All Chapters of Sleeping with the Alpha Who Despised Me: Chapter 191 - Chapter 200

Zed POV Steven came bounding down the stairs, his small backpack bouncing against his shoulders. His smile was so wide it nearly split his face in two. “I’m ready, Uncle Zed!”I forced myself to smile back, even though Jay’s words were still ringing in my ears. I nodded, holding out my hand. “Let’s go, champ.”He grabbed my hand without hesitation, and that single gesture almost undid me. My son’s small fingers curled around mine, trusting, warm, innocent. I swallowed hard, reminding myself not to break down here. Not in front of Jay.Jay stayed in the doorway, his jaw tight as he watched us leave. I didn’t look back.The drive started quietly. Steven hummed to himself as he flipped through the stations on the radio. I kept sneaking glances at him, memorizing every detail, the way his legs barely reached the edge of the seat, the way his hair caught the sunlight, how his nose scrunched when he didn’t like a song.“You know,” I finally said, clearing my throat, “I’ve been thinking. M

 Zed’s POV  I woke up before the alarm, lying still for a moment, listening to the quiet rhythm of River’s breathing beside me. Her hair spilled across the pillow, messy and perfect at the same time, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring. There was something about watching her sleep that both steadied and unsettled me. She had this way of looking so peaceful, like the chaos of the world couldn’t touch her here. For years, I had woken up in a house that felt cold, next to someone who had felt like a stranger. But with River? It was different. She was my warmth. She was my comfort. She was home. I reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek. She shifted slightly, sighing, but didn’t wake. A small smile tugged at my lips. I wanted her to sleep just a little longer. Today was going to be heavy, final even. And if I could give her a soft start, I would.

Jay POVI woke with a groan, dragging my arm over my eyes to block out the light stabbing through the curtains. My head pounded so hard it felt like someone was striking an anvil behind my eyes. Every nerve screamed at me to lie still, but the unfamiliar smell of the room forced me upright.This wasn’t my house.The sheets were too crisp, the carpet too clean, the air too sterile. It smelled faintly of perfume and stale liquor. My clothes were scattered across the chair in the corner, my shirt half-hanging like some kind of accusation.I scrubbed a hand down my face, trying to piece together the night. My head spun as I forced myself to remember. The bar. Drinks. Too many of them. Amber’s laugh. The way she leaned close, her perfume curling into my nose, her hand brushing against mine like it was all deliberate.My stomach dropped.From the look of things, we’d slept together. Again.A groan tore out of me and I dropped my head into my hands. Part of me pushed it up to rebound sex, a

River’s POVThe ride home was quiet. My forehead leaned against the cool glass of the window, and I stared blankly at the blur of trees and streets passing by.I didn’t even know how to feel.The doctor’s words still rang in my ears. Pregnant. I was pregnant.It hadn’t even been four months since Zed and I reconciled. Four months since I let my guard down and gave him another chance. Now here I was, carrying his child. He hadn’t even had enough time to bond with Steven properly, to make up for all the years he’d missed, and already the Goddess was giving us another responsibility.But that wasn’t even my main worry.It was him.How was Zed going to react to this?The last time I had been in this position, pregnant with Steven, I hadn't even gotten the chance to tell him before I was thrown out.Life and circumstances had pushed me into raising Steven alone. And now, I was scared that history was going to repeat itself. My chest squeezed painfully just thinking about it.I checked my

River POV Steven was sprawled on the rug with his crayons and sketchpad, his tongue sticking out in concentration as he tried to color inside the lines of a dragon. I sat on the couch, knees curled to my chest, watching him like I always did when my thoughts grew too heavy for me to comprehend.He glanced up at me and grinned, showing the gap where one of his front teeth had fallen out just last week. “Mom, look! He’s breathing fire now!”I smiled despite how sad and down I was, setting aside the throw pillow I had been absentmindedly squeezing. “That’s some impressive fire. Maybe too much fire, you don’t want him to burn the whole forest, do you?”Steven giggled and shook his head, quickly grabbing the blue crayon to draw water under the dragon’s feet. “See? The river puts it out. Like you always tell me, the balance!”My chest tightened. He remembered everything I said. Even the small things. It made me proud, but it also scared me. How much longer could I keep shielding him from