“This is wonderful news!”
Noah, Cole, and Hunt turned to stare at me with identical expressions of disbelief. Noah’s face had gone pale, his hands gripping the table so hard I heard the wood creak. Cole looked sick, his normally tan complexion taking on a greenish tinge. I hoped they knew the truth, but I hadn’t talked to anyone about Lina and how fucking miserable my life had been, so I wasn’t even sure they knew I wasn’t truly the father. Fuck. This was a lie, but how could I say that here, now, without it looking like Iwas abandoning my pregnant... whatever Mary was supposed to be?
“This is wonderful news!” Alderic boomed over the chaos, standing to clasp his daughter’s hands. The pride on his face made me sick. Either he was in on this manipulation or Mary had played him too. “An heir! The pack has waited so long for this blessing. The wedding should be moved up immediately, of course. Can’t have the future Alpha born out of wedlock.”
More agreement from around the table. Traditional wolves with traditional values eating up this traditional bullshit. My mind raced through options, each worse than the last. If I denied it publicly, called her a liar in front of the council, she’d retaliate. She knew about Lina and the twins. Had already proven she’d use that knowledge when she’d shown up at Noah’s house.
I couldn’t risk them. Not when I’d just gotten them back. Not when Lina was finally starting to soften toward me, even if she’d run from our kiss like the closet was on fire.
“Congratulations, Alpha!”
“When’s the wedding?”
“How far along?”
The questions came from all directions while I sat frozen, trying to find a way out of this trap that didn’t end with my real family exposed and vulnerable. Mary watched me with sweet, innocent eyes that didn’t match the victorious smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.
“You cannot be pregnant,” I said carefully, pitching my voice to cut through the celebration. “We need to discuss this privately.”
The room went quiet at my less-than-enthusiastic response. Mary’s eyes widened in perfectly feigned hurt.
“Knox?” Her voice trembled just right. “I know this is sudden, but I thought you’d be happy...”
“Private discussion. Now.” I stood, using my Alpha authority to end the meeting. “Council dismissed.”
They filed out reluctantly, shooting confused glances between Mary and me. Only my inner circle lingered - Noah, Cole, and Hunt - until I gave them a look that sent them out too. Noah’s expression promised murder, and I couldn’t blame him.
I cornered Mary in the meeting room, my control hanging by a thread. The sweet act dropped from her face instantly.
“Surprise,” she said with a vicious smile. “Did you like my timing? Right when you were about to make some announcement. What were you going to share, Knox? Something about that little family you’ve been hiding?”
“You’re not pregnant with my child,” I snarled. “We’ve never slept together.”
“True.” She shrugged, completely unbothered by my anger. “But I am pregnant, and the pack believes it’s yours. That’s all that matters really.”
“Does it matter? The important thing is what happens now.” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Here’s whathappens now. You marry me, you claim this child as your heir, and I conveniently forget all about your human whore and her mongrel spawn hiding at Noah’s house.”
My vision went red. The wolf surged forward, ready to tear out her throat for daring to speak about my family that way again. Only years of Alpha training kept me from shifting right there in the meeting room.
“You go near them again-”
“What will you do? Hurt a pregnant woman? The mother of the pack’s future heir?” She laughed, the sound grating against my ears. “I told her about our date, you know. Told her how well it went, how the pack adores us together. She seemed quite upset.”
“People will smell this isn’t my child,” I said desperately, grasping for any way out. “Wolves can’t hide paternity. The scent will give you away.”
“Not if you keep the baby close, claim it properly.” Her smile turned cruel. “Scent can be masked with proximity. Hold the child enough, scent mark it as yours, and who’s going to question their Alpha? Especially when the alternative is admitting you fathered bastards with a human.”
“They’re not bastards,” I growled.
“Aren’t they? Born out of wedlock to an unmarked human? That’s literally the definition.” She tilted her head, studying me. “Choose, Alpha. Me and this child, or watch your real family become targets. The pack won’t accept human mongrels, especially when they have a legitimate heir to compare them to.”
“Boss?” Cole’s voice interrupted before I could respond. “Everything okay here?”
“Cole,” I stepped back from Mary, my hands shaking with the effort not to strangle her. She smoothed her dress, the sweet mask sliding back into place.
“We were just discussing baby names. I’m thinking traditional family names,” she simpered at Cole, one hand on her still-flat stomach. “Marcus for a boy, after Knox’s father. Won’t he be thrilled?”
The threat in her words wasn’t subtle. My parents would be here soon, and they’d expect their son to do right by the woman carrying their grandchild. Never mind that it wasn’t actually their grandchild. Never mind that their real grandchildren were living in Noah’s house, hidden away like shameful secrets.
