CECELIA'S POV
I didn't argue while knowing he wouldn't change his mind anyway. Instead I just stayed close while taking turns with Zeke sleeping in short bursts. When I was awake I watched them both while my heart felt too full and too broken at the same time.
During one of my shifts staying awake, I looked at Zeke asleep in his chair with his hand still pressed to Golden's chest. His large hand completely covered Golden's small
torso while the size difference was almost funny. But seeing them connected like that while father and son bound together, made something settle in my chest that had been restless for three years.
I never stopped loving him while I realized with sudden clarity. I'd been angry and hurt and determined to move on but under all that I still loved Zeke with the same intensity I
had during our marriage. Maybe even more now while seeing him with Golden showed me the man he could be when he let his walls down.
The thought scared me while I didn't know if I was ready to admit that out loud. But sitting there in the quiet hospital room watching my family sleep, I couldn't deny the truth anymore.
On the second day, Marcus came by with updates that made my blood boil. He knocked quietly before entering while his face was grim with whatever news he brought.
"Layla's been arrested," Marcus said while keeping his voice low so he wouldn't wake Golden. "She's being held in detention awaiting trial."
My hands clenched into fists while rage flooded through me hot and violent. "Good," I said while my voice came out hard. "What else?"
"Brock is talking," Marcus continued. "He's giving us everything including proof that Layla orchestrated your fake death three years ago."
The room spun while I processed what he'd just said. "What?"
"Layla paid the guards who were supposed to protect you to instead help stage your death," Marcus explained while looking
uncomfortable. "She wanted you separated from Zeke so she could have him."
I stood up so fast my chair scraped loudly against the floor. "That bitch," I said while my voice rose. "She destroyed my entire life, separated me from Zeke, made me raise Golden alone for three years, all because she wanted something she could never have."
"Cecelia," Zeke's voice was calm but firm. "Sit down."
"No," I said while pacing the small room. "I need to see her. I need to
look her in the face and ask her why she thought she had the right to destroy everything."
"You're not going anywhere," Zeke said while standing up though his hand stayed on Golden. "Golden needs both of us here."
"Golden is stable right now," I argued while anger made me reckless. "I'll just be gone for an hour to confront that woman."
"No," Zeke moved to block my path to the door. "Layla will be punished through proper channels. You don't need to give her the satisfaction of
seeing how much she hurt you."
"She kidnapped our son," I shouted while not caring if I woke Golden. "She deserves more than proper channels, she deserves to suffer like she made us suffer."
"And she will," Zeke said while his hands came up to hold my face. "I promise you Cecelia, Layla will pay for everything she did. But you confronting her now while you're emotional won't help anyone."
"I don't care," I said while trying to pull away but his grip was firm. "She needs to know what she did,
she needs to hear from me how much damage she caused."
"She knows," Zeke said while his thumbs wiped away the angry tears on my cheeks. "Trust me, she knows exactly what she did."
I struggled against his hold while screaming things that didn't even
make sense. All the rage and hurt from three years came pouring out while I wanted Layla to feel a fraction of the pain she'd caused. Zeke just held me through it while letting me rage against him until I ran out of energy.
Finally I broke down crying while all the fight drained out of me. Zeke pulled me against his chest while one hand rubbed my back as I sobbed into his shirt. Through our bond I felt his own rage while he was just as angry as me but controlling it better.
"She'll pay," Zeke promised while his
voice was cold with certainty. "I swear to you Cecelia, Layla will suffer consequences for every ounce of pain she caused our family."
"It's not enough," I cried while my hands fisted in his shirt. "Nothing will ever be enough to make up for what she did."
"I know," Zeke said while just holding me tighter. "But it's what we have."
Marcus cleared his throat uncomfortably while he was still standing near the door. "There's
also the matter of Cameron," he said carefully. "He's been placed with pack relatives temporarily while we figure out permanent arrangements."
"Cameron is innocent in this," I said while pulling back from Zeke to wipe my face. "Whatever happens to Layla, her son shouldn't suffer for her choices."
"Agreed," Zeke said while looking relieved that I wasn't arguing about that. "We'll make sure Cameron is cared for properly."
Marcus nodded while then he left
us alone again. I went back to my chair beside Golden's bed while feeling exhausted from the emotional outburst. Zeke returned to his spot while his hand automatically going back to Golden's chest.
We sat in silence for a while while just being near each other and our son. Through the bond I felt Zeke's steady presence while he was my anchor keeping me from flying apart completely.
On the third day, Golden woke up more alert than he'd been since we found him. His eyes were clearer
while he looked around the room with curiosity instead of confusion.
