “You're protective.”

“She’s a child,” he bit out. “And Raven has already given too much to people who don’t deserve her loyalty.”

The statement hung there, loaded. I narrowed my eyes. “And you think I don’t?”

“I think you bring danger with you,” he said bluntly. “And I will not let Nova get hurt.”

The way he said it so bluntly made me angry but I said sincerity in his eyes. He is not kidding. This man would fight tooth and nail to keep Raven and her daughter from being drawn into my world.

I respected it. Even if it infuriated me. That night, I couldn’t shake it.

I sat alone in the room study, staring at the reports Beta had delivered about the prison break, but my mind drifted elsewhere. To Raven’s silence. To Nova’s innocent question. To Leo’s laughter with her. To Ivan’s warning.

Who was Raven, really?

The thought of Nova calling her Mommy kept coming into my mind. It was not just because of the secrets she had but the way she made me feel. I suddenly remembered how Claire fought to have Leo in her arms, I felt my heart ache as the old memories resurfaced.

But Raven wasn’t Claire. She couldn’t be. Could she?

I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand across my face. My duty was clear: keep Leo safe, strengthen the pack, expose betrayal where it brewed. And yet, my thoughts circled back to Raven and her daughter, again and again.

For the first time in years, I felt like the ground beneath me wasn’t steady. And I hated it.