Asher
I hear every word of Juliet’s conversation with Alethea, and my mind instantly flashes back to a dream I had not long ago-a boy who looked exactly like me, lost and terrified in a dark forest.
I remember his face, the way he called out for help. Could it be that I have a child? A son Alethea has kept hidden from me all this time?
Then there’s the name, Declan. It’s familiar, yet I never thought much of it before.
But now, it clicks. If he’s running a fever and calling out for his mother, that means he’s not just a random child. He’s real. And he might be mine.
Fury builds inside me as I think back to Alethea-her scent, her body during her heat. She had changed.
She had gained weight in just the right places, her curves more pronounced, her breasts fuller. Could it have been because she carried my child?
I storm toward her, barely containing the rage simmering beneath my skin. I don’t care about pride right now. I need the truth. I need to hear her say it.
But when I finally reach her, what she says shatters me.
“You think I’d carry your child after everything you did to me? Please, Asher. I’ve been with more men than I can count since you threw me away. The idea of having your child is beneath me.”
Her voice is sharp, brutal-designed to wound me in the worst way possible. And damn it, she succeeds.
I clench my fists, my wolf snarling inside me, torn between rage and anguish. If my son, my flesh and blood, is calling for me, how can she deny me the right to see him? How can she be so cruel?
But as I stand there, breathing heavily, trying to process the bombshell she just dropped, she walks away. Poised. Confidence. As if she didn’t just rip my heart out of my chest.
Without thinking, I turn to the nearest wall, my fist clenching before I slam it against the surface.
The impact sends a sharp sting up my arm, but it barely registers through the fury boiling inside me. Gritting my teeth, I storm toward my office, my steps heavy with frustration.
The moment I reach my desk, I sink into my chair, running a hand through my hair.
My wolf, Kaidos, is restless-growling, pacing in my head like a caged beast. The anger is almost unbearable, pressing down on me like a vice.
A headache is beginning to form, pounding at my temples as I rake my fingers through the pile of files on my desk, sending them tumbling to the floor.
But nothing compares to this pain. Not even when I was forced to take over as Alpha at eighteen while my parents abandoned their duties to travel the world.
That had been hard. But this-this is worse.
Swiftly, I pull out my phone and dial Julian’s number. He’s the best private investigator I know, and if there’s anyone who can uncover the truth, it’s him.
The call rings three times before he picks up.
“Good day, Alpha-”
“Skip the formalities,” I snap, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I need you to find information on Alethea Weaver. Everything. If she has a son, I want to know who the father is. I need every single detail, Julian. No stone left unturned.”
“Understood, Alpha. I’ll get on it immediately,” he says before hanging up.
I exhale slowly, gripping the phone tightly. Should I go after her myself? Confront her now and force the truth out of her?
The thought tempts me, but I shake my head, pushing it aside. No. I need proof. Cold, undeniable facts.
And once I have them-Alethea won’t be able to run from me anymore.
I know I can’t stay away from Redwood Pack for too long, so I force myself to head back. As I drive, my mind is consumed by one thought-the possibility that I have a son.
The moment I arrive, I spot Liam standing nearby, his eyes filled with concern as he watches me approach.
“Are you okay?” he asks cautiously, his voice laced with worry.
“I saw Ally,” I say flatly, keeping my emotions in check.
That alone is enough to make Liam stiffen. He sank onto a nearby bench, waiting for me to continue, but I didn’t.
My thoughts are a tangled mess. With a sigh, I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees and running a hand through my hair. I need to figure this out before Julian gets back to me.
“So… how is she?” Liam finally asks.
I lift my gaze to him, studying his expression. Can he handle what I’m about to say?
Liam has been by my side through everything-through the betrayals, the losses, the wars. If there’s anyone I can trust, it’s him.
“I think Ally has a son,” I say, my voice low but firm. “And I have a nagging feeling that the boy is mine.”
Liam’s eyes widened in pure shock. He blinks, staring at me as if I’ve just spoken another language.
“This must be a fucking joke, Asher. Are you sure about this?” he finally says, disbelief laced in every word.
I shoot him a sharp look, and his breath catches. He knows I don’t joke about things like this.
“Holy fucking goddess,” he breathes, running a hand down his face.
My jaw clenches. Why did she keep my son from me? What was her reason? Her excuse?
But then Liam straightens, his brows furrowing in thought. “Wait, Alpha… if Ally has a child, there’s one person who would know for sure.”
Our gazes meet, and at the same time, we say the name.
“Kayla.”
I don’t waste a second. “Get me, Kayla,” I ordered, with a sharp and commanding tone.
Kayla has always been fiercely loyal to Ally-so much so that it sometimes unsettles me.
I close my eyes and send a mind-link. “Kayla. My office. Now.”
There’s a pause before her hesitant response. “Yes, Alpha.”
I tap my fingers against my desk, my patience wearing thin as the seconds drag by. My wolf paces restlessly inside me, growling in frustration.
Then, finally, a soft knock sounds at my door.
“Come in,” I say through the mind-link, bracing myself for what’s to come.
The door handle turns slowly, and then Kayla steps inside.
“Kayla, how are you?” Liam asks casually.
I shoot him a sharp glare. For a moment, I’d forgotten he was still here. This isn’t a friendly conversation.
Kayla stands stiffly, her gaze shifting between me and Liam, wary of the tension in the room.
“I’m fine, Liam,” she replies, with a guarded voice. Then she turns to me.
“Alpha, you sent for me?”
I didn’t respond immediately. Instead, I watch her-studying every flash of emotion on her face, every twitch of discomfort.
She stares back, not blinking, but the silence stretches so long that she finally shifts uneasily.
“You’re scaring me with that look, Alpha,” she admits, her voice hesitant. “What is it?”
I inhale deeply, steadying myself. This is it.
“I need to ask you something, and I beg you-with everything good in you-tell me the truth.”
Kayla frowns, her brows knitting together. “Okay…?”
The question feels foreign in my mouth, almost like I shouldn’t have to ask. But I do have to ask.
“Does Ally have a child?” My voice is low and firm. I didn’t break eye contact. “And by any chance… Do you know if the child is mine?”
Silence.
For a split second, something flashes across her face, something unreadable. Then, just as she parted her lips to speak, my phone rang.
The sound slices through the thick tension in the room. I clench my jaw, my pulse hammering in my ears.
I glance at the screen. Julian.
The PI.
The man who could have all the answers I need.