Chapter 7

#Chapter 7 – Custody Crisis “Don’t turn your back on me, Evelyn!” Victor chases me out into the hall. “I’m taking custody. Expect a call from my lawyer,” he calls after me as I saunter down the hall.

“Don’t turn your back on me, Evelyn!” Victor chases me out into the hall. “I’m taking custody. Expect a call from my lawyer,” he calls after me as I saunter down the hall.

“Whatever, Victor,” I call back, flipping him off over my shoulder as I walk away. “You have no rights, they boys are mine.”

A roar rips out behind me and suddenly Victor grabs me, pushing me up against the corner of the wall which my head hits, hard. I gasp and cry out.

“They’re not your children, Evelyn. By rights and by law, they belong to their paternal lineage. It’d be different if they were Beta or Omega trash, but you know it,” he takes me by the shoulders and shakes me. “They are Alphas, they need to be raised as such!”

“I’m raising them just fine,” I say through gritted teeth, looking him in the eye.

“It’s not even about you, Evelyn,” he says, clearly changing tactics and trying to get me to see logic. “I can give them a life you can’t – I have resources -”

“Resources!” I laugh in his face, interrupting him. “You have no idea what they need. You’ve met them for what, five minutes? You like them because they’re smart, and they’re cute,” I mock him, “because they look like you and smell like you. You have no idea what it takes to raise a son.”

“I can –“

“You can what,” I retort, hatred clear in my voice, “teach them that it’s okay to throw women up against walls to get what you want?” Victor faulters for a moment and looks down at his hands, his posture, shame coming momentarily into his eyes. He releases me and I stand up straight.

“I have money, Evelyn,” He tries again. “I can give them –“

“Oh, so now it’s about money?” I spit back.

“Is that what you want?” He returns, putting his hands into his pockets and standing back to judge my reaction.

“Are you serious?” I shout, my mouth falling open with shock.

“I can make it worth your while, Evie. It can’t have been easy on you these past years – I can give you a better life as well as –“

“I would never sell my sons,” I say, my voice low and rough with loathing. This stops him in his tracks.

“Go ahead, Victor.” I continue, anger building inside me. “Make me an offer for my sons, go ahead and buy them from me, with all of your money and your resources. What are they worth to you?” My voice is cold with contempt. “Don’t turn your bock on me, Evelyn!” Victor choses me out into the holl. “I’m toking custody. Expect o coll from my lowyer,” he colls ofter me os I sounter down the holl.

“Whotever, Victor,” I coll bock, flipping him off over my shoulder os I wolk owoy. “You hove no rights, they boys ore mine.”

A roor rips out behind me ond suddenly Victor grobs me, pushing me up ogoinst the corner of the woll which my heod hits, hord. I gosp ond cry out.

“They’re not your children, Evelyn. By rights ond by low, they belong to their poternol lineoge. It’d be different if they were Beto or Omego trosh, but you know it,” he tokes me by the shoulders ond shokes me. “They ore Alphos, they need to be roised os such!”

“I’m roising them just fine,” I soy through gritted teeth, looking him in the eye.

“It’s not even obout you, Evelyn,” he soys, cleorly chonging toctics ond trying to get me to see logic. “I con give them o life you con’t – I hove resources -”

“Resources!” I lough in his foce, interrupting him. “You hove no ideo whot they need. You’ve met them for whot, five minutes? You like them becouse they’re smort, ond they’re cute,” I mock him, “becouse they look like you ond smell like you. You hove no ideo whot it tokes to roise o son.”

“I con –“

“You con whot,” I retort, hotred cleor in my voice, “teoch them thot it’s okoy to throw women up ogoinst wolls to get whot you wont?” Victor foulters for o moment ond looks down ot his honds, his posture, shome coming momentorily into his eyes. He releoses me ond I stond up stroight.

“I hove money, Evelyn,” He tries ogoin. “I con give them –“

“Oh, so now it’s obout money?” I spit bock.

“Is thot whot you wont?” He returns, putting his honds into his pockets ond stonding bock to judge my reoction.

“Are you serious?” I shout, my mouth folling open with shock.

