The Child Is Mine Too

I barely slept that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I remembered the look on Adrian’s face when Kael had called me his mate. The shock had been unmistakable, but so had the anger that followed it. I knew my husband well enough to recognize when his pride had been wounded, and I had a terrible feeling that he wasn’t going to let the situation go easily.

What troubled me more was the way Kael had looked at me afterward. He had been calm, even considerate, but I could sense how much effort it took him to keep his Alpha instincts under control. The mate bond connected us in a way neither of us fully understood, and although I had chosen to spend the night with him, I wasn’t ready to let that connection determine the rest of my life.

I had already spent seven years making decisions around another person’s needs. I wasn’t going to exchange one set of expectations for another simply because my wolf had recognized a mate.

My phone vibrated on the bedside table, interrupting my thoughts.

Adrian had sent another message.

We need to talk. This situation has gone too far.

I read it twice before placing the phone facedown.

He still didn’t understand. To Adrian, everything was a situation to manage, a problem to resolve before it affected his reputation. He seemed incapable of understanding that I wasn’t simply upset about his affair. I was grieving the life I had believed we were building together, and no amount of pressure could make me trust him again.

I got out of bed and walked to the window. The city was already awake, with cars moving through the streets and people hurrying toward their destinations. Somewhere beyond the hotel, the world continued as usual, even though I felt as if my entire life had been pulled apart.

I needed to stop thinking about Adrian long enough to decide what I wanted for myself.

A little after nine, someone knocked on my door.

I checked the peephole before opening it and found Kael standing in the hallway, dressed in a dark shirt and tailored trousers. He held a small paper bag in one hand, and his expression softened slightly when he saw me.

“Good morning.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “How did you know which room I’m staying in?”

“I asked the front desk to contact you. They called your room and asked whether you were willing to receive a visitor.”

That answer eased some of my suspicion, although I still wasn’t entirely comfortable with how easily he could find me.

“And if I’d said no?”

“I would have left.”

I studied his face, looking for signs that he was simply telling me what I wanted to hear. When I found none, I stepped aside to let him enter.

He placed the bag on the small table near the window. Inside were breakfast pastries and a cup of coffee.

“You don’t have to do this,” I said.

“I know. I wanted to.”

There was something disarming about the simplicity of his answer. Adrian had often treated kindness as something I should appreciate without question, especially when he expected something in return. Kael hadn’t asked me to forgive him, trust him, or make a decision about our bond because he had brought me breakfast.

I poured myself some coffee and sat across from him.

“Did you come here to talk about yesterday?”

“Partly.”

I sighed. “Then let’s get it over with.”

Kael leaned back slightly, his attention remaining on me.

“Adrian won’t leave you alone.”

“That isn’t news.”

“He believes your marriage gives him the right to decide what happens next. I don’t intend to let him use that belief to control you.”

I set my cup down.

“And what exactly do you intend to do about it?”

“Whatever is necessary to make sure he respects your decision.”

I narrowed my eyes. “That sounds like an Alpha deciding what is best for everyone.”

His expression changed, and I could tell he understood why I had reacted that way.

“I’m not deciding anything for you, Sera. I’m telling you that you don’t have to face him alone if you don’t want to.”

The distinction mattered, although I wasn’t ready to admit how much.

“I appreciate that,” I said. “But I need you to understand something. I’m not leaving Adrian for you. I left because of what he did, and that decision would be the same even if I’d never met you.”

Kael nodded slowly.

“I understand.”

“And the mate bond doesn’t change that. I won’t accept a relationship just because our wolves recognize each other. I need to know who you are, and I need time to decide whether I want you in my life.”

For a moment, he said nothing. His gaze dropped briefly to my hands before returning to my face.

“Then take your time. I’m not going to use the bond to pressure you into anything.”

His answer loosened something inside my chest that I hadn’t realized was so tightly wound. My wolf still responded to him, warming beneath my skin whenever he moved or spoke, but I could finally separate that instinct from the decisions I needed to make.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

Kael’s expression softened.

“You don’t owe me gratitude for respecting your choices.”

I looked down at my coffee, suddenly uncomfortable with how close his words had come to something I had needed to hear for years. Adrian had gradually taught me to feel guilty whenever I asked for consideration, until I had begun to believe that wanting honesty and respect made me difficult to love.

I didn’t want to carry that belief into whatever came next.

After a moment, I raised my eyes to Kael again.

“There’s another thing I need you to understand. I don’t want you fighting with Adrian because of me. Whatever happened between you two before we met is yours to deal with, but I’m not going to be used as a reason for you to settle old scores.”

His jaw tightened briefly.

“Adrian and I have our differences, but I won’t use you to get back at him.”

“Good. Because I won’t be a weapon in a fight between brothers.”

“You won’t be.”

His certainty made me pause. I wanted to believe him, but promises were easy to make when nothing had been tested yet. I had learned that lesson the hard way.

Kael seemed to understand my hesitation.

“You don’t have to trust me immediately, Sera. Let me show you what I mean.”

I studied him for a moment, then nodded.

It wasn’t a promise that everything would be fine, but it was enough for now.

We talked for a little longer, mostly about practical matters. Kael offered to help me find a lawyer who could explain my options regarding the divorce, but he didn’t insist when I told him I wanted to handle the first consultation myself. He also offered to arrange security if Adrian continued showing up unexpectedly.

I agreed to consider the security, although I made it clear that I would decide what I needed after speaking to a lawyer.

When Kael finally stood to leave, I walked him to the door.

“Will I see you again?” he asked.

The question caught me off guard. An Alpha as powerful as Kael could probably have arranged another meeting without asking, yet he stood waiting for my answer.

“Maybe,” I said. “If we can agree that neither of us gets to make decisions for the other.”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“I think I can manage that.”

After he left, I returned to the table and finished my coffee. For the first time since discovering Adrian’s betrayal, I felt as though I could breathe without constantly waiting for another argument.

My problems hadn’t disappeared, and I still had no idea what would happen with Kael. But at least I had begun to understand that my future didn’t have to be decided by either man.

I gathered the breakfast wrappers and carried them toward the small bin near the bathroom. As I reached for my phone afterward, I glanced at the date displayed at the top of the screen.

I stopped.

I checked it again, then opened my calendar and scrolled back through the previous month. My stomach tightened as I counted the days, checking the dates against the notes I had made about my last cycle.

I had been so distracted by Adrian’s betrayal, leaving home, and meeting Kael that I hadn’t paid attention to something I usually tracked carefully.

My period was late.

I sat down slowly on the edge of the bed, staring at the calendar while an uncomfortable thought began to take shape in my mind.

It could be stress. The past few days had been overwhelming enough to disrupt almost anything.

But as I counted the days again, my hand moved instinctively to my lower abdomen.

For the first time, I wondered whether that night with Kael had changed more than I was prepared to face.