19 REINER Up until that day , Id always thought the happiest day of my life was my wedding day : every time I thought of it , I saw Becky walking towards me , radiant and beautiful in the sunset light , and felt my heart do triple flips. But as Becks and I walked towards her house , the twins fast asleep in our arms , I realized that day paled in comparison to the one we just had . I still didnt know how I managed to hold back my tears when I finally saw my children for the first time : they had appeared suddenly , holding their moms hand , bathed in the afternoon light , with identical excited and energetic smiles on their faces … and then they ran towards me , yelling Dad . It was the first time in my life that someone had called me dad and until I held them in my arms , it had been the most beautiful moment of my entire existence . Then , that had taken the podium . I still couldnt grasp everything that had happened to process the flood of emotions that day had unleashed : every moment swirled in my mind like a confused tornado , but at the same time , it was crystal clear . I felt the kids hugs imprinted on my skin , their scent , the feeling of their hair under my chin , their hearts beating against mine . My children . Violet and James . I cant believe it , I thought , looking at the little girl fast asleep in my arms , focusing on the feel of her arms around my neck . I cant believe I have my daughter in my arms . Just as I couldnt believe the sight in front of me Becks with my son in her arms . Within two weeks , my life had completely changed and multiple times so . My family had taken away my inheritance and my pack , going against my fathers wishes : and for a few hours , that day , Id really felt like my life was over . Between losing Becky and then the pack … what did I have left ? Nothing worth living for . Right after I had that horrible thought , I received Marks call : and from there … from there , a chain reaction of events led me to that day . It was as if fate , or the Goddess or whoever , had decided to give me a gift in the form of my 1/5 19 in Point mate and two little pups who were absolutely obsessed with bacon . Thinking of how much of it they had wolfed down at the diner made me laugh : if their appearance and the obvious bond I felt with them werent proof enough of their parentage , their love for bacon would be . I would never forget Beckys half terrified , half resigned look watching them devour the bacon a look that said , Ill have two atherosclerotic kids in less than twenty years . Obesity , clearly , wasnt a risk : considering they were the children of an Alpha and an extremely powerful she wolf trapped in a city of concrete , those two had lots of energy to burn so much so that Becks and I had spent the entire time at Central Park trying to keep up with them . Okay , Becks puffed as she retrieved the keys from her bag and , with some effort , opened the front door . Lets put these little devils to bed . I couldnt disagree with her on that last adjective : she had , of course , said it affectionately , but there was no denying those two were real troublemakers . Becks house was … absolutely gorgeous : it was decorated with simplicity and taste and , clearly , consideration for the children . The corners and edges of the furniture were all baby proof , and even though the furniture was tasteful , it was clear it wasnt custom made . A wise choice , considering that , at the end of the day , our kids werent simple human children : Id lost count of how many pieces of furniture Id had to replace in the pack house in the last six months because of rambunctious pups . Watch out for the cat , Becky whispered . He has a habit of getting between your feet . That made my eyes widen . The … what ? I asked . The cat , Becks repeated , enunciating the letters . You know , those little felines that go meow and destroy your couch . An offended meow echoed behind me , and I turned around : a gray cat with bright yellow eyes appeared behind me , looking at me with an expression that could only be described as murderous . Of course . Im a male of another species trespassing in his territory . And theyre also very, very cute , Becky quickly added . As well as brave , elegant , and lethal . Those compliments were enough to turn the cats look from deadly to smug and , with his tail 215 + Points 19 held high , he walked off towards the living room . You … talk to the cat ? I asked , bewildered . You have no idea how much they understand until you have one … and well , youre a werewolf , she added . Being half animal , we have a privileged communication channel . Hes Moses . As she said this , she nudged a half closed door to open it : a dim light brightened the room , allowing me to understand we were in the childrens room . Thats Vis bed , she whispered , nodding to the bed on the left side of the room : not that there was much need to tell me . The room was equally divided between the two- and if Jamess side , the right , was full of dinosaurs and basketball related things , Violets side looked like a little princesss room with dolls , teddy bears , and even a canopy over the bed . Being careful not to wake her , I tucked my little girl in , making sure she was comfortable and well covered : a few minutes later , after