Chapter 56

Lumi

"He is my child, Sienna," I said, my voice cutting through her whimpers like a sharp knife.

"He has been my boy since the day you let me adopt him. And I am going to make absolutely sure you never, ever get to come close to my son again."

Sienna stared up at me, clutching her red, swollen cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a pathetic little squeak came out.

"And honestly?" I added, looking down at her messy hair and the dirt all over her expensive clothes.

"You really should stop buying designer jackets if you’re going to spend this much time rolling around on the floor. It’s a terrible look for an Alpha’s mate."

Behind me, I heard a sudden, quiet sound. I didn’t even have to look to know it was Ren, trying and failing to choke back a laugh.

I took a deliberate step backward. I was done. I had done exactly what I wanted to do, and the heavy, suffocating weight that had been sitting on my chest was finally gone.

I turned toward Ren, my eyes meeting his dark, steady gaze. "Let’s go, Ren."

Ren didn’t say a word. He looked at Callum one last time, slowly letting go of his grip on the man’s shirt.

He stepped back with an easy, dangerous grace, making it clear the fight was over only because we allowed it to be.

As we turned toward the building, Ren placed his large, warm palm against the small of my back, guiding me firmly through the glass doors and away from the wreckage outside.

The moment we walked into the quiet warmth of the hospital room, all the lingering anger vanished.

Theo was sitting up in bed, a small plastic spoon clamped in his hand as he tried to scoop custard out of a little cup. He looked up, his dark eyes widening the second he saw us.

"Aunt Mama! Big Uncle!" he cheered, nearly dropping his spoon.

"Hey, my beautiful boy," I breathed, rushing to the side of the bed. I leaned down, being careful of his IV lines, and gathered his warm, sweet-smelling body into a tight hug. The familiar warmth of him filled my chest, healing the last of the ache inside me.

When I pulled back, Ren stepped up to the other side of the bed. I watched, my heart doing a strange, soft flutter, as the towering, dangerous man who had just threatened to kill an Alpha outside completely melted.

"You finishing that pudding buddy, or just painting the bed with it?" Ren asked, his deep voice incredibly gentle.

Theo giggled, holding up the cup. "It’s easy harder, uncle." I held my giggle at his words.

"Here. Let a professional handle it." Ren sat down on the edge of the mattress, making the heavy bed creak.

He took the tiny plastic spoon in his massive hand... a sight that was so ridiculous and sweet it made my throat tight... and carefully scooped up a perfect bite, feeding it to the little boy.

Theo ate it happily, leaning his small shoulder right against Ren’s sturdy thigh like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Watching them together, seeing how safe Theo felt around him, filled me with a deep, quiet warmth. I loved it. I loved how Ren cared about my boy.

Hours passed. Neve’s boyfriend went down to check on the car, and eventually, the heavy medication did its job.

Theo’s eyelids grew heavy, and with his small hand tucked securely under his cheek, he drifted off into a deep, quiet sleep.

Neve stood up from her chair by the window, stretching her arms. She looked at Theo, then at me, her expression turning serious but kind.

"Lumi," Neve said quietly, nodding toward the small lounge area just outside the room’s glass partition. "Come outside for a second. We need to talk."

I knew it was something important for her not to say it in this room.

I glanced at Ren, who gave me a short, encouraging nod, before I followed Neve out into the quiet hallway.

We sat down on a low sofa by the window, the grey light washing over us. Neve reached out, taking both of my hands in hers.

"I wanted to talk to you about Callum and this whole mess," Neve started, her voice low and steady. "We want to help you in your fight for Theo, Lumi. All the way."

I sighed, looking down at my lap. "Neve, it’s so complicated. I already have a custody lawyer, and the court gave Callum and I six months before the hearing. The law is just... it takes so long."

"The law takes a long time for regular people," Neve countered, a fierce, determined look appearing in her eyes.

"Are you sure about this, Neve?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. I looked through the glass partition at the small waiting area outside the room.

Ren was leaning against the wall, his phone pressed to his ear, his face tight and dark with anger as he spoke to someone.

"I am completely sure," Neve said, her fingers tightening around mine. "You don’t have to carry this whole weight on your own anymore, Lumi. Our family connection, combined with Ren’s backing, is more than enough to win this."

She didn’t need to spell out every single detail of how pack politics worked. I knew exactly what she meant.

Callum might be a big deal here in the UK, but Ren held a level of global influence that Callum couldn’t touch. I just need to let them help.

"Our lawyers back home can talk to the people handling the case and get the whole divorce forwarded," Neve continued, her voice low and confident.

"We can push this through quickly so you can finally leave this place behind, go back home, and focus on running the company."

A small, genuine breath of relief escaped my lips. The company was everything to me, and the thought of finally getting back to it, felt like a dream.

"And honestly, I’ve been thinking," Neve added, a warm, excited spark entering her eyes.

"I want to officially invest in your company, Lumi. We can get it growing fast. It’ll give you a massive financial backing of your own.

The courts will see that you are completely independent and more than capable of training and raising your son well."

Hearing my Lumi believe in me, ready to pour her own resources into my future, made the heavy knot in my chest completely loosen.

"Thank you, Neve," I breathed, squeezing her hands back.

"Oh, stop it. That’s what best friends are for," she said softly, giving me a knowing smile.

"Now, look at my brother. He looks like he’s about to punch through a wall just waiting for you to accept." She held my hands.

"I want you to be happy Lumi. You’ve been through a lot that my heart aches for you whenever I remember what that bastard did to you.

Finalizing the divorce would help you move on. There handsome men back home that’ll find you attractive. You deserve to find love again." She said smiling.

I felt completely guilty as I heard her words. How would she feel if she finds out it’s her brother that has been in my head and dream.

I shook my head and returned her smile.

"Relationship or love is the last thing on my mind right now and you know it." She nodded.

"I know, I was just saying. For now, you can focus on the company and Theo but I believe in the nearest future, you’ll find love again."

"Alright. When that time comes, we’ll see." Her smile widened.

"Good."

Ren had just hung up his phone. He looked up, his eyes instantly locking onto mine through the glass, tracking my movement as Neve and I walked back into the room.

Before either of us could say a word, a soft mumble came from under the blankets.

Theo stirred, his little eyelids fluttering open. He blinked against the afternoon light, looking around the room until his eyes landed on the towering man by the door.

"Big Uncle?" Theo rasped, his voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah, buddy?" Ren stepped forward, his massive frame bending easily over the guard rails of the hospital bed.

"My tummy doesn’t hurt anymore," Theo whispered, reaching out a small, pale hand. His little fingers hooked weakly around Ren’s thick wrist.

Ren let out a low, rumbling chuckle. He didn’t pull away from the little boy’s grip. Instead, he used his free hand to gently ruffle Theo’s dark hair.

"Good. The doctors want to make sure you’re fully charged up first," he said, his deep voice softer than I had ever heard it.

"But the second we get back home, I’ll take you to the biggest park you’ve ever seen. Deal?" Theo’s eyes lit up.

"With the big slides?"

"The biggest," Ren promised.

Watching them, a sudden, tight ache gripped my throat.

He wasn’t just making a promise to a child; he was telling me that he was ready to stand by my side through the courts, the pack meetings, and the entire world until we were finally free.