Prologue

This is my first trip back to the U.S. since getting my dream job. I have a couple of days to catch up with my friends and relax before I have to head back to Paris and the first thing I did was get a front-row ticket to the Strikers tour to see Toxic Rose Thorns—my favorite band of all time.

It's not the first time I see them. I went a few times before they blew up when I was in college. This is my first time seeing them this close and I am excited. The tickets had been sold out for weeks but my super, amazingly beautiful, cutthroat boss pulled some strings to help me get a ticket. It was probably the very last one of its kind and here I am. Inches away from kissing the damn stage anxiously excited and waiting for this crappy opening band to get done.

That's not fair. They're actually not that bad.

I glance back to see that the arena is most definitely sold out. The sea of people are watching the show, dancing, and moshing to the sweet screeching of the second band playing. I take a couple of pictures and make sure to get the name on the banner so that I can check out their music with a little less chaos later.

This is the first show I come to alone, but I don't feel alone. The swarm of people in the pit is energetic. None of us are strangers at the moment. We're all the best of friends as we wait for our favorite band to come out and bless us with their metalcore glory.

"I love your outfit!" one of the girls leaning on the rails catches my attention. "Where did you get it?"

"I made it," I laugh. "I love your T-shirt. I have one from their first show at the House of Blues,"

"Yes!" she wraps her arms around me. "Did you go?"

"Yeah, it was my twenty-first birthday," I nod.

"Oh, my god. I was there too. With my Ex," she rolls her eyes. "He's the one that introduced me to this,"

"That's crazy. My Ex introduced me too," I laugh.

"His name wasn't Connor was it?"

"No," I shake my head. "His name was Jose,"

"Ugh," we both laugh. "This is my friend Naty. I'm Jesse,"

"Phoebe," I shake their hands.

"I've never met a Phoebe before," her friend screams. "We have to take a picture,"

"Okay," I laugh.

"TRT on three," she shouts holding her phone up. "One. Two. Three!"

The three of us shout TRT and she snaps four or five pictures at once.

"What's your Quick Howl?" Jesse asks.

"CT_OFPhoebs98," I say and she types it into her phone. She looks up at me confused.

"This is you?" she asks holding her phone up.

"Yeah,"

"You're verified. You have four million followers,"

"I work for Royal Threads. I'm a designer," I laugh. They both scream.

"Oh, my god! I love their new pink Academia collection. Holy shit," Naty screams. "I work for Gossip Daily. I'm a reporter,"

"I'm in the music industry," Jesse says. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I see that the two of them are now following me and that they've tagged me in a picture.

The sound of Knightly Blake's guitar blasts from the speakers and our conversation is instantly forgotten. The crowd erupts into screams as the curtain is raised to reveal the black lights and purple lasers.

My heart skips when he stops at the edge of the stage with his favorite baby blue guitar right in front of us. My scream is stuck in my throat as he leans forward to speak into the mic. The entire show goes on in a blur of screaming and singing along. It ends way too soon leaving my body buzzing and wanting more.

By the time I got back to my rental, I remembered that I had spoken to those girls and laugh at myself because I didn't even get their numbers. I sit here for a bit and then wait to get out of the crowded parking lot.

I stop to get some tacos and drinks before heading back to the BnB I'll be staying in until the end of the month before I get back to work. Coincidentally, it wasn't too far from the venue. I probably would have walked if I wasn't a complete chicken and kind of afraid of the dark. It took me a lot longer to get here than I expected. I grab my food and my new TRT merch to head up.

As I'm rounding the lobby to get to the elevators someone smacks right into me. I drop some of my things but not my food.

"Yes, I didn't drop my tacos," I laugh and reach down to grab the sweater on the floor.

"I am so sorry," the guy says and reaches for my things. "I was on my phone,"

"It's okay. It happens," I say.

We both look up at the same time and I freeze. My stupid mouth falls open when my gaze clashes with his gorgeous jade-green eyes. He looks down at the sweater and the vinyl.

"No," he laughs. "Are you just getting back from my show?"

I open my mouth and all that comes out is a squeak. That's Knightly fucking Blake. I touched his boots on stage earlier tonight. That's how close I was to him and now he's kneeling in front of me holding my stuff.

"Are you still breathing?" he waves his hand in my face.

"Holy fuck. Dude! You're Knightly Blake," bursts out of my mouth loud enough for it to echo in the lobby's high ceilings.

"You're lucky there's not one here," he laughs. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I didn't drop my tacos," I say and let him help me stand up.

"We wouldn't want that," he says putting my things together.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to scream in your face like that," I apologize.

"It happens," he grins looking me over. "Where did you get my suit from last year's tour?"

"I made it. It's been my favorite costume since the suspenders. Um, I don't think I would been allowed into the venue if I had showed up in that," why did I say that? What the fuck is wrong with me?

"That's too bad. I bet you'd look amazing in it," he one-shoulder shrugs. I burst into laughter.

"That was kind of cringe," I admit.

"Why are you so red?" he laughs.

"I just got hit on by Knightly Blake," I shake my head in disbelief. "Would it be weird if I asked for a picture?"

"Not at all," he presses his lips together.

Is he blushing? Get the fuck out of here. I quickly set my things down and take my phone out of my back pocket.

"I am red," I laugh holding up my phone. "It's cool. I'll edit it later. Ready?"

"Waiting on you," he grins. I snap our picture and show him. "That's a good one. Be sure to tag me in that,"

"Okay," I agree and look up at him. He towers over me by at least six inches without my usual stilettos. He makes me feel small and I am not a small person.

"You and your friends were standing up front tonight. I almost stepped on your hand," he looks down at my things.

"You saw that? I would have been honored to have been stepped on by you," what the fuck?

"Is that right?" he laughs and I feel my face heat up even more.

"There now we both said something stupid," I try to hide my embarrassment. We both laugh.

"You're not stalking us are you?" he asks.

"No, I'm staying here," I shake my head and bend down to pick my things up again. He helps me and hands everything back. The elevator pings open and an old couple walks out with their little ugly dog. We both get into the elevator. I reach for the buttons at the same time he does and we both click the fourth floor. "You gotta be fucking kidding me,"

"That is exactly what I was thinking," he laughs and turns his head slightly to look at me. We're about half an inch away from each other. "You're not going to hit me if I kiss, are you?"

"My hands are full," I remind him.

"Right. You don't want to drop your tacos," he says. I step back until my back hits the mirrored wall behind me and suddenly his lips are on mine.

My first instinct is to run. It usually is, but when he steps closer burying his hand in my hair. I have no choice but to give in. He feels it the moment I do because his tongue sweeps my lips and I don't hesitate to let him take control of it. My skin comes alive when he touches me. The elevator pings and he pulls away without letting go of me.

"Oh, my god," I squeak making him grin.

"I'm sharing a room with two others,"

"There's no one at my place," I say without hesitation.

"Lead the way," he takes a step back.

My ears ring as I step out of the elevator. I glance back at him to make sure this is real. Am I really going to do this? I can think of several reasons why I shouldn't and almost all of them end up with me dead and or kidnapped. I stop in front of my door.

"My card is in my back pocket," I say.

The sly grin that crosses his face is enough to say fuck it. If this is the hill I die on, this is where it ends. His fingertips trail up the back of my thigh before he reaches into my pocket and slips out the key card. His eyes meet mine and he holds my stare as he swipes it through the reader.

"There you go," he says lowly. I lick my lips tasting his minty sweetness.

"Thank you," I fight the urge to laugh again because why the fuck did I just thank him? We walk inside and I immediately go over to the dining table to set everything down. "There's a mess. I'm here for work,"

"You're an artist?" he asks looking over my sketches and open portfolios.

"I'm a clothes designer," I say reaching for the Redd's Apple Ale I got earlier. "Would you like a drink?"

"Sure," he says coming over to me.

I slide the box over to him and he takes one. He doesn't even look at what it is I provided for him. We both open the bottle and take a drink completely in sync. This is a dream. It has to be. His was more of a sip. He sets it down and reaches for my waist. When he positions himself in front of me he takes the bottle out of my hand.

"I've never done this," I admit.

"You're a virgin?" he searches my face.

"No, no. I mean the one-night stand thing," I laugh nervously.

"I'll guide you through it,"

I gasp when his fingers dig into my thighs and then he lifts me onto the table. His mouth is on me again and this time, I have nothing in my hands to stop me from touching him. Holy shit! This is happening to me right now.

My hands are all over him and if he has a problem with it, he doesn't complain. His body is firm but not in a crazy buff kind of way. My shirt goes first and then my bra. His teeth graze my neck as he gently pushes me back to get to my bare breasts. The sound that comes out of me makes him grin as he bites down on the outside of my boob. The sting only serves to wake me up more. I pull his shirt over his head and toss it.

