Knox's POV
I watched the doctors and nurses zoomed around the hospital with renewed energy, it was clear that Melissa's mere presence and her short lecture had changed the entire atmosphere of the hospital. The staff that used to look like Zombies now worked with more focus, more excitement, as if her presence alone had brought hope back into this place. And maybe it had. After all, That's what she did for me—she made everything better, just by being here. A part of me couldn't stop myself from imagining what it would be like if she had stayed, or if she decided to stay. What would my life be like if I could keep her here forever. Without my consent, my mind began to fantasize about a world where Melissa wasn't just passing through, where she was actually a part of this pack—a part of my life. But I quickly pushed those thoughts away. That wasn't going to happen. It couldn't. She had made it clear that she didn't want or need me and I had to find a way to be okay with that. But fuck it was hard! I was lost in these bitter thoughts when Melissa's voice suddenly cut through my trance. "Knox?" I turned to see her walking to me with a determined look on her face. I straightened up, but before I could say anything, she surprised me with her words. "Knox, I need you to go back and watch my kids." I blinked, taken aback. "You want me to do what?" "Go back to the guest house and stay with Dylan and Tyler," she repeated, and there was a seriousness in her tone that made me pause. Was she serious? I doubted it. I assumed this was a sort of joke or trick so I decided to tease her a little. "Are you really putting the Alpha of one of the biggest packs in the region on babysitting duty?" I joked. But Melissa didn't smile. She didn't even flinch. Instead, she looked me dead in the eye and said, "yes, I need you to be with them, Knox. Please." She said and there was no laughter in her eyes. Her sudden shift in tone made my heart pause. Why the sudden change, did she suddenly not want me around her? Did I do something wrong? "I thought you wanted me here, Melissa. Now you're sending me away?" I tried to keep my voice light, but there was a sting of hurt behind it that I hoped she hadn't heard. Was she trying to get rid of me? I watched as she hesitated, and for the first time since she'd returned, I saw a crack in her normally cool composure. "I changed my mind. I just… I really need you to go back and be with my boys please." Now I noticed there was some worry in her eyes, like there was something she was trying to hide. My protective instincts immediately kicked in and I stepped closer to her. "Melissa, what's going on? Is something wrong? Are the boys okay? I can call my security." I said with a surprising amount of panic growing in my chest. I didn't want anything to happen to her boys, not just because they were her sons, but because I was starting to grow fond of them too. Thankfully though, Melissa quickly shook her head, brushing it off like it was nothing too serious but her eyes said otherwise. "Everything's fine. I just need you to watch over them for me today." I didn't believe her for a second, but I could see she wasn't going to tell me the truth—not yet, at least. So, I swallowed my questions and nodded. If she wanted me to be with her kids, that's where I'd be. "Alright. I'll go." I said and she gave me a smile that made my heart flutter. A half hour later, when I arrived at the guest house, Dylan and Tyler greeted me with their excited and infectious energy. They didn't seem to have a single worry in the world, and I envied them for that. "Uncle Knox!" Tyler shouted as he ran toward me, his face lighting up as he hugged my legs. He was the most energetic of the two. "Where's mum?" Dylan asked, as smart as always. "Your mom sent me to take care of you two," I said, ruffling his hair. "So, what do you guys want to do today?" Dylan's eyes widened with excitement. "We want to fight a warriors battle!" Before I could even process what that could have possibly meant, the twins were already pulling me inside, chattering about their game. They handed me a fake sword, assigning me as the "bad guy," and then, it was utter chaos from there. We ran around the living room, swinging swords and shouting war cries and battle screams. I found myself laughing more than I had in a long time, completely caught up in the moment. These kids—Melissa's kids—had a way of making everything else disappear. For a little while, it was just fun and games. No pack politics, no worries about the future, just fun and peace. But after a while, as I watched Dylan's serious face while he instructed me on how to "properly defend against an attack," a pang of sadness hit me. 