CH. 6 THE GREAT MISTAKE

Present…

Nora’s POV

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heartbeat. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion, embarrassment, and guilt.

The sound of the water echoed in the shower, its soothing rhythm trying to wash away the taint of my recklessness. I scrubbed vigorously as if I could scrub away the shame that clung to my skin. My body shivered under the hot water, not from the heat but from the memories that flashed through my mind. The feel of his lips on mine and the way his hands roamed my body with an intensity that made my knees weak.

As I stepped out of the shower, I reached for the arsenal of beauty products—makeup to conceal the hickies that disfigured my neck and jaw and perfume to drown out the intoxicating scent of Alpha George that still clung like a possessive lover. The mirror reflected back a girl I didn’t recognize.

I slipped into a cute pink dress, hoping it would take my mind off things. With my head hanging low, I made my way to the living room and stopped at the stairs with my hands on the railings. My heart did a victory lap as I sighted Alpha George, standing by the main door. He locked his piercing gray eyes on me for a brief second and looked away.

Leo walked over to him from the other side of the living room and opened the main door for him.

“I hope your girlfriend will keep her mouth shut about what happened here, because the moment she opens her fucking mouth to tell my fiancée shit, she is dead.” Alpha George said to Leo.

“Don’t worry, bro, she will keep her mouth shut,” Leo assured him and guided him out of the house. The door shut, and I realized I had been holding my breath the whole time.

I strolled down the stairs and sat on the couch. I turned on the TV with the remote and switched to the animal documentary. I was already getting engrossed in it when the head maid approached me with a friendly smile.

“What would you like for breakfast, Miss Nora?” She asked in a sweet tone.

I narrowed my eyes at her and stroked my chin a little. “Um, I would like a skillet-cooked corned beef with cubed potatoes and thinly sliced leeks, and ideally topped with an egg,” I ordered, feeling like royalty.

“Okay, I will get it ready in a few minutes.” She replied with a smile and left the room. I settled back into the cushions, ready to continue my wildlife adventure, but before I could focus on the screen again, Leo burst into the house. His face was flushed, and his eyes were wild. He rushed towards the TV and swiftly turned it off, leaving me baffled.

“Leo, what the fuck?!?” I demanded, my voice rising with irritation. “Why did you turn off the TV?”

He stood there, silent and tense, his breathing heavy. I could see the worry etched on his face, and it sent a chill down my spine. Something was terribly wrong.

“What’s wrong? Why are you acting this way?” I raised another question.

He bit his lower lip and maintained eye contact with me. He went silent for a while and finally spoke up. “Nora, I fucked up. Alicia… Alicia is going to kill me if she finds out. I was supposed to take care of you, and... and I failed.”

I raised a brow in confusion, not sure of what he meant. “I don’t understand. You have been taking care of me just fine, what are you talking about?”

His eyes met mine, and he took a step forward. “You had a miscarriage,” he blurted out, his words hanging heavily in the air.

“But…t… The doctor told me I was four weeks pregnant, so what are you going on about?”

He sucked in a deep breath, and I could finally see the guilt and regret in his eyes. “I asked the doctor to lie to you that you were pregnant. You lost Alicia’s embryo, and it was the only one Dr. Laura had with her," he explained.

Shocked, I felt my body go numb. I was so focused on giving birth to the child that I didn’t think anything would go wrong. But the realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and I had lost Alicia’s precious embryo, her last hope for motherhood.

Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes as I struggled to find words. “…How could you? I trusted you. How could you lie about something like that?” I asked. “I deserved to know, I am the one Alicia is counting on the most!” I yelled.

He ran his hand through his messy brown hair and let out a deep breath. “I think I will have to get you pregnant. That’s the only way to make things right. We need to fix this. If... if I get you pregnant, we can avoid Alicia’s wrath.” He suggested with a serious face.

My jaw dropped to the floor in horror. “Are you insane?!? I can’t believe you are suggesting this!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, my voice echoing throughout the room. “Wait a minute. Is this the reason you spiked my juice last night and I ended up having sex with—” He cut in.

“Listen to me! It’s the only way. We can’t risk her finding out. She will kill me, and you don’t want the blood of an innocent man on your hands when it’s your fault you lost the baby, and she might even fire you and refuse to help you anymore!” he ranted.

My mind spun as I couldn’t let myself be manipulated into such madness. “No, we can’t do that. It’s…it’s insane. And I don’t care if Alicia finds out, she will just have to provide another embryo.” I replied.

His eyes flashed with fury as his wolf wanted to unleash and in a swift motion. He picked up the knife from the fruit basket on the center table and pressed it against my neck. “You are fucking selfish! I can be insane if that’s what it takes. Don’t test me.” His hot breath hit my ear as he held the back of my head with a tight grip on the sharp metal against my skin.

I swallowed hard, my chest feeling heavy. “You can’t kill me, I am an asset to Alicia, so if you think you can have your way by threatening to kill me, you are wasting your fucking time.” I declared with a shuddering breath. His grip on the knife faltered, his anger momentarily subsiding as he let go of my hair.

“What’s going on here?” The head maid asked as she appeared with a tray of breakfast, her eyes wide with fear as she glanced at us.

Leo got off the couch and stormed out of the room, leaving me shaken and on the edge of tears. I grabbed a hold of the armrest to maintain my composure as the maid walked over to me and placed the tray on the table.

Two months later,

I stood frozen, my heart pounding in my chest, as I watched Alicia and Dr. Laura approach my bedroom door. Panic gushed through me, threatening to engulf me. I had been hiding from Leo for months, ever since he offered to knock me up. The memory of his words still haunted me, and I had gained some weight over the months and felt the need to eat a lot, maybe because my life at this mansion was great and fulfilling.

I moved away from the door as it swung open. My breath caught in my throat. Alicia stood there, her penetrating gaze fixed on my face, and she gave me a genuine smile. It was the first time we were meeting since I accepted the deal.

“How are you doing?” Alicia asked as she entered the room with Dr. Laura, who was carrying a toolbox.

“I am fine,” I answered through my nose, unable to maintain eye contact with her.

“I am here for a check-up. I am sorry for the delay. I know I said I would be coming every month. I kind of had a situation at home, and it’s taking a lot of my time.” Dr. Laura explained with her gaze fixed on me.

“You don’t need to explain yourself, I think she understands.” Alicia cut in.

I stumbled back, retreating into the room, and collapsed onto the bed. I clung to the sheets as if they could shield me. My heart was beating harder than ever, and I couldn’t stop my brain from thinking of a lot of nasty things Alicia might do to me if she found out that I wasn’t pregnant.

“Don’t be scared, honey,” Alicia said in a soft tone as she moved closer to me on the bed and grabbed my right hand. “We just want to make sure the child is healthy.” She said and I gulped, my heart pounding hard against my chest like it was about to burst. This was it. The moment of truth.