Chapter 17

My mom’s words hit me like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, I was jolted back to reality, and the realization that I was carrying a life inside me washed over me. My mom was right; this wasn’t just any life, it was the future of our pack.

The weight of that truth had me instinctively placing a hand on my belly, tears streaming down my face.

“What are you talking about, Martha?” my father asked, his eyes wide with confusion.

I finally managed to meet his gaze and saw the same bewildered expression mirrored on my brother’s face.

“Scarlett is pregnant. The alpha is the father,” my mother announced, her arm around me guiding me to the living room sofa.

I had been terrified of my father’s reaction to this news, but to my surprise, he remained silent, his eyes reflecting the turmoil I was feeling.

I let my mom lead me. I didn’t have the strength to resist, and deep down, I knew she was right.

She sat me down and knelt in front of me, her eyes level with mine. She held my hands in hers, her thumb gently stroking mine in an attempt to soothe me.

“Listen to me, sweetheart, you need to think clearly now. Going to the border will only endanger you and the baby. You’ll be more of a liability than a help there,” she reasoned, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear with her free hand.

“We need to protect you. Can you imagine how the alpha would feel seeing the woman carrying his child in a war zone?”

Her words brought me back to my senses. I started to breathe more evenly.

“We should go to the hospital,” she suggested. “If he was bitten, that’s where he’ll be.”

I could only nod in agreement.

“You guys head to the border and I’ll take Scarlett to the hospital,” my mother decided, and my father nodded in agreement.

“Tiffany, dear, can you look after the house for us?”

“Of course, Mrs. Byron,” Tiffany replied as we made our way to the garage.

This wasn’t how I had planned to tell my father about the pregnancy. I had wanted to sit down with him, my brother, and Tiff, and break the news gently.

But fear of their reactions had held me back.

I could feel my father’s intense gaze on me as I walked with Mom to her car. Unable to bear it any longer, I went over to him and wrapped my arms around him.

“I’m sorry you had to find out this way,” I sobbed.

My voice was shaky, but I immediately felt my father’s arms envelop me, holding me close.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, just stay safe,” my father whispered, hugging me tightly.

I watched as my brother said his goodbyes to Tiff, and my mother gave my father a tight hug, instructing him to be careful at the border.

The five-minute drive to the hospital with my mom felt like an eternity. I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

As soon as my mom parked the car, I practically leapt out, desperate to see if Christopher was inside, being treated.

I rushed into the reception area, my mom trailing behind me. The scene was chaotic, with doctors and nurses rushing around.

Then Karen emerged from one of the rooms.

“He’s in room seven; I just stitched him up,” she informed us.

I didn’t need to ask who she was talking about. I could smell his scent emanating from that room.

It was faint, but my wolf perked up at the familiar smell. I didn’t care who saw me or what they thought; I just ran straight into room seven, flinging the doors open.

There was Christopher, shirtless, with a fresh suture on his shoulder, sitting on the stretcher. There were others in the room, but my eyes were only for him.

I ran to him, and it was only when our bodies collided that I could breathe again. I melted into his embrace, feeling his hands roam over my body.

One hand pressed my back against him, while the other cradled the back of my head.

“Shhhh, it’s okay,” he whispered. “I’m fine, Scarlett.”

Christopher gently pulled my face away so I could look at him. Seeing his face was a relief, but I felt a desperate need to feel him close to me, to smell his scent.

He pulled me back into his embrace, his husky voice echoing through the room.

“Give us a minute,” he commanded, and only then did I realize we weren’t alone.

Still in his arms, I turned to see Marquardt, the head of the guard; Alef, the head of legal; and Carl, a counselor. They left the room, and once the door closed behind them, leaving us alone, I confessed.

“I was so scared,” I admitted, my voice choked with tears.

“I’m sorry for this,” he apologized, pulling away to look at me. “I don’t want to put you through this stress.”

“Scarlett.”

He said my name, his hands cupping my face. I tried to meet his gaze, but it was too intense. I had to look away.

“I’ve never felt anything like this, Christopher. I lost control, and I never lose control. But when I heard you were bitten, I wanted to go with my dad to the border, just to make sure you were okay,” I confessed, and he gently tilted my chin up so I had to look at him.

“I would have been terrified if I saw you at the border,” he admitted.

“Don’t worry, my mother didn’t let me. She convinced me I was safer here,” I reassured him, my gaze drifting to my belly.

His followed mine, and then I looked back up at him. “It hit me when she said that the future of the pack was in my womb, and then she brought me here. But I have never felt so much fear and despair in my entire life.”

The last sentence was a confession, one that I could only make in his presence.

“I know, Scarlett. I would have felt the same if our roles were reversed.”

He placed his hand on my belly, his thumb gently stroking it. “There’s something serious we need to discuss.”

He felt my body tense and pulled me into a side hug. “It’s okay, I just need to understand something,” he reassured me.

I nodded, sitting next to him on the stretcher, bracing myself for what was to come. “I just need to call my leaders in for this.”

With a commanding voice, he summoned them. The group of men filed back in at his call.

Among them was Marquardt, the head guard, whom I had treated just a few days prior. He had been in charge since the days of Christopher’s father’s reign as alpha.

Alef was a younger man, tall and lanky, his square glasses lending him an air of intellect. Carl was of average height, a bit on the plump side, and bald.

This time, my father was among them. My gaze immediately found him, and he came over to plant a kiss on my forehead, just like he always did.

“Feeling better?” he asked, his voice brimming with love and worry.

I nodded in response. “I am now.”

Just as I finished speaking, Christopher cleared his throat, prompting everyone to straighten up.

“As you’re aware, we had advance warning of today’s attack. I was informed of another impending assault on our southern border, so Marquardt and I went to prepare. We arrived just as the battle commenced, and we were able to assist our guards. But during the fight, I heard something that froze me in my tracks. A battle cry. ‘Death to the Alpha’s heir. We will take what is ours.’”

His final words were laced with pain, causing my heart to skip a beat. I felt the color drain from my face, and a wave of nausea washed over me.

I turned to face Christopher fully, my mouth falling open. “I thought no one knew,” I stammered, the words tumbling out.

I noticed the leaders shifting uncomfortably, my father in particular. “Exactly, we all thought it was a secret. But evidently, someone knew. Scarlett, who did you tell?” Christopher asked, taking my hand and forcing me to meet his gaze.

“I told my dad, my brother, and Tiffany found out just before I got here,” I began. “Before that, only my mom, my sister, and…” I trailed off, feeling my blood run cold.

It couldn’t be. “Who else, Scarlett?” Christopher prodded, his voice firm yet gentle.

“Bertha. She gave me a pregnancy test after I got sick one morning. But she’s been a nurse here at the hospital for years—she couldn’t have betrayed us.”

Christopher’s gaze left mine as he began to issue orders. “Find her, now,” he commanded, his voice echoing off the walls and sending a chill down my spine—prompting Marquardt to bolt from the room.