Page 92 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

I have to see her before I leave. I don’t know what I’m going to say. I don’t know if I’m ready to tell her that having a child with me could endanger her life. But I know I have to talk to her.

By the time morning arrives, I’ve barely had any sleep. The moment the clock strikes 9AM, the time I know Katherine arrives at the office, I head outside. My guards are already waiting, ever present as I move out the building and to the car.

Pinnacle Group’s building is sleek and modern, all glass and steel, towering over the city. My guards stay behind at the car, just as I instructed them to. I don’t want to bring any more tension into this than there already is.

The elevator ride up feels endless. The weight in my chest only grows heavier as I step out onto her floor, making my way down the hall to her office.

I knock once.

“Come in,” her voice calls from inside.

I hesitate for a split second before I push the door open and find her sitting behind her desk, looking stunning and untouchable all at once. Her hair is swept back, her outfit professional and precise, but it’s her eyes that get me. They’re cold. Guarded. A wall has been built overnight, and I know it’s because of me.

She doesn’t get up. Doesn’t greet me. She just lifts her gaze, her lips pressing into a thin line as she waits for me to speak.

“Katherine,” I start, stepping further inside, closing the door behind me.

She exhales slowly, setting down her pen, folding her hands over the desk. “What do you want, Alex?”

Her tone is clipped, distant.

I run a hand through my hair, exhaling. I want to tell her, to explain to her how deep this runs. How desperately I want to protect her from anything that could bring her harm, even if that thing is being the mother of my children. But I can’t bring myself to say it, and when I speak, I say something else.

“There’s something I have to take care of back home. Something urgent.”

She nods once, almost robotic. “Fine.”

That’s it. Just “fine”. Like my leaving means nothing. Like I mean nothing.

But I see it. The flicker of something in her eyes before she looks away. The way her fingers tighten ever so slightly around the edge of the desk. She’s hurt. She’s upset. And she’s doing everything she can to bury it.

I step closer. “Katherine, I—”

“You don’t owe me an explanation.” Her voice is sharp, cutting through whatever I was about to say. “I’m sure you have very pressing royal matters to attend to. I understand.”

Frustration coils tight in my chest. “I promise. When I return, we’ll talk about the conversation we had last night. I’ll explain.”

“Explain what, Alex?” she snaps, finally looking at me again, and this time, there’s fire in her eyes. “You don’t have to explain anything. I got the message crystal clear from last night.”

I open my mouth, everything in me wanting to tell her. My wolf growls within me, urging me to speak. But I rein it in.

Because if I tell her the truth—if I tell her that the only reason I don’t want to have children with her is because it could kill her—what if she doesn’t understand? What if she decides she doesn’t want to be with me anymore?

Or worse—what if she does understand but still chooses to risk it? I can’t let that happen.

So instead, I do what I always do. I keep my walls up. I keep the truth locked inside.

I exhale, shaking my head. “I’ll be back soon.”

She doesn’t say anything. The silence stretches between us, heavy and suffocating.

I want to fix this. I want to stay. But if I do, I won’t be able to leave. So I turn away. I force myself to walk to the door, to grip the handle, to step out of the office without looking back. Because if I look back, I might not be able to go at all.

I move straight out of the building. Forcing each step as I reach the parking lot. My phone buzzes as I walk. I pull it out and glance at the screen. A message from Jack.

The private plane is ready. We’re waiting to received you when you arrive.

I exhale, glancing up at the sky for a moment before tucking my phone away.

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