There is ink all over the place. I know some of these from when I was younger and had nothing better to do than obsess over him and the other members of the band. I can't believe I'm seeing them up close and personal. I touch them, trace them up his arm and onto his neck as he continues to palm my breasts and bite on them.

"Fuck, you're beautiful," he says unbuttoning my jeans. He lifts me a little to pull them down my thighs. He sets me down and takes them off along with my boots. "You wore this to see me perform tonight?" I can't bring myself to say anything so I just nod. "These are not good girl panties,"

"You don't get to decide that," I laugh. "But you can take them off,"

"I much rather leave them where they are," he grins. "Lay back on the table,"

His hand presses down on my belly and I do as he asks. He smiles and tugs the fabric of my thong to the side. His fingers gently caress me. I squeak again when he rubs me in a circular motion. I lay back on the table when he slips his middle finger inside of me.

"That's it," he praises. "Relax for me,"

"My name is Pheobe," I inform him.

"It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Pheobe," he grins looking up at me. "You can call me Knight,"

"Okay," I lay back. "Knight,"

He slips his finger out of me, tucking his hands under me to lift me off the table. He buries his face between my legs and all I can do is hold on for dear life. Just like the show, everything happens in a blur.

It happens here on the table with my legs wrapped around him as our tongues get more than a little acquainted with one another. He starts off slow and I'm grateful for it because just like the rest of him. Knightly Blake is blessed by all the fucking gods in the universe. It's honestly not fair to any man on this earth.

The next thing I know, I bent over the table with his hand coming down on my ass making loud slaps while he keeps praising me and calling me his good girl. We stumble into the living room where he curls me up on the couch to successfully trap me under him in every position he can think of. I didn't know I could bend in some of the positions he put me in.

We end up in the shower and finally spend the rest of the night in the room until I fall asleep. I am deliciously sore all over when I wake up the next morning. He's nowhere in sight and at the moment, I think it's for the best.

I get up and find the vinyl I bought last night on the kitchen counter. It's signed by every member of the band and at the bottom where his signature is in silver marker reads. Don't worry Pheobe. To me, you're always going to be my good girl. Our little secret. Knight.

Thinking back on that night, despite how everything turned out in the end, I'll never bring myself to regret the choice I made. Before then, my life had been empty and he gave me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for. Well, gifts. Two of them with the same pretty jade green eyes. Aizen and Ayrie. The two little whoopsies I discovered growing inside of me in Paris, two months later.

Gone was the reckless little girl I was after freeing myself from my father's clutches. Things became clearer. The goal wasn't to prove to my dad that I could more than make it out on my own without him. It was all for them. They really put things into perspective for me and it was all because of that night. I didn't think he'd be who he became as he was when he found out he was a father and that I never had the intention of ever letting him know. Fate somehow favored me and I will forever be grateful for KNIGHTLY.

1

Six Years Later

Every time I get called into the school, the French headmistress calls me a filthy American bitch and I laugh at her because even if that is true, I pay her enough for her to overlook what my son has done yet again. God, I miss when that meant something.

Aizen is a biter.

I could ask where the kid got it from but the day after his conception tells me he got it from his father. The mother of the little boy my son tried to take a chunk out of, is livid. With good reason, but while Aizen's attack preference is biting, I have to ask what the kid did to get him there. Because he doesn't do it without reason. Ayrie loves to tease him and while she can get carried away, her brother has the patience of a saint, bless his soul. So, I doubt he did it without provocation.

The French mother is shouting all kinds of French vulgarities at me. Usually, people think I don't understand them, but I've been here for eight years of my life and I took French before moving here. I'm not here on a whim but to each their own. And of course, the first thing I learned to do was how to call someone a fucking asshole in French. It's, putain de trou du cul. It actually sounds really cool.

The headmistress glances over at me every so often to make sure I'm not taking offense to the shit coming out of this woman's mouth. I am so glad to be going home after all this time. When I first arrived, I was so excited. Because hello, Paris. Except the people here are mean and they smoke. Like a lot. I might miss the late morning work start, but the rest of it can go to shit for all I care. I've been to New York and that has nothing on this place. New York is just a bunch of aggressive sweeties. I'm glancing at you, Queens.

"What did he do to him?" I finally cut in.

"He bit my son," she shouts in her dumb French accent.

"If you don't back up, French fry. I'll be biting you next," I sneer. She places her hand over her chest as if offended. As if she didn't just curse my son up, down, and sideways.

"There was a small altercation between Milos and Aizen over a lunch bag," the headmistress places my son's Bluey lunch bag on the desk.

"That's my son's. I packed it for him this morning. He doesn't like the food here," I open it to show her where I stitched his name tag.

"We serve only the best here," she scoffs. That's not the fucking point, lady.

"Try telling that to my five-year-old," I roll my eyes because that's not the fucking point, lady.

"American scum," the woman makes a spitting sound in my direction.

"Lady, you are lucky that our sons are here because I would love nothing more than to slam your stupid face into that desk," I say lowly so only she can hear me. "Your son put his filthy hands on my son's belongings. It better not happen again," I snatch the bag off the desk. "Do you understand?" I repeat it to her in French and her entire demeanor falls apart. "You seem to have gotten that one,"

"You're going to let her speak to me like that? I pay good money for my son to come here-"

"So do I. I have two kids here," I scoff. "And I'm on the committee,"

"You have two children?" she glares at me.

"Are we done?" I ask the headmistress.

"I am sorry, Miss Altaha," she apologizes. "Is there anything I can do for you while you're here?"

Her tone makes me wish I wasn't a strong, independent, and educated woman back on my reservation in California. There's only a week left. I don't need this shit and neither do the twins.

"You can bring my daughter out and I'd like their transcripts, please," I nod. She tenses up and looks between me and the woman next to me.

"Miss Altaha, I will see to it that your son's belongings will no longer-"

"It doesn't matter. I'm taking my American ass back to my homeland. I don't want your people's ugly manners rubbing off on my kids. If it's not one thing, it's another. You keep making these hollow promises, but here we are again. This little boy has been giving Aizen problems for months now and all you do is let his ill-mannered mother talk to us like we don't understand what she's saying.

"French is their first language, Bitch," I turn my attention to the woman. "And you have taught my very well-behaved son a few words I've had to punish him for. So, no there is no way in hell my kids are staying here for another year. So, thank you for your service. Let's hope none of you are ever treated like shit when you come to the States. But by the looks of both of you. I doubt you'll ever be able to afford it. I'll wait for my daughter and the paperwork outside,"

Aizen jumps off the chair in his little uniform and walks out the door as I hold it open for him. I sit him in the only chair available and notice his undone shoelaces. I start to tie them and look up at him to see he's looking back at me with a smirk.

"Sorry, momma," he whispers. I sigh and pull his sock up properly.

"What did he do to you?" I ask.

"It doesn't matter," he shakes his head.

"It matters to me, son. I can't make you feel better if you don't talk to me," I brush his dark hair out of his face. He looks down at his sleeve and lifts it. There are three scratches from his wrist to the inside of his elbow. "Did you show your teacher?"

"They don't care, momma," he shrugs. "I beat him up very well,"

The two of us laugh. I glance over at the kid when his mom walks out of the office. He did beat the kid up. He has a bruise on his cheek and the mark where Aizen bit him on the hand. He's right. From the start, they made it pretty clear where we stood. Not only am I American, but not the pretty blonde-haired hair blue-eyed kind.

My mom was, but not my father, and while I'm not as red as he is, I look a lot like him and so do my kids. The dark hair and the tanned skin. It's a stigma we'll never be able to outrun. Here or back home. But it builds character and my kids have grown used to it.

For the most part, they let their work do all the talking. They're both insanely smart and talented. They know that. I was going to let it go, but these marks might leave a scar. This scandal might just be the final fuck you this country needs.

"Mommy," Ayrie runs towards us. Her little body smacks against mine. "We're going home?"

"Yes," I nod. "Let's get out of here," 

2

I have no problems with spending our last week in Paris together all day long. When we get home, I clean up Aizen's scratches and put some bandaids on them. It doesn't take much to get them in a better mood. All I had to say was that they weren't ever going back there again.

As I box everything up to send to our new home, I have to admit that I am going to miss this place. This is where they were born. Where I struggled for the first few months as a first-time mom until I met Kendra. Their nanny has been a dream since hiring her. She agreed to move here with me and is more than thrilled to be on the same continent as her family again.

Both Aizen and Ayrie took their first steps here. They both called me Mama for the first time here and I am getting very sentimental now. I go to the bathroom so the kids don't see me cry. Kendra sees me though.

"This will be good for you and them," she reminds me. "Us too,"

"I know. It's just, this was our home for so long,"

"I am very excited for California," she laughs.

"I am very excited for the kids to see it too," I feel much better.

I take the kids to a couple of museums and the Eiffel Tower one last time so we can say goodbye and have lots of pictures. During our flight, I can't help but feel nervous for some reason. Aizen sleeps through most of it but like me, Ayrie doesn't shut her eyes once.

