Chapter 11

The scent was unmistakable. It was Alpha Christopher’s, as potent as my own, and it was undeniable. He was the father of the life growing inside me, but then doubt crept in.

~What will Christopher think?~

Wasn’t it just sex he wanted? And now, here I was, pregnant.

Insecurity washed over me, and as if on cue, Christopher called. I declined the call. I was too shell-shocked to talk to anyone, especially him.

Christopher was due to visit the pack the next day. I didn’t know what to do, but at least I had a few hours to figure things out.

I hurried out of the bathroom and locked myself in my room. I just wanted to cry and pretend that none of this had happened. But then, two knocks on the door made me jump on the bed.

“Scarlett, sweetheart, may I come in?” It was Mom. I knew I didn’t want to see anyone, but any excuse would only make her worry more, and deep down, I needed a mother’s comfort.

“Come in, Mom,” I said, and she slowly opened the door, walked over, and sat on my bed.

“Sweetie, I feel terrible for not having talked to you yet about what happened with Mathew. I got so wrapped up with work, the days slipped by, and you seemed to always be on duty,” Mom said.

She patted her lap twice, inviting me to lay my head down, and that was all I needed. I laid my head on her lap, and she started to gently stroke my hair.

“It’s not your fault, Mom; in fact, I was always on duty. I buried myself in work so I didn’t have to think,” I confessed.

“Is there something you need to tell me?” she asked, and I froze, lifting my head to look at her.

“Did Karen tell you?” I asked, my voice filled with anxiety.

“Tell me what? Is there something else bothering you?”

I couldn’t keep secrets anymore. I told Mom everything. She and Karen were always my best friends, and I felt like I was going to burst if I didn’t share this with someone.

“The night I went to meet Mathew at Tyler’s, I found out he was lying to me, and I saw him cheating on me. I just collapsed on the dance floor, and someone picked me up,” I said.

I turned to meet her gaze. “And that someone was the alpha.”

My mother’s eyes widened. I thought Karen would have said something to her, but she really had no idea. She tried to hide her reaction, but her expression gave her surprise away.

“He was incredibly kind,” I continued. “He listened to me, he looked after me, and we ended up together that night. That’s it.”

I ended the story there, but she didn’t seem satisfied. I could feel my mother’s anxiety, but she took a deep breath before speaking.

“You know I’m trained as a gynecologist, don’t you?”

Of course I did. But still, I froze. A chill of fear ran up my spine. ~How will my mother react to this?~

“I can smell pregnant women from miles away. I went to do your laundry, and I was startled by the scent, Scarlett. I thought it was your sister’s, but the panties were yours.”

Then I understood exactly why she’d come into my room. She knew I was pregnant before I even knew myself.

“I thought it was Mathew’s, and you guys not being together anymore could have been a problem, but now you slept with the alpha? Do you realize how much this complicates things?”

I knew she didn’t mean to upset me, but her words scared me. I started crying.

“Yes. I just took the pregnancy test, and it’s the alpha’s. From the smell, I’m sure it’s his. Mom, what am I going to do?”

For a minute, she didn’t say anything. She just continued stroking my hair.

“You have to tell him. And if he doesn’t want to, we’ll raise this child as a family. You know I always wanted to be a grandmother.”

She simply said that she would be by my side, no matter what, and that gave me hope. I couldn’t believe it. I just hugged her tight.

“Thanks, Mom, but don’t tell anyone, please. I need to tell Christopher first,” I said, sitting up on the bed.

“Christopher?” she said, laughing. I was calling the alpha by his first name. But then she just hugged me.

I spent the night crying. I was already dealing with pregnancy hormones and didn’t know exactly how to feel.

The next day, I woke up to a message from Christopher. Even though I had been ignoring him for days, he just kept sending texts.

Christopher

I’ll be back today at noon. I want to see you.

My heart froze, and I just ignored it, like all the other messages.

I stayed at home until lunch, ate, and went straight to the clinic. Karen would be there too, but I was avoiding her so I wouldn’t have to bring up the subject. Even though my scent was faint, in a few days it would be easy to identify from a distance. I only had a few days to tell everyone.

Just thinking about it made me want to panic. I continued to bury myself in work to avoid thinking about it. But in the middle of the afternoon, when I went to the reception to get a medical record, I found Karen and my mother leaving an office too. And to our surprise, my father walked in. Suddenly, the reception felt like our dining room.

“Lots of Byron’s together,” Bertha said, laughing along with Amanda, the receptionist.

“Honey, what brings you here?” my mother asked, confused.

“Actually, Alpha Christopher has summoned Scarlett for an urgent meeting. I came to inform her.”

I saw my mother and sister’s eyes widen, but my father kept talking. “I don’t understand why. Do you know, Scarlett?”

