Chapter 13

CHRISTOPHER

The moment my body morphed into my wolf form, I felt the wind caress my face, the damp grass under my paws, and the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Only then could I clear my mind.

The situation was insane, yet it made perfect sense.

Joshua had always been threatened by my potential heirs. He had attacked Scarlett and Anthony, and before them, Violet and Caroline. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had a hand in Violet’s preeclampsia, but I pushed that thought away.

Now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

Scarlett knew I was struggling. Her suggestion that I wait a day before diving into this investigation confirmed how well she understood me. I silently thanked the Goddess for her.

But a single run was enough to realign me. My wolf and I needed to vent our frustration, our pain.

The agony I felt when I thought I had lost Violet and Caroline resurfaced.

Scarlett was my second chance, and Anthony was a blessing. But their presence didn’t erase the pain I had endured. It was a throbbing, boiling pain that pulsed with every heartbeat.

As I ran, I felt it slowly dissolve, replaced by a wave of relief.

I needed that relief.

After my run, I showered and headed straight to the meeting room. Everyone was already there, their faces telling me they had been briefed.

I took my seat at the head of the table.

“The meeting will now commence. As you’ve been informed, I discovered today that my daughter, the product of my relationship with my first mate, Violet, is alive. She was given to Frederick’s parents by Frederick himself. Bertha was present at the birth and confirmed the baby was a girl. She knew. I want all records thoroughly examined. We need to know exactly what happened. We suspect this is part of Joshua’s plan to leave me without heirs. I want Scarlett and Caroline under surveillance. Do whatever it takes, Marquardt,” I ordered.

Marquardt nodded in agreement.

It was then that I noticed Thomas was present. Seeing him reminded me of my conversation with Scarlett about considering them as betas. As if he could read my thoughts, he raised his hand to speak.

“Alpha, as soon as Mr. Ronald informed us, I took the liberty of checking Frederick’s records as head of the hospital. On the day of your daughter’s birth, he was the one who selected the team for surgery, including nurses who were on vacation and weren’t even in the hospital. He had only been on duty two hours prior, and after the birth, he left, only returning the next day.”

“So you started investigations before my order, soldier?” I asked, causing Thomas’s eyes to widen.

“Alpha… I…,” he stuttered nervously.

“Excellent, it was the right move. Good job,” I responded, and Thomas visibly relaxed. “I want all these names under investigation. And at the end of the meeting, I would like to speak to you, Thomas.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Thomas said, a sense of satisfaction radiating from him.

I had looked at his records. ~Thomas Coyt Strauss~, the son of my father’s beta, was right in front of me, and I had never even met him.

My mind was in the meeting, but my heart was upstairs. The thought of Scarlett accepting and embracing Caroline as a daughter filled my heart with joy.

Carl brought up the need to define the betas during the meeting. I asked for more time while they finalized the documentation. My mind was elsewhere today.

But I knew I needed to decide on the betas, and Thomas and Karen seemed like the more obvious options every day.

After the meeting, Thomas was packing up his things while everyone else left. He approached me slowly, almost as if he was afraid of what I might say.

“Did you want to talk to me?” Thomas asked, raising his eyes and eyebrows.

“Thomas Coyt Strauss, son of Joseph Strauss, my father’s beta. I’ve been reading your file, Thomas—it’s impressive. You graduated with honors from the guard, have done impeccable work ever since, and do leadership work with the investigative team,” I began, and Thomas stood to attention as he listened, as a sign of respect.

“Impressive resume, soldier,” I finished, and Thomas nodded.

“Thank you, Alpha.”

“Why don’t you use your father’s surname, Thomas?” I asked, directly, simply, and I saw him swallow hard before answering.

“I don’t feel worthy, sir,” Thomas responded, taking a deep breath before continuing. “My grandfather said that to be a Strauss, you needed to deserve it. I didn’t feel like I deserved it, and since I wouldn’t be a beta, I decided to use my mother’s name, Coyt.”

“Never thought about being a beta?”

“It never crossed my mind. This place belonged to my brother, and since he passed away, my family never mentioned it again,” Thomas said, running his hands over the back of his head. I knew he was uncomfortable.

“Would you like to be a beta?” At that moment, he looked up at me, clearly startled by the question. His eyes went down and up to meet mine. He had never thought about the subject.

“It would be an honor, Alpha. I just… I don’t know if I could do it,” he stuttered.

“I need someone who I would be able to trust with my life—I need a couple to count on. Scarlett likes you guys, and you saved her and my son’s lives in that quarry. I’ll never be grateful enough for that. Your name came up as a possibility, and I want to let you both know. But think about it, talk to Karen, and get me an answer,” I finished, but his face continued to look astonished as he nodded.

“Thank you for considering me, Alpha. I’ll think about it,” Thomas said. “Permission to withdraw, sir.”

“Permission granted, thank you, soldier.” And so Thomas left, and as much as I had hope, I still didn’t have my betas.

The pressure was mounting, and I needed to find someone for the position.

And it needed to be soon.

I wrapped up my tasks and headed upstairs. Our bedroom was empty; Scarlett was missing. I was about to call out for her but decided to check the room across from Anthony’s first—the one Scarlett had designated for Caroline. The rooms were mirror images of each other, conveniently close to ours. I found the door ajar and paused in the doorway, arms folded, taking in the sight.

Caroline’s room was fully furnished—a transformation I hadn’t thought possible in a single day. Scarlett and Caroline were seated at a small table, engrossed in coloring. Both were in their pajamas, a sight so heartwarming it took my breath away. I didn’t want to disturb them, so I remained silent, drinking in the scene for a few precious seconds.

Scarlett, however, sensed my presence and looked up, a smile lighting up her face. Caroline followed her gaze, and her own face broke into a grin. She sprang from her chair and ran to me, wrapping her arms around my legs before scampering back to her artwork.

Scarlett rose and joined me, her arms snaking around my neck as mine found her hips. She planted a soft kiss on my lips before resting her head on my chest. The feel of her petite body nestled against mine made me sigh in relief.

She was my home.

I bent down to kiss the top of her head, whispering, “You’ve done an amazing job here.”

She turned to survey the room. “She’s incredible. I made sure she picked everything out. We were torn between unicorns and rainbows, but in the end, the rainbow won,” Scarlett said, her eyes twinkling as we watched Caroline stifle a yawn and blink sleepily.

“I think it’s bedtime. We can paint more tomorrow, okay?” Scarlett suggested.

Caroline nodded, yawning again.

Our little girl shuffled to her bed, and I trailed behind to pull back the covers. She snuggled under the blanket and settled into the pillow.

“Good night, Dad,” she murmured, her eyes already heavy with sleep.

The word ~Dad~ sent a shiver down my spine.

“Good night, sweetheart,” I replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Good night, Mom,” she said to Scarlett, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Good night, my dear,” Scarlett responded, kissing her cheek.

“I asked the Goddess for this. I just didn’t know she was going to grant my wish,” Caroline whispered, leaving me breathless.

Scarlett came to my side, wrapped her arms around me, and we retreated to our room.