Chapter 17

Cara

Oh shit.

“Oh shit!” My wolf Lucy echoes inside my head.

“Wait!” Ruby yells loudly. Alaric freezes, and Ruby snatches the paper containing my real medical certificate out of his hand. She reaches with her other arm to hand him the other, fake certificate.

“That one was…uh… for another patient! I… uh… need to maintain confidentiality. I’m sure you understand,” Ruby starts to sweat as she lies to Alaric, her Alpha King.

Alaric narrows his eyes at her before looking down at the paper in his hand. Sure enough, it has my name on it. But the look he shoots Ruby says that he knows something is up.

“As Alpha King, I order you to show me that paper.” He says to Ruby.

She glances at me for only a second before slowly handing him the paper.

Alaric clears his throat and begins to read aloud, “Patient Cara Wilson…”

Oh shit.

Here we go.

He’s about to find out my huge secret. The secret I’ve been working so diligently to keep.

The secret that I’m pregnant. With his baby.

I hold my breath as he continues to read.

“Based on analyzed test results, the Patient is in suitable condition to have children.” He stares at the page, blinking for several moments. He flips the page over, not wanting to have any other information.

I release the breath I’d been holding and see Ruby’s shoulders visibly relax. Thankfully, the real medical certificate didn’t say the whole truth.

It just provided proof that whatever anti-fertility powder Richard put on my skin didn’t impact me.

“Are you trying to trap me? Trying to get pregnant in secret?” He looks at me firmly.

“What? No!” I respond quickly.

“Not me then, but trying to trap someone else? Another sugar daddy?!” He sounds angry.

“That’s not true!” I say.

“Isn’t it? Even though you could have all the money and comfort you want once you bear a child for the right male?” Alaric’s tone is mocking.

“Do you honestly think you’d be the first she-wolf to try and clinch success with her body? Did you think you could trick me with such an obvious trap?” He laughs at me, the sound bitter and cold.

“You probably wanted that new guy Richard to grope you in the hallway. A new doctor, right? The perfect victim for your spell, I bet he has money.” Alaric won’t let up, continuing to mock me.

He looks extremely angry.

“All that fainting you’ve been doing lately, all these theatrics. You’re probably just trying to stir up sympathy until the right, dumb wolf comes around so you can trap him with a baby.”

Shock was visible all over Ruby’s face, and probably mine too. She looks back and forth between Alaric and I, as if she’s trying to decide whether to step in and say something in my defense.

But I know Alaric, and insubordination is something he can’t tolerate, especially not when he’s in a situation like this. Who knows what kind of trouble he’d stir up for her at the hospital if she dared to speak up?

I shake my head at her, silently instructing her to stay quiet.

I can take whatever Alaric throws at me. I can take this humiliation.

To protect my baby, I can take anything.

Alaric is still talking, still insulting me.

“Look, You don’t love me, but just do us both a favor and pause this baby trapping plan until you and I are done. Once I’m done with you, you can have pups by any wolf you want. Everyone’s got to secure their retirement somehow, right?” He laughs at me again.

Ruby doesn’t heed my warning to keep silent.

“It’s her hips, sir.” She says, interrupting Alaric’s ranting.

“What did you say?” He asks severely.

“Cara’s hips. They were injured when she fell in the fainting spell. She’s not permitted to have any… strenuous hip activity. No sex… for months… with anyone.” Ruby gulps and looks down as Alaric’s eyes bore into hers.

“It’s… It’s all on the medical certificate in your hand, sir.” Ruby adds sheepishly.

Alaric looks down at the paper in disbelief. But the certificate matches what Ruby just said.

“You will not speak a word of this discussion to anyone, is that understood?” Alaric asks Ruby, his eyes glaring daggers at hers.

She swallows thickly and nods at him.

I breathe a sigh of relief, hoping her quick thinking buys me some more time to figure out how I’m going to leave the pack.

Richard

“Conniving, evil, immoral, disgusting.”

Those were the words Lilia had used to describe Cara Wilson to me.

The red headed she-wolf that just walked away with Ruby didn’t match that description at all.

In fact, she seemed almost… sweet? And somehow familiar, in a way I can’t explain.

I almost feel bad for giving Cara the anti-fertility treatment without her knowledge.

Almost.

“Please, your baby sister needs your help! You’re the best big brother, and you’re the only one who can look after me, Richard.” I remember the sound of Lilia’s plea when she begged me to help her take down Cara.

Lilia is my baby sister, and I’d do anything for her. Even when we were kids, Lilia always had a way of getting whatever she wanted.

She’d gone through so much as a child. She had gotten lost and was gone for two years without any family. It was the least I could do to help her now.

That’s what family is for, isn’t it?

I listen to the sound of the phone ringing as I dial Lilia. It only takes a few rings before she answers.

“Well?!” Lilia screeches.

A ‘hello’ would have been nice, but I’ll take what I can get.

“It’s done. I put the powder all over her. You can rest easy now.” I say with a sigh.

“Wonderful!! Thank you so much, my dearest brother. I knew I could count on you!” And she hangs up.

As I’m putting my phone away, it starts to buzz in my hand.

“Lilia?” I answer, assuming she’d forgotten to say something.

“No, this is Eamon.” My brother sounds tired. “Why were you expecting Lilia?”

“Just got off the phone with her,” I explain. “She asked me to take care of something for her, and I was giving her an update.”

“And?”

“It’s done.” I say simply.

“What did you do, Richard?” Eamon sounds tired. More tired than usual.

“Gave Cara Wilson some anti-fertility powder.” I sigh, knowing that it’s not worth it to try to lie to my oldest brother. He always seems to figure out the truth anyway.

I can actually hear him grinding his teeth through the phone. “Richard, you shouldn’t be getting involved in that mess. It’s none of your concern.”

“Thanks for the lecture, Eamon, but I can handle myself.” I continue, “And I wouldn’t have needed to step in if you’d have helped her like she asked.”

“You don’t know what you’re going to talk about,” Eamon says gruffly.

“I know that family is supposed to support each other.” I retort.

“Yes, but—” He sighs heavily, interrupting himself. “I haven’t been honest with you.”

“What do you mean?” I’m curious now.

“Lilia might not actually be family.” His voice is heavy, each word coming slowly.

My brain can’t comprehend what he’s saying. “What do you—”

“I have reason to believe that Cara Wilson might be our real sister.”

...What the hell?!