14 REBECCA And … there you go , I smiled , bringing waffles to the table amidst the childrens exultations : it was Saturday , and waffles for breakfast on Saturdays were our tradition . I didnt even have time to sit down that the kids had already grabbed most of them , leaving two ( of the ten I had made ) for me : not that I expected anything else , from two growing pups with Alpha genes . Our species was quite voracious on its own , but when Alphas were involved , you needed to guard your food . Jim , easy on the milk , I recommended , noticing that he was trying to pour his own milk : both kids were quite autonomous at the table , but sometimes had some difficulty with the jugs . He nodded and pursed his lips to focus , carefully pouring the milk into his glass and succeeding . Mommy what do we do today ? Violet asked, topping her waffles with raspberries and blueberries and a generous dollop of whipped cream . From the moment she woke up that morning , my little girl had been absolutely restless , constantly doing something and looking uncomfortable if she had nothing to do : she seemed chock full of irrepressible energy . We could spend the afternoon at the park , I proposed . It was mid spring , it was starting to get warm and it was sunny : it would have been silly to waste that beautiful day indoors . We could take a walk , have some ice cream … Violet and James approved with laughter and clapping especially when I did not reject their addition , which they had previously discussed under their breath : stopping at Five Guys on the way back , for dinner . As if the idea of not having to cook and tidy up the kitchen was so unappealing to me . It had been two weeks since the day Jim and I had met Reiner at Madison Square Garden and thanks to the Goddess , nothing had happened : Reiner had not tried to contact us and Jim had been absolutely serene . He had asked me a few questions about what had happened the next day , but I had explained that , simply , a man had mistaken me for someone else . That answer had been enough for him , and he had not asked me any more questions . The first few days and especially the first few nights after that event had been terrible : I could not close my eyes for days , and I kept looking around and over my shoulder to see if he was around . Eventually , however , since there seemed to be no trace of him , I had relaxed : he 1/4 +8 Points 14 had most likely gone home, back to the pack , to do his Alpha duty . I had not even received any communication whatsoever from the Council requiring me to leave my pups to him , so I highly doubted that he had gone to them to ask for custody : the Council moved very quickly in certain cases , and the fact that there was silence on their part , too , was reassuring . At the same time , however , that silence kept me on my toes : maybe Reiner was still considering whether to go to them or not . Unless he had other children , I had initially thought . Alphas rarely stayed on their own and after four years , it was very likely that Reiner had rebuilt his life with someone else . In that case , he wouldnt have needed Jim and Vi . That theory of mine had collapsed as soon as Ravi and Wayne had managed to find out some information about him : for some reason , it had been extremely difficult for them to get in touch with the pack as if the Blood Moon pack had suddenly erected an impenetrable wall to the outside world . They had only been able to find out that he had neither remarried nor had any children nothing else . Sheila must not have been happy about that . That b *** h had kicked me out of the pack to put someone else by her sons side but she had not succeeded : and although the thought of her failure made me smile , it also made me sad , because it meant that Reiner had never recovered from the lies she had told him . And knowing hed suffered so much was constantly tearing at my heart . In the end , that b *** h had destroyed our lives and families for nothing . The kids ran out of the kitchen as soon as they had finished their breakfast , laughing and playing catch and although they had left a mess on the table , I couldnt stop myself from smiling . Watching them laugh and play , seeing how much they loved each other , was the most beautiful thing in the world . Their infectious joy could heal even the most battered heart . Come on , I sighed , getting up and picking up the dishes to put them in the washing machine and , in the meantime , beginning to think about what to make for lunch . After all , with two small children and a house to keep up with , hours went by without even me noticing . A furry tail rubbed against my leg , and I instinctively reached down to pet our cat : Vi , Jim and I had found him a few months before , still a kitten , on the bank of the Hudson River , crying desperately and trying to free himself from the bag in which he had been stuffed . Even if the kids hadnt begged me to help and adopt him , I would have done it anyway : and so , Moses had joined the family . He didnt seem to have a problem with our nature : in fact , my having an animal side allowed me to understand him better ( something that had saved us several hundred dollars in vet visits for jumpscares ) . 2/4 49 Points 14 Youre hungry , arent you ? I asked , fixing him some kibbles in his bowl and replacing his water . Its breakfast time for you too . The morning passed quietly or at least , as quiet as a house with two rowdy children can be: at least , no one broke a bone or bled out on the floor , which was already an accomplishment . I even managed to get the children to agree on lunch : lemon stir fried chicken was always a winning choice . I had just started preparing it when the doorbell rang . MOMMY THE DOOWBELL ! Jim shrieked from their room . Yes , I heard , baby ! I answered him . Im going now ! Strange I wasnt expecting anyone , I thought . Maybe its the porter or Ravi and Wayne inviting themselves to lunch . You stay in the house , I warned them . That was a general rule in our house the result of years and years of military training and a lifetime spent in a pack . The pups remained protected in the den . They didnt reply they were probably too busy playing , which was a good thing . If they were absorbed in their games , they wouldnt try to run out . Lets see who it is . I opened the door … and found myself in front of a huge bouquet of flowers , completely covering the torso and the face of the person holding it . Bixby! I exclaimed : after all , there could be no one but our lovely porter back there . Give them to me ! But … who are they from ? Me . My stomach sank and turned to ice as soon as the flowers moved , revealing the face of the man holding them up . That was not Mr. That was Reiner . In "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" by CrushReel, the storyline unfolds as renowned photographer Jane finds herself drawn to the charismatic rookie model, Hector. Little does she know that Hector harbors a secret—he is actually the heir to a powerful business empire. As their romance blossoms, Hector grapples with concealing his true identity to capture Jane's heart. However, their love story takes a tumultuous turn when jealousy rears its ugly head, threatening to unravel the delicate balance they've built. 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