Page 22 of A Secret Baby By the Alpha

My eyes widened, and I saw that Colson’s had as well. He looked between Jenny and me like a deer caught in headlights.

“What?” he finally asked.

“Mom said that my father was a powerful shifter that she knew a long time ago, and I overheard you two talking about meeting each other before I was born. We have the same eyes,” Jenny explained. “So? Are you my dad?”

Colson took a deep breath and looked at me with pleading eyes. I wasn’t ready for this conversation, but it didn’t matter. Jenny wanted to know the truth, and she deserved to hear it. I couldn’t lie to my daughter anymore. It was very possible—likely, even—that when I explained I had kept it a secret, both Jenny and Colson would team up against me. I might lose her, but it didn’t matter. It had to be done.

Colson met my eyes, and I gave him an apologetic look. He knew I had lied, and that I had asked him to keep up the lie with Jenny, but I didn’t see any accusation in his expression. Only regret.

“I’m so sorry for not telling you sooner, baby,” I told her. “I never expected to run into him again. I didn’t even know where he was, or if we’d see him again.”

I flinched, realizing my apology had turned into an accusation against Colson. As hurt as I was by his abandonment, I didn’t want to pass that bitterness onto Jenny. It wasn’t her burden to bear.

I was fully prepared for Colson to defend himself and attack me in return, but his next words surprised me.

“I’m sorry, too, Jenny,” he said earnestly. “I wish I had been there to see you grow up. If you’re willing, I’d like to be a part of your life now. I know that doesn’t make up for the past, but it’s all I have to offer you.”

“I want that. But why did you leave?” Jenny asked.

“That’s a long story I will tell you when you’re older. Just know that even though I had to go, I never wanted to,” he said.

As his words filled the air, I wondered how much of it was the truth and how much was meant to make her feel better. Would we ever be able to be honest with each other for Jenny’s sake? Or were we doomed to live in our lies forever?

Chapter 11 - Colson

The vibe in the house had changed since Jenny discovered I was her father, but my role in the pack had remained the same. The Dark Alpha group was eager to scout a new area to the north, and it was my duty as a member to help them. It made me nervous to leave Jenny and Christa behind without my protection, but I knew my pack would keep them safe.

It had put my mind at ease knowing that the most dangerous member of the Dark Alphas, Gage Desmond, was with me on the scouting expedition. Unfortunately, that meant I had to deal with his constant power plays and sneaky attempts to downplay the other members’ contributions and gain the upper hand over the rest of us.

We had traveled into the territory late last night and, so far, hadn’t seen any signs of major pack movement. There appeared to only be a few small packs—even smaller than the ones we came from—mostly made up of family units.

“Getting them to cede their lands to us won’t take much convincing,” I said in passing to Desmond and Alpha Vitali as we took a break on a hilltop overlooking the most recent of the pack structures we had seen. A handful of homes stood together in the valley, and no one appeared to be on guard—or even awake. “I don’t think it’ll even come to a fight. They’ll just let us have it once they see the strength of our numbers.”

“This is exactly what I was warning you about,” Desmond whispered to Alpha Vitali.

“‘Warning’ him?” I asked. “What on earth are you talking about?”

Vitali gave a hard look to Desmond and shifted his eyes back towards me. “There’s been some talk…” he admitted uncomfortably.

“Talk about what, exactly?”

“About you and your new little lady friend,” Desmond quipped.

I had known that some of the alphas were still upset by me leaving Christa and Jenny alive, but I had hoped with time, the females’ confinement in my territory would help convince them of the rightness of my plan. Apparently, I was mistaken.

“Is there something wrong with her? Has she done something to your pack, Desmond? I didn’t realize she had any power over your territory,” I pointed out sarcastically. If he wanted to be derogatory, two could play that game.

“It has nothing to do with herpower,” Desmond sneered, squaring up to me. “I saw the signs when you wouldn’t dispose of her when you should have. You’ve got her playing luna in your pack, claiming she’s your mate.”

“I claim nothing but the truth,” I countered.

“That’s what you claim,” he argued. “But I think there’s more to the story than you’re telling. I think you’re harboring a spy and putting us all at risk.”

I laughed at the accusation, hoping to get him to realize how preposterous his thought process was. “My mate is no spy,” I chuckled.

“If she’s your mate, does that mean you’ve had the ceremony and bedded her, then? I bet you tasted all of her sweet, milky skin. Is that why you’re acting like a little puppy who’s afraid to fight for what is rightfully ours? She’s got you pussy-whipped.”

Hearing this vile man speak of Christa in such vulgar terms made my wolf rise up in arms before I even had the opportunity to register it was happening. Orin transformed and sprang at him, raking a claw across his shoulder before he could follow suit.

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