Chapter 123

123 Daddy, Please Don’t Leave...

Lucien froze on the spot when he heard Ralph’s voice. Ronan furrowed his brows when Lucien tensed up all of a sudden.

“Lulu...?”

“Mommy...?” Ralph called again, causing Lucien to snap from his daze.

“Ralphy, how did you get my number? Whose phone are you using?”

“Ralphy... Ralphy just...”

The little boy’s voice shook from fear. “Is Mommy angry that Ralphy called?”

Lucien smacked a hand against his face. Ralphy’s crying face appeared before his mental eyes.

“No,” he replied. “Of course not. I am just surprised.”

Ronan finished drying Lucien’s hair and went into the bathroom. Not long after, the muffled sound of a hair dryer was heard.

.....

“Mommy... Ralphy really misses you,” Ralphy sobbed. “Daddy is mean to me... Daddy screamed at me when Ralphy asked about Mommy...”

“Oh, Ralphy...”

Lucien swallowed hard. Why did Kinnon unleash his anger on Ralph? Ralph was his only child. Why couldn’t he treasure him more?

“Mommy... Do you miss me as well?”

“I do. I miss you a lot.”

“Then will you please come home? If Mommy is here, Daddy will smile again... Sob sob...”

Lucien was speechless. How did he explain the current circumstances to a three-year-old boy? Not to mention they were so far away. If only he could hug and kiss the boy while they talked...

The only thing he could say was, “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Ralph demanded. “When can you come then?”

I can never come back, Ralph...

“Mommy, I am so scared...”

“What is happening? Are you in danger?”

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“Daddy left the pack house today. He said he was going somewhere for a while.”

Ralph started to sob uncontrollably. “Daddy hugged Ralphy and said goodbye. Why did Daddy say goodbye?”

Lucien’s heart twisted itself into a tight knot. He could almost see it happening before his eyes. Kinnon hugging little Ralph and saying goodbye.

“The others are saying that Daddy is going for a war. Nanny told Ralphy that a lot of people don’t come back from wars. Is... Is Daddy going to leave Ralph too?”

“No,” Lucien heard himself saying. “No... Ralphy, don’t think that way. Daddy will come back home to you, alright?”

Ralph continued sobbing into the phone.

“Ralphy, repeat after me,” Lucien demanded.

“Daddy is going to be fine and he will come home.”

Ralph mumbled something unintelligible.

“Ralph, repeat what I just said.”

“Daddy... Daddy is...”

“Is going to be fine,” Lucien urged him.

“Daddy is going to be fine...”

“And he will come home.”

“And... And he will... Will come home.”

“Good boy.”

Lucien smiled to himself. He wished he could just reach out through the phone screen and hugged the little boy. Sweet, precious Ralph...

“Umm...”

Some other sounds came from the other end of the line.

“Ralphy!”

A female voice gasped. “Who are you talking to?”

“Umm... It’s... Mom...”

The phone call ended abruptly.

Lucien leaned backward and fell on the soft mattress, his phone slipped from his grip and fell onto the carpeted floor. He closed his eyes and groaned in frustration.

Ronan went out of the bathroom and picked up the phone from the floor. The bathrobe was Lucien’s size. It was not big enough to cover the wide expanse of Ronan’s chest. The more he moved, the more skin peeked from beyond the white fluffy folds.

Ronan placed the phone into Lucien’s hand and kissed the man on his lips.

“Was that Kinnon’s son?”

“Mmm.”

Ronan slipped a hand into Lucien’s bathrobe and pinched one of his nipples. Lucien’s eyes flew open right away and he sprang up from the bed.

“What are you doing!” He smacked at Ronan’s naughty hand. Laughing, the Alpha pulled him across the bed and pinned him onto the mattress.

“I hate it if you think about other men when you are on the bed with me,” Ronan growled.

“What men? He is three years old,” Lucien pointed out.

“That’s not the point,” Ronan scoffed.

Ralph was Kinnon’s son. Thinking about Ralph was equal to thinking about Kinnon.

Locking Lucien’s hands above his head, Ronan pulled Lucien’s bathrobe open and began to suck on the shy red button on the latter’s chest. Lucien whimpered when Ronan’s teeth grazed against the sensitive bud.

“Ah... Ronan, no...”

Lucien’s protests were soon drowned by sighs of pleasure as Ronan continued feasting on his body.

The Alpha played with his lover until late into the night. He only stopped after Lucien fell asleep from exhaustion. Ronan rubbed Lucien’s sweaty back as he lay on top of him, his warm breath blowing against Ronan’s neck.

With his other hand, he tossed Lucien’s phone off his hand and caught it again a couple of times.

Hidden in the darkness of the night, Ronan’s face was distorted into a mask of fury.

He could scarcely believe that Kinnon was the type to play such dirty tricks. He went as far as using his son to get on Lucien’s soft sides!

If he thought that it would be enough to make them lose the war, Kinnon was sorely mistaken.

Lucien was too naive. Kinnon had all the advantages he could get in this war. Besides, he was ruthless enough to kill Deacon.

He claimed to have loved Lucien since they were young. If he loved Lucien as much as Ronan did, then they had a problem.

Had Lucien ended up marrying Kinnon for real, Ronan might have lost it. He was afraid to think about what he would do.

He merely hoped that Kinnon’s feelings toward Lucien were a lot more shallow than his own.

Early the next morning, the war participants were ready with their backpacks and other things that were useful to clear their camping site.

Alice pulled her children into a hug and gave each of them two kisses, one on each cheek.

“Be safe, my babies,” she whispered, her voice brimming with emotion. “Come back soon.”

“How nice,” Ronan commented when they sat next to each other in Ronan’s car.

“What is it?”

“Your mom sees you off with a kiss. Mine with a slap,” Ronan replied full of indignation.

“???”

And so the war participants left for the Shadow Mist Creek. Alice Clearwater stood at the gate for a long time, praying hard to the Moon Goddess in her heart for the safety of every single person who fought for the Silent Walkers Pack.