Page 71 of Alpha's Impostor Bride

Compared to the human world, time flows differently on our side of the Veil, especially the phases of the moon. The full moon takes place only every three months. Four times a year, a female shifter has the ability to conceive. In these past eight years, I have not touched Vivian once. The elders have fought and raged, but they can’t force me to fuck the woman.

And it’s not like Vivian hasn’t tried. She has slipped me aphrodisiacs, shown up in my room in scant clothing, but nothing has worked. It also doesn’t help that she only sees me for a total of three months each year.

Bella has been equally vocal about this, but once she lost favor with me, her importance in the castle waned.

Ever since I lost Leanna, it feels like there’s a gaping hole in my life, one I’ve never been able to fill.

Fighting at the border has made it easier over the years. I don’t like returning to the castle because I see my fated mate in every corner. I have to look at the woman wearing her face. Even now, sometimes the faintest trace of Leanna’s scent tickles my nose. I’ve tried to become accustomed to it, to ignore it, but when that small wolf pup peeked at me through the window of Erik’s office, his paws on the edge of the sill, I felt my heart crawl into my mouth.

That scent! At first I thought I was imagining it, but then the wind shifted, and I knew.

The wolf pup must have noticed that it got my attention because it let out a small squeal and raced off. But I wasn’t letting the little pipsqueak get away. Ignoring Erik’s startled yell, I leaped out the window and chased it down. As soon as I grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, one close sniff convinced me.

The child scent was intermingled with my mate’s. I had so many questions. What was going on? How?

“Finn Avery!”

The familiar voice had my wolf sitting up and alert. There was no possible way. I was frozen place, unable to move, when somebody snatched the pup from my hand.

Leanna.

She’s alive. She has been alive all these years.

The events from the garden are still playing in my head on repeat. How is this possible? She met Erik. She had a child with Erik.

Why didn’t she come find me? Why did she—

I bury my head in my hands, staring down at the floor of the hotel room.

My mate has been alive all these years, and she has a child.

I can’t process it.

I want to feel betrayed, but the look in her eyes when she glared at me was filled with fear and anger. Never before has she looked at me like that. My mate was always submissive. Sure, she had teeth, but she was very careful about showing them. This woman, this Leanna, she’s a stranger.

But she’s still my Leanna, isn’t she?

She’s alive. She’s well. If Erik had a mate, I would have known about it. If he had a child, I would have known about it. What if she’s lying? What if they’re both lying? I need to know.

Getting to my feet, I pace the length of the VIP suite, my wolf anxious to go out and hunt her down. She thinks I tried to kill her. Once she knows that’s not true, won’t she understand? Won’t things be alright between us?

I just have to convince her, right?

But what about that child?

There’s a knock on the door, and Harriet enters. “Your Majesty, word has come from—” She pauses when she sees the look on my face. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

I stare at her, trying to find the words to tell her. “Leanna.”

Harriet sighs, and her voice becomes gentle. “Oh, Cedric—”

I shake my head. “Harriet, she’s alive. She has a child.”

My attendant takes a step back, shock all over her face. “Are you sure? How can that be? Where is she?” She looks around the room as if expecting Leanna to pop out from behind the curtain.

“She’s with Erik. She—She’s had a child with him.”

Harriet pales. “No. She wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t—”

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