Chapter 86

Iris

Arthur accepts the lemonade gratefully, and I can’t help but watch the way his throat moves as he swallows, a bead of sweat trailing down his neck and disappearing beneath his collar. I’ve never seen him like this before—dirty, sweaty, his hair mussed from work rather than styled for appearance.

I like it. I like it a lot more than I expected.

“This is good,” he says after finishing half the glass in one go. “Thank you.”

I sit beside him on the bench, maintaining a careful distance. “How’s the… plumbing going?”

“Fixed the leak upstairs and reinforced some of the joists that were getting waterlogged. Now I’m working on the back steps.” He gestures to the half-completed porch. “Some of the boards were completely rotted through. It’s a wonder no one’s fallen through yet.”

I nod, sneaking glances at him as he drinks his lemonade. There’s something undeniably attractive about a man working with his hands, creating or fixing something. Especially when that man is usually wrapped in thousand-dollar suits and signing executive orders.

“You’re staring,” Arthur says, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

Heat rushes to my cheeks. “Just surprised to see you so… handy.”

“I worked construction during college summers,” he explains, setting down his empty glass. “My father insisted I learn a trade, even though he knew I’d eventually go into politics. Said it would keep me humble.”

“Smart man.”

“Something like that,” Arthur says. Then, abruptly changing the subject: “Iris, about the custody battle—”

“Arthur, not now,” I cut him off with a sigh. “We’re having a nice day. Let’s not ruin it.”

He grabs my wrist as I start to rise, the sudden contact sending a jolt through me. “I’m not trying to take Miles from you. I need you to believe that. I just want to be part of his life—part of both of your lives. I want my family back.”

I look down at his hand on my wrist, then back up to his face. There’s an earnestness there that’s hard to ignore.

“If you want me to drop the custody battle,” I say carefully, “if you really want us to be a family, then prove it. Announce our matehood to the public. Stop hiding me away like I’m something shameful.”

Arthur’s grip on my wrist loosens, and I can see the conflict in his eyes, just like always. “Iris, it’s not that simple. If I publicly acknowledge you as my mate, it could put both you and Miles in danger. There are traditionalists who would never accept a human Luna, who might—”

“Stop,” I interrupt, pulling my hand free. “Just stop. It’s been the same excuse for too long. If you’re not ashamed of me, then what’s the real reason? You were willing to marry Selina in public, broadcast it to the entire country. But the idea of claiming your actual mate, your son’s mother, is somehow too dangerous just because I’m a human?”

“It’s different,” he insists, his voice dropping. “You know it’s different.”

“Yes, it is. Because I’m human. How do I know you won’t happily accept Miles in the public eye as your heir but keep me hidden forever? We’re a package deal, Arthur.” I stand up, my appetite suddenly gone. “Enjoy your sandwich. I should get back to the mural.”

I walk away before he can respond, my heart torn. Part of me understands his concerns. But another part of me, the part that spent years believing he’d essentially abandoned me, can’t help but feel like this is just another excuse.

Back in the lobby, I throw myself into my work, using the painting as an outlet for my frustration. The tree is taking shape nicely, its branches spreading wide across the wall, each handprint leaf a different color. The children are delighted with their contributions, and their enthusiasm helps lift my mood.

I’ve just finished helping a small boy add his purple handprint when Giulia approaches, watching me with a thoughtful expression on her face.

“You’ve built a beautiful family,” she says, smiling softly as she hands me a smaller brush to touch up the edges of the handprint. “You and the Alpha President and your son. It warms my heart to see how well you’ve grown up, despite everything.”

I dab at the mural, buying time to formulate a response. “Thank you, Giulia. But Arthur and I aren’t exactly a family. Not in the traditional sense.”

“No? The way he looks at you says otherwise.”

I shake my head, unable to explain the complicated mess that is my relationship with Arthur. How do I tell her that the man she sees working tirelessly to fix her orphanage is the same man who’s locked in a legal battle with me over our son? That he claims to love me but won’t acknowledge me publicly? That I can’t entirely trust he won’t pull another stunt and claim Alpha’s Heir on Miles, just like he’s lied to me so many times before?

“It’s complicated,” I say instead.

Giulia chuckles. “Love usually is. But the bond between you is clear to anyone with eyes.” She pats my arm. “Don’t let pride or fear keep your son from his father for too long. Even hybrid children with no wolf of their own benefit from having a wolf parent in the house. It helps them understand that side of themselves.”

“Actually,” I say, “We found out recently that Miles is a fully-fledged Alpha wolf. He’ll likely grow to be a powerful one at that.”

Giulia’s eyes widen. “Is that so? But you’re human.” She tilts her head, studying me as if seeing me for the first time. “Although, now that I think about it, you always did connect easily with the wolf pups when you were here. Human children and wolf children often have difficulties connecting at such a young age. But you never had that problem.”

I frown slightly, trying to remember. My childhood feels like a lifetime ago, so I don’t remember the little details.

“You were always right in the middle of the wolf pups’ games. They accepted you in a way they rarely did with other human children.” She chuckles. “Maybe you’re not human after all, if you now have a wolf pup of your own!”

I laugh it off, but my mind is racing. Could there be something to what she’s saying?

By late afternoon, the mural is complete. The tree spreads majestically across the wall, its branches filled with colorful handprints. At the base, the orphanage sits, with tiny figures playing in the yard. I even added Miles and Lily.

“It’s beautiful,” Giulia says with tears in her eyes. “Just beautiful. You’ve brought such life to this old place.”

She hugs me tightly, then turns to Arthur, who’s just finished repairing the back steps. And, fuck, if he doesn’t look even more infuriatingly hot with his toolbelt slung over one shoulder. I don’t know why I feel like my body is reacting more than usual around him. Am I ovulating or something, or is he still tugging on the mate bond in an attempt to butter me up?

After that, we gather our things as the children say their goodbyes. Miles is especially reluctant to leave Amy, promising to come back soon to play again.

…

Later, once Miles is asleep and I’ve got a kettle boiling for tea, I flick on the TV. It’s tuned to the news channel, and immediately I see an ad for the DNA test flash across the screen.

I think about Giulia’s words, about how I connected so easily with the wolf pups as a child. About my rapid healing, the strengthening mate bond, the strange sense of recognition when I met Caleb.

Small things, coincidences maybe, but together they almost seem to form a pattern.

What if there’s more to my origins than I’ve ever considered? What if the reason Arthur’s blood healed me so effectively wasn’t just the mate bond, but something in my own DNA?

It’s a wild thought, probably ridiculous. The chances that I, out of all the orphans in Ordan, could be the missing Willford heir are astronomically small. But then, what are the chances that I would become the mate of the Alpha President? That my son would be a full Alpha wolf despite my supposedly human genes?

“Fuck it,” I whisper.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I fill out the registration form for the test on my phone, selecting an appointment time for tomorrow morning.