The cold bastard was back, and this time she had to jog to keep up with him as he returned to the house. How the hell had he even known that something was up?

"Wait here."

It was only after she closed the door behind her that she saw the doctor waiting in the lobby.

Chapter 35

Jax waited until the doctor closed the door behind him in the conference room before he spoke.

“Who else knows?” he growled.

There was a tightness in his chest as he waited for the answer. What was that?

Doctor Richards stepped back in fear and almost backed into the door.

“No one. I ran the tests myself as you ordered,” he answered. “I’m sorry it took so long; I had to run the tests several times to be sure.”

“I appreciate your discretion, doctor, but just spit it out. What’s the emergency?”

Was it some incurable human disease? It was just like Fate to keep screwing him over. Kick him while he was already down. He couldn't catch a break lately.

"Alpha, she's..."

Doctor Richards cleared his throat as he hesitated. His fear clogged up his nostrils and pissed him off. Why couldn't the doctor just grow some balls and speak?

"With all due respect, Alpha, I don't think she's the one you should try to have a child with. I compiled a list of women who would be compatible—"

Cain growled so loudly he had to tighten his hold on the beast.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, doctor. What's the fucking emergency?"

"She's... She's a half-blood, Alpha," Richards answered, his voice barely a whisper. "She's almost completely human."

He stepped back until he hit the conference table and then leaned against it. Was that all? He'd panicked, for fuck's sake! He, a man who was level-headed even in a battle! He'd assumed his mate was about to die, and that had wrenched his heart from his chest.

He let out a breath and calmed himself. The tightness eased. How the hell did people think finding a mate was a good thing when it caused such instability?

"So her biology is human? Ovulation and all that crap?"

"You still intend to go through with it?"

"Yes. And you will take care of her yourself when she gets pregnant."

"Alpha—"

He stood quickly and walked to stand in front of the doctor. Richards had never been a fighting man; he had known his calling as the pack doctor before he had even shifted. The doctor preferred to let others fight for him while he remained safe behind the boundary walls.

"You will take this secret to your grave," he growled.

The doctor trembled as his Alpha tone ripped through him.

"Yes, Alpha," he squeaked.

A coward. Richards was a coward. But he was precisely what he needed. Layla's secret would not cross the doctor's lips again, even after he was dead.

"Any human illnesses?" He stepped away from the doctor to allow him to speak.

"None, Alpha."