Hiding the Alpha’s Heir

“This is our new home, Mama?” Sander asked with his eyes widened in awe.

I roamed my eyes around seeing that this new flat I rented was well maintained. I was glad that I found a caring landlady who was so accommodating to her tenants, unlike the landlady where Sander and I stayed before. Her rent was cheap yet it was dilapidated.

I only rented there because I wanted to live in a simple flat that would avoid having me found by Desmond. But I was glad that I found a flat that would fit in my budget for my wage of being a seamstress and my workplace was two blocks away from our new flat.

I looked at Sander and gently caressed his hair. “Yes, little man. This is our new home with no annoying neighbors,” I said.

He giggled when I gently pinched his nose. “Can I go out while you are away, Mama?” he asked. “I saw a river that isn’t far away from here.”

I chuckled. Sander would always love going to rivers and going to hunt some salmon. “As long as you are not going anywhere aside from that river, it shall be fine with me, little man.”

“Yes!” Sander jumped in joy.

“Shall you help me unpack our things, little man?” He nodded, giggling.

Now, this should make me feel at ease now. I knew that I wouldn’t have to be troubled by worrying about the welfare of my son since the neighbors here were kind. I was only worried about Sander having such extreme escapades as he had this instinct of checking everything if he was curious enough.

“Oh? You moved to a new flat?” Niscia asked as soon as I told her about it.

“Hmm.” I glanced at Sander who was playing outside of the tailoring shop of Madam Ibanez. I usually brought him here if Sander was feeling bored back when we were living in the dilapidated flat. I returned my gaze to Niscia. “It is about time that we moved out. It is hard to live in that place.” I was referring to the previous flat Sander and I lived in.

She nodded and bestowed a cotton fabric after I told her to get me one. “That is nice to hear, Seraphina. I would love to visit you and bring something to your new home.” She smiled sweetly.

“You can come by if you want,” I said happily. I would love to have a new visitor there as well.

All of the seamstresses suddenly behaved when Madam Ibanez arrived looking at us with her deadly stare. We all looked away and continued our work.

“Seraphina.”

I flinched when she called my name. Smiling wryly, I turned to her. “Y-Yes, madam?” Alright, Seraphina… Calm down. She wouldn’t lash out at me, would she? I didn’t wish to have a dispute with her again. I didn’t want to fight back.

“Your son.” Her face darkened. “Get him out from the front. He is bringing bad luck to my tailor shop!” She raised her voice.

I immediately bowed my head. “Y-Yes, I shall tend to it. P-Pardon me, madam.”

She rolled her eyes before she went inside her study room. As soon as she was there, all of us exhaled in relief. Madam Ibanez was a violent person. Although I could match her energy, I was afraid of losing work. It was hard to find some work these days which was why I had been enduring being working as the seamstress in her tailor shop.

I went outside to call Sander. “I need you to behave, Sander. Madam Ibanez doesn’t like kids so please refrain from running and roaming around the shop. Do you get me?” I asked softly as I caressed his golden locks.

“Hmm!” Sander answered.

Later that day, we became busy. Sander was beside me watching me, having a fascination in his eyes. I could already tell that he wanted to insist that he wanted to try it as well but he just patiently watched there.

We heard laughter coming from the study room of Madam Ibanez. I was certain that she was having fun chatting with her new client. Then we heard the door opening.

“His Lordship will look forward to his new tailored tuxedo, madam.”

I glanced at the man who was bowing his head to Madam Ibanez. Madam Ibanez fluttered her fan and hid her half-face. “I shall bring one of my seamstresses there, Sir Elron.”

“We will look forward to your arrival,” the man named Elron said before he turned his back and left the tailor shop.

My eyes were glued to the door of the shop, silently thinking that man seemed like a servant from a noble family. It seemed that this shop would get busy again.

“Listen, everyone!” We looked up at the gallery when Madam Ibanez clapped her hands to gather our attention. “We have a big-time client. His Lordship wants a skillful seamstress who can tailor him a tuxedo for the party he is going to attend next month. One of you must come with me to visit the hotel where he is staying at.”

The murmurs coming from my fellow seamstresses started to occur. I looked down when Sander gently tugged my dress. I smiled when he showed me that he was sewing extra pieces of fabric that were thrown off the floor. I nodded and bestowed him a thumbs up that he got my approval.

“Seraphina!”

I immediately stood up. “Y-Yes, madam?” I looked at her when I saw that her face looked like she wanted to explode already. I gulped because it seemed like she looked at me when she called my name.

She squinted her eyes as I saw her nose was flaring in annoyance already. “You are coming with me tomorrow. You are taking the measurement!”

I gasped. “What?” My heart dropped upon hearing that. Shit… I was really hoping not to be chosen for the next clothing that we needed to sew but it seemed I had made a mistake… “But Madam Ibanez-”

I wanted to beg to disagree but she cut me off. “Hush! Not a word from your filthy mouth!” She almost screamed and I felt the screeching sound in my head that almost made my wolf and me insane from that voice of hers. “I have already decided so shut the hell up!”

I gripped my skirt, wanting to bark at her. This made me feel insulted but there was no way I could do that because my work was going to be at risk. In the end, I bowed my head. “Yes, madam. A-As you wish.”

She scoffed and returned to her study room again. We all flinched when she slammed the door. Sighing, I turned at Niscia, suddenly feeling stressed at this moment.

“It is alright, Seraphina. At least, we are going to work together for this new client,” Niscia said, trying to lift up my mood.

I only nodded and sat down beside Sander. “Is it just me or she is always annoyed at me every single time our eyes meet?” I asked, half-annoyed.

Niscia chuckled. “She may feel envious that you are more of a beauty than her.” She winked.

I scoffed. “You and your silly jokes…”

“What?” She fluttered her eyes. “You are really beautiful, Seraphina. You should try entertaining some guys.”

I looked at her in disbelief. “No.” I glanced at Sander who was busy sewing again. “I have no time for that, Niscia. I am focused more on my son,” I said and smiled gently seeing that my son was the light of my life. My little man in my life.

“For sure, Sander is looking for a father figure already, hmm?” She glanced at Sander. “Sander, do you wish to have a new Papa?”

I inhaled slowly when Sander looked up at Niscia and shook his head. Here we go again… We were talking about Papa again.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“I don’t want a new Papa. I want my real Papa.”

That made me stiff. I couldn’t even utter another word from this. The determination from Sander’s voice was making me shiver. I didn’t know what to say next but I was thankful when Niscia spoke.

“Where is your real Papa then?”

I creased my forehead when I glanced at Niscia. “Niscia…” There was a warning in my tone. She knew that I didn’t like talking about Sander’s father because of the past I had with him.

Niscia smiled wryly. “Sorry…”

I turned to Sander who had just spoken. “Mama does not want to talk about Papa. Maybe, Papa hurt Mama. If that happens my real Papa hurts Mama, I do not want to see him ever again.”

My eyes widened at Sander’s words. I was rendered speechless that he had said these things to me. Even Niscia looked surprised at what my son said.

Sander looked at me with an earnest expression. “I will protect you, Mama. I will not let anyone hurt you. Even if that is my real Papa. I will fight back for you.”

With that, he hugged me while I was left in a daze. I couldn’t believe it… Did Sander utter those words? Did he seriously not want to see Desmond?

I was supposed to be happy upon hearing this, right?

Then, why did I feel otherwise?