Bella's POV
The question hung in the air like a blade waiting to fall. Tara's innocent eyes searched my face, desperate for an answer I wasn't ready to give.
"Is it true, Mommy? Are we Alpha Derek's children?"
My heart shattered into pieces. The same man who had walked away from me years ago, who had built a life without ever looking back, now stood ready to tear my world apart with DNA tests and legal demands.
If Leah's test returned positive, which it inevitably would, Derek could claim them all. Every single one of my babies.
The audacity of his supposed mercy made my blood boil. Did he honestly believe I would be grateful that he wasn't demanding tests for the other two? Did this man think my fear of exposure as a gray wolf outweighed my love for my children?
He was dead wrong. I would fight him with everything I had.
After they finally left our home, I couldn't contain my fury any longer. Hugo listened as I unleashed my disappointment about Derek's betrayal.
