Bella’s POV

My mind was spinning from everything that had happened in the past few hours. First, my wolf had finally spoken after years of silence. Then I’d partially shifted before snapping back to human form like a broken rubber band. On top of that, I’d felt the mate bond surge to life with the very man who had walked away from me years ago.

It was overwhelming. Too much to process all at once.

What made it worse was that my wolf seemed damaged somehow. Like she couldn’t complete a proper transformation. I started to worry that something was fundamentally wrong with me.

Walking out of my bedroom, I spotted Zack perched on the edge of his bed, looking dazed and confused. I hurried over and took his small hand in mine, guiding him toward the living room.

He was still drowsy, stumbling slightly as I led him to the couch near the fireplace. His little body trembled, and his eyes had that distant, unfocused look that always broke my heart.

"Zack, sweetheart, look at me," I whispered, placing my palm against his soft cheek.

His gaze slowly found mine, those beautiful eyes struggling to focus.

"Tell me what happened," I said gently, brushing his dark hair away from his forehead.

My heart ached knowing I couldn’t simply tell him to stop following strangers. This wasn’t his fault. He had no control over what his subconscious was doing to him during these episodes. The sickness was pulling him places he shouldn’t go, making him sleepwalk toward danger.

"There’s this man who keeps appearing in my dreams," Zack said, his voice small and scared. "He tells me to come with him, but he’s so big and scary. He always looks mad at me."

"Is it the same man who visited us recently?" I asked, though I already suspected the answer.

Zack gave a slow nod.

Of course Hugo was appearing in his dreams. Father and child connections often manifested this way, especially when the supernatural bond was trying to establish itself. In these visions, parents would unknowingly call their children to them, sometimes leading them into dangerous situations.

"Why does he keep coming to me?" Zack asked, his bottom lip quivering. "And why does he look so angry all the time?"

I stroked his hair again, cupping his face in both hands.

"He’s not angry with you, baby. Don’t ever think that. You haven’t done anything wrong," I assured him, even though I knew my words could only do so much against the supernatural forces at work.

"My ankle is really itchy too," he said, trying to bend down and point to where the pendant was wrapped around his leg.

I could see the protective charm I’d secured there, meant to block the connection between him and his biological father.

"You know what? You don’t have to wear that when we’re safe at home," I told him, realizing how unfair it was to make him endure the discomfort constantly.

"Really? Can you take it off right now?" he asked, hope lighting up his teary eyes.

"Of course, sweetheart," I said, carefully unwrapping the pendant from his ankle. Underneath, his skin was red and irritated. Guilt crashed over me, even though I’d only been trying to protect him.

"Does that feel better?" I asked, gently touching his face.

"Much better," he murmured.

Suddenly, an icy chill ran down my spine, like someone had walked over my grave. I noticed Zack’s attention shift to something behind me, his eyes widening.

"What is it, honey?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light while my stomach churned with dread. Something told me we weren’t alone anymore.

Slowly, I turned around, following his frightened gaze.

Hugo stood in our living room, holding my silver bracelet.

"You left this in my car," he said, his voice strange and distant.

Panic flooded through me. I spun back toward Zack and grabbed for the pendant, desperate to get it back around his ankle before Hugo could sense anything.

But Hugo was faster. His hand shot out and gripped my wrist, his body leaning forward as his eyes locked onto my son.

"Let me go," I demanded through gritted teeth, trying to pull away so I could protect Zack.

It was too late. I could see the recognition dawning in Hugo’s expression, the pieces clicking into place.

He kept staring at Zack, then slowly reached toward him.

Zack shrank back into the couch cushions, shaking his head fearfully.

"You’re terrifying him," I snapped, trying to push Hugo away from my child.

He ignored my protests completely and placed his large hand on top of Zack’s head. My blood ran cold. I knew exactly what he was doing – feeling for the paternal connection that would confirm his suspicions.

The moment he drew in a sharp breath, I knew my secret was destroyed.

Hugo stumbled backward and threw my bracelet onto the couch like it had burned him. The gesture radiated fury and betrayal.

I jumped up and positioned myself between him and Zack.

"Not in front of him," I said, my voice barely above a whisper but filled with desperation.

Surprisingly, he seemed to hear the plea in my words. His jaw was clenched tight and his hands were balled into fists, but he held back.

"Zack, go upstairs to your room right now," I said, turning to my son. My voice cracked despite my efforts to stay calm.

Zack nodded quickly, clearly wanting to escape Hugo’s intense stare, and ran toward the stairs.

The second I heard his bedroom door close, Hugo grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face him.

"Is he mine?" he demanded, his fingers digging into my arms.

"Answer me! Is that boy my son?" he shouted, shaking me.

His grip tightened painfully.

I finally grabbed his shirt and screamed right back at him, "Yes! Yes, Zack is your son!"

The words tore from my throat, years of hidden truth finally exploding into the open.

Hugo immediately released me and staggered backward, his face cycling through shock, confusion, and something that looked almost like grief.

"But that’s impossible. Parker told me he felt the paternal bond with both children. He claimed they were both his," he said, his voice completely different now. He didn’t sound angry about having a son – just bewildered by the contradiction.

"Because Tara is Parker’s daughter, but Zack belongs to you," I said, tears streaming down my face as I finally spoke the complete truth.