Lahat ng Kabanata ng SURROGATE FOR THE ALPHA : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Valerie. The cool evening air hit me like a slap as I stumbled out of the café, tears blurring my vision. My lungs burned with the weight of the confrontation my father’s smug composure, Max’s desperate clutch at my hand, the shock in the eyes of onlookers. I couldn’t stay near any of it. Not here. Not now. I hastened toward the parking lot, the sound of my footsteps echoing on the pavement. My chest heaved as I tried to regain some semblance of control, the scent of rain and exhaust filling my nostrils. Somewhere between the burn of acid in my throat and the pulse of my heart, I felt a terrible emptiness. I had wanted strength. I had wanted freedom. Instead, I felt naked exposed to feelings I’d pushed away for years.I slowed at the row of black Sedans and SUVs. My car had been a gift from Max, but tonight I didn’t even remember how to approach it without trembling. I paused at the edge of a puddle, watching its dark surface ripple in the streetlight. All I knew was I couldn’t go ba

ValerieI don’t know how long we drove.Minutes. Hours. It all blurred together.I sat pressed against the cold leather seat, arms wrapped tight around my stomach. My heart wouldn’t stop racing. My skin felt too tight. Every time I tried to breathe, it felt like I was drowning.I thought of Max. Of the way he’d looked at me this morning, so proud, so sure. My throat closed. Would he know I was gone? Would he find me?The man across from me didn’t say a word. He just watched me with cold, assessing eyes. Like I was a problem he was waiting to solve.I forced myself to look back, meeting his stare. If I let myself look away, if I let fear take over, I would break. And I couldn’t afford to break.“Where are you taking me?” My voice was small but steady.He didn’t answer. He shifted slightly in his seat, as if my question was beneath him.I swallowed hard. My hands trembled where they clutched my belly. My baby shifted inside me, like he could feel my fear. The movement made my heart twis

MaxI don’t remember drawing my claws.One moment I was just standing there, breathing in her voice, trying to stay human enough to think. The next, the tips of my fingers burned, nails sharpening into curved black weapons.My wolf was so close to the surface I could feel its heartbeat inside my own.I didn’t care.I turned to Marcus and Leon, my voice rough and low. “Circle the perimeter. If anyone tries to leave, stop them.”Leon swallowed, his eyes flicking to my hands. “Alpha, if there are more men”“I don’t care if there’s an army.” My voice vibrated. “I’m going in.”I didn’t wait for an answer. I was going to save her. I didn't care what it took. I moved forward, silent as death.The warehouse was mostly empty, just crates and old equipment gathering dust. But in the far corner, beneath the swinging bulb, I saw them.Two men. One standing with his back to me, one seated.And Valerie. GodShe was tied to a metal chair, wrists bound, hair falling into her face. Even from across

ValerieI don’t think I’ve ever been so aware of my own heartbeat.It’s a dull, hollow thud in my ears as I sit on the edge of the examination table, my hands clenched in my lap. The paper crinkles beneath me every time I shift, loud in the silence.Max is here.He’s been here every minute since I woke up, like he’s afraid if he looks away, I’ll vanish. He sits in the chair against the wall, elbows propped on his knees, his pale eyes fixed on me with a focus that’s almost too much to bear.I don’t look at him.I can’t. I feel guilty for not remembering who he is. If I look, I’ll start crying again, and I’m tired of feeling like this raw and fragile, like the world could crush me with a single breath.Instead, I stare down at the thin blue bracelet around my wrist. The nurse gave it to me when we came in. It has my name printed on it in bold black letters: Valerie. It doesn’t look familiar.Nothing does.I pull in a shaky breath just as the door swings open. A woman in a white coat s

MaxI slumped back in my chair, exhaustion dragging at my bones in a way few battles ever had. The polished surface of my desk was littered with reports, contracts, and the inevitable stack of phone messages I’d been ignoring. My gaze slid reluctantly to the top slip, the first message from Theron, my older brother and Beta. Beneath it, another note in bold script: Call Piers.I rubbed a hand over my face, feeling the scratch of stubble at my jaw. There was no point delaying any longer. If I didn’t speak to them now, one or both would be on a plane to New York by morning, demanding answers I wasn’t sure I even had.The absurdity of it struck me, and for a moment, I laughed a rough, humorless sound. Alpha of one of the most powerful packs in Europe, and here I was, avoiding my own family like a scolded pup.But the woman sleeping in the next room… Valeria.I dragged in a ragged breath. *Mine.* The wolf in me whispered it, every time I thought of her. Even if she was human. Even if she