wishing them goodnight , Becky and I tiptoed out of the bedroom . Want something to drink ? she asked . I nodded . I wouldnt say no to some wine . I had no doubt she had some : Becky could live without many things , but not without her Lambrusco . Also , we definitely had to celebrate : Id just met our pups the same pups that , until two weeks ago , I thought would forever remain nothing more than an unrealizable dream . Becks nodded and I followed her into the spacious penthouse kitchen area : within thirty seconds , she had pulled out two glasses and a nice bottle of Pinot my favorite wine . She never liked it . I kept my mouth shut , but I wrote down that detail in that mental notebook Id titled figuring out what the hell happened four years ago because nothing about that situation made sense . It didnt make sense then , and it made even less sense now that I had found Rebecca again , because nothing about her behavior seemed to support what had happened . Her kindness , her willingness to let me meet the twins ( once assured I wasnt a threat ) , her compassion … Goddess , I couldnt believe the Rebecca who betrayed me and left me with a note was the Becks who had quietly asked me if I had money for food , or the Becks who got furious when shed found out about my exile . How do you live here ? I asked her . You and the kids … and Wayne and Ravi . I mean , you dont 3/5 19 940 +8 Point Dont have a scrap of forest to shift in ? she smiled , finishing my question . Well , there are quite a few wolves here … so , at first , I went with them on trips they organized to shift . But then , with the kids , it became inconvenient … so , a few months ago , I bought a cabin in Shenandoah National Park . The kids and I go there almost every other weekend . With the considerable fortune she had built with her business . It was natural that it had taken off : organizing parties and events was one of the various tasks of a Luna , all of which she performed perfectly and effortlessly which meant her parties were unforgettable . I can lend it to you if you need it . If I needed it ? Hell , Id been in New York for two weeks and hadnt had the slightest chance to shift : I was on the verge of tearing my skin off . Dont think I wont take you up on that , I sighed , savoring the wine . It was incredible : she must have spent quite a bit on that bottle another detail that went into my mental note . Becks chuckled . No problem . Just dont get in trouble with the nearby pack . They already dont like me very much … I nodded : if she was referring to the pack I was thinking of , I could well imagine it . The Crescent Moon were bigoted fundamentalists they probably lost their minds seeing a Rogue single mom buying a house right next to their land . I wont argue with the cult . How many nights had we spent like that in the kitchen , chatting over a glass of wine? Goddess , that moment felt so normal , so natural , that it felt strange , forced , not being close to her , not being able to hug her , not feeling her near . There was a wall of secrets , suspicions , and inconsistencies between us that was absolutely , solidly real and it would remain there if we didnt do something to get around it or tear it down . ― Id take her back in a heartbeat , I thought and I was sure of it . She could have cheated on me , left me , and hidden the kids from me , but if she wanted to come back to me … I wouldnt wait half a second before kissing her again . Because I knew that , beyond that wall , was my Rebecca , the one Id always known: I had seen her more and more that day . Nonetheless , that would be a conversation for another day . I was conscious that even the slightest allusion to discussing our relationship would cause her to become distant , hindering any opportunity to mend our relationship . 4/5 +8 Paints 19 Small steps , I thought . I finished my glass and put it in the dishwasher . So Ill see you tomorrow , right ? I asked for confirmation . The kids had begged me to come for lunch tomorrow and since Becky hadnt objected , I had gladly accepted . Becks nodded . By the way , they always crash for a couple of hours after lunch . We could take the opportunity to … figure out how to manage the situation . That is , establish a co parenting plan . I nodded . Maybe we should have Wayne and Ravi come too . Ravi still handles these kinds of things , right ? She nodded then covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a yawn . I guess I should go , I said then . I dont think the cat will tolerate my presence much longer . Indeed , Moses hadnt stopped giving me dirty looks : he kept his distance , but hadnt lost sight of me for a moment . Becks chuckled , walking me to the door . At noon , she reminded me . Ill try to be on time , I smiled . When it was time for me to leave , though , I couldnt do it : my mate , my Becky , was right in front of me and although I knew my reasoning was twisted and wrong , I couldnt help but think that , in the end , that entire day was only thanks to her . Yes it was definitely a messed up thought , but objectively , we werent any less messed up . Emotion tightened my chest and before reason could take over , I hugged her . 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. 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