Chapter 7 Finding a Father for My Pups

Dahlia’s POV

I needed to find an Alpha.

And fast.

The words kept replaying in my head like a curse I couldn’t escape. Elder Sam’s warning echoed over and over, wrapping itself around my chest until I could barely breathe. ‘If Kael finds out you bore him children, you wouldn’t have a choice but to be his Luna again.’

My Luna days were over. I’d rather die than go back to being his shadow.

But how was I supposed to find another Alpha, someone strong enough to protect me and the pups? It wasn’t like there was a secret market where you could walk in and say, Hey, I need a powerful Alpha who won’t kill my ex if he finds out I left with his heirs.

For a moment, the doubt crept in.

Had I made a terrible mistake?

By rejecting him officially?

By risking not just my life but the lives of my pups too?

I shook the thought off immediately. No. Kael said he didn’t care if I was dead or alive. I wasn’t about to forget that. Whatever guilt or longing still lingered inside me had to die tonight.

I took a deep breath, leaning against the window frame, watching the moonlight spill across the yard where Liam and Lila were asleep in their little tent fort. Libby had fallen asleep curled on my lap earlier before Elder Sam took him to bed. They looked peaceful, safe. I was going to keep it that way.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. The name flashing across the screen made my lips twitch.

Zola.

Of course.

I smiled before answering. “You always call at the weirdest times.”

“Girl, don’t start,” Zola’s smooth, teasing voice filled my ear. “Where the hell have you been? You disappeared on me for weeks! You think getting your fancy little doctor job gives you the right to ghost me?”

I laughed quietly, sitting on the bed. “It’s a long story, Zola.”

“I’ve got all night. Spill.”

I hesitated for a second, but if there was one person I trusted, it was her. We’d met in medical school years ago, and though she tried to hide it at first, I’d known she wasn’t human. It was in her scent, the quiet way her heart never beat too fast, and the way her eyes glowed faintly when she got angry.

Zola was a vampire. My best friend and the only reason I’d survived the chaos of the human world.

So, I told her everything. About the letter that forced me to return to the pack. About seeing Kael again. About the rejection, the oath, the lie I had to tell. And finally, about Elder Sam’s warning that my children would never be safe unless I found another Alpha.

When I was done, silence filled the line. For a moment, I thought she’d hung up. Then I heard her sharp inhale.

“Wait,” she said slowly, her voice icy. “You’re telling me that Alpha asshole is still breathing after everything he did to you?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Yes, Zola.”

“And you went back to his damn pack?”

“I didn’t have a choice. The Moon Ceremony was mandatory.”

“Ugh!” she groaned. “Dahlia, I swear, sometimes I wonder if the Moon Goddess herself is setting you up just to test my patience.”

Her dramatics made me laugh despite myself. “It’s not funny,” I said weakly.

“It’s not. It’s infuriating. You’re out here raising three kids by yourself, working your ass off, healing from all the trauma and this man, this man, still thinks he can haunt your life?”

I sighed. “He doesn’t even know the kids exist. And I plan to keep it that way.”

“Good. He doesn’t deserve to know they’re his.”

Her voice softened after a pause. “So what’s the plan now, baby girl?”

I stared at my reflection in the mirror across the room the woman with steady eyes, strong shoulders, and a heart still learning how to stop breaking. “I need to find an Alpha before he finds out about the kids.”

Zola was quiet for a while. Then, “Hmm. That’s going to be tricky.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“But it’s not impossible.” Her tone shifted, a teasing lilt creeping in. “Question is… how picky are you planning to be?”

I rolled my eyes. “Zola… ”

“Because if you’re desperate, I could make a few calls. I know some Alphas well, not personally, but let’s just say they owe me favors.”

“You mean blood debts.”

She laughed, a low, melodic sound. “Semantics, baby.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m helpful,” she corrected. “Also, hot. But helpful first.”

I leaned back against the pillows. “I appreciate it, but this isn’t something I can just… arrange. It has to feel right. The pups come first.”

There was a long pause. Then Zola’s tone dropped, serious now. “Dahlia… tell me you’re not thinking about going back to him.”

My breath hitched. “What?”

“Kael. Don’t play dumb. I know that tone in your voice. You sound like a woman thinking about walking back into fire because she forgot how much it burned.”

I swallowed hard. “Zola…”

“No. Don’t even say it. That man doesn’t deserve forgiveness. You told me how he treated you, remember? He humiliated you, rejected you, made you feel less than nothing. And now he suddenly wants your attention because you look like a goddess? Hell no.”

Her words stabbed deep because they were true.

“I’m not going back,” I said firmly, though my voice cracked slightly at the end.

“Good,” Zola said. “Because if you do, I’ll personally come drag you out by your hair.”

That made me laugh again, a small, tired laugh that felt good. “You’d have to cross a whole continent to do that.”

“And I would,” she said without missing a beat. “But since I don’t trust you, I’m coming over instead.”

My eyes widened. “Wait, what?”

“You heard me. I’m packing my stuff tonight. You clearly need help, and who better than your hot, blood-drinking best friend to help you find a hot, brooding Alpha? Kael’s going to choke on his pride when he sees you with someone else.”

“Zola—”

“Don’t argue, babe. I’m coming.”

I sighed, unable to stop the smile spreading across my lips. “You’re insane.”

“I know,” she said proudly. “Now, get some sleep. Tomorrow, we find you a man worthy of a queen.”

Before I could respond, she hung up.

I sat there for a while, phone still pressed to my ear, staring out the window. The night air was cold, quiet except for the faint rustle of trees. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled, It was low and mournful.

My chest ached.

It wasn’t Kael’s voice, but it reminded me of him all the same. Of everything I had lost and everything I still had to protect.

I closed my eyes, whispering to myself, “I’m not going back.”

Still, even as I said it, a flicker of something traitorous stirred deep inside a memory, a scent, a warmth that refused to die completely.

I pushed it down and focused on my new goal.

Tomorrow, Zola was coming.

Tomorrow, I’d find a way to protect my pups.

And maybe just maybe I’d find the Alpha who could help me do it.