Page 6 of Impregnated By the Alpha

A daughter?my wolf commented in shock and disbelief.And how old is she?

I started counting in my head, realizing that this young girl would have been born very close to the time I had known her father.

“How old are you, sweetheart?” I asked her, kneeling so that we were eye-to-eye. Her irises were the same green as Nile’s. I felt a twinge, seeing the confirmation that she was his biological daughter.

“My name’s Penny, and I just turned five,” the girl replied proudly.

I gave her a tentative smile and tried to keep the hurt from showing on my face. It had been just over six years since I had my heart broken by Nile. He had gotten someone pregnant shortly after he had rejected me. Was that why he left? Did he have a wife waiting at home while he had been toying with my emotions?

“It’s nice to meet you, Penny. My name is Violet,” I said.

She seemed to be a sweet child, and I knew that it wasn’t her fault that Nile had hurt me. I refused to be one of those women who blamed a child for their parent’s sins.

“I’m sure you have questions,” Nile said to me. “But I promise it isn’t what it looks like. I’ll answer everything later, I swear.”

I cast a swift glance of anger at Nile. My compassion for his daughter did not extend to him.

“Are you the one who is going to marry my daddy?” Penny asked, pulling my attention once more.

I cleared my throat and returned to my feet, looking into Nile’s eyes to answer. Just a moment ago, I had been on thebrink of leaving, but something in this little girl had softened me and brought me back to my purpose here. It was for the sake of future generations that we needed to make a lasting peace for our packs, and I had already given my word. I may not have liked Nile, but there really was no choice.

“Yes,” I said, looking back down at the girl. “I’m going to marry your daddy. If that’s okay with you.”

Penny beamed at me, joy lighting up her small features as I heard Nile let out a sigh of relief at my response.

“Why don’t you head back outside now, baby,” he said kindly to his daughter. “Head to the car, and I’ll be there soon.”

As soon as Penny was out of the room, Nile addressed me in a low voice. “You’re sure?” he asked.

I didn’t know why, but I got the sense that he wanted my answer to be yes. As much as it pained me, I wanted to make him happy.

“Were you married when we met?” I asked, needing to clear that little issue up before we got any further into this mess. I could overlook many things when choosing a mate, but disloyalty wasn’t one of them.

“No,” he replied. “I met Penelope’s mother a month after I left Sparkle Hollow.”

I nodded, acknowledging his timeline. “Then let’s get this over with.”

Nile nodded and held the door open for me so that we could meet with the remainder of our party and head to the ceremony.

I can do this, I thought.It’s just an arrangement. Our past doesn’t have to affect me, and neither does his child. I can keep things civil and be a good luna and… stepmother.

Even in my own mind, I stumbled over the word. This was already shaping up to be too much to handle. But there was no stopping it now.

Chapter 4 - Nile

I drove out of Pinedale toward the forest that bordered our town and listened to Penny humming happily in the back seat. Unlike my daughter, I did not feel carefree. My worries threatened to overcome me as my mind raced with what-ifs. I wished I had a way of knowing whether my intentions toward Violet would result in peace for the packs, but more than that, I wanted to know if it would result in a happy ending for us. After everything she had experienced—everything I had put her through—Violet deserved happiness.

My future mate and the Dark Moon alpha and luna followed behind me as we made our way to the ceremony location.

Ever since Alpha Jasper and I met, our packs had gathered at the clearing in the forest quite frequently. Sometimes it was for friendly skirmish events, and other times for celebrations. It was well-removed from the prying eyes of local humans without being too far from our territory, so it made the perfect place for a werewolf wedding.

As soon as the car came to a halt, Penny unbuckled herself and bound from the vehicle, heading into the trees. I took my time, straightening the cuffs on my sleeves as I closed the car door behind me.

Violet’s car pulled up next to me, and I opened the door for her to exit. The lilac dress she was wearing fell just below her knees, swaying as she stood up and walked a few paces away.

When I had seen her just moments ago, I had been so shocked that I had barely registered anything beyond the fact that the woman of my dreams had miraculously appeared. Now that the initial surprise had worn off, I realized just howluminous she was. Her skin had always been clear and pale, but she had a certain warmth about her now that intrigued me. It was as if she had a light that was shining from within, casting a glow all around her. She held herself proudly—like a luna—and I felt sure that with enough time, I could help her understand my actions.

“Everybody ready?” Luna April asked.

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