Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession

Chapter 155: Burned with pain

Throughout the wave of greetings, bows, and carefully measured words being exchanged in front of the pack house, Vanessa stood quietly beside Elena, offering her presence as a pillar of calm and strength as expected of her.

She was always composed, always aware of her surroundings. But today, no amount of self-discipline could steady her thoughts, or stop her eyes from drifting.

Her gaze, again and again, kept returning to the little boy standing beside Williams.

He couldn’t have been older than five or six, yet there was something so striking about him that it pulled at Vanessa’s attention like a magnet. At first glance, it was the proud way he held himself, chin slightly raised, shoulders back, mirroring Williams’s stance as if it were instinct. Then came the realization that stopped her breath in her chest.

The resemblance.

It was undeniable.

The child’s skin was just a shade darker than Williams’s, but the facial structure—the eyes, those high cheekbones, the lips, the strong brow line—it was like looking at a reflection of Williams from another time. It wasn’t just the features. It was the aura. The quiet alertness in the boy’s eyes, the way he scanned the faces around him without fear. It was too much to be coincidence.

Vanessa’s hands slowly curled into fists, but her face remained placid, even as her heart began to beat a little faster. She glanced once at Elena beside her, who was still exchanging words with Tessy, and then turned her eyes back to the boy.

She tried to dismiss it. Perhaps he was the child of someone from Roman’s side. Perhaps a nephew, a relative of some kind. But no. Vanessa had known Williams long enough. She knew every member of his immediate family. He had no nephews. No siblings either. Her throat dried with every glance she stole.

And then her eyes shifted to the woman standing beside the boy.

A quiet, brown-skinned woman with full lips and wide, intelligent eyes that took in everything happening around her. Her build was delicate, yet there was a protective edge in the way she stood—half-shielding the boy with her body, one hand resting gently on his shoulder as if anchoring him to the earth.

That was when Vanessa’s confusion began to turn into something else.

Suspicion.

She tried to stay focused on the formalities unfolding between Elena and the newly arrived royals, but her mind wandered. Who was the woman?

Vanessa’s gaze moved slowly from the boy, to the woman, then back to Williams.

The ache in her chest sharpened.

She had never questioned that she and Williams shared something rare—something unspoken but deeply understood. Their bond had been years in the making, grounded in loyalty, in shared bloodshed and strategy, in secrets whispered between them when no one else was listening. And yet, standing here, in the center of the pack house where everything was meant to be clear and celebratory, Vanessa felt as though someone had pulled the rug from beneath her feet.

Williams hadn’t noticed her staring. He remained composed, regal, his focus on the formalities unfolding between Roman and Elena. But every so often, he looked down at the boy—just for a second—and in those fleeting seconds, Vanessa saw something terrifyingly intimate.

Something fatherly.

She felt suddenly cold, though the sun still bathed the courtyard in its late-morning warmth. Her fingers loosened and curled again at her sides. She needed to know. She needed to ask. But how could she? How would that even begin?

As if sensing her unrest, the boy looked up, and caught her staring.

Their eyes locked.

And in that single moment, Vanessa forgot how to breathe.

The resemblance between the boy and the woman became clearer. Whoever she was, the child also had her features. But his bone structure, his gait, the way he carried himself... that belonged to Williams.

Vanessa’s lips pressed into a thin line. She swallowed hard, but her throat still felt tight.

Had Williams fathered a child... in secret?

The greetings eventually began to slow, and Elena turned slightly toward Vanessa, giving a soft nod as if to beckon her forward for the next step.

The energy in the courtyard had shifted, but Vanessa carried herself with practiced calm as she stepped forward and proceeded to what she was supposed to do once the greetings had run their course.

Her fingers twitched slightly at her sides, but her face was the picture of grace and serenity. She cast one last glance toward the small boy, before clearing her throat softly and gesturing ahead with a slight incline of her head.

"If everyone would please follow me," she said, her voice smooth but void of its usual warmth, "you’re all expected in the Grand Receiving Room."

Without waiting for a reply, Vanessa turned and began to lead the way into the pack house.

The halls were wide and airy, sunlight pouring in from arched windows that framed views of gardens and the sprawling forest beyond. The scent of fresh herbs lingered in the air, subtle but pleasant, and their footsteps echoed softly on polished stone floors as they ascended the grand staircase toward the top floor.

Vanessa stopped before a pair of massive double doors adorned with carvings of wolves and ancient runes, then pushed them open.

