h4Chapter 181: Doubting/h4

Hailee’s POV

Oliver’s question stole my breath.

Did you... date them at the same time?

The room tilted. Their three little faces stared at me—innocent, curious, but sharp. Too curious. I forced a shakyugh, shaking my head quickly. "No," I whispered. "Not at the same time. But..." My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard. "I dated them differently... first it was Nathan." I lied... no way am I telling my sons I dated three men at once. What would they think of me? A whore?

Silence.

But their eyes told me they weren’t convinced. Oscar leaned forward, his green eyes fixed on me like a crime investigator. "If you didn’t date them at the same time," he pressed, "then why are they both saying we’re theirs?"

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My hands tightened in myp. My throat burned. Boy... you are too smart for your age. "They’re confused," I said too quickly. "They believe things that aren’t true. You’re your father’s children, not theirs."

Still, none of them looked satisfied. I could feel it—the seed of doubt growing in their little minds.

Oscar’s jaw tightened. "Maybe we should find out ourselves."

My heart stopped. "What do you mean?" I whispered.

Ozzy shrugged, but his tone was steady, too steady for a child. "A DNA test. If they keep talking about it, maybe we should just do it. Then no one will argue."

Panic exploded in my chest. I shook my head so fast my hair flew loose. "No! That will never happen." My voice broke. I grabbed their hands desperately. "Listen to me, all of you. If these men find out... if they know whose sons you really are... it will be dangerous. They hated your father, and they would punish you for his sins. Do you understand?"

Their eyes widened, and fear flickered there. They believed me—at least for now.

But then Oliver tilted his head again. "But Mama... Alpha Nathan doesn’t seem like a bad man. He looked worried about you earlier."

My heart squeezed.

Before I could answer, Ozzy asked, "And what about the other one? The Alpha with silver hair. Why did you leave him too?"

I licked my lips, my hands trembling. "Because... it wasplicated. Because sometimes, love isn’t enough to fix everything."

Oscar narrowed his eyes at me, like he didn’t believe me. He looked too much like a little man, not a boy. "I don’t think you’re telling us everything," he said tly.

My chest ached. The guilt was suffocating. I had just lied to my children again.

Before I could breathe, the door burst open. Nathan stood there, theb I’d given him earlier clenched in his hand. His gaze flicked from me to the boys, then back to me...

"I already sent it," he said coldly.

My blood froze. "What?"

"The sample," Nathan said, his voice like iron. "The DNA is already on its way to be tested."

My stomach dropped. My lie—my hair disguised as Oscar’s—would ruin everything. I forced myself not to show it, not to let my boys see my panic.

Oscar turned to me, his sharp little eyes narrowing. Suspicion. Doubt. My lie was unraveling faster than I could hold it together.

Nathan leaned against the doorway, his sharp eyes scanning me and then the boys. "Since you’re working here as a maid," he said slowly, "they can’t just sit at home doing nothing."

My stomach tightened. His tone made it sound like he already had ns for them. I straightened, ring at him. "My sons will not," I snapped, my voice sharp. "They will not be turned into little servants like me. I won’t have them scrubbing floors or carrying trays." My chest rose and fell fast, heat flooding through me. "They’re children. Not workers. And besides, I am the one owing you, not them."

Oscar blinked up at me. Oliver and Ozzy exchanged nces. Then Oliver whispered softly, "We don’t mind, Mama... if it helps you."

My heart twisted. I cupped his cheek quickly, shaking my head. "No, Oliver. You will not." My voice cracked, but I forced it steady. "You three are not ves. Mama will pay up, and we will be free."

I turned to face Nathan and noticed his eyes burned with anger, his wolf pressing through his gaze. "Is that what you think of me?" His voice thundered, low and furious. "That I would reduce your sons to servants? That I would dare treat them like that?"

I flinched but didn’t back down. My arms wrapped tighter around Ozzy, Oliver, and Oscar as if Nathan might snatch them away.

Nathan stepped forward, his angry voice echoing in the room. "What I meant, Hailee—what I was trying to say—is that they need to go to school. To learn. To grow. They can’t remain in this room all day for months."

I froze, my lips parting. "Oh..." The word fell out of my lips. My anger faltered, reced by a knot of confusion in my chest.

Nathan’s jaw clenched, his voice softening but still firm. "I don’t know the idea you carry of me, but I would never allow childbour. They’re boys with a future. I only wanted to help."

I swallowed hard... Nathan was being considerate, and here I was using him of wanting to enve my sons.

Nathan’s gaze moved from me back to the boys, his voice dropping lower. "Tell me, what ss are you in?"

Oscar sat up straighter. "We’re in ss Seven," he said proudly.

Nathan’s brows lifted slightly, impressed. His eyes flicked toward me.

I lifted my chin. "They’re smart," I said firmly. "So of course they’re ahead of their age."

The corner of his mouth twitched, like he wanted to smile but held it back. Instead, his gaze shifted back to the boys. "And what about fighting?" His tone carried curiosity this time. "What skill do you have?"

Oscar’s eyes lit up. "I’m good with the sword."

Something sparked in Nathan’s eyes—pride, recognition. His lips curved faintly, and he nodded. "The sword, hm? That’s a skill worth sharpening. I’m good with it too." He leaned back slightly, his voice softer now. "I could teach you... if you’d like."

My stomach knotted, unease curling in my chest. Teach him? Already Nathan was finding ways to get closer. My hand tightened on the hem of my dress.

Oliver leaned forward quickly, not wanting to be left out. "I’m good with arrows," he announced.

Nathan’s eyes flicked to him, then narrowed thoughtfully. "You’re good," he said with a small nod, "but not perfect. My Beta is the best with a bow. He could train you until you’re sharper than any warrior in this pack."

Oliver’s eyes widened, glowing with excitement. "Really?"

Nathan nodded once.

Then all eyes turned to Ozzy, the quietest of the three. He hesitated a moment, then squared his small shoulders. "I’m good with daggers," he said softly, but firmly. "I can throw them. I always hit my mark."

Nathan’s brows rose, clearly surprised. For a moment, pride shed across his face again.

"Daggers," he said slowly, his tone filled with respect. "That takes precision. Control." He looked at Ozzy for a long second, and then nodded. "You’ll be dangerous with the right training. My head warrior can train you."

My heart raced in my chest as I looked at my sons—so proud, so eager—and Nathan, standing there like he already imed them. Like he had the right to shape them into his warriors.

The unease in me grew sharper.

And then—

Another voice cut through the doorway.

"Hailee."

I froze. That voice. That deep, smooth voice that still haunted my dreams.

I turned, my chest hollow.

Callum stood in the doorway.

My sons’ heads whipped toward him. For a moment, the world seemed to stop.

Oliver’s lips parted, his eyes going wide. His gaze darted from Callum to his own reflection in the mirror and back again. Same jaw. Same cheekbones. Same tilt of the head.

He looked just like him.

Oliver blinked, then whispered, "Mama... he looks like me."

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