"Hi mama," he said while his voice was stronger. "Hi daddy."
Hearing him call Zeke daddy so naturally made my throat tight while Golden had accepted his father completely in just three days.
"Hi baby," I said while squeezing his hand gently. "How do you feel?"
"Tired," Golden admitted while his little face scrunched up. "And my tummy hurts."
"That's normal," Zeke said while his
free hand smoothed Golden's hair back. "You've been very sick but you're getting better."
"What happened to me?" Golden asked while looking between us. "I remember bad people and being scared but then it's all fuzzy."
Zeke and I exchanged glances while we'd known this conversation was coming but hadn't figured out how to explain it yet. How did you tell a three year old that he was kidnapped for his magic?
"Some bad people took you," I started carefully. "They wanted to
hurt you but your daddy and I found you and brought you here to get better."
"Why did they want to hurt me?" Golden asked while his eyes filled with fear. "What did I do wrong?"
"Nothing," Zeke said firmly while his voice held Alpha authority even speaking to a child. "You did nothing wrong. Those people made bad choices and they're being punished for it."
"Are they gonna come back?" Golden's bottom lip trembled while he looked scared.
"No," I promised while leaning closer. "They can't come back because your daddy and his warriors caught them. You're safe now."
Golden thought about this while his small face was serious. "You're really my daddy?" he asked Zeke.
"I really am," Zeke confirmed while emotion made his voice rough.
"Where were you before?" Golden asked while the innocent question made Zeke flinch. "Mama said you had to be away but why?"
Zeke looked at me for help while I
eally my daddy?" he asked Zeke.
"I really am," Zeke confirmed while emotion made his voice rough.
"Where were you before?" Golden asked while the innocent question made Zeke flinch. "Mama said you had to be away but why?"
Zeke looked at me for help while I could see him struggling with how to answer. "Your daddy didn't know about you," I explained gently. "I had to leave before you were born which meant daddy didn't get to meet you until now."
"Why did you have to leave?"
Golden asked me while his questions were endless like always.
"It's complicated sweetie," I said while not wanting to explain adult problems to a three year old. "But the important thing is we're all together now."
"Are we a family?" Golden asked while looking between us with hope in his eyes.
The question hung in the air while I saw Zeke's expression shift into something raw and vulnerable. Our eyes met over Golden's body while the bond between us pulsed with
everything unspoken.
"Yes," Zeke said while his hand found mine across Golden's chest. "We're a family."
"Forever?" Golden pressed while he wanted to be sure.
"Forever," Zeke promised while squeezing my hand.
Golden smiled while it was the first real smile I'd seen from him since the kidnapping. "Good," he said while his eyes
were already closing again. "I always wanted a family."
He fell asleep while Zeke and I
stayed frozen with our hands clasped over our son's body. The simple acceptance in Golden's face broke down the last of my walls while I couldn't pretend anymore that I didn't want this.
I wanted us to be a family while I wanted Zeke in my life and in Golden's life. I wanted what we should have had from the beginning while our son deserved to have both his parents together.
Zeke was looking at me while hope and fear mixed in his expression. Through the bond I felt him waiting for me to say something, to confirm
or deny what Golden had just asked for.
"We should talk," I said quietly while my heart was beating hard. "About what happens after Golden is released."
"Okay," Zeke agreed while his thumb rubbed across my knuckles. "What do you want to happen?"
I looked down at our joined hands while thinking about how to put my feelings into words. "I want to try," I finally said while looking back up at him. "I want us to try being a real family, not just for Golden but for us
too."
Zeke's face transformed while hope replaced the fear in his eyes. "Are you sure? Because I need to know you're serious before I let myself believe this is real."
"I'm surb
e," I said while meaning it completely. "I never stopped loving you Zeke. I was angry and hurt but under all that I still loved you. And seeing you with Golden these past few days, seeing how much you already love him, it reminded me why I fell for you in the first place."
"Cecelia," Zeke breathed while his
eyes got shiny with tears. "I love you. I never stopped loving you even when I was too stupid to admit it."
"I know," I said while feeling it through our bond. "And I love you too."
We stared at each other while our son slept peacefully between us. The bond hummed with contentment while everything that had been broken between us was finally starting to heal. We had a long way to go still while trust would take time to rebuild completely. But we were committed
now while both of us wanted this family unit with desperate intensity.
Golden stirred slightly while making a small sound in his sleep. Both Zeke and I immediately looked at him while our attention going right back to our son. But our hands stayed clasped while neither of us wanted to let go of that connection.
This was my family while broken and healing but finally complete. And I would do whatever it took to make sure we stayed together this time.
