Page 50 of The Alpha's Broken Oath

“Uncle Deacon, it’s too far,” he complains, and beneath those already wet eyes, I can see he really wants to do it, but fear is getting in the way of that.

“Ash?! Ash, look at me!” Winter hollers from the other end of the pool, and I’m forced to look in her direction, too.

Jumping up and down in the water with Adrian beside her, she screams in Ash’s direction, “You are doing great, baby! You are almost there, so swim to me, Ash. Mommy’s waiting for you.”

The grin on Ash’s face makes me smile. Winter’s compliments somehow get to him because he lets go of my hands and starts using his arms and tiny legs to swim.

“Mommy, am I doing it okay?” Ash asks, droplets of water running down his face.

He’s doing better than okay, but I guess he wants to hear it more from Winter than from me.

“So good, baby. You are doing so well. Swim to me and Addie. You can do it just like Addie did it.”

The way Winter hypes him up only makes me admire her and the way Ash listens to her. Goddess, in what world would I have wanted to miss something like this?

“O-Okay,” Ash mumbles excitedly.

I hold him as he kicks his legs in the water and swims determinedly toward his family. Seeing him swim makes my chest beat with pride.

This is my son, and he did it.

Just like Adrian did, and I’m hella proud of them. When we reach the end of the pool, I grab floaters, securing Adrian and Ash on each so they can float in the pool while I speak with their mother.

I’ve barely turned to talk to Winter when she flings herself in my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck.

Does the action take me by surprise? It does.

Do I take advantage of the hug? I do.

My hands band around her waist, the tip of my fingers sinking into her very wet and very smooth skin.

Chest to chest, her face in the crook of my neck, it takes about two seconds to breathe in her scent before she pulls away.

“Thank you,” she whispers, a vibrant smile on her face. ” You have no idea how long they’ve been dreaming of this.”

Because she is in my arms and because I can, my fingers brush the wet strands of hair from her face, my eyes straying to those very inviting lips.

“You don’t have to thank me for fulfilling my duty, Winter. You never have to do that.”

Her walls are back, and her happiness toward me gets replaced by the coldness she had a few seconds ago. I know she doesn’t want me as their father, but thanking me for doing the bare minimum for my sons is like a punch to the teeth.

I’m not prepared to let her leave the pool, but the buzzing sound of my doorbell cuts our moment short.

One minute, Winter is looking at me like I’m the man of her dreams for teaching our sons to swim, and the next minute, she’s looking at me like I’m the gum stuck to her shoe.

“That must be Luka and Julie. I have to answer the door,” she explains.

Just like that, Winter is out of the pool, and she takes Adrian and Asher with the excuse that Luka and Julie are here to see them.

I don’t say a word as I watch them go, and I’m left in the pool with a scowl on my face.

It’s okay. They are still in my house, and I’ve got plenty of time to win them over.

Drying myself, I walk by the living room, not too close for them to see me but close enough to see Winter with a bathrobe on her, chatting animatedly with Luka and Julie on my couch.

My sons, on the other hand, are doing some sort of dance in front of Luka and Julie, and the scene of it all makes bitterness flay my skin raw.

Why didn’t she tell me she was pregnant while she told her friends about Adrian and Asher?

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