Chapter 3: Marked by the Alpha

The next morning, Maisa arrived at the hospital earlier than her scheduled appointment. She sat in the examination room, staring at the ultrasound screen where a tiny dot flickered into view. That dot was everything to her.

Delwyn stepped inside. Her expression was calm as always, but the tension in her eyes was impossible to hide.

“Congratulations,” she said with a gentle smile. “All the indicators look good. The fetus is developing on schedule. A little fast… but still within normal range.”

Maisa remained silent, her hands clenched tightly together.

“Delwyn,” she said slowly, her gaze never leaving her friend’s face. “I need to know the truth.”

Delwyn froze. “Maisa…”

“The man who came to my house yesterday—his name is Airden Kenneth. He said that…” Maisa’s voice caught. “…that I’m carrying his child. And I…” She swallowed hard. “I’m starting to believe him.”

Delwyn bit her lip. After a few seconds of silence, she closed the door, pulled out a chair, and sat opposite Maisa. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Maisa’s eyes.

“No one knows about this,” she began, her voice turning hoarse. “No one… except me and the head of the laboratory.”

“What does that mean?” Maisa whispered.

“The sperm sample you selected—the one from the engineer, intelligent, excellent genetics—that sample had already been prepared,” Delwyn said, as if reciting a script she had memorized.

“But one day before the insemination, there was an incident. During transport, two samples were switched. It was… entirely my mistake.”

Maisa felt as though Delwyn’s words were crushing her heart in a vice.

“A mistake?” she repeated, her lips trembling. “Then… whose child am I carrying?”

Delwyn clenched her hands. When she finally looked up, her eyes were filled with guilt.

“Airden Kenneth is not an ordinary man, Maisa,” she said quietly. “He is… an Alpha. A king. The head of the Kenneth bloodline.” Her voice dropped even lower. “And that tiny dot inside you—that child carries Alpha blood. A first-generation heir born outside their pack. A child with two completely different bloodlines.”

Maisa went rigid.

“I know this sounds insane,” Delwyn said quickly. “I thought that if I stayed silent—if you lived peacefully, if the child was born like any other—everything would pass. But I was wrong. He found out. And I… I don’t know what will happen next.”

“Delwyn!” Maisa stepped back, a chill racing down her spine. “You let me undergo artificial insemination with… a werewolf’s sperm?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Delwyn blurted out. “It all happened too fast. By the time we realized the error, the original sample had already been destroyed. I couldn’t tell you that we had replaced it with an ‘emergency’ sample. I thought… I thought I could fix the mistake later.”

Maisa was reeling, her heart completely out of rhythm.

“He… Airden Kenneth… he knows who I am, doesn’t he?”

Delwyn nodded, exhaustion settling over her face. “He came to me after detecting an abnormal signal in the biological monitoring system—an artificial insemination case showing royal Alpha gene markers. That’s impossible… unless the child is his.”

Maisa was silent for a long time.

“And now?” she asked, barely above a whisper.

“Now…” Delwyn swallowed. “We have to follow Airden Kenneth’s decision. He’s the hospital’s largest investor—the man behind the Alpha Genetic Research Fund. And he’s… demanding an agreement.”

Delwyn was about to say more when the door suddenly flew open.

Maisa flinched and turned around. Her gaze collided with Airden’s—and the temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees. His eyes looked as though they could pierce straight through her thoughts. He stepped inside, his tall frame blocking the light behind him.

For the first time, Maisa truly understood what power born of blood meant. No shouting. No weapons. Yet the moment he appeared, everything instinctively bowed in wary silence.

“Leave,” Airden said coldly.

Just one word—and Delwyn immediately stood, walking out without a single protest.

The door closed.

Airden looked at Maisa. He didn’t move closer, yet his gaze pinned her in place, constricting every breath she took.

“Do you still not understand your situation, Maisa?” he asked evenly, though it felt as if a blade were hidden in every word. “You’re carrying my child. That doesn’t only mean I’ll protect you. It means… you belong to me.”

Maisa stepped back, anger rushing through her veins.

 “I don’t belong to anyone.”

A faint smile curved Airden’s lips—cold as steel. He moved toward her slowly.

“I have never hesitated to remove obstacles that threaten the child,” he said. “I will make them disappear completely if necessary. You have the right to hate me, but you do not have the right to leave me—especially while Alpha blood still flows inside your womb.”

