Page 90 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

She doesn’t know that I would give anything to build a life with her, to have a family, to raise a child together. She doesn’t know that the thought of holding a child with her eyes, her laugh, her warmth, is something that would give me more joy than almost anything I can fathom.

But it’s not that simple.

Because carrying my child could kill her.

The thought alone makes my stomach churn. I close my eyes, jaw tightening, hands curling into fists against the table. Katherine thinks I don’t want children. She thinks I’m selfish, that I only care about what I want. And it kills me that she believes that.

But I can’t tell her the truth.

Because if I do—if I tell her what carrying a shifter’s child, my child, could do to her—what if she decides she doesn’t want to be with me anymore?

I see it in her eyes. Hear it in her voice. She wants a family someday. The her face lit up when she talked about nurturinga child of her own—it’s clearly something she’s always looked forward to. And if she learns she can’t have that with me… what then?

Or worse—what if she fights me on it? What if she looks me in the eye and tells me she’s strong, that she can handle it, that she’s willing to take the risk?

But I’m not willing to take that risk. I won’t.

I already watched her come close to dying once. And it was one of the worst moment of my life.

It still plays in my head like a nightmare on repeat. The car hauling dangerously, metal groaning as it tumbled down through the woods, her scream cutting through the chaos. That jagged piece of wood piercing through the windshield, slicing through the air, aiming straight for her. It happened so fast, pure reflex taking over—I lunged, throwing myself in front of her, shielding her with my body before my brain even caught up. I saved her. But what if I had been a second too late? What if, instead of protecting her, all I had done was watch?

I won’t risk her life again. I will not be the reason she dies.

And yet, it’s starting to feel like those are my only choices—stay with her and put her in danger, or keep her safe by staying away and live with the unbearable pain of losing her.

My mind snaps back to the phone call from earlier. I know she noticed the change in my expression, the way my shoulders tensed. She saw it. Felt it. She knew something was off. And she was right.

I tried to mask it, but I could feel the telltale signs of my anger betraying me—my brows furrowing, my fingers twitching at my sides as Jack spoke. He told me Valerian and those disgraced, dishonorable council members who took his bribes had been stirring unrest. Spreading word throughout the kingdom that Iintended to make a human my mate. My Queen. Conveniently omitting the part that she is my fated mate.

But that wasn’t what sent a slow, seething rage curling through my veins, making my grip tighten around the phone.

It was what came next.

The council had decided. They would only accept her as Queen if she bore me an heir.

Jack knows. The council knows. They all know exactly what happens when a human carries a shifter’s child. And yet, they dangle it in front of me like a demand, like an ultimatum. Like bait. All because of Valerian. Because he’s twisting the truth, spinning it into something dangerous. Using Katherine as a pawn to push his own agenda.

I had barely managed to tell Jack I’d call him back. I couldn’t deal with it. Not in that moment. Not when I was trying to give Katherine a normal night, a night untouched by all of this. A normal birthday dinner with just us.

But now, the moment’s already ruined. So I might as well face it. Might as well find out the full extent of this mess.

I reach for my phone where it sits on the table, fingers wrapping tightly around it. A quiet exhale, and then I press Jack’s number, bringing it to my ear.

It doesn’t even ring twice.The moment Jack picks up, I can barely keep the anger from my voice.

“Keep talking.” My grip tightens around the phone, my fingers curling so hard that the plastic casing creaks under the pressure. My jaw aches from clenching.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Jack says immediately. His voice is steady, but there’s a sharp edge to it.

“The rumors Valerian and his followers have been spreading… they’re taking root. Some of the pack families that have alwaysbeen loyal to you—they’re getting restless. They fear that you may take a mate who won’t be able to give you an heir. And Valerian is using that fear, twisting it to gain political leverage.”

The rage hits me instantly, hot and vicious. My free hand balls into a fist against the table. My knuckles burn as my nails dig into my palm, but it doesn’t stop the fury spreading through my chest like wildfire.

The nerve of that bastard.

He’s trying to tear my kingdom apart, fueling doubt, sowing discord—all because he lost. Because he was exposed. Because he couldn’t stand that I took back what was rightfully mine.

Jack exhales sharply. “But there’s good news.” A pause. “We’ve found his location.”

---