Drake’s POV:
As the first light of dawn filtered through the window, I knew that Leila’s heat had finally passed. The night had been a storm of emotions, desires, and revelations, but now, there was a sense of calm. Leila was resting peacefully, her body finally at ease, and I knew she needed ti to recover. I quietly slipped out of bed, not wanting to disturb her. I decided to make breakfast, a small gesture of care in the midst of all the chaos. I kept it simple, just so toast and eggs, sothing that would be easy on her stomach after everything she had been through.
As I finished preparing the al, I wrote a note, leaving it on the tray. "Leila sweet, eat sothing to regain your strength. I’ll be back soon. Please wait for ." I placed the tray by the bed, taking a mont to look at her peaceful face, before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. The warm water did little to ease the tension in my muscles, but I pushed through it, knowing that there was sothing I needed to address—sothing that couldn’t wait any longer.
Linking Lucas as I dressed, I inford him that I was on my way to the hospital. The unease in his voice when he responded only served to heighten my anxiety. "I’ll et you there, Drake. But... just prepare yourself." His words hung in the air, cryptic and unsettling. I tried to brush it off, but the nagging feeling in my gut refused to dissipate.
Arriving at the hospital, Lucas was already waiting for , his expression grim. The way he looked at was different—there was concern, but also sothing else, sothing that made my stomach churn with unease.
"Drake," Lucas began, his voice cautious. "Before you see the baby, I need you to stay calm. Don’t freak out."
I frowned at his words. What the hell was that supposed to an? He was scaring more than preparing . Lucas t with a look that did nothing to ease my growing apprehension. "The baby is a boy," he said, as if that would reassure . And it did, montarily. The first child of an Alpha is always an Alpha, and I felt a surge of pride. But sothing in Lucas’s deanor was off, a hesitance in his eyes that unsettled even further. He should be congratulating , celebrating with as both my Beta and my friend, but instead, there was a shadow in his gaze.
Pushing aside my unease, I made my way to Lily’s room. She was awake, her face pale but glowing with the exhaustion of childbirth. As soon as she saw , her eyes welled with tears, and she began to sob uncontrollably.
"How could you abandon us?" she cried, her voice trembling with emotion. "Drake, you weren’t there when our baby was born. How could you leave us at such an important mont?"
Her words cut deep, guilt gnawing at my insides. I had been with Leila, dealing with her heat, but in doing so, I had missed the birth of my child. The weight of my decisions pressed heavily on my shoulders. I reached out to soothe Lily, trying to calm her down, but her sobs only intensified.
The doctor entered the room then, holding a small bundle wrapped in a soft blanket. "Lily, it’s ti to feed the baby," she said gently, handing the child to Lily. My heart pounded as I stepped forward, eager to hold my son for the first ti.
As my eyes fell on the tiny face, a surge of emotions overwheld . He was perfect—so small, so innocent. But just as I was about to allow myself to feel the joy of fatherhood, Gile, my wolf, growled in my mind. "He’s not our pup."
Shock rippled through . "What are you talking about?" I snapped back at him, unwilling to accept what he was suggesting. "Of course, he is. He’s mine."
But Gile was relentless. "Use your head, Drake. The baby doesn’t carry our scent. It’s not ours."
My heart stuttered as I realized the truth of his words. The scent—how could I have missed it? Every young wolf carried the scent of their parents, a unique blend that indicated their lineage. But this baby... he carried Lily’s scent, but there were two others mixed in, none of which were mine. The most prominent scent belonged to the baby himself, but the distinctive scent that should have signaled his connection to was absent.
Numbly, I handed the baby back to Lily, my mind spinning with disbelief. "I need to talk to Lucas," I muttered, barely able to form the words. Lily looked up, confused, but I didn’t wait for her response. I needed answers.
Outside the room, I grabbed Lucas by the arm and pulled him into a private space. My chest tightened with a mix of anger and fear as I confronted him. "What the hell is going on, Lucas? Tell the truth."
Lucas t my gaze, his expression serious. "Drake, I’m not sure why you haven’t figured it out yourself. The baby... he doesn’t have your scent. That should tell you everything you need to know."
My blood ran cold as I stared at him, the reality of the situation hitting like a freight train. Lucas continued, his tone somber. "I noticed it too, so I asked the doctor to run a DNA test, just to be sure." He handed a sealed envelope. "This is the result. It’ll confirm your doubts."
My hands trembled as I took the envelope, my mind racing. Everything was unraveling, the life I thought I knew slipping through my fingers. I could hardly bring myself to open it, knowing that whatever was inside would change everything.
Leila’s POV:
As I woke up, the mouthwatering aroma of food filled the room, making my stomach growl in anticipation. A smile tugged at my lips as thoughts of Drake flooded my mind. Last night’s desperation for him, the overwhelming need that had consud —I blushed at the mory, especially when I recalled marking him. I cursed Layla under my breath, but she just teased in return. "You wanted it too," she chid in, "besides, we’re Alphas. It’s natural for us to want to mark him."
Her words made pause. Normal she-wolves didn’t mark their mates—only the males did. Now that I had marked Drake, I knew it would raise suspicions. "What have I done?" I murmured, anxiety creeping in. How was I going to explain this? How could I avoid his questions without arousing even more suspicion? But before I could spiral further, Layla’s soothing voice cut through my thoughts. "Drake ca for us, rember? He didn’t leave us in that awful cell. He truly cares for us."
Her reminder brought a sense of warmth and happiness. Drake cared enough to co for , to take away from that wretched place. My heart swelled with gratitude. Maybe it was ti to show him the recording, to trust him with the truth. After all, he had shown that he cared.
Feeling a new sense of determination, I stood up, smiling at the small note Drake had left beside the food tray. "Eat up, my love. I’ll be back soon. Wait for ." His words brought comfort, and I couldn’t help but smile as I picked up a piece of toast, savoring the taste as I chewed.
I began to search for my phone, realizing it must have been with my clothes from the night before. Drake undressed , a blush crept up my cheeks at the thought. Finally spotting my phone placed neatly beside the pile of clothes, I stretched out to grab it. But as soon as my fingers touched the phone, a strange, agonizing pain surged through , so intense that I clutched my chest in shock. "What... What is this?"
Layla’s voice answered, filled with a calm I couldn’t muster. "This agony isn’t ours, Leila. It’s our mate’s. Because we marked him, we can feel everything he feels. And when he marks us and we finally mate, we’ll be able to hear his thoughts, and he’ll hear ours."
Her words sank in slowly, bringing with them a new wave of emotions. This connection—this bond—was far deeper than I had imagined. I could feel Drake’s pain, his turmoil. And it wasn’t just physical; it was emotional, too. What was he going through right now? Why was he in such agony?
Concern gripped , pushing aside any lingering doubts about the mark or its consequences. Drake was hurting, and now, through this bond, I was hurting too. Whatever was happening, I needed to be there for him, just as he had been there for last night. I needed to help him, to ease his pain, and maybe, just maybe, together we could figure out how to move forward from here.
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