"Mommy, are we going to see Grandpa again this time?"

"Uh," I clear my throat remembering how telling my dad I was a mother of two without telling him the name of their father went. "Not this time. We're moving there. It's going to be our new home,"

"Is it going to be a regular house this time?" she asks excitedly.

"It'll be an apartment first. I want to find the perfect house. Would you like to help with that?"

"Will it be by the beach?" she asks excitedly. I may have mentioned we'd be by the beach.

"Would you like it to be?"

"Yes," she nods eagerly. "We never been to the beach,"

"We can go this weekend while we settle in. It's not too far from our apartment,"

"Oui, s'il vous plaît," she giggles and crawls onto my lap. "Do we still have to talk French?"

"Not if you don't want to. In California mostly everyone speaks English,"

"What do the others speaks?"

"It depends, but where we're going I'd have to say Spanish,"

"We don't know Spanish," she curls into me.

"No, well. You don't," I laugh.

"You do?" she gasps.

"I do," I nod. "And so does Kenny,"

"Awesome sauce. I want Kenny to teach me Spanish,"

"You don't want me to teach you?"

"I want you to find the perfect beach house, Mommy. Better than Barbie's," she laughs.

"Better than Barbie's, huh?" I tickle her. She giggles and then wraps her arms around me.

"Are you sad, Mommy?" she asks.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because Mrs. Reedly said you must be a sad fuck with two kids and no husband,"

Kendra was in the midst of drinking water. She almost spits it out and starts coughing. I have to fight laughing harder than I ever have in my entire life. I hear a couple of laughs from the other private areas in the first-class lounge. Her little French accent only serves in her favor. 

Mrs. Reedly is probably explaining to her husband that they're being sued by some crazy American woman at the moment along with the school who transferred their son to a different private academy.

"No, Ayrie. I am not sad. You are not allowed to repeat that ever again in your life," I finally laugh.

"I promise," she giggles. "Can I go lay down with Bubbie?"

"Yeah, I'll take you," I sigh and stand.

I take her over to him and tuck her in next to him. It's crazy how alike they look like this. I cover them and signal Kendra to watch them. She's still bright red. She gives me a thumbs up. It was never a secret. I never told anyone I was married and with how public my profile is, the moms all had their laugh at my expense. So did some of my co-workers.

My boss has been trying to set me up left and right, but I honestly didn't have the time between runways and the kids. Sure, Kendra took a lot of the weight off, but there was no way I was going to end up with a French man. My father would hunt both of us down.

I wash my hands and open the door to get back to my seat. The door across from me opens at the same time and a man steps out before I can.

"Excuse me," he says politely.

My heart stops and my ears immediately start to ring. I close my eyes and shake my head. No. There is no fucking way that's him. I step out just enough to watch him go over to the back area furthest away from the twins and then he turns around. It is him. I all but run to my seat.

"You okay?" Kendra asks when I fall into my seat and grab one of the blankets to cover myself with it as if it would make me disappear.

"This is not happening," I whisper to myself.

"Oh, do you need a tampon?" she whispers.

"What?" I ask her caught off guard.

"What?" she asks defensively. "Why are you all squirrelly, Phoebs?"

"No reason," I clear my throat. I reach for a water bottle.

"Phoebe, you're shaking," she places her hand over mine. "Did something happen?"

"No," I shake my head. I take a couple of deep breaths. "I just feel a little light-headed,"

"Here, lie back. You're pale,"

There is no way he'll recognize me. He's on the other side of the plane. It was a long time ago. I don't even have long hair anymore and I'm dressed differently. Right? Right. Oh, my god. What are the odds of this happening? Then again, what are the odds of what happened before happening? The fucking odds are always aligned. Shit.

"I got you some sparkling water," Kendra returns with a little green bottle.

"Thank you," I take it.

"New home jitters?" she asks playfully.

"No, just the ghosts of the past," I mumble.

"I hear that," she sits across from me. I forget she has crazy good hearing.

The twins are up and ready to get off the plane when we land.

There's no way we're going to see him again. At least, that is what I'm telling myself as we get off the plane and head down to get our luggage. As luck has it, I don't see him again. I get my things and set them down as Kendra tells the kids that California is the coolest place in the world and that it's also her first time here.

"Mommy, Chocolate Sprinkles!" Ayrie calls out and runs off. I look up to see her bear stuck on the belt.

"Watch this," I call out Kendra.

"Got it," she laughs. The bear's overalls are stuck on the edge of the belt and I can't get it out.

"Excuse me," I call out as I struggle. I'm almost to the end of the belt when a hand reaches out and unhooks it. I stumble back making sure nothing happened to my baby's favorite bear. "Thank you, so much. This my baby's-" I stop when I see him standing there. "Favorite bear,"

"You're welcome," he smiles. I press my lips together and nod stupidly. "Do I know you?" he asks stopping me. "You seem familiar,"

"Shit," I clear my throat.

"It's you," he adds quietly. "My good girl,"

"Fuck," I laugh and spin around to face him. "I was hoping you didn't recognize me,"

"I take offense to that, Angel," he smirks.

"Mommy. You found him," Ayrie points up at me.

"Huh?" my mind glitches for a second and then I realize what she's talking about when she snatches the bear out of my hands.

"I'm sorry, Chocolate Sprinkles," she says dusting his overalls and then hugs him tightly.

"Momma, my strap came apart," Aizen comes over to me holding out his carry-on.

"I told you to stop tugging on it," I remind him. He laughs and holds it up so I can fix it.

"You have two," Knighty looks between them. He looks stunned.

"Yeah, these are my kids. Aizen and Ayrie," I say mindlessly. Why did I say that to him?

"You're the guy from the TV," Ayrie shouts excitedly. I cover her mouth and pull her to me.

"Oh, my god! It's Knightly Blake," someone screams.

"Just like her Mom, huh?" he steps back and pulls his hoodie over his head. "I'll see you around, Phoebe,"

"Kenny," I call out picking up Ayrie.

She lifts up Aizen and we grab our things trying to dodge the people running past us. God, that was a good save, baby girl. People swarm past us as we try to get the hell out of there. We make it to the exit to find our driver holding up a sign with my last name on it. We hurry over to him. He leads us out to his van. Two car seats are waiting inside for us. I don't hesitate to hide the twins.

"You know Knightly Blake?" Kendra asks when we're finally moving. "How?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I shake my head and try to catch my breath.

"That's nuts," she laughs. "I fucking hate that guy,"

"You're not supposed to say that word," Aizen scolds her.

"Right," she nods. "I hate him,"

3

Knightly

I didn't think I'd ever see her again. Phoebe. I never really got over our encounter. It's not every day one meets their soulmate like that. To say it surprises me that she's married and has kids is an understatement.

We didn't really talk much that night, but our connection was instant. The way she said my name. How she touched me. She asked for nothing in return after she let me have her every way I could think of. The vinyl was the only thing I could leave behind. Had I stayed and let her wake up, things would have ended badly for both of us. Has she thought of me since then?

She's as beautiful as the first time I ran into her. This encounter is as bad as the last one. That itch I thought had disappeared is stirring and I don't want it to.

"You made a scene at the airport," Pete says and drops into the armchair across from me.

"I ran into someone," I explain.

"Do tell," Rip pushes my leg off his coffee table. His wife glares at me.

"Sorry," I apologize and sit up straight.

"Who was it?" she asks.

"Do you guys remember the girl from six years ago?"

"The girl that inspired the album that followed?" Pete laughs. "Yeah, we remember Phoebe,"

"That's who I ran into,"

"What?" they all sit up. I laugh at their reaction.

"Did you at least get her number?" Rip smacks my leg.

"No, I didn't, and even if I had. She's married now. Has two kids,"

"Aww," Felicity taps my knee. "That sucks, man,"

"Yeah," it really fucking does.

"Did she get fat at least?" Pete scoffs. We all laugh.

"Not even a little. She cut her hair. She looked so fucking good," I admit and sit back. "Her daughter looks just like her,"

"That's cute. What did you say her name was?" Felicity asks.

"Phoebe," Pete answers.

"Let's see who the lucky fuck that married her is," she laughs. "Do we have a last name?"

"The sign her driver was carrying read Altaha," I say.

"She's native?" Pete asks.

"I think so. Mixed maybe. She has dark blue eyes. Like navy blue eyes," I nod. They all laugh at me. That was sappy, even for me.

"Are you sure? All that comes up with that name is the new CEO of Royal Threads in SoCal,"

"What? Wait, that might be her. She said she was a clothes designer when we met. She had drawings all over her suite,"

"No, fucking way," she laughs and hands me her phone.

"That's her," I nod. They all bunch in around us to get a look at her. Wow, she's really got her shit together.

"Dude, she is so fucking hot," Pete nods.

