The Alpha CEO's Secret Cubs

Carol's POV

My phone was buzzing frantically against the rumble of the coffee machine.

"Ms. Smith, you need to get to the school right NOW!" Miss Johnson's voice was urgent and frantic. "Kai got into a fight with Tommy!"

The coffee cup slipped from my hands, brown liquid splashing across the floor.

NO! Please don't let anything have happened!

"I'll be right there!"

I hung up, my hands trembling. I quickly locked up the coffee shop and ran all the way to Brooklyn Private Preschool.

I burst into the classroom to see my three babies sitting quietly in the corner. Kai was gripping his siblings' hands tightly, standing protectively in front of them, his little face tense and rigid.

"Mommy!" All three children rushed over and threw their arms around me. Orion hugged my waist tight while Aria and Kai grabbed my arms.

"It's okay, babies. Mommy's here." I crouched down and gently stroked their hair.

"Ms. Smith!" Miss Johnson hurried over to me. "Here's what happened—this afternoon Tommy pushed Aria, then Kai rushed over to protect his sister, and..."

"What happened? Are the children hurt?" I interrupted nervously.

"Tommy was knocked down and scraped his knee, but Kai..." The teacher hesitated, then lowered her voice. "Ms. Smith, I have to ask you something. Are you SURE the children don't have any... special conditions?"

My blood ran cold instantly. "What do you mean?"

The teacher looked around to make sure no one else was listening before continuing. "Kai pushed Tommy—who's two years older than him—several feet away. That kind of strength is just... And I noticed that in the sunlight, his eyes looked golden..."

Oh God... we've been discovered...

"It's probably just the lighting," I tried to keep my voice casual. "The kids eat well, so they're a bit stronger than average..."

"And another thing," the teacher still looked worried. "All three of them seem to have unusually acute hearing. When my colleagues and I were whispering in the office, they could hear us from the classroom..."

My heart was pounding as I forced a smile. "Probably just coincidence. The kids are all very smart. Let me take them home and have a talk with them about not fighting."

As the evening sun set, I drove my three children home in our secondhand Toyota. Ever since that stormy night four years ago, I'd been supporting our family of four by running this small coffee shop.

Four years...

That sudden accident had turned me from a naive college student into an unwed mother overnight. Nine months later, in my rundown rental apartment, I endured excruciating pain alone and gave birth to three...

Three wolf cubs.

For a moment I thought I was losing my mind, but when they opened their eyes and looked at me, whatever they were, they were MY children. From that day on, I swore to protect them and help them live normal lives in the human world.

"Mommy, I dreamed about that man again." Aria suddenly spoke up, interrupting my memories.

My heart skipped a beat. "What man, sweetheart?"

"A very tall, handsome man. He has the same eyes as Kai." Aria was the most sensitive of the three children. She'd been having strange dreams since she was little, as if she could see glimpses of the future.

"Why can't we be like other kids?" Orion asked innocently. As the youngest, he was a tech prodigy who could easily operate electronic devices at age four. "I want to turn into a wolf and show the other kids!"

"Orion!" Kai immediately stopped his brother. As the eldest, he had natural leadership qualities and a strong protective instinct. "Mommy said this is our secret!"

"Remember, babies, our special abilities are gifts from God, but we must protect this secret, just like superheroes."

"When can we see Daddy?" Aria's question pierced my heart like a sword.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Maybe... maybe soon."

If he still remembers us...

After returning to the coffee shop, I reopened the doors. Evening business was always better than daytime—every dollar counted.

"Mommy, let us help you!" The three little ones excitedly gathered around me.

"Kai, you help Mommy arrange the tables and chairs. Aria, you're in charge of wiping down the counter. Orion, you..."

"I'll check the cash register!" Orion jumped up excitedly.

The cozy coffee shop was bathed in warm yellow light. This was our sanctuary and our only source of income.

While we were busy, Orion ran outside carrying a tray of cake samples. "Mommy! I'm taking samples to the customers!"

"Be careful!" I called after him.

Suddenly, there was a dull thud from outside.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Orion's little voice was frantically apologizing.

I rushed outside to see Orion had collided with a tall figure. Cake samples were scattered on the ground, and the man's suit was covered in frosting.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" I quickly knelt down to clean up the mess. "This kid is too clumsy. I'll pay for your dry cleaning..."

The moment I looked up to apologize, the entire world stopped spinning.

It was a face I could draw from memory even in my dreams. Sharp features, a chiseled profile, and those deep eyes that had haunted me for four long years.

It's him! The man who changed my entire life!

"Mister! You're so tall!" Orion was completely oblivious to the tension in the air, excitedly looking up at this strange man.

Just then, Kai and Aria came running out.

Instantly, all three children froze.

"It's him..." Aria whispered softly.

Kai's entire body tensed as he stared warily at the man.

The man slowly crouched down to Orion's eye level, confusion and... shock flickering in his eyes.

"It's okay, little guy." His voice was deep and magnetic, exactly the same as four years ago. "What's your name?"

"I'm Orion! This is my brother Kai and my sister Aria!" Orion excitedly introduced them. "We're helping Mommy run the coffee shop!"

I watched this man's gaze linger on the three children, complex emotions gradually surfacing in those deep eyes.

When he looked up at me, my heart nearly stopped.

"Excuse me... haven't we met somewhere before?" He slowly stood up.

My lips trembled violently, unable to say a single word.

This man... is my children's father.