Kai's POV
Everything happens too fast.
One second I'm standing there holding my children, trying to process that Ethan Cross—the man who destroyed me—just asked if they're his. The next second, Ethan is pushing through the crowd toward us, and Adrian's hand clamps on my shoulder.
"We're leaving. Right now." Adrian's voice is hard. Alpha-hard. The kind of voice that doesn't argue.
But Ethan doesn't stop. He shoves past a family with luggage, his eyes wild and locked on the twins. On Luna's amber eyes. On River's protective stance. On me.
"Kai, wait! Please, I just need to—"
"Back off," Adrian says, stepping between us. His alpha presence explodes outward like a physical wall. Other omegas in the airport actually stumble back from the force of it.
Ethan stops, but barely. His chest is heaving. "I'm not trying to—I just need to talk to him. Five minutes. Please."
"You don't get to demand anything," Adrian snaps.
Around us, people are stopping. Staring. Phones come out. I see the red recording lights and my stomach drops to the floor.
Not again. Please, not again.
"That's Ethan Cross!" someone shouts. "The CEO of Cross Pharmaceuticals!"
"Who's the omega with the kids?"
"Oh my god, are you recording this?"
Luna whimpers and presses her face against my leg. "Daddy, I don't like this. Too many people."
That breaks through my frozen panic. My babies. I need to protect my babies.
I scoop Luna up and she buries her face in my neck. River grabs my free hand, his little fingers squeezing tight.
"We're going," I say, my voice shaking but firm. "Adrian, get our bags. We're leaving right now."
"Kai, please!" Ethan's voice cracks. He looks desperate, destroyed, nothing like the cold alpha who dumped me five years ago. "Those children—are they mine? Just tell me that. Please."
The crowd gasps. Phones flash. This is going to be everywhere in an hour.
"Leave my daddy alone!" River suddenly shouts, his little voice fierce. He steps in front of me, all three feet of him, glaring at Ethan like he's ready to fight a grown alpha. "You're making him sad! Go away!"
Ethan drops to his knees right there on the airport floor. His eyes are shining with tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm not trying to scare you. I just—"
"Mr. Cross?" Two airport security guards appear, looking confused and nervous. "Sir, is there a problem here?"
"No," Ethan says quickly, standing up. "No problem. I'm just—"
"Yes, there's a problem," Adrian interrupts. "This man is harassing my family. We'd like to leave peacefully."
"Your family?" Ethan's face twists with something painful. "Adrian, they're not—"
"They ARE my family," Adrian says firmly. "I've been there for Kai and these children for five years. Where were you?"
The words hit Ethan like a punch. He actually staggers back.
"I didn't know," Ethan whispers. "I didn't know about them. Kai, please, if I had known—"
"You had five years!" The words explode out of me before I can stop them. Luna flinches in my arms, but I can't hold it in anymore. "Five years, Ethan! You don't get to show up now with your flowers and your banners and act like you care!"
The entire arrivals area goes silent. Everyone is staring. Dozens of phones are recording every word.
I don't care. Let them record. Let them post it. I'm not that scared omega boy anymore.
"You destroyed me," I continue, my voice breaking. "You humiliated me in front of everyone. You made me wish I was dead. And now you want five minutes? You want to ask questions? You don't get that. You don't get anything from me."
Tears stream down Ethan's face. Actual tears. The great Ethan Cross, crying in an airport. "I know. I know what I did. But Kai, please—"
"Sir, we need you to step back," one security guard says to Ethan. "You're causing a disturbance."
Ethan ignores him. "Are they mine, Kai? Please. I need to know. Are those my children?"
Luna lifts her head from my neck. Her amber eyes—Ethan's eyes—look at him with innocent curiosity. "Why are you crying, mister? Did someone hurt you too?"
Ethan makes a choking sound. His hand reaches out like he wants to touch her, then drops. "Yes," he whispers. "Someone hurt me. But I deserved it. I hurt someone first."