"I'd think about that all day long too, if I were you," Rip momentarily forgets his wife is in the room and gets a slap to the back of the head. "Sorry, baby,"

"Aww, they're so fucking cute," she wiggles next to me. "Oh, look at the little boy. He has a guitar," she switches the picture to the kid sitting on her lap while she strums the guitar for him when he's about one or two. The baby loves it. "Oh, my god. He plays," she moves to the next video. It's the boy as old as he is now playing a baby blue electric guitar customized for him. "Did she try to make him look like you?"

"Her husband," I roll my eyes.

"I don't see one," she says as she continues to scroll through. "Wait, here," my stomach clenches when she stops. "This is from like three years ago,"

I still don't like the picture. Some guy has his arms around her. He's looking up at the camera but the look she's giving him implies they're more than just friends. It shouldn't bother me. It's not like she belongs to me. In fact, I don't really know anything about her except that she's fucking phenomenal in bed.

"I don't think she's married," Pete says as Felicity scrolls through her Instagram. "Hey, it's you,"

They hold the phone out for me. The picture we took outside the elevator comes up. We're both laughing. I hadn't laughed like that in a long time. Before her, things were a little bleak. I had nothing. I had never had writer's block like that and I haven't had it again since.

"That was a good night," I admit. They all laugh.

"If you see her again, check for a ring," Rip smacks my chest.

"I am going to get some rest. That was a long flight," I say and get up. "Sorry about the mess today,"

They all dismiss me. I take a hot shower and get into bed. It gets the better of me and I reach for my laptop. I type her name in and a whole lot of out of my league pops up on the screen. Fashion shows, fashion awards, fashion articles, pictures of her on magazine covers, and a whole lot of success.

One article catches my attention. It's about her rise to the top. How she overcame the struggles as a single mom. A single mom? How does that happen? Who in their right mind would leave her like that? This girl is a whole ten with no buts.

Then I see how old they are. I laugh for a moment. Her kids are five years old. Five plus nine months is almost six whole years. My heart starts to race and I sit up. I go back to her QuickHowl and scrolled down to the picture of us. 

There are over a hundred pictures above it before there's a picture of an ultrasound. I reach for my wallet to check the napkin with the drawing of a dress I stole from her. She had written the date at the bottom left-hand corner and I start to feel sick to my stomach.

"Knightly," Peter barges into my room. I immediately slam my laptop shut. Maybe a little too hard. "You're not jacking off, right?"

"What? Of course, not,"

"Whatever, sick ass. Dude, I was stalking your girlfriend,"

"Not my girlfriend," I shake my head.

"Her kids are five, my man," he jumps into the bed with me. "Wouldn't it be fucking crazy if they were yours?" he laughs. "What were you doing, liar?"

"Nothing," I shake my head. He snatches my laptop. "You were stalking her," he opens the laptop and then shows me. "You cracked your screen, dumbass,"

"Fuck," I take it from him. I don't know how that happened. My wolf has been dormant for years.

"If you weren't stalking. It was porn," he declares.

"Get out of my room," I toss the laptop on the floor. He laughs and heads to the door.

"It was porn," he nods sure of himself. I take a throw pillow and launch it at him. He closes the door before it can hit him.

"Holy shit," I sit up and try to take even breaths. "You fucking didn't do that," 

4

Knightly

Taking what she said into consideration and the way she reacted to our situation, the probabilities are more than just a little high. I open up the app on my phone and scroll up the video of the little boy playing the guitar.

I didn't get a good look at him at the airport because everything happened so fast and I was a little in awe about all of her. She looks amazing. The little pink outfit she was wearing hugged her body astonishingly. And the hair looks good. It frames her face into a perfect heart shape.

I have to know. I open up the messages and text our manager.

Me: I need the number of the new CEO of Royal Threads. Her name is Phoebe Altaha.

Josh: U kno her?

Me. Yes.

Josh: Give me a sec

My heart starts to race again.

Josh: best I can do is set up an appointment for Wednesday afternoon.

Me: Fuck it. I'll take it.

Josh: can I ask y? u nvr ask 4 (shit emoji).

Me: I'll tell u aftr I tlk to her

Josh: 10-4

I screenshot the picture of the little boy and send it to my mom with no context. It doesn't take long for her to call me.

"Who is that, carbon?" she asks. "What did you do?"

"Oh, so I've been calling you for three days now and I send you a post of a kid and you're free?" I scoff.

"Como chingas, Knight," she says playfully. "Sorry, I've been busy,"

"I have the credit card bill to confirm that," I laugh.

"Como estas, chamaco enfadoso?"

"I'm okay. I'm home now. For a while. Fel is pregnant,"

"Al fin," she all but screams. "I am so happy for Rip. He's a good kid. No como mi chamaco cabron,"

"I love you too, mom," I laugh. "How is Dad?"

"He's your dad. He's on vacation, segun. Ya sabes como son los gringos. Will you be visiting soon? When did you get here and why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

"I've literally been calling you for three days," I shake my head. "I would have gone home if I thought you were there. I'm here at Rip's place,"

"Oh, pobrecito mi nino. Como sufre en Rip's two million dollar mansion," she mocks me. "Pendejo. Thirty-two year old man child,"

"This counts as verbal abuse, lady,"

"tHiS cOuNtS aS vErBaL aBuSe," she continues. "What you can't be alone in your own house or what?"

"Mom," I groan.

"Okay. Okay. I'll have your room cleaned in the morning. You could come home by yourself. You know that? You don't need to be with your friends every single day. Get out of that routine. Clear your head, Mijo. You need this break. You've been on that bus for twelve years, Knight,"

"Why does every conversation we have end like this?" I sigh.

"I worry about you. You're my baby,"

"What have you been busy with, lady?"

"Vanessa and her new granddaughter," she boasts. Vanessa is our former leading beta female. "Esta hermosa," she says dramatically. "De quien is el nino, Knight?"

"The new CEO of Royal Threads,"

"Tiene tus ojos," she says calmly. "You got something to tell me?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. I'm kind of freaking out,"

"From the start, hijo,"

"I met this girl at the BnB apartments when we started the Striker Tour. We spent the night together and this morning I ran into her and her two kids. The article says they're five and it fits the timeline,"

"It doesn't necessarily mean they're yours, Knight. You know girls like that-"

"No, she wasn't like that,"

"You don't know that, mijo. You spent one night with her. Es todo. Hasta que hables con ella, get it out of your head,"

"Look at the picture, Ma, and tell me you're not thinking about it,"

"Pos si. I'm thinking about it," she confirms. "Son dos?"

"Yeah, a little girl and the little boy,"

"Aver la nina?"

I open the app up and find a picture of the two little kids and send it to her.

"That's them,"

"Wow," she says pensively. "If they are yours, ya le gane a la Vanessa. I have two grandkids,"

"Mom," I laugh.

"And if they are yours, Knight? Que vas aser? Is she human?"

"She is. I don't know, but I have to know. I mean it's a big coincidence,"

"You'd think she'd try to contact you right away. You were just starting six years ago, mijo. Pero ya estabas arriba,"

"Like I said. I don't think she was the kind of girl that went around doing what we did,"

"Well, she did it with you. Come home. We'll figure this out,"

"I'll see you in the morning,"

"I found her on Twitter," she sings. "Oh," she says like she's been caught off guard. "She's a mean girl,"

"A mean girl?"

"Si. She got a kid kicked out of school in France when he tried to steal the little boy's lunch. He scratched him. The mom said a bunch of racist shit to them for being American and she immediately pulled both of them out of school a week ago. She involved her lawyers," she laughs. "They titled it Fashion Ikon met with discrimination against her son by a French Private school. The other says, Private School under scrutiny for discrimination against Phoebe Altaha and her son Aizen,"

"That sounds provoked,"

"At least she doesn't sound boring," she laughs. "Your dad would have shut the entire school down the next day,"

"Dad did shut the school down when Coach Estrada punched me in the face,"

"Carbon," she scoffs. "Don't get me mad. I'm on vacation,"

"You should be mad,"

"I already know you, Knight. You have your daddy's ugly fucking temper. You hide it better, pero eres igualito. Esta nina made a choice. A choice that benefited all of you. I want you to think about that before you go in there accusing her of shit. All things considered, you can't blame her for it.

"You're Knightly Blake. She doesn't know you. She knows what everyone else knows. You can't go in there like you own everything the way you usually do. She'll fight you. Orita son sus hijos de ella. You're just some guy she slept with when she was a stupid kid. Don't fuck this up, son. Listen to her. Si?"

"Yeah,"

"Okay. Let me know if you need me. I'm on vacation, but I'm still your mama,"

"Okay, ma. Gracias,"

"Don't. Pinche no sabo cabron," she groans and I swear I can see her rolling her eyes as dramatically as possible.

"You're kind of forgetting you raised me," I laugh.