Maisa stiffened, but her gaze did not falter.

Airden stopped in front of her and leaned down close to her ear. His voice was barely more than a breath, yet every word fell like a crushing weight.

“This is the arrangement. You will come with me. You will stay under my roof. Guards for protection. Everything you need—except choice. You are free to hate me, but do not think I will give you the right to refuse.”

Maisa looked up at him, her entire body trembling—she wasn’t sure whether it was fear or rage.

“And if I say no?” she challenged.

Airden fell silent for a beat, then answered slowly.

“Then you can wait and see what happens. You should understand one thing—those who want the child inside you dead could line up from here to the city center. And I never allow anyone else to touch what belongs to me.”

Maisa hesitantly lowered her hand to her stomach. She could feel it—her child was in danger. What choice did she really have?

A wave of helplessness surged through her. Even as the child’s mother, she had no power to protect her baby from the horrors lurking outside. Why was her life always this cruel—so relentlessly unforgiving?

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her voice broke.

“Give me some time. There are still a few things I need to settle. In three days, I’ll come to you.”

The cruelty in Airden’s eyes finally softened. He looked at the woman before him, and for a brief moment, something inside his chest slipped out of rhythm.

“Fine,” he said. “But from this moment on, my guards will be watching you—following you, protecting you.”

Maisa sat there numbly, then nodded faintly, lifting a hand to wipe away her tears.

She left the hospital and took a taxi home. Brian hadn’t returned since the day she caught him with Kiera. Maisa walked into their shared study, where a locked drawer held a stack of documents she had prepared long ago—the divorce papers.

She was ready for her release.

Maisa dialed Brian’s number with trembling hands. He picked up after the third ring.

But the voice that came through the phone wasn’t Brian’s.

“Do you still want to contact Brian?”

 Kiera’s voice carried a hint of mockery—so different from the way it used to sound.

How could everything have changed so quickly? Maisa tightened her grip on the phone, forcing herself to stay calm.

 “I need to speak to Brian.”

“He’s sleeping—right here beside me.”

 The victorious tone in Kiera’s voice only made Maisa feel sick.

“What does it feel like, lying next to someone who doesn’t belong to you?” Maisa said coldly. “Don’t forget that Brian is still my legal husband. Tell him I’m waiting for him at home.”

Before Kiera could respond, Maisa ended the call.

Maisa! That bitch!

 She still refuses to let go?

Furious, Kiera hurled the phone at Brian. It struck him, making him groan as he opened his eyes.

“What’s wrong with you?” Brian snapped, irritated at being woken up. “Why are you making such a scene this early in the morning?”

“Why don’t you ask your precious little wife?” Kiera shot back.

She climbed out of bed angrily.

“Come on. What did she say to you?”

“Go home to your precious little wife,” Kiera said sharply. “She said she’s waiting for you at home.”

Brian frowned, clearly annoyed at being dragged out of sleep by Kiera’s anger. Lately, her temper had grown sharp and crude—no longer gentle the way she used to be. It displeased him, but he still curved his lips into a practiced, fake smile.

“Oh? Is that so?” he said lightly. “Maybe she’s still hung up on me.”

His tone was teasing, his eyes playful, trying to soothe Kiera’s rage.

“It’s time to end things with her,” Kiera said coldly. “Don’t you think so? Or do you want to give her another chance—to have your child?”

Brian fell silent for a moment. The playful look on his face faded, replaced by something more serious.

“Be good and wait for me to come back,” he said at last.

He leaned down and kissed Kiera’s forehead to placate her, then got out of bed.

Reaching for the phone lying in the corner, Brian opened the most recent call log and pressed call.

Something deep within him stirred—an inexplicable pull, accompanied by a flicker of nervous anticipation as the phone rang.

“Hello?”

 The voice on the other end was cool, distant. It had been a long time since he’d spoken to Maisa. Brian froze for a second, then cast a quick glance at Kiera.

Kiera was watching him closely. Brian immediately straightened, his expression hardening.

“Get straight to the point,” he said flatly. “Why are you calling me?”

“Yes.”

Brian spoke coldly, suppressing the strange unease in his chest. “I won’t see you unless it’s to get a divorce.”

Tears welled in Maisa’s eyes as she swallowed the words about her illness—six months of suffering she had endured alone. Then Kiera’s voice suddenly cut in from the background of the call.

