Chapter 7

Valerie:

I watched as the Alpha gasped, waking up from his slumber before he frantically looked around the room that he was in.

His heart raced, and the monitor beeped loudly, startling me and the two nurses who were here by now. I nodded at the two ladies to leave before turning my attention to the man whose eyes were wide in surprise. 

“What…?”

“How are you feeling?” He frowned in confusion, clearly surprised of where he was and who he was actually speaking to, and at this point, I couldn’t really blame him. I would have been surprised if I were in his place.

“How…?”

“You came to me yesterday.” I said, explaining the situation. “I had to get a few equipment and nurses to help, but don’t worry, you’re safe here.”

He didn’t respond for a few seconds but I could tell by his confused state that it was the last thing that he expected to hear from me. “You need to try talking, Alessandro.”

“Why did you help me?” He asked, shaking his head in question.

“You came to me, surely there must have been a reason behind that.” I said, sitting on the chair that was beside his bed. “Do you want to tell me what happened?” 

“I doubt that a huntress like yourself would care about what happened to a wolf that was shot…”

“If I did not, then I wouldn’t have helped you in the first place.” I said, putting a hand on my stomach for a second. He followed my hand, and it wasn’t until his eyes landed on my belly that I was quick to remove it. He frowned before looking up at me and shaking his head. “I will go and get the nurses to help check up on you.”

“The child is mine.”

“You’re not asking,” I stated, and he scoffed. My heart raced against my chest and though I didn’t like it, I knew that he could hear it.

“There is a bond that not even you or your hunter family can break when it comes to a wolf child and his father.” He said, and I looked down at my feet for a second before he sighed. My chest ached and a heavy feeling settled in my chest before I forced myself to take a deep breath.

“I will go and call the nurses.” I said, walking out of the room without giving him a chance to respond or say another word. The last thing that I wanted was for him to be judging me the way that he was, especially when he didn’t understand how hard it has been on me being as isolated as I was. My own brother and father don’t know about the pregnancy, and I have been avoiding all social gatherings with them in fear that they would feel his wolf blood.

“I want you to go and check…”

“Dad?” I asked, frowning at the sight of my father. His eyes met mine and I frowned when I saw that he and Vadim were standing in front of me. “What are you doing here?” 

I was thankful for the fact that I was wearing a loose shirt, and looking at my brother, I shook my head in question when I noticed the state that the two of them were in.

“Do I need an appointment to come and visit my daughter?” Dad asked, and I shook my head before smiling. I walked toward him, but just as I tried hugging him, he flinched, making me frown in confusion. Vadim shook his head, and I looked down at my father’s hand as it went down to his side.

“You’re injured.” I said, and Vadim scoffed. 

“The Alpha of Alphas happened.” He said, making my chest ache. I gulped, and he shook his head before nodding at the door behind me. “Surgery this early in the morning? We saw blood stains in front of the infirmary door…”

“A dog showed up injured late last night. I had to tend to him before he bled out.” I said, and dad frowned in confusion.

“A dog?”

“I am a vet, father. It is something that you seem to forget.” I said, and he raised an eyebrow before walking past me. “What are you doing?”

“I have to check on the…” 

“No…”

He opened the door, and I couldn’t help but frown in confusion at the sight of one of the dogs that was indeed injured last night, laying on the bed. His eyes were open, and he looked at me for a second before closing his eyes again.

“That is a dog.” He stated, and I looked around the room for a second before shaking my head in question. 

“Is there anything that you are going to tell me? Because you seem to have crossed a certain limit…”

“I am your father.”

“And this is my infirmary, and after what you just did, your silent accusation, and the way you just chose to barge in on a patient, I doubt that the father title works.” I said, crossing my arms over my chest, careful to keep my belly hidden. 

“We came to invite you to dinner.” He said, and I shook my head in question. “Alessio, son of Lucius, will be there, and I think that it is time for the two of you to finally settle things.”

“Alessio and I are a past that will not be repeated…”

“I was not asking.” He said, handing me a card. It was a wedding card with my and his name on it. “For the benefit of both families. You are going to show up at that dinner, and I will not take ‘no’ for an answer, am I making myself clear?”