"Oh. So this is my fault? Vas a ver estupido," she bites out.

"I'll see you later, Ma,"

"Bendiciones, mijo," she says. "Freddy!" she shouts. "Your son fucked up!"

"Mom!" I call out but she hangs up.

Telling my mom the truth feels like a guaranteed answer because even if Phoebe tells me I'm not their father for whatever reason she's convinced herself I didn't need to be a part of this. My mom will figure out the truth whatever means. Especially if she involves my father. My dad is all about family and even if we don't get involved, she's going to be a part of our family if they are mine. We have to know and we have to make sure no one gets that information.

5

"Mom, I have a proper sit-on," Aizen says and sets a notebook in front of me.

"Proposition," I correct him. How cute is he? Ah! Okay, Phoebe be serious. Don't laugh.

"That's what I said," he rolls his eyes.

"Wait, I'm here," Ayrie says as she runs in with her pink laptop toy and a matching carrier. The laptop's mouse is dragging on the floor beside her, and I'm surprised she hasn't tripped on it.

She sets them down on the dining table. My baby is wearing her favorite coat and plastic princess heels from her dress-up treasure chest. This is the very first time the two of them have teamed up on me like this. I sneak a couple of pictures while they're distracted.

"I told you to hurry," Aizen tries to fix her hair as she tries to take the carrier strap off.

"I was getting pretty," Ayrie scoffs.

"That's impossible." he rolls his eyes and she half-heartedly shoves him before going back to her task.

It takes them a moment to gather their toys. She opens the laptop that she insisted she needed to learn math and it helped. That's all it does. Teaches her how to add and subtract. She's tried the multiplication levels and she caught on that the x1s are always just going to be the multiplied number. It has a bunch of cool games on it. We couldn't put it down the first week she got it. The toy pings and starts to boot up as she opens up the carrier. I nod when she pulls out a plastic banana, a tomato, and a pack of crayons. Those are one hundred percent necessary.

"Where's the mouse?" she looks around.

"I found it," Aizen jumps out of his chair to pick it up.

"Thank you," she takes it and helps him back into the chair. "Ready,"

"Our proper sit-on," Aizen waves his hands over the toys and papers. He slips a sheet of paper with the word puppy written in big sloppy letters. Their names are both scribbled at the bottom as signatures.

"Do you understand, mommy?" Ayrie asks crossing her arms over the table.

They are dead serious about this. So, I play along. I reach into my purse for my glasses and slip them on. Ayrie taps Aizen's arm excitedly but his focus is completely on me. I pretend to read through their proposition and then set it down.

"A puppy, huh?"

"Yes, please," they say at the same time.

"Am I allowed to think about it?" I ask. "So that I can come up with my own proper sit-on?"

"One second," Ayrie says and leans into Aizen to cup her hands over his ear to whisper to him. He listens and then they switch. I sit back to see Kendra standing by the hallway trying her best to stay quiet. "How long will that take?"

"Usually, I have to the end of the week," I shrug. "You want Mommy to really think about it,"

"Ugh, that's a long time, Mom," Aizen complains.

"I know. A puppy is a big responsibility. You'd have to feed it and make sure it drinks water. You have to teach it to go potty and then clean its poopy and peepee. I don't want to do that and neither does Kenny. Cause, gross," I shrug.

"We can do that," Ayrie promises.

"Fine. Until the end of the week," Aizen rolls his eyes.

"What have I told you about the eye roll?" I glare at him.

"Sorry," he smiles.

"Cheeky. Very well. I will think about it until the end of the week. I would also like for the two of you to think about what I said. You cannot expect me and Kenny to take care of your puppy. That's going to be your job. We can go to the store after work to get a calendar so you guys can set up our chores chart. Maybe we can add the puppy so you can see how much work it is to have one,"

"Okay," they both agree right away.

"All right, clear the table. Breakfast time," I take their proposition and tuck it into my carrier. I am going to have my assistant frame this for my office. Then I'll add pictures of them. I love puppies. I just haven't been able to have one because we travel a lot.

"Help," Ayrie grabs Aizen's arm to stop him from leaving her.

"Fine," he growls and takes some of her things.

"We can, you know," Kendra says and helps me serve them their breakfast. "We're not going to be on the move now that you're at the head of the table. Xochtl doesn't want you out on the runway anymore. She said Francis made a huge mess here. She wants it fixed. That means longer days away from the twins, Mama,"

"Yeah," I agree. "But a puppy won't compensate for that,"

"Right. But it'll distract them. Hopefully long enough for you to get settled,"

"Did you contact the school already?"

"I have. The principal said that she'll meet with us Wednesday morning. You up for that?"

"Yeah, the sooner the better," I agree.

"I'll set it up," she pats my head.

"Pancakes," Ayrie wiggles in her chair.

Kendra distracts them after I tell them I'm going to have to go soon. I usually have to sneak out or Ayrie cries. I like taking her with me sometimes, but I need to get a feel of the layout before I let her into the new office. I want to know who they're going to be around. They ask a lot of questions.

Cevin, my personal assistant is waiting for me when I get to the lobby. There are cameras outside already. We both let out heavy sighs. This is one thing I will miss about Paris. The paparazzi here are a lot hungrier than they are over there and I am the shiny new toy.

Questions are fired at me as soon as we step outside. Cev brought out the big guys today. The guards push the cameras back as I am led to the car with Cevin right behind me. We get situated and I let out a sigh of relief. At least, no one threw paint at me today. 

6

"It's been a while since we've had to bring the Gregors out," Cevin laughs. He turns to face me and grins. "You look amazing. How are the twins?"

"Good. They want a puppy. You?"

"I can start looking up toddler-friendly breeds," he nods eagerly. "Same-o, same-o," 

"I want a golden retriever. See if you can find some puppies. I was given until the end of the week to decide. But I've always wanted an AirBud,"

"On it," he laughs. I take the piece of paper the twins made and offer it to him. "Oh, my gosh. This is the cutest thing ever,"

"Can you have it framed for me? I want it in my new office,"

"Yes, ma'am," he tucks it into his briefcase and starts tapping away at his phone.

"What do we have going on today?"

"We are meeting Sullivan Tucker for the tour of the Royal Threads headquarters. Here is what to expect," he hands me my favorite work tablet. "It starts from the shipping docks,"

For a storage unit that houses clothes, the storage area is a mess. They're understaffed and no one has taken the time to update the new payment system. The upper levels that belong to the designers are in no better condition. Xo wasn't lying when she said this place needed an iron hand to straighten up. I didn't understand why she thought that would be me, but I'm honored she asked.

We were all upset when she fired Francis. She had been so upset because the two of them had been friends. However, the California region is Xo's first baby. She started Royal Threads in her garage thirty-four years ago. Just a girl and her sewing machine. I met her for the first time during my sophomore year in San Diego. By the end of the year, I was interning for her. I owe her for the last eleven years of my life. It's been a hell of a ride.

When she asked me to come home, it threw me off my game. I was terrified. The plan was for me to transfer to the new branch in Italy. I didn't really want to go. It would have been so difficult for the twins. Having to learn a third language and adapt to a whole new culture. It would have hurt us.

When we finally sat down in Millan she told me what was going on with Francis. His husband left him and he was making a fool of himself. She lost a few contracts with some big names because of it. She gave him multiple chances to get some help and he refused. I hate to be the follow up but I can't exactly say no and this is a way better option than the alternative.

Sullivan Tucker is a very elegant man. He used to be Francis's assistant and has replaced him for the time being. He's going to be helping me settle in. Xo asked me to watch him and I plan to do exactly that.

He's wearing fitted cream trousers with a loose silk button-up. He accessorized with a simple thin gold necklace. If there's a pendant it's hidden in his button-up. The watch matches the metal around his neck as well as the assortment of earrings decorating his right ear. The black leather belt matches his loafers and that's where he lost me. I would have gone with something more subtle.

His hygiene is impeccable. This man has a very strict skincare routine and loves to pamper himself. He's freshly shaved and he smells great. This brings me to my first conclusion. Sullivan Tucker is a straight man. The way Xo spoke of him didn't come off that way. When he offers his hand, I want nothing more than for him to take me to the person who did his manicure.

"Welcome to Headquarters," he greets me. "My name is Sullivan Tucker. I will be your guide for the next couple of months. My job is to help you get settled in,"

"Phoebe Altaha. It's my honor to be here. This is Cevin Nendo. My assistant. We're looking forward to getting to know one another,"

"Great, let's get started," he opens the glass doors and motions us in.

Immediately we're greeted with curiosity. Everyone is watching us. Sullivan's voice isn't unpleasant to listen to. He could use a little downtown time. That is obvious. While he pays very close attention to details, his enthusiasm for his job isn't anywhere close to mine. I AM FUCKING EXCITED TO BE HERE. He seems obligated to.