“Stop wasting time on pointless things. It’s almost time to take our children for their checkup.”

The tears Maisa had held back for so long finally spilled down her cheeks. She had never been able to get pregnant, while Kiera had given birth to two children for her husband—a pair of adorable twins. Her family had fallen apart, and now he had a new one with someone else. They were living happily, as if nothing they had done to her mattered.

Maisa tightened her grip on the phone, forcing down her resentment. Her voice came out firm.

“Brian, let’s get a divorce.”

There was a brief pause on the line. Then Brian let out a cold laugh.

 “Maisa, what kind of trick are you trying to pull this time?”

Maisa closed her eyes, steadying herself for a few seconds.

 “I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

It took all her strength to end the call. Her chest ached with bitterness and self-pity.

Brian stared blankly at the phone screen after the line went dead. For an entire year, she had refused to divorce him no matter what—so why had she suddenly changed her mind today? Her voice had been full of tears, different from anything he remembered.

Outside, rain poured relentlessly. Brian stepped out.

“Brian! Where are you going?”

 Kiera hurried after him, holding the two babies in her arms. When she saw him leaving so decisively, the gentleness on her face darkened into something frightening.

Maisa—

 You’d better disappear from our lives as soon as possible.

 Kiera screamed silently inside.

—

Maisa stood before the mirror, staring at her reflection—pale face, reddened eyes, a thin body hidden beneath a light robe. She placed a hand over her abdomen, where a tiny life was forming. Her gaze softened slightly, but deep inside remained a darkness with no clear escape.

She had nothing left to lose.

The doorbell rang.

Maisa took a deep breath and went to open the door. Brian stood there, drenched by the rain, no umbrella in sight. His face was cold, but the confusion in his eyes was impossible to hide.

“Come inside,” Maisa said first, stepping back into the house. Her voice was calm—strangely calm. “I’ve prepared all the divorce papers. We just need to go to city hall to complete the formalities.”

Brian followed her in. He watched her for a moment before speaking.

“Before I sign, I want to know… why did you suddenly change your mind?”

Maisa let out a faint, bitter laugh.

 “Because I don’t have the strength to keep playing this fake family game with you anymore.”

“Because of me and Kiera?” Brian asked.

Maisa was silent for a few seconds. He still didn’t know about her surgery, about the tumor she’d had removed, about everything she had endured. He had never once truly cared.

A mocking smile curved her lips.

 “No. Because I’ve reclaimed my own worth. I don’t want to keep being an outsider in my own marriage.”

Brian clenched his fists. His gaze accidentally fell on a stack of medical reports on the table—then slid to Maisa’s abdomen. He froze.

“You… you’re pregnant?”

Maisa didn’t answer. But her silence was the clearest confirmation.

“Is it mine?” Brian asked, panic flooding his voice.

Maisa laughed—but tears streamed down her face.

 “Do you really think you’re still qualified to ask that? I once fell into despair because I couldn’t have a child, while you had two with another woman. And now you’re asking whether the baby inside me is yours?”

It felt as though Brian had been struck across the face.

Maisa lifted her head, steel flashing in her eyes.

 “Whoever this child belongs to, it is absolutely not yours. Because this baby… will survive. No matter the cost.”

Brian stood rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend what he had just heard.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

Maisa slammed the divorce file down on the table and thrust a pen toward him.

 “Sign it. This ends here.”

At that very moment, Maisa’s phone rang.

She glanced at the screen—Soren – Security. Her heart leapt instantly.

She answered the call. “What’s going on?”

The voice on the other end was taut with urgency.

“Ms. Maisa, we’ve detected a vehicle parked near your residence for over an hour. And… someone is observing the apartment from a distance using infrared binoculars. By order of Alpha Airden, you are to leave the area immediately. I’ve already dispatched a car to pick you up.”

A chill ran through Maisa’s body. She tightened her grip on the phone, her expression shifting in an instant. Brian sensed that something was wrong.

“What’s happening?” he asked.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed her coat, glanced briefly at his signature already stamped on the papers, quickly gathered the divorce documents, then turned back to Brian.

“We’re done. Completely. Forever.”

 She paused, her voice suddenly turning icy.

 “And Brian… tell Kiera this—if she dares to harm me in even the slightest way, I won’t let it go.”

Maisa walked out the door, leaving Brian standing frozen in the familiar house behind her.