My mother and sister’s eyes widened even more. They looked at me, and I felt my cheeks blush.

“Scarlett attended to the alpha a few days ago, didn’t she? It must have something to do with that,” Bertha said, pulling some charts off the shelf.

“Of course, that must be it,” my mother said.

“But why a summons? Doesn’t he have your number?” Karen asked me softly, frowning.

“Yes, but I have been ignoring his calls,” I said, even more quietly, so only Karen could hear. “I can’t go, Dad, I have a clinic all afternoon.”

I went back to signing the latest chart, placing it on the counter.

“Scarlett, it’s a summons—you have no choice,” Dad said, raising his voice. “Karen, take her place at the clinic. Scarlett, let’s go!”

It really irritated me that the alpha was forcing me to talk to him.

“You’d better go, honey, we can manage here,” my mother said, trying to be encouraging. She was right, I needed to tell him this soon; waiting would only make things even worse.

“All right, let’s hit the road,” I said, slipping out of my lab coat and passing it to my mom.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” she reassured me, planting a soft kiss on my cheek.

I drove with my dad to the pack’s house, praying he wouldn’t pick up on my pregnancy scent. Thankfully, the lingering smell of the hospital seemed to mask it. I stayed quiet, playing out every possible scenario in my head, trying to figure out the best way to break the news.

When we arrived at the pack’s house, the front entrance was a stark contrast to the one I’d used just days before. It was a massive, four-story building, its mirrored glass façade reflecting the world around it.

The first three floors were dedicated to business, housing the administrative and legal departments of the pack, along with a sprawling kitchen, dining room, and the alpha’s office. I’d always known the top floor was his personal space. That day, I noticed other doors I hadn’t seen before, leading to rooms I’d never known existed.

My dad and I walked in together, and while everyone greeted him warmly, they gave me puzzled looks. I couldn’t help but worry that someone had already figured out my secret. We made our way to the third floor, and at the end of a long hallway, we found a set of intricately carved wooden doors. They reminded me of the door to his room. My dad stopped just short of entering.

“I have some things to take care of. Let me know if you need anything, sweetheart,” he said, planting a kiss on my forehead before disappearing through a door to the left.

Now, there was no turning back. I had no choice but to face what was coming. Gathering my courage, I pushed open one of the doors and stepped inside.

The room was enormous, rivaling the size of Christopher’s room, complete with a loft. Antique weapons and swords adorned the walls, interspersed with shelves filled with books. A low table sat in the center of the room, and at the back was a large, carved wooden desk with a grand chair.

Christopher was seated there, engrossed in some paperwork. He looked more handsome than ever. My heart pounded in my chest, my body reacting to his presence. As soon as I entered, his eyes met mine. I took a few steps forward but maintained a safe distance. I stood in the center of the office as he began to speak.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were avoiding me, Scarlett,” Christopher said.

He rose from his desk and started to approach me, his towering presence making my heart flutter.

“You’ve been silent for three days. I even reached out to your dad to make sure everything was all right. I thought maybe your phone was acting up or you were swamped with work.”

His words were heavy with meaning, resonating within me. There was a hint of pain and worry in his voice.

“If you don’t want to see me, just say it. But I want you to know, I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” I admitted. “But I didn’t know what to do. You left, and I started overthinking. And then, well, I guess I should be honest. I was avoiding you.”

I left the alpha speechless.

“You didn’t go back to that jerk, did you? Scarlett, he’s a fool. You promised me. You deserve better,” he said, his tone serious as he started to approach me.

I took a step back, unsure of how to respond.

“No, it’s not about Mathew. Not this time. At first, I thought it was, and I was scared. But then it wasn’t, and I felt relieved.” It was hard to speak while looking directly at him.

“Scarlett, what are you trying to say?” His voice was filled with concern.

I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear it in his voice.

I took a deep breath and started over.

“I started feeling sick about three days ago. I had a suspicion, but I wasn’t certain. The uncertainty made it impossible for me to talk to you.”

I was scared of how you’d react. I was even scared it might be Mathew’s, but it’s not. It’s yours and…” I couldn’t finish my sentence.

Christopher grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face him. His face was a picture of shock, which scared me even more.

“Scarlett, what are you saying?” The world seemed to stand still.

I was lost in his gaze. I was terrified of how Christopher might react. But looking into his eyes, I knew I had strong feelings for him—feelings I couldn’t deny any longer.

“If you don’t want to be involved, I’ll raise the baby myself. You don’t have to worry about me,” I said, causing his eyes to widen even more.

“Scarlett, are you saying you’re…” His voice trailed off.

“Pregnant. Yes, Alpha, I’m pregnant,” I confirmed.