Page 43 of Impregnated By the Alpha

Closing his book, Rami looked up. “Hmm. Well, he came in about five years ago and settled in quickly. Said he came from a pack down the coast that had fallen apart and was looking for a new place. We needed the members, so no one had any objections.”

“And that’s all we know about him?” Jonah sighed, but he shouldn’t have been surprised. It’s not as though they’d done background checks on the wolves joining the White Winter pack. Anyone who’d wanted to had gotten in.

Rami shifted, uncomfortable. Jonah realized he was holding something back, something he didn’t want to say. “Well, there’s more to the story, but it’s just rumor, really.”

“What is it?” Jonah pressed. He lowered his voice when a customer came in but wasn’t ready to let it go. Whatever it was, it might be a clue.

“I really don’t want to be the one to tell you this,” Rami whispered. “It’s probably not even true.”

Jonah waited, letting the silence build until Rami cracked.

“It’s not something many people know about, but when he first came to the pack, he claimed to be the alpha’s son.”

Whatever Jonah had expected, it hadn’t been that. A colorful past, a criminal background, maybe, but this? “He was pretending to be me?”

“No, not you. Like, another son. Your half-brother, I guess.” Rami flipped open a book, flicked through the pages, and then shut it again. “It seems possible, but no one could say one way or another. He kind of looks like your dad, I guess? I could see why some people might believe it. After all, your dad wasn’t really the most standup guy. Sorry.”

Jonah waved his hand, dismissing the apology. “You’re right, he wasn’t.”

But this was another level. Judging by appearances, Evans was a few years older than Jonah. It would have meant his father had cheated on his mother, back when they’d seemed so happy together, back before things had fallen apart. Could it have been that affair that had driven his mother away?

“I should go help her,” Rami said, scurrying over to the customer.

He wondered how many others knew about this rumor. In light of that, Evans’s bid for alpha made more sense; he had a claim on the spot just like Jonah did.

Needing fresh air, Jonah went back outside and checked the paint on the door. Still tacky, but nearly dry enough to rehang. He wanted to be home where he could think straight, process everything he’d just heard, but he had to finish here first.

“Damn it, Dad,” he muttered, deciding to risk it and hang the door.

He knew where he had to go next. Not back to his apartment but home, to where his father’s memories and keepsakes waited, and the secrets he’d kept were hidden. Maybe Jonah could find the truth there.

“Oh, you’re here.”

Moira stood at the end of the walkway beneath the overhanging vines. Her smile wiped away his other thoughts. She looked nervous, hands wringing in front of her.

“You’re off early,” he said, checking the time.

“Well, I was looking for you and couldn’t wait. Can we talk?” She bit her lip, waiting for his answer.

“Of course.” He eased the door closed, making sure it swung properly, before joining her at the gate. Whatever she had to say, he had the sense that it wasn’t going to be good. Bags circled beneath her eyes, stark purple against her paleness.

Jonah readied himself for another blow, wondering when they would finally stop coming.

Chapter 14 - Moira

Moira had been in denial for a week. It had started with the nausea, striking early in the morning and lasting well into the afternoon, so that even the smell of coffee sent her running for the nearest toilet. Then, it had been the exhaustion, compounded by the lack of caffeine. She couldn’t make it through a full day at the bakery without sitting down for an hour in the middle of the day.

Finally, she’d gotten up the nerve to check her calendar. It confirmed what she’d known deep in her bones but refused to accept—her period hadn’t come that month, or the month before. Not since she’d spent that night with Jonah at the lighthouse.

She was pregnant. It seemed impossible. She was on the pill and took it religiously, even though she wasn’t dating anyone at the time. She never missed a dose. And yet, the truth was staring at her at the end of a white stick—two little lines that told her everything in her life was about to turn upside down.

Mentally, she tried to prepare herself for Jonah’s reaction, imagining every possible scenario before settling on the most likely. He’d be furious. He’d be devastated. She knew enough about men to know that they never liked to hear this sort of news.

Before she told him, she’d made her own decision. No matter what Jonah said, she would have this baby. It was a part of her. Even though she had no plan and no money, she would make it work. Vera would come around in the end, though Moira knew her reaction would be even worse than Jonah’s.

She’d decided to tell him on her way out of the bakery that day, but in the end, she couldn’t wait for him to pick her up and walk her home. It was bubbling inside of her, dying to get out. Now, he was standing in front of her, and the words got caught in her throat.

“Are you okay?” He asked, taking her hand.

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