"That's not nice," Luna says seriously. "You should say sorry."
"I'm trying to, sweetheart. But sometimes sorry isn't enough."
"Okay, that's enough," Adrian says, his voice deadly calm. He picks up our bags one-handed—the man is ridiculously strong—and guides me toward the exit. "Let's go, Kai. Kids, stay close to Daddy."
We push through the crowd. People try to ask questions, to get closer, but Adrian's alpha presence keeps them back. I hold Luna tight and keep River's hand in mine.
Behind us, I hear Ethan: "Kai! Kai, please! I'll wait! I'll wait as long as it takes! Please, just—"
The automatic doors close, cutting off his voice.
Adrian's car is right outside—he must have paid extra for close parking. He gets the twins buckled into their car seats while I collapse in the front passenger seat, shaking all over.
My phone starts buzzing. And buzzing. And buzzing.
I pull it out with trembling fingers. The screen is flooded with notifications:
"BREAKING: Ethan Cross confronts mystery omega at airport!"
"Who are Ethan Cross's secret children??"
"Kai Rivers returns to Crescent Bay with TWINS!"
Text messages pour in from numbers I don't recognize:
"OMG Kai Rivers is back!"
"Did you see the video? Ethan looked DESTROYED"
"Those kids have to be his, right?"
Then one message makes my blood freeze:
"Still causing drama, little brother? Mom and Dad saw the videos already. They're humiliated. Again. Some things never change. You're an embarrassment to this family. Don't bother coming around. - Derek"
My hands start shaking so hard I nearly drop the phone.
Adrian glances over as he starts the car. "Kai? What's wrong?"
I can't answer. I just turn off my phone and stare out the window as he drives away from the airport.
"Daddy?" Luna's small voice comes from the back seat. "Why are you crying?"
I didn't even realize I was crying. I wipe my face quickly. "I'm okay, baby. Just tired."
"Was that man your friend?" she asks.
"No," River answers before I can. "That man made Daddy upset. He's not our friend."
"But he looked so sad," Luna says. "And he has eyes like me."
My heart stops. She noticed. Of course she noticed. Luna notices everything.
"Lots of people have amber eyes, sweetie," I lie. "It's just a coincidence."
"What's a coin-see-dense?"
"It means random chance," River says importantly. He's been reading again. "Right, Daddy?"
"Right," I whisper.
Adrian drives in silence for a while. Then, quietly: "He knows, Kai. You saw his face. He looked at those kids and he knew."
"I don't care what he knows."
"He's going to come after you. After them. You know that, right? Ethan Cross doesn't give up. Especially not now."
I close my eyes. "Then he'll have to get through me. And you. And anyone else who tries to hurt my babies."
"Our babies," Adrian says softly.
I open my eyes and look at him. Adrian, who found me when I was broken. Who helped me survive. Who's been more of a father to River and Luna than Ethan ever was.
"Our babies," I repeat.
We drive through familiar streets. Crescent Bay hasn't changed much. Same buildings. Same ocean view. Same city that chewed me up and spit me out five years ago.
But I've changed. I'm not that scared boy anymore. I'm a father. A researcher. A survivor.
Ethan Cross doesn't get to destroy me twice.
Adrian pulls up to a nice apartment building—our new home. He arranged everything before we arrived. Safe neighborhood. Good schools nearby. A fresh start.
As we're getting the twins out of the car, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I turned it off, so it must have turned back on automatically.
One new voicemail. From a number I deleted years ago but still recognize.
Ethan's number.
My finger hovers over the delete button. I should delete it. I should block him. I should—
"Kai?" Adrian says. "You coming?"
"Yeah," I say. "Yeah, I'm coming."
But I don't delete the voicemail.
And as we walk into our new apartment building, with Luna chattering about which room she wants and River asking about the nearest library, I wonder:
What did Ethan say in that message?
And why am I so terrified to listen to it?