CHAPTER 108: 108-MY BROTHER’S MATE

Zoe:

Ever since Kash told me that Iris would come with the children, I had been in a chaotic state.

I prepared the living room earlier, arranging small toys in a corner so it would look as if it were a children’s space.

I had never done anything like that for any kid.

People never let their children near me because they believed I was a cursed one, a dry land who could not conceive.

My mother and I had different reasons for our behavior.

At best, we wanted to irritate Iris by interacting with her children, and my mother said they were the only heirs to his throne, so we needed to keep them close as well.

I was unsure about how I felt, not too deeply, until Amy and Colin entered the house.

The way they stared around with wide eyes, taking in every shelf, every sound, every small distraction in the room, made something move inside my chest.

I had seen children before, but only from a distance, and these two belonged to my brother.

I guessed there was a sense of connection because of that.

Colin wandered toward the game console on the low table, picking up the controller with his little hands that made me smile without intending to.

He looked back at me, silently asking if he could play.

"Here, let me turn it on," I offered, stepping toward him.

Iris had entered the house at this point, and I tried my best to avoid her because I did not want to spoil my mood, especially around my brother.

He did not need to see that I disliked Iris.

I greeted her with a smile, but she did not respond, which worked in my favor because my brother noticed it.

He saw who the rude one was.

When I reached Colin, he shifted beside me, trying to make room without losing sight of the screen.

I showed him the buttons, and within minutes we were racing cars together.

He was focused, his tongue slightly between his teeth, his small hands tight around the controller.

Every time he won, he looked up at me as if checking whether I had seen it.

"You’re so good at it, Colin. Good job," I remarked.

He shrugged, pretending it was normal for him, but when he picked the next track, he asked which car I liked.

That small question softened something inside me.

I had never imagined myself guiding a child like this. I had never imagined I would enjoy it.

We played for a while before trying other games.

Throughout the time, I was fully engaged with the children. I did not even check my phone.

I lifted it a few times to take selfies with them, but these kids were full of life, a refreshing presence.

When Colin ran off to show my mother something he found near the shelves, I turned to see Amy sitting on the carpet alone.

She had pulled the dollhouse closer after putting aside the Legos and was arranging small furniture inside.

I walked over and sat beside her, careful not to disturb anything she had placed.

"If you don’t mind, can I play?" I asked.

She nodded quickly and handed me a tiny chair.

Her hair fell over her cheek as she leaned in, and I gently tucked it back without thinking.

She looked up, studying my face for a moment, then continued building the room.

We set up the bedroom together, matching colors and placing every piece where she wanted.

We talked about which dolls she liked most. After a while, when the snacks were brought in, Amy did not move from her spot.

She was focused on the dolls, so I picked a small piece of cake and held it near her.

"You should also eat while you’re playing," I told her.

She listened and opened her mouth without looking away from the dollhouse, trusting me in a way I had never seen from any child before.

It startled me, and then my chest felt warm.

I fed her a few pieces as she played, and she leaned lightly against my arm, the kind of touch children give when they feel comfortable with someone.

I knew I should not have felt that way. Iris had once sat in this same house, and I never made space for her.

My mother had not either. We never liked her. She was a rogue my brother brought home without our knowledge.

We did not accept her. And when his attention shifted to her and he fell completely in love with her, we saw Kash slipping from our grasp.

But these two children knew nothing about the past.

They only knew I was someone who played games with them, built dollhouse rooms with them, and helped them eat when they forgot.

For the first time in a long time, I wished things had been different.

But it was too late now.

"Thank you so much for coming," I told Amy and Colin as they were departing.

They seemed tired now, and I wished they could stay in the guest room or even in my room.

I could sleep on the couch outside, or I could send Markus out and stay with them in case they were scared of night terrors or anything.

The two of them gave me a happy hug before parting ways with us.

I kept watching them, and then I noticed Iris looking at me. She had a hatred in her eyes that shook me.

I knew I had never been kind to her, but her kids had taken hold of something inside me.

As I stood there, only one thought formed in my mind. Why did she need two children?

She could have been happy with one.

Tears began forming in the corners of my eyes as I gently touched my empty belly.

My womb had remained empty, too dry to conceive a child.

I sniffled as I watched the two of them jump up and down next to their mother.

Iris was lucky to have an Alpha King for a mate and to have given birth to two children, children who were perfect the way they were.

An urge to start my own family, to have my own children, began to grow inside me, and I feared it would turn into something disastrous.