“I con moke it worth your while, Evie. It con’t hove been eosy on you these post yeors – I con give you o better life os well os –“

“I would never sell my sons,” I soy, my voice low ond rough with loothing. This stops him in his trocks.

“Go oheod, Victor.” I continue, onger building inside me. “Moke me on offer for my sons, go oheod ond buy them from me, with oll of your money ond your resources. Whot ore they worth to you?” My voice is cold with contempt.

Victor pauses and takes a moment to survey me. He knows I have caught him there. To a parent – a real mother, or father – a child is priceless.

We take a moment and stare at each other in the hallway, Victor taking in my unyielding rage, me watching him try to find a tactic that will convince me to let him have his way.

“Let me take them, Evelyn,” he says slowly, his voice calm and reasonable. “For their own good. Let me provide them with the best education, the best training, to become the men they’re meant to be. A good mother wouldn’t let her pride stand in their way.”

I stay silent, watching his every move, not letting it show on my face that I know he has a point.

“What do they have now, Evie?” He says, opening his palm in a silent plea. “A basic education at some human school? Only you to take care of them –“

I open my mouth to protest but he stops me. “No, Evelyn. That’s not a dig at you. But one person with two little boys – working full time?” He asks. I nod, confirming. “You must be exhausted.”

I sigh and narrow my eyes at him. Damnit, he’s good.

“Do you even have enough money to take care of them?” he asks, his voice quiet.

“We do fine.” I say, wrapping my arms defensively across my chest.

“If you let me be their father,” he says – and I note the change in his language, “they will have the best of everything, and so will you. A nanny, private tutors, the best schools – the best future…”

He shakes his head at me. “Don’t be selfish, Evelyn. Don’t just think about yourself, your pride. Think about what’s best for them.”

Tears spring to my eyes as Victor hits upon the one thing that could make me hesitate, the fear that has haunted me since the day I found out they existed: the idea that maybe I can’t provide for my boys on my own, give them the world and everything that they deserve.

“I’ve given them everything they could ever want or need,” I say, my tears starting, again, to spill over.

God, I’m sick of crying.

“They’ve wanted for nothing. I got them here –“ I said, louder, bravado coming into my speech as I wave my arm towards the sound stage which, so recently, was a site of joy and pride for me and my children. “They won this. I can’t have done so bad if they can do that.”

“They are remarkable boys, Evelyn. It’s testament to you.” Victor speaks slowly now, choosing his words carefully. “But imagine what they could be if they had more, the best at their disposal.”

“And what,” I say, “is the price of a new mother, if you take them away from me? How can your resources buy someone who will love them and care for them more than she does herself?”

He pauses. I have him there.

“Or what,” I laugh, a realization suddenly springing into my head, “are you going to ask your girlfriend to be their mom? Supermodel Amelia Jones, mother of two?” I laugh harder, though the laughter has no real joy. Still, it’s nice to see the blood rush to his face as he realizes my point.

“Amelia…Amelia will understand,” he says. “She will fall in line.” Victor waves his hand, dismissing it as a subject of concern.

I shake my head at him, still smiling cruelly. “Whatever, Victor – you think I don’t know all about her?

You’re one of the most famous political couples around. She’s focused on her career – everyone knows it. Do you think I’d really let my boys go live with you, knowing that they wouldn’t have a mother to care for them?”

“I’m the Alpha, Evelyn,” Victor says, assurance in every line of his body. “I will arrange and take care of everything.”

With that, he turns on his heel and stalks towards the back of the soundstage. “Keep an eye on your phone, Evelyn,” he says. “My lawyers will call. Tomorrow.”

I stand, watching him go, shaking, tears lining my face. “You don’t have my number,” I call after him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get it.”

s**t, I think, shaking my head. With all of his connections, he probably will. As Victor starts to walk down the hall, I start to feel my breathing increase, my heart pound in my chest. What am I going to do? Can he really take them from me? How much more time do I have with my boys? Fear overwhelms me and I start to feel woozy, black dots appearing in my vision.

I clutch at the wall and let out a gasp, slipping to the floor. The world fades as I faint, and the last thing I hear is Victor call “Evelyn!” as he turns and rushes back towards me…