Inside, the Grand Receiving Room lived up to its name. High ceilings arched above like a cathedral, the walls lined with murals depicting the history of the Luminera pack. A massive fireplace sat at the far end of the room, unlit but commanding in its presence. Plush seating was arranged in a semi-circle around the space, upholstered in earth tones that echoed the warmth of the city itself. The floor was a polished blend of marble and stone, cool beneath their feet, and banners bearing the crest of the Luminera pack hung in proud silence from the walls.

One by one, the group entered and took their seats.

Elena turned her gaze subtly toward Dexter. Her curiosity had been piqued the moment she laid eyes on the boy.

"Williams..." she said, her tone calm but pointed, "who is this young one you’ve brought with you?"

All eyes turned to Williams.

He didn’t hesitate, not even for a second.

Straightening his spine, he placed a hand gently on Dexter’s shoulder and said with a voice steeped in pride, "This is my son. Dexter Xander."

Gasps rippled quietly through the room. But he wasn’t done yet.

He lifted his chin slightly and then gestured to the woman beside him, "And this... this is Dera. My woman."

The room fell into a deeper silence, almost reverent in its shock.

Elena’s eyes widened. "Wait," she said slowly, her voice lifting in disbelief, "is she... is she the same Dera I know? The same one you never stopped talking about?"

Williams’s gaze didn’t waver. "She’s the very same person."

Elena sat back for a moment, visibly taken aback, but then her expression shifted, surprise melting into joy. She turned to Dera with a genuine smile, her earlier shock replaced with warmth.

"It’s truly a pleasure to finally meet you, Dera," she said. "You’ve been spoken of for so long. I never thought I’d see this day."

Dera returned the smile, soft but steady. "And it’s a pleasure to meet the highly esteemed Elena," she replied. "I’ve heard a great deal about you."

The mutual respect between them passed like a silent bridge of understanding. But while others were caught in the surprise and wonder of the moment, one person was barely holding herself together.

Vanessa.

The words "this is Dera" had echoed in her mind like a cruel chant. Her ears were ringing, and her heartbeat thundered in her chest. She felt like she had been turned inside out. It was as if the very floor beneath her had opened up to reveal that everything she had carefully, patiently built was all a lie.

Dera. The woman everyone thought to be dead. The same woman Williams used to mention in passing, voice always distant, as though speaking of a wound that never healed. That Dera. The one Vanessa had believed was long gone. The one whose memory she had been quietly competing with for years. noveldrama

And now she was here. Not a memory. Not a ghost. A living, breathing woman. And not just that—his woman.

Vanessa swallowed the lump in her throat, but it wouldn’t go down.

She had spent years beside Williams, offering loyalty, comfort, even affection—waiting, hoping that he would one day look at her with more than just respect. That she would eventually become his choice. And now, with a single announcement, all that shattered.

Her stomach twisted. Her lungs felt tight. But she did not allow her expression to crack.

Not yet.

Then, as if that hadn’t been enough, Elena’s voice rose again, this time colored with mock reprimand.

"How dare you hide this from me, Williams?" she said with playful sternness. "You mean to tell me you had a son and didn’t think to share that detail?"

Williams gave a short laugh and shook his head. "I didn’t hide anything, Elena. I only just found out myself, a few days ago. I had no idea he existed until then."

There was no shame in his voice. No hesitation. Only truth. Vanessa’s eyes burned.

Elena’s frown softened into a thoughtful nod. "Hmm. Then we’ll talk about it more later."

She turned her attention to Dexter, who had been sitting quietly, watching everything unfold with wide, curious eyes. Elena’s expression melted into a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

She lifted her hand and extended it toward him.

"Come here, Dexter," she said gently.

The boy looked at her, his small hand tightening around Dera’s fingers. Then he looked up at his mother, shooting her a silent questioning stare.

Dera gave him a reassuring nod, her voice soft. "Go on, baby."

Dexter hesitated for only a moment longer before stepping forward. His little legs carried him cautiously toward Elena, his posture straight. When he reached her, she bent slightly to his level and cupped his cheek with a gentle hand.

"You’re very brave," she said. "And very special."

Dexter’s lips curved slightly in a small, uncertain smile.

But as Vanessa watched them—watched Elena embrace the child, watched Williams gaze at both with the pride of a father finally complete—her heart burned with pain, confusion, and most of all, with the bitter, searing taste of loss.