'Michael should be living like this too.' I thought about my own son, lying in a hospital bed, too sick to even sit up, let alone play like this. It hurt, deep in my chest, knowing that I couldn't share moments like this with him, that's what hurt me most about his illness, not the issue of having an heir to secure my pack as alpha. I just wanted a family, people to lie that would love me back. I quickly shook off the sad feeling and forced myself to focus on the present. Sadness and self pity wouldn't help me now. Plus these boys needed me right now, and that was all that mattered. I threw myself into the game, determined to keep up with their impossibly endless energy. After a while, Dylan looked at me with the pride of a teacher in his eyes. "You're getting good, Uncle Knox. Soon, you'll be as good as our dad!" I froze immediately and the fake sword slipped from my hand, clattering to the floor. "Your dad?" I managed to ask, trying to keep my voice steady. Dylan nodded enthusiastically, not noticing the tension that had suddenly gripped me. "Yeah! He's the best at this game. But you're getting close!" I forced a smile, but inside, my mind was spinning. So, their father was truly still in the picture? What about Sam then was he their Dad or not? Melissa had told me she was engaged to him but after I heard them call him Uncle that day, I had concluded he wasn't their father and I even hoped that their father wasn't in the picture. But now, hearing the kids talk about their dad…it brought everything crashing back down. Was I wrong in my earlier assumption? Had I misheard and was Sam really their father? I picked up the sword, trying to shake off the worrisome thoughts. "Well, I guess I'll just have to keep practicing then," I said with a grin, though it felt hollow now. We kept playing, but the fun wasn't as carefree as it had been just moments ago. The the mention of their father—it upset me more than I cared to show, it kept gnawing at the back of my mind until I couldn't help but wonder who this man was, and exactly what kind of life he shared with Melissa and her kids. Where they happy together? Did he make Melissa laugh? Did the boys often play with him like this? I was ashamed to admit it, but I really couldn't help but feel a little…jealous in that moment. The game finally ended with the twins stabbing me with fake swords and declaring victory over the "bad guy," and I fell on the ground and let them bask in their 'triumph'. As they cheered and laughed, I felt that familiar ache in my chest. I would give a lot to watch my family be this happy around me. I wondered if this Sam knew and appreciated what he had. I planned to find out. Later, when the twins had settled down, I slipped out of the room and pulled out my phone. I needed answers to the pressing questions in my head. There were too many things about Melissa's baby daddy/ fiancé that didn't make sense and I didn't like that. Plus I couldn't seem to ignore the feeling that something really wasn't right, like Melissa was hiding something. I dialed the number for my private investigator. When he picked up, I didn't waste any time. "Did you find out everything you could about that man named Sam. Melissa's fiancé?" The detective sighed and mumbled a shaky yes and I frowned. "Okay? So What do you have for me?" I snapped impatiently. The detective paused, then said, "Alpha, the thing is that, we searched every single platform, and social media on earth, but we didn't find a single record on who this Sam guy really is." I blinked, unsure if I'd heard right. "What exactly do you mean?" "Sir, There's nothing solid about him—no social media profiles, no criminal record, no public information, not even a birth certificate that we can trace. If it weren't for the fact that we know Sam exists, I'd say the guy was a ghost." I gritted my teeth and my brow furrowed, this wasn't the answer I needed. This was more confusing questions. "So what exactly are you saying detective? ...does he exist or not?" "He exists for sure," the detective clarified. "But it's like he's wiped every record of himself from the internet. Every trace, every bit of data of himself is simple, we could only find mention of him in relation to the companies he acquired and the hospital he bought, but other than that, he keeps his tracks remarkably clean." The Detective said and it sounded like he was frustrated too. Suspicion instantly began to creep into my mind. He wiped all his data from the internet? Why? What was this Sam hiding? "That's not normal right?" I asked the detective. "Why would someone go through that much trouble to erase themselves?" The detective cleared his throat as he thought for a minute. "It's not as unusual as it sounds. We dug a little deeper and found out Sam owns a multi-million-dollar business. Men that wealthy tend to be very protective of their privacy. They do this to avoid hackers, criminals, fraudsters. So, honestly, it's not suspicious at all." I grunted, I was displeased but still trying to digest the information. So Melissa was telling the truth