I don't blame him either. The pictures Cev showed me in the car must be from before Francis was fired because it looks like someone tried to clean up. It reminds me of when the kids dump out their toy trunks and then half-ass put them all back hurriedly.

I use my tablet to take notes and pictures of what needs to be taken care of. We're both exhausted by the time we get to what he introduces as my new office.

It's beautiful. It's a lot bigger than my office back in Paris. There's room to move around and it doesn't feel like I'm going to need to share anything with anyone else. The entire back wall is glass. Ayrie is going to love the view of the pier from here. We are going to spend a lot of time there. I can feel it.

There are display racks along the wall on the left of my desk. There's a drafting table and a few stools around it. The white walls are all empty. It's all just a blank canvas for me to start from scratch. This is where I am going to start.

"I figured you wanted to set everything up to your liking," Sullivan says. "Why don't you take the rest of the day to get your things together and we can start fresh in the morning?"

"Sounds like a plan," I agree.

"My office is the door to your left when you walk out," he excuses himself.

"He looks exhausted, Mama," Cev says sympathetically.

"He does. There's nothing we can do right this moment. Let's get started," I place my purse on the drafting table. "Do you know if my things are here yet?"

"Right there," he points at the white leather couches. "I've already called the moving team to get these ugly things out of here. We agreed on the Sacramento Green and gold cottage-themed furniture last week,"

"We did,"

"Everything will be delivered and placed when you get back tomorrow. I wanted everything done by today, but I wanted everything to come in togther so we don't waste too much time. Everything you ordered ahead of time is here along with the designs from the fairy spring collection coming up. Your first meeting will be with Kaitlyn Summerland. The-" he pauses looking up at me.

"The new senior designer. I know that. I've been studying, Cev. Give me some credit," I roll my eyes. "I have to. She's replacing me,"

"Mama, no one can replace you. You're growing up. A little faster than most, but it only makes you sexier,"

"Help me with some of this," I roll my eyes at him again.

"You know, you have to stop rolling your eyes like that to get Aizen not to do it anymore," he laughs.

"Yeah, well looks like the eye roll is here to stay," I hold up the fabrics I sent over. "I am so excited to be home, Cev. You have no idea,"

"But we have so much to do," he groans.

"I know. That's what makes it so exciting,"

7

The meeting with the school I want the twins to attend did not go well. They don't like that I put the school in Paris in their place for what happened with Aizen. I wasn't just going to let it go. Aizen might be a sweet boy, but I'm not a sweet woman. And he's my baby. If I don't stand up for them, who will?

Getting to know Sullivan and the staff has been amazing. There is no place like home. I missed being around other Americans. These people love what they do and if they have a problem with the way I look or speak, they know to do it behind my back. I don't have to worry about hiding my projects or sketches. Sabbatoge was one of the biggest concerns I had back in Paris along with design napping.

"Your two thirty is here," Cev informs me and hands me my tablet.

"What is this about?"

"They didn't say," he shrugs.

"Okay," I nod.

"Okay," he squeezes my shoulder. It's an odd gesture. Almost like he's nervous.

I'm two minutes late. It's not something I like doing, but it took longer to get the twins settled than I expected. We walk into my newly decorated office to see a man and a woman looking at the pictures of the twins and some of the awards and my diplomas.

"I am so sorry I am late," I greet them. The two of them turn around to face me and a scream rips out of my throat. I take my hand back and hug my tablet for dear life.

"Miss Altaha?" Cev glares at me.

"Get out, Cev," I rush out.

"Are you okay?"

"Mhm," I nod. He excuses himself leaving the three of us here. "Mr. Blake, what are you doing here?"

"Mr. Blake?" he laughs and then glances at the woman next to him who glares back at him. He clears his throat and gets serious. "I think we both know why I'm here," he glances back at the wall with all the pictures of my kids. I clear my throat keeping my composure. "Phoebe,"

"I don't think we do," I shake my head.

"Mom, can you give us a moment?" he asks the woman. She looks me over and nods. Mom? He called his Mom on me?

"I'll be right outside, mijo," she pats his shoulder and steps out of my office.

"What are you doing here?" I ask again. "You called your Mom? What are you five?"

"I've been doing some research since we ran into each other at the airport," fuck my life. "And I think you owe me an explanation, Phoebe Altaha,"

"About what? I don't owe you anything,"

"About our kids," he tucks his hands into the pockets of his slacks. The ringing in my ears blinds me for a moment and I just stare back at him not knowing what to do. Deny it, Phoebe. Tell him they're not his.

"What?" I ask. "I don't know what you're talking about,"

"Don't you?"

He goes over to the wall and takes the picture of the twins from their first day of school off the wall. He holds it up to his face and the similarities are uncanny. I never wanted to think of it. I even stopped listening to his music hoping it would somehow drown out the guilt I feel for lying. I take the frame from him and put it back.

"Mr. Blake, I don't know what it is you've convinced yourself of, but I assure you. My children have nothing to do with you,"

"Angel, we do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way," he shakes his head. "You do not want to upset me. I am not going to take your word for it. Tell me the truth,"

"I don't know what it is you want me to tell you," I step away from him but he follows. I back away from him until my ass hits my desk. I lean back and away from him as he gets too close.

"Are they mine?" he whispers in my ear.

"No," I shake my head, but I can't bring myself to look at him. He tucks his index finger under my chin and turns my head to look at him.

"I don't believe you, Phoebe," he says softly. "See, I don't believe you've let anyone touch you since then," he looks down over my body. "I may not know that much about you, sweetheart, but I knew what I had in my hands the moment you let me in. So, I'm going to ask you again and I need you to tell me the truth this time. Are they mine, Angel?"

"No," I repeat.

He sighs and pulls away. I don't hesitate, I move putting the desk between us. He goes over to the door and taps it. The woman comes in dressed elegantly in one of my business casual designs from my newest collection. That's kind of flattering and terrifying because it tells me that they already know exactly who I am. Although, showing up at my new job is also a big red flag.

"Hijo?" she says without taking her eyes off me.

"She's all yours," he says and leaves. I let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Buenas tardes," she greets me.

"Hello," I say skeptically.

"My name is Maria Blake. I am Knightly Blake's attorney and mother," she introduces herself. I groan and turn away from her. Of course, she's a fucking lawyer. Someone has to clean up after him. "Listen. You look like a good woman. You have so much going on for you. By the pictures and the press coverage, you look like you're an amazing mother yourself.

"Knightly has told me what happened between the two of you. Believe it or not, I once stood where you are. My ex-husband, Knight's biological father wasn't a good man. Of course, I didn't know that until it was too late.

"He made my life hell and that's the last thing I want for you or your beautiful kids. Because they are beautiful. I know. That little boy looks just like my son, Miss Altaha. He's not here anymore. I'd like us to be honest with one another. Are they or they not my son's kids?" 

8

"No," I answer her. "They're mine,"

"This can go one of two ways," she says placing a white file on my desk. "You can tell me. I'm not going to be as upset as him, sweetheart. I'm a mother of six. Knight is my oldest. We can set up a system that gives us access to my grandkids and we move forward. Or," she sighs. "I will take them from you and believe me when I say, I am very good at my job. I've been protecting kids since I was twenty-seven years old.

"And I don't want to do that, Phoebe. Not to you and not to them, but if they share my son's blood you are going to need us. You're a very rich and very powerful girl, but you're new here. Everything you have can be taken away. Until all you have left is us. Because of your profile and Knightly's all of this will get very ugly, very fast,"

I wipe my tears away because I knew the moment this tiny brown Latina woman introduced herself as his mother, I was fucked. Brown girls don't fuck around. We've clawed our way out of the oppression and stigma of our race to get to where we are in a place designed for the white man. Her threats aren't empty. That much I know.

"This is the last time I am going to ask. Are they my son's children?" she holds my gaze. She's completely unfazed.

This could get ugly. The media will fucking swarm me like killer bees. My babies wouldn't survive that. They're so protected and gentle. I've made sure to give them everything I was denied my entire life. I worked so hard for them and the last thing they need is for my stubbornness to fuck them up more than this entire ordeal already will.

"Yes," I choke out and with that one word, I've betrayed every promise I made when I found out I was pregnant. She lets out a heavy sigh of relief. "Please, don't do this," I shake my head. "This was my choice and if he wants to take that out on me, that's fine. But not them,"

She comes around the desk and wipes my face.

"He would never hurt you," she wraps her arms around me.

I can't remember the last time someone held me like this and I'm not built for affection. I start crying because I don't believe her. Just because I got rid of my affliction with the music doesn't mean that I didn't see what he was up to.

The broken engagement that destroyed his ex's career. The women, the drugs, the scandals. I've always known I made the right choice by keeping this from him. They were safe. We were safe from him.

"Then tell him to pretend this never happened," I pull away from her. She looks up at me wounded. "I don't want him near my kids. They don't need someone like him in their lives,"

"You don't know anything about my son," she says tightly.

