Page 30 of The Alpha's Heir

“Where is the dad?”

“Aren’t you scared?”

“Was it planned?”

“Will the dad be involved?”

“Who is your birthing partner?”

After a couple of minutes, I zone out, completely and utterly overwhelmed and feeling more alone than ever before.

My baby wasn’t planned, and it is the product of me cheating with another woman’s husband. I have no birthing partner and I am very fucking scared. Oh and the baby’s dad will not be involved because he was a horrible bastard who told me he didn’t want it and to get rid of it, and then went and killed himself by accident.

Can you imagine their faces if I said all that? I am shunned already; I would be burned at the stake if they knew my child was the bastard of a dead man who was married to another. That I am a whore and a homewrecker.

When the circle starts, I excuse myself, saying I need to pee. But in reality, I run to my car, drive home and decide I’m going to stay in the house until the baby’s born.

Even the threat of Ryan’s ghost won’t keep me out.

*** Eva ***

Maintaining a civil manner is becoming increasingly hard. I am fuming that this Nikki has caused Preston all the upset and pain he has been in. He is not responsible for what happened, and Amber has submitted to the council and will accept their ruling. Nikki is completely and utterly out of order, and I am not standing for it.

As soon as Preston points her out, I grab her. She will not be getting away from me. I am here for an explanation. I want answers. What did she really think she would achieve? More importantly, how did she manage to avoid our border controls? I drag her by the scruff of her neck into my father's main pack hall and launch her onto her knees in the middle of the room.

“I am Evangelina Smith-Jones, future Luna of The Onyx River and Alpha Heir to Xavier Woodward. Submit to me now and explain yourself.”

Lina is in my head now. She is in a rage that someone in our pack has been threatened and she is guiding me in my responses and reactions. I am struggling to maintain control over my wolf counterpart.

My father's look of shock quickly turns to pride when I frog march Nikki into his hall. I know finding Aiden has made me stronger, but I also feel strength growing inside me from being here in my father’s lands too. It's as though the land recognises me and welcomes me home. My strength as a werewolf is amplified here, as my birthright.

From what I have seen, Junior is not around and it's a relief that he isn't here. He still creeps me out and although Aiden tried to relay what is happening between Junior and the father Junior and I share, I told him to stop. Not yet. I wasn’t ready. I can barely believe I have a father; I’m struggling to accept that a loathsome leech is my half-brother.

I listen to what Nikki has to say for herself, looking at my father's reactions. I want to know what type of man he is: will he protect her blindly or will he throw her under the bus or will he lead impartially, taking both sides into account? The way my father handles this will colour my opinion of him. He doesn’t know it yet, but he is on trial, and I am the judge and jury.

“How were you able to come onto my land without detection and how were you able to track Beta Preston?” Recognition flashes in my father's eyes. He knows how and if he refuses to tell me, I know what sort of man he is.

“My father was a Red-Mage. A jack-of-all-trades. My mother was a werewolf of the Moon Stone. Alpha Xavier promised to protect me and my identity and my abilities. You promised my mother on her deathbed you would look out for me. You promised!”

Lina growls inside me, she knows that we are close to the truth too. My teeth buzz with a new kind of energy and a peculiar feeling starts to descend on me.

“Nikki, I cannot protect you, you went against my express instructions and used the powers you have to manipulate and intimidate. I will have to inform the council.” The power of an Alpha rolls off my father and a glimmer of pride glows inside me. He did the right thing. He is a good man after all. “The best you can hope for is that you apologise to my daughter and show some remorse for what you have done and get on your knees and beg for forgiveness for the wrongs you have committed against her and her pack.”

The temperature in the room decreases, a chill settles in my bones and my teeth start to chatter.

“I should apologise? It seems Junior was correct; our Alpha has grown weak since his little princess has returned.” Nikki clenches her jaw and narrows her eyes. “That WHORE killed my mate. I will fucking destroy her, I will ensure every hope and dream she ever had rots in the soil under her feet. I will destroy every fucking werewolf who stands in front of her to protect her.”

She stands, her hands balled into fists.

“I will not stop until I avenge my lover. I will not stop until she screams for death because of the agony I inflict on her sorry, pathetic life. He was my mate, my only family and she took it away from me, she took everything from me, and I will take everything from her and burn it to the ground.”

Nikki spits as she rants, and a gust of mist and electricity flows in the air around her, giving her a mystical and otherworldly look.

“You could have had some semblance of a future with me, Beta Preston, if you had just submitted and done as I asked, but now you will all pay. Any pups born into your pack from this moment on will be subject to my curse. A curse to avenge my lost lover. Your pups will never find their mates, they will not feel the bond. This is the cost your mate will pay for killing mine. I place a curse upon every member of the Onyx River Pack and your offspring. May you all know what it truly is to be alone.”

Lina growls and pounces and before I know what is happening, pain completely overwhelms me. My bones crack, snap, and transform. My back elongates and stoops, my arms become front paws and fur sprouts out from my forehead. As I shift into my wolf form, into Lina, Eva screams in agony and fear.

As the pain subsides, Lina howls and then pounces, attempting to attack Nikki. However, Nikki anticipates this and before Lina lands, Nikki throws something to the ground and a puff of red smoke fills the room. When it clears, Nikki is nowhere to be found.

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