Chapter 12

Cara

I look at Alaric’s beautiful blue eyes, his chiseled jawline, his perfectly disheveled dark hair.

He’s absurdly handsome, the picture of a perfect man. An Alpha King no less, he had power and prestige to go with his devilish good looks.

And I finally realize that I don’t want anything to do with him. All I should care about now is my baby. After all he’d put me through over the last few weeks, I had nothing left to give him.

“No,” I say simply.

“No?” His body freezes, not sure he’s heard me.

“I said no,” I reply coolly.

He scoffs, “What do you mean, ‘no’?! Isn’t this what you wanted?!”

He’s incredulous. Clearly he wasn’t expecting a rejection. An Alpha never does.

I can feel my wolf, Lucy, frozen in my mind. She’s watching all of this very intensely, not daring to speak.

“None of this is what I wanted. But my answer is no.” I look at the wall just beyond his head, eager for this interaction to be over.

“You found a new sugar daddy then, is that it?” He asks, and I flinch at the suggestion. I don’t want to dignify the question by answering it.

I maintain my stare at the wall, my avoidance irritating him further.

He continues without my response, “Alright, listen, I’ll double your salary. You’ll resume your responsibilities as Beta, and everything can go back to how it was, and I do mean everything. Your Alpha King commands it.”

I laugh in surprise, sensing immediately what he meant by ‘everything.’ “And does my Alpha King also command me to his bed?” This was just too much. He can’t be serious.

“C’mon, Cara. I know you’ve always enjoyed yourself… We had a good time…” His voice trails off, his eyes rolling over my body suggestively. I can feel the heat radiating off of his body, calling to mine.

“And how would Lilia feel about you having a lover once you’re married?” I ask him pointedly. I fold my arms over my chest, covering myself from his gaze.

“You know how stressful this job can be… We’ll just let off a little steam together every now and then, for our own sanity. Once we get the last of… whatever this is between us… out of our systems, then you can go. Then you can go to whatever pack your heart desires.”

The cocky look on his face said that he thought he was making me an offer that I couldn’t refuse.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

The King simply doesn't understand what "love" is. And he doesn't love me at all.

Alaric rakes his fingers through his hair and sighs, “Okay, Cara, you don’t have to decide anything right now. The doctors told me you’re ready to be released soon, let’s go get some food. You must be starving.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, not sure if I should.

“We can go to The Hideout,” He smiles, knowing that I’d been begging him to take me to that new restaurant for months now. “You’ve been through a lot, at least let me do this.”

When I continued to eye him skeptically, he added, “Please?”

I’m mulling it over when my stomach grumbles loudly. Very loudly.

“Food. We need food! ” Lucy says into my mind.

I sigh, “Fine. But just lunch.”

“Perfect, I’ll let the hospital staff know you’re ready to go. I’ll pull the car out front and wait for you there.” He grabs his car keys from his pocket.

Alaric never drove me places. Our relationship was so secret, always hidden behind closed doors. We never went out in public together for anything other than strictly professional business.

But it’s all too little too late.

That’s all I can think of as we head to the restaurant and get seated at their very best table. It’s a cozy two - seater in a private corner next to a roaring wood burning fireplace. Soft music plays carries through the dining room, but not too loudly.

Even for a weekday lunch, the restaurant is surprisingly empty. I’ve heard from Ruby that it’s next to impossible to secure a dinner reservation here. I can’t believe it’s not more crowded.

Alaric probably ordered them all out for more privacy. To hide me from the pack. To hide me from Lilia.

In truth, it wouldn’t be unusual for the Alpha King to have a quick lunch with his Beta. I doubt any pack members who would see us together like this would think twice about it.

But I can’t shake the idea that this is all part of his plan, that Alaric orchestrated this to keep our secret lover relationship under wraps. And to keep me in his grasp.

Maybe it’s just paranoia, but at least I’m certain of one thing: I just don’t trust Alaric anymore. I can’t trust him.

The service is fantastic, and the food looks amazing, but I can’t bring myself to eat.

I feel far too nauseated.

Alaric is chatting away about the latest pack business updates, but I can only pretend to listen. I just want to get out of here. My leg starts to shake in restless anticipation.

I excuse myself to the restroom, needing to get up and move. On the way, I overhear the kitchen staff talking.

“She came from Pack BloodyMoon. I heard that Alpha family has like six brothers, all Alphas. Can you even imagine what that house must have been like to grow up in?”

Sounds of laughter ring out, “Yeah, I’ll bet that toughened Lilia up alright. But she’s a noble born for sure, you can with just by looking at her.”

“Shame about Cara, though. Really thought she was gonna be Luna. She was amazing at that job.”

“Yeah, a bunch of my cousins needed help with their business and Cara came in and took care of everything. They haven’t stopped talking about how helpful she was, and that was like a year ago. But c’mon, did you really think the Pack DarkWood Alpha King was gonna pick an orphan for a Luna?”

“No, good point, but still… At least Lilia seems kind and gentle. I’m sure she’ll do the job just fine.”

I’d heard enough. If only they knew exactly how unkind and ungentle Lilia really is. I rush to the bathroom and splash my face with cold water.

I just need to get through this. For my baby growing inside me, safe from all this… for now.

When Alaric and I are back in the car, I stare out the window to avoid looking at him.

He takes a hand from the steering wheel and casually rubs the center console, fingers dangerously close to touching my leg.

“Well?” He asks gently, “Are you happy now?”

I finally look at him, trying to understand how to communicate all the thoughts running through my mind. How to explain what a roller coaster the last few weeks had been. How nothing would ever be the same again.

He must have misinterpreted my face because the next thing I know, his lips are on mine again.

The kiss is brief, but it’s enough to cause a physical reaction. My chest tightens in pain, and I feel the urge to dry heave. I pull away quickly, afraid I might vomit all over him.

His eyes meet mine, looking closer this time. His blue eyes scan my forehead, which I can feel is coated with a cool sweat. My lips are pressed together tightly.

“You need to go back to the hospital,” He says firmly. He pulls out of the parking space, heading towards the other side of the lot in the direction of the hospital.

“I’ll have them run more tests. You’re not leaving this time until they check everything.” He sounds resolute, determined. His fingers grip the steering wheel tightly.

The pregnancy.

He can’t find out.

If I go back to the hospital, and he orders them to run more tests, they’ll surely find out about the baby. And then Alaric will know.

Who knows what he’ll do then.

He must notice my sudden panic. He says smoothly, “Don’t worry, I’ll pay for everything. You won’t have to spend a penny.”

I can’t go back to that hospital.

I look back at Alaric, who’s waiting for a break in traffic to exit the parking lot. I don’t have much time. And I don’t have a lot of options left.

I take a deep breath and do the only thing I can think of.

I grab his chest with both arms and pull him in for a big kiss.

I see Alaric's beautiful blue eyes widening.