"I don't know what rock you've been living under, Mrs. Blake, but I have a pretty picture of all the shit he's done since I last seen him. I know the family he destroyed when he left Hailey Roden. My kids don't need that.

"They don't need a coke-snorting, womanizing, drunk setting an example for their futures. I've worked too fucking hard to give them the life only one percent of our population knows and I will rather die than let him ruin their chances,"

"Hailey wasn't the person my son thought she was,"

"I don't need an explanation. I don't want one. Whatever she did, what he did in the end was much worse,"

"Knightly is-"

"Please," I stop her. I lift the file she placed on my desk and try to hand it back to her. "Take this and leave us alone,"

"That's not going to happen," she shakes her head. "We both know that. I will not stop fighting for my family because you read a couple of articles written by people who don't know what the fuck they're talking about. You should know that better than most. He's not the only one with secrets,"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I scoff. She goes around the desk to take her purse from the couch.

"I'm going to give you until the end of the week to come to your senses. I will make a second appointment for Monday morning. You will have these documents filled out and we will address this calmly. Okay?" she takes a deep breath and looks me over before letting it out. "I really hope you reconsider, Phoebe. Believe me when I say, in a few months. You're going to need him,"

With that, she leaves. I fall into my chair and finally break. This is how Cevin finds me. He shuts the door and runs over to me.

"Hey, hey. What's going on?" he asks.

"I fucked up," I try to calm myself but I can't. "I should have taken my chances in Italy,"

When I moved back here, I didn't think about him. I firmly believed I was never going to see him again. We were safe and now we're not. What the fuck am I supposed to do now? How do I fix this without implicating my babies? When the media gets word about this, everything is going to fall apart. I could lose my job for a scandal like this.

"Why was Knightly Blake here?" he asks softly. "I can't help you unless you tell me what's going on, Phoebs,"

"Knight is their father," I whisper. His face softens.

"Oh, shit," he whispers back. "Oh, fuck. That guy is the twins' father. How did that even-" he pauses. "You're human, right?"

"What? What kind of question is that? What else would I be?"

"I mean you're not crazy like them," he clarifies. "That little Mexican woman that came in with him, she's the best lawyer in the music industry. She's vicious as fuck. I love you and respect the fuck out of you for how far you've brought us, but Mama, you don't have the stomach to go up against these people. What did she say to you?"

"She said I either let them in calmly or she's going to kick in the front door,"

"Yeah, that's their style," he sighs.

"She gave me this," I open the file to find she set up a paternity test along with what looks like a contract. He takes it and starts to read through it.

"Okay, it looks like a pretty basic shared custody agreement," he says. "And he would like to pay you child support for the five years you did this on your own,"

"I don't want his money," I roll my eyes.

"You sure?"

"He's not going to buy my kids,"

"I don't know, Phoebs. Six million is a lot of fucking money. Three a piece,"

"What?" I tear my eyes off the paternity test appointment for tonight to look at him.

"That's how much he's giving them," he laughs.

"I am completely and utterly fucked, aren't I?"

"I mean you guys didn't just make one super cute baby. You made two. Fucked is the whole reason why you're in this mess," he laughs. My jaw all but hits the desk.

"Cev," I throw my pen at him. He snatches it from thin air and laughs. He's always been like that. Quick reflexes.

"I am going to dismiss that because I know how stressful this can be. I had a similar situation with my Al- with my former boss. Only his ex-wife didn't want the kids. She wanted his money. I think you should talk to him properly. Calmly. That last thing you want is to piss off an al- an asshole who is, you know. A rockstar,"

"This isn't about him or me. It's about the twins. What's best for them. I mean you've seen all the shit he's involved in. What he did to Hailey Roden. How is that acceptable for them? You've met my kids. They've never known anything truly bad,"

"I know. But he's here now and from the looks of it, he's not going anywhere. I suggest doing this the easy way, Phoebe. For you and the twins. Think of how hard this is going to be on them,"

9

Knightly

"She said that? She said they're mine?" I ask for the second time.

"Yes, and she has every right to be protective of them, Knight. Look at this," she tosses the magazine articles she's gathered over the years. "This is all she knows, mijo and it doesn't look good. I've been looking into her.

"This girl has been through hell to get to where she is. Right now, she's terrified and after what happened with Hailey. She has reason to, Knight,"

"You have to tell us the truth, Knight. Is it her?" My dad asks. I don't answer. "Knightly. Look at me, son. Is this girl your mate?"

"Yes," I nod. My mom lets out a heavy sigh.

"Cuando se entere, no le va gustar lo que paso, Knight," she scolds me.

"I know,"

"Why didn't you say anything?" dad asks.

"We were in the middle of a turf war and I had just started our tour. The circumstances weren't in our favor. They're not in our favor now. Me being here is going to cause problems. We both know that, Dad. If anything happens to them, I don't know what I'll do,"

"Okay," he nods. "But we know now. Phoebe is a very beautiful woman, son. She's intelligent and she's really coming into her own. You need to talk to Xochtl about this. The girl works for her. That means she's under an alpha's protection. Make your presence known before someone tries to take her from you,"

"Cabron," Mom smacks my arm. "You know he gets this from you," she growls at him. "I told you not to let him go,"

"If he had stayed, he would be dead now. He was a kid," he growls back. "I don't care whose blood runs in his veins, he's my son. He made the right choice, Maria. For her and for him. We should rejoice. Had he marked the Roden bitch we'd all be fucked and we wouldn't know that we have grandkids out there.

"The girl is human. What do you think was going to happen when they turned six and started shifting? Maria, this is good," he grabs her arms and shakes her a little. "With his mate here, he can get stronger. She will make him stronger. Things happen for a reason.

"We protect her now. All three of them. That's the next alpha of the city she's got with her. This is cause for a celebration," he turns his attention to me. "It's not every day life gives us a second chance like this, son. This is the moon's blessing," 

"Vamos pues," Mom clears her throat. She hates it when he starts getting spiritual. 

"Congratulations, son," he hugs me. "Fate has dealt you a beautiful card. Make sure you do right by her. You've never let me down before," he bumps his forehead to mine. "Don't start now. Welcome home. We'll talk about your arrangements when I return," 

Mom smiles when he turns away to take her hand. The two of them leave me alone in this big ass house. I haven't thought about my wolf since my engagement with Hailey went up in smoke. Yeah, I did fucking destroy her and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. That bitch killed my brother and for what? Money? The pack? He would have given that to her had she let him in. Blithe is Fredrick's biological son. The pack was his.

I don't want any of this. The day that girl came into our lives she ruined everything. She took too much to have been able to walk away. This pack isn't the only one that worries me either.

Arnold showing up at our last show shook me down to my soul. I haven't told them about my encounter with my biological father. How he came to tell me that he could sense how close to death I am. He wanted to inform me that he has a selection of potential mate candidates that can call on my wolf.

God, Phoebe has the worst fucking timing. She couldn't have just disappeared the same way she appeared out of nowhere. It would have been better for the two of us. My wolf would have died and she would be able to live out the rest of her life without knowing any different. That's what I wanted.

But here she is, fucking everything up again. Putting herself in harm's way. I look down at the picture my Mom printed out to see the three of them smiling back at me. It was easy to walk away. It was the one thing that kept me going for a long time. That's all it was supposed to be. I hadn't even marked her.

"So, it's true then?" Pete walks into my room. "I'm sorry, Knight. I was messing around. If I had known she was our Luna I wouldn't have said anything,"

"It's cool," I wave him off. I refrain from telling him to never call her that. I'm not an alpha and even if Phoebe calls on Lionel, I don't plan on becoming anyone's alpha. "That was the idea,"

"Can I see?" he asks. I hold out the picture for him. "The fact that you didn't scent them on the plane means your wolf isn't in good shape, man,"

"I got that," I nod.

"You have to find a way to put that mark on her if we're going to protect them, Knight. You know the other alphas will pounce on this as soon-"

"I know, Peter," I growl. He stumbles back. "Shit, I'm sorry,"

"No, no," he laughs nervously. "That's a good sign, man. It means he's waking up,"

"I didn't want this,"

"We can't run from our fate," he sighs. "No matter how hard we try,"

I dial my mom's number.

"I just left, cabron," she answers immediately.

"Where is she getting the labs done?"

"You have forty minutes. I'll send you the address,"

She doesn't hesitate. She hangs up and sends me an address. I forget that she does that when she knows I can't run away. She's going to insert herself in this. I regret unleashing her on Phoebe, but she wasn't going to tell me the truth.

"You're driving. Don't let her leave until I'm able to talk to her," I say.

"Yes, sir," he bows. "Lead the way,"

10

Knightly

We drive down to the clinic my mom uses for her clients. There's a black Urus parked near the entrance. There are three stickers on the window. Mommy, Aizen, and Ayrie. That first year, I couldn't stop thinking about her. It took me a while to push my wolf back. I almost gave in to him more than once and I found comfort in the thought of her not being within reach.

