2 Million? No, Just 200! So I Fled With My Twins Chapter 03

My skin was on fire. Even my wolf’s healing couldn’t work fast enough. An angry red burn spread across my shoulder. My wolf pressed against the edge of my mind, growling, desperate to protect her pups.

But before I could say a word, Nyx started up again, all fake concern. “See? I told you it was dangerous, and look what happened. If you can’t even keep yourself safe, how are you going to protect your kids?”

More and more people gathered around to watch.

“Isn’t that the gold-digger Luna? I heard she dumped the Alpha and had some other guy’s kids.”

“She had it made, and she blew it. Now her kids are paying for it.”

“She’s using those kids to squeeze him for cash. Why else won’t she let their dad take them?”

Every word of it was a lie.

I was pregnant when I left, and snapping the mate bond by force would have sent the backlash into my unborn pups. So I only filed for divorce at the courthouse, closed my private mind link with him and left the Nightstalker pack link.

Once I left the territory, what remained of the bond only let me catch his emotions now and then. No words came through, and it couldn’t tell him where we were. Later on, I never could bring myself to cut it for good.

I gritted my teeth against the pain and looked at Corin. I couldn’t tell whether the mate bond still meant anything, or whether there was any love left between us at all.

He was frowning. He didn’t stop Nyx, and he didn’t ask how badly I was burned. He looked like he was waiting for me to admit I was wrong.

Whatever I still felt for him died right then. Deep in my mind, my wolf bared her teeth.

I didn’t waste another word. I pulled out my phone and played a recording.

“Morgana, the Alpha says here’s five hundred dollars. Go end the pregnancy already. Not enough? You may be Luna, but you’re nothing but a worthless housewife. How much more do you want?”

It was Nyx, as sharp and vicious as ever, and the crowd went dead silent.

Corin froze for a few seconds, then turned to look at Nyx.

Nyx burst into tears and backed away, shaking her head. “No, Alpha. She spliced that together. She’s the one who complained it wasn’t enough back then, and now she’s cutting up clips to frame me!”

I scoffed. “Oh, I’m framing you? That’s rich. You cornered me in the hallway of the Pack House and said every word of that, and people heard you. Want me to drag them down here to back me up?”

Nyx cried even harder and ducked behind Corin. “You already paid them off. Alpha, don’t believe her. She’d do anything for money.”

Corin’s brows knit. He thought it over for a long time before he finally spoke. “One recording doesn’t prove anything. We’ll wait for the paternity results.”

Then he walked straight behind the stall, scooped up Isolde and headed off. Isolde burst into tears and reached for me, crying for her mommy.

I rushed over and planted myself in his way. “You walk out of this plaza with my kid today, and by tomorrow, the whole town’s going to hear about the Nightshade family’s dirty laundry.”

He held his daughter, his face thunderous. But in the end, he stopped.

*****

On the day of the test, I brought the twins to the Grayhaven Werewolf Medical Center right on time.

The nurse was getting ready to draw blood when Nyx suddenly shrieked.

“Wait!” She pointed at my bag. “She’s got someone else’s blood sample hidden in there. She’s trying to swap the samples and cheat the test.”

The two bodyguards Nyx had brought stepped in before I could react. They yanked my bag away and dumped everything out.

A labeled vial of blood rolled across the floor and stopped at Corin’s feet. He picked it up and glanced at the name on the label, and his face darkened.

He walked over and held the vial up in front of me, furious. “Morgana, you’re a real piece of work. You’d stoop this low to scam money out of me?”

Over his shoulder, I caught the smug little smile tugging at Nyx’s mouth.

I looked at him calmly. “That’s not mine. Somebody bumped into me on my way to the bathroom earlier. Want to know who planted it? Pull the hallway security footage.”

The doctor standing nearby looked uncomfortable. “Bad timing, I’m afraid. The camera in that hallway happens to be broken…”

Nyx jumped right in. “No wonder you picked the seat by that hallway. You must have known about the camera ahead of time, and you were waiting for your chance to make the swap.”

Corin’s face went gray with anger, and he looked at me with disappointment and disgust. “Forget the test.”

He tossed the vial into the biohazard bin beside him and gave me a bitter look. “Who are you getting all that money for? Their real father?”

I lost it. “Their real father is you, you absolute moron.”

He scowled. “I’m not claiming any kids born to a scheming, vicious woman like you. Expect a call from my lawyer. I’m reporting you for fraud.”

He stood there shielding Nyx and found me guilty without asking a single question. Watching him, I felt the last scrap of hope I had flicker out.

When I said nothing, he gave a cold laugh and stepped in closer.

“In a few days, the Nightstalker Group is holding a product launch. In front of every reporter there, I’m going to expose you for what you are and formally break what’s left of the mate bond.”

“You love playing the broke single mom to bring customers to your little food truck, don’t you? I’m going to show everyone how vicious you really are, Morgana Hail.”

“You’ve got three days to pay back every cent you stole. Otherwise, you’re going to prison, and your kids are going into foster care.”

He didn’t give me a chance to answer. He turned and walked out.