Page 19 of The Alpha's Chosen Outcast

Although I’ve done it many times, I regret falling asleep in that chair at my father’s bedside. I stand up and roll a stretch down my whole body, reaching my arms to the ceiling. It barely helps.

I see my father stirring in his bed. His vitals had tanked sometime after I’d fallen asleep, and I woke up to the doctor turning on the lights and several nurses in the room.

I can only hope Violet didn’t hear the commotion while sleeping on the other side of the house.

I’m glad that they were able to get him stable. I’m glad he’s stirring now. But I dread every interaction with him because I’ll have to lie about an exile being in town.

I can’t tell him about it. He won’t want Heather to live no matter what her role is in Violet’s wedding. His loyalty to the law is more steadfast now in his last days.

And I’m pretty sure we’re looking at his last days at this point. I don’t think he has weeks to live anymore.

That’s what the doctors told us earlier this month, but after last night, I’m not confident he’ll make it to the end of the week. I know it’s terrible to think this way. But I have to consider these things because when he’s gone, I’m Alpha. And I’m not ready for it.

“Good morning, Father.” I smile at him and lean forward in my chair.

He struggles to sit up. “Trey,” he licks his lips, “can you get me some water, Son?”

I reach for the rolling table over his bed and pull it toward us. Then, I pour water from the pitcher into the small cup there, add a straw, and hand it to him.

He’s sitting up now, leaning against the pillow and opening his eyes. Maybe the doctors are right about him having a few more weeks.

He drinks his water, his throat moving slowly, and takes a deep breath, his chest rising under the sheet. He turns to me.

“What exactly happened last night?”

“Your vitals tanked. We don’t know why. The doctors and nurses on standby got you stabilized and took some blood. They’ll have more answers tomorrow morning after it comes back from the lab.”

“They can’t tell us anything sooner?”

“No, it’s something about how long it takes for the tests to mature? I don’t understand all of it, but I trust that they’re making this a priority. They know who you are, Father.”

“I see.” He frowns. “What’s on the agenda for you today?”

“More wedding crap with Violet.”

“Do you really need to be the one to take her around to do all these things? Why not let one of the assistants do it?”

Fuck. I can’t tell him the reason it has to be me. I come up with some bullshit lie on the spot and hope he buys it.

“She wants me to do it. Her fiancé can’t see her dress or any of the designs, and there are a few other things she wants to be a surprise. She already has to do this without a mother. It’s not a problem for me.”

“You’re not letting this get in the way of your duties to become Alpha, are you?”

“No, Father. The meetings for that are mostly in the evenings. I’m available by phone as well. Violet is important, too. We have to show her that she’s important.”

He hands me the water cup, a scowl on his face, brows pointed down toward his nose.

“Fine. I suppose you’re right.”

“I am.”

“Go then, do your wedding stuff with your sister. I’ll be okay. We can’t do anything else until the bloodwork comes back anyway.” He waves me off.

“Okay, Father. I’ll be back this afternoon.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

“I’m not.” I am, but it’s not what he wants to hear. “I want to spend as much time with you as I can, to learn from you.”

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