I don't deserve her forgiveness. I've always known that, but this isn't about her anymore. They're going to need me.

Phoebe tenses up tightly when she sees me walk into the clinic, but she doesn't move when I take a seat next to her. She clears her throat and looks down at the paper in her hand. I take it from her and ball it up.

"You don't have to do this, Angel. We can go somewhere and we can talk about this like adults. That's all I'm asking,"

I hate that she's trembling, that I'm someone she's afraid of. I wait for her response and she finally gives me a small nod. The two of us walk out together. I wave Peter off and walk to her car with her. She's so close I can feel the heat coming off her skin.

"You drive," she unlocks the car when she sees Pete get into mine.

I have to keep my hands to myself. One touch and my wolf will wake up. Just having her within proximity is stirring him. Easing into this is what's best for the two of us, right now. I take her out of the city. Away from anyone who would jump at the opportunity to corner us into something we're not ready to handle.

There's an old beach house just outside the city with a private beach. It's quiet and there's no one around for miles. She sits back and smiles as it comes into view.

"Have you been here before?" I ask.

"Hmm?" she turns to look at me. "No,"

"It looked like you recognized it,"

"Ayrie," she says gently. "When we were on the plane, she asked me if we were going to live in a regular house instead of an apartment. She said she wanted a Beach house better than Barbie's,"

"This is where my mom and I lived before she met my dad," I smile.

"What?"

"Fredrick Blake is my stepfather. He adopted me when he married my mom. I thought we could use some privacy,"

"Thank you," she nods.

"Let me show you around,"

"I think I just want to sit down," she declines.

We walk around the house to get to the gazebo that leads down to the beach. She sits on the steps facing the water. Her shoulders shake as she starts to cry. I know nothing about this girl, but a part of me doesn't like seeing her this way. It makes it worse because I'm the reason why she's crying. At the very least, my wolf and I can agree on me being an idiot.

"Phoebe, the last thing I want is to hurt you or our pu-kids," I sit next to her.

"They're mine," she glares at me.

Her eyes are red. There's makeup running down her cheeks. She's as beautiful as the day we met. How do I miss someone that only existed for a few hours this much?

"They're ours. They stopped being just yours when I saw them,"

"Please, don't do this," she shakes her head.

"What is it you think I'm going to do?" I ask.

"I don't know," she tries to fight her tears. "But I know that whatever it is, it's going to hurt them. You can do whatever you want with me. Not them. Knightly, we were kids. It was a crazy decision. It's not their fault. I made the choice. If you're going to punish me, don't involve them,"

"I don't know what makes you think that I would do anything to you or them, Phoebe," I sigh. "I know we were kids and I'm not denying that the choice you made was right. I fucking hate that I've lost so much time with them, but there's nothing I can do about that anymore, Angel. All I want is to see them. I want them to know me. I want to know them. That's all I want for now,"

"What does that mean, for now?"

"One step at a time, Angel. You have blindsided me for a second time and I don't have all the answers at the moment,"

"I blindsided you?" she scoffs. "I was twenty-four and alone when I found out. You're not the victim here,"

"Don't I fucking know that," I laugh.

"You promise?" she looks up at me. "You promise this is about them and not us?"

"Yes," I nod. "I don't really know anything about you, Angel. Up until the other night, all I knew was that I met a really pretty girl one night and that was all we got. Now she's back and I don't know what to fucking do," 

"Do you want to see pictures?" she asks after a few minutes of silence. She reaches into her bag for a tablet. The saving screen is a picture of the three of them laughing. She unlocks it and opens up the pictures. She scrolls down through thousands of pictures until she gets to the beginning. "This is when I found out I was pregnant," she wipes her eyes. "Here,"

I take the tablet to see a black picture with white shading. There are two little beans at the bottom. My blood runs cold as I stare down at it. It takes me a moment to get my shit together because holy shit. This is real.

"How did you find out?" I ask needing to know anything about her.

"I had gone back to work," she laughs wiping away her tears. "I was a junior designer and it's not exactly light work. I had to make sure everything was perfect before the models stepped out onto that runway. I fainted," she smiles. "I freaked out. I mean holy shit. It was the most terrifying thing. And then the ultrasound tech showed me two little beans on the screen and their little heartbeats. I didn't know what to do, but I wasn't exactly helpless. I was deciding if I was going to tell you and looking for a way to get a hold of you,"

"What made you decide?" I ask.

"This," she laughs and flips through the pictures until she gets to a screenshot of a headline. It was the night I met Hailey. Some asshole couldn't take no for an answer and I pulled him off her. It started a riot in the club we were in. "Yeah," 

11

Knightly

"That makes sense," I laugh because her logic is flawless.

"I promise it's not personal, Knightly. But they mean everything to me. I didn't have a good childhood growing up and I don't want that for them. I swear I'll let you and your mom see them whenever you want. I think it would be amazing for Aizen. But he doesn't need this," she taps the screen. "He's a sweet innocent little boy and I will do anything to make sure that he stays that way for as long as I can help it. Ayrie too. She's got my temperament, but she's such a sweetie,"

"You have a temper?" I laugh. "I don't see it,"

"You think I got to where I am being nice to people?" she scoffs. "You're lucky you're a pretty boy with beautiful green eyes. That's my only weakness. I'm so lucky my son is a good boy and doesn't take advantage of that weapon," we both laugh. "I can take that paternity test. If only to squash any doubt,"

"I have none," I shake my head. "I wouldn't be here if there were doubts, Phoebe,"

"You know nothing about me," she looks up at me.

"I'm a really good judge of character. If it were anyone else, they would have tried to get to me the moment they found out about this. Someone else wouldn't be sitting here with me even when they're terrified out of their mind,"

"I am," she nods looking down at her hands. "I'm really scared,"

"You don't have to be. Not of me anyway. My mom on the other hand is already baby-proofing her house and buying toys," I admit. She laughs.

Holy shit, that sound is what drew me in when we met. I could have walked away after that picture but the sound of her voice, the sound of her laughter. The way her face turned bright red with embarrassment. I almost broke all the promises I had made to my family that night. I considered throwing it all away for her. Sitting here with her now, I can't exactly bring myself to regret walking away. I didn't know if I was going to make it very long. I probably wouldn't have if I had marked her. I would have taken her down with me. Things would be completely different for us. 

"She did come off fiery," she looks up at me.

"If you like, this house can be yours. No one uses it anymore. If you're looking for a house. Personally, I think it's a whole lot better than Barbie's," I need her close.  Somewhere I can keep a close eye on them. 

"You are going to spoil the shit out of her, aren't you?" she sighs.

"Oh, yeah. She is going to walk all over me and I am going to do nothing to stop her," I confirm.

"You are going to regret that for the rest of your life," she laughs. She stands up to face me. "I think we need a proper introduction,"

"Okay," I stand up and step down so we're at eye level with one another.

"Hi, my name is Phoebe Altaha and I am the mother of your children," she sighs with relief and holds out her hand for me. "It feels so good to say that," 

I look down at it knowing that if I take it, if I make that connection, there will be no going back for either of us. If Perry or Violetta were here, they'd be laughing. I can't imagine how much she's tortured herself with this secret. As innocent as it is, I know how heavy a lie can be. I myself carry many. 

"Knightly Blake," I put my hand in hers.

"Ah," she lets out the little squeak that got me into all this mess. A bolt of electricity shoots through my body and feel him stir inside of me. "That was weird,"

"That was-" I rub my hand over my chest. "Would you like to see the house?"

"Um, I'd like to go home. I want to be with my kids. You know before things get heavy. I have to talk to them," another no.

"If that's what you want,"

"That's what I want," she says a little more relaxed.

"I'll drive to my place and you can go from there,"

"Right, we drove here in my car," she nods. "I can't fucking believe I got in a car with a stranger. You have a way of making me seem helpless,"

"Trust me when I say that no one believes you're helpless, Angel. I saw what you did at that school in Paris. They lost some of their biggest donations because of what happened,"

"They should have fixed things the first time that kid put his filthy hands on my son," she scoffs. "The first two times, I didn't do anything because he asked me to ignore it. There was no way I was going to let it go. Fuck those people. He still has those marks,"

I try to hide the smile on my dumbass face because holy shit. She really does have a temper. Her face is red and she genuinely looks upset over two kids fighting. That's what kids do, but there's a sense of pride I can't overlook.

Someone threatened her baby and she responded the way any she-wolf would have. Tooth and claw. She's going to need that. Even if she doesn't shift when I mark her. My world demands it. I'm worried about how she's going to react when I tell her the truth. But not about how she will fare in it. She's come this far without me and she's not alone anymore. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure the three of them are protected.

There's no going back. I fucked us both and I'll make sure I make things right. Whatever it takes.