about that part, Sam truly was not just some regular guy—he was a successful businessman, and apparently smart enough to keep his life spotless. Damn it! I felt a sharp stab of jealousy shot through me. I wasn't sure why, but knowing that Sam was so successful irked me to no end. "Thanks," I muttered into the phone before hanging up. The twins were in the living room now, still buzzing with energy. When I walked in, their heads snapped up, beautiful eyes that looked a lot like their mothers gleamed with excitement. "Uncle Knox!" Tyler shouted. "Are you done with your work? We're hungry!" I laughed, of course they'd be hungry with all that jumping around. I wondered how Melissa kept up with all that energy. "Hungry, huh? What do you guys want to eat?" Both boys immediately started shouting in unison, "Ice cream! And cookies! And chips! And—" "Whoa, whoa!" I chuckled, holding up my hands. "Ice cream for lunch? You really think your mom's going to let you eat all that?" They looked at each other, then back at me with wide, mischievous eyes. Tyler spoke first, "No, but she's not here and we really want it. Please?" I stared at their faces—those big eyes, full of hope and innocence. Damn it. They were too adorable. "Alright," I caved. "But just this once, okay? And it's our little secret, you won't tell your mum right?" They nodded and squealed in excitement, bouncing up and down like they'd won the lottery. "You're the best, Uncle Knox!" A few minutes later, the snacks arrived, and the boys attacked them with glee. I immediately noticed how they shared everything without a single fight or complaint. Most siblings I knew would be fighting over who got the bigger piece, but not these two. They just quietly split everything between them, always making sure the other had enough. I realized that was something Melissa must've taught them—how to care for each other. Gosh she was a great mum. No one could ever criticize her parenting. She'd done a damn good job with these boys, that much was obvious. I sat back to watch them and felt a strange warmth spread through my chest. I wanted to watch them forever. After they'd finished their snack, the boys settled down to watch some cartoon on TV. I joined them, though I could barely keep up with what was happening on the screen. The fast-paced, colorful chaos was confusing, to say the least. There were too many parents cartoon parents, and some chaotic cartoon kids, I wasn't sure what I was watching. Dylan glanced at me and laughed. "You don't get it, do you, Uncle Knox?" I shook my head, smiling. "Not really. Guess I'm too old for this stuff." "You're not old!" Tyler protested. "You're as young as our dad!" Then he cocked his head and added. "And you kinda look like him too." That made me pause. I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I just brushed it off. After all, everyone knows that Kids say all kinds of things. But, Tyler looked up at me, his face suddenly becoming serious. "Uncle Knox, can you be our second dad while we're here?" The question hit me like a punch to the gut and I almost choked on air as My breath caught in my throat. "Why would you want me to be your dad?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. Tyler shrugged, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "We like you. You're kind, and you seem to really like our mom too." He said simply. I felt my face heat up. "W-what?" I mumbled. Dylan grinned mischievously. "It's true, You're always looking at her like you want to hug her." My cheeks were red now. "I—uh—I like your mom because she's my friend from years ago. That's all," I stammered, but I could tell they weren't buying it. Before I could deny it again, I heard the sound of the front door opening. Melissa's voice called out, "I'm home!" We all froze for a second as she began to call in a worried tone. "Boys?" "Dylan?" "Tyler?" The boys jumped up and ran downstairs toward the door, shouting, "Mom!" I followed them, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I hadn't expected that conversation at all, and it had thrown me off balance, especially since I was about to face her. Melissa stepped into the room, smiling as she knelt down to hug the boys. "Did you have fun with Uncle Knox?" Tyler beamed. "Yeah! He's the best! We had ice cream and played battle games!" I cringed inwardly, waiting for Melissa to scold me for the ice cream, but instead, she just chuckled. "Sounds like you all had a great time." Our eyes met, and for a brief moment, something passed between us—a shared intimate connection, an understanding of what we could have if we were together. But before I could say anything, she looked away, focusing on the boys again. I watched her with them and that warm feeling returned in full force. Whatever happened next, one thing was clear—Melissa and her kids were starting to mean more to me than I'd ever expected.