All Chapters of The Alpha’s Purchased Mate: Chapter 11 - Chapter 15

Three weeks.That was how long I had been keeping the biggest secret in the world.I stood in the bathroom of the guest suite—I had moved back out of Dante’s room, using "insomnia" as an excuse—and splashed cold water on my face.I looked at my reflection. My skin was pale again, but not from poison. It was different. This was the morning sickness that struck me every day at 6:00 AM sharp.I hefted a palm on my flat stomach."You must be quiet," I whispered to the little spark life that was inside me. "You mustn't let him smell you."Wolf pregnancies were fast. A human pregnancy took nine months; a wolf pregnancy five. I am already about three weeks along, which meant my scent was changing. Heavy vanilla perfume had been my way of masking it. I avoided Dante whenever possible.The arrangement was suffering. We still worked together, but the nights got cold. I couldn't let him touch me. Getting too close would make him trace my scent, and discover I was carrying a Royal heir... At whic

The drive back to the castle was a blur.Dante drove the backup car himself. He drove fast, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white. He didn't speak. He didn't look at me. He just stared at the road, his jaw set in a hard line.I sat in the passenger seat, shivering. The heater was on full blast, but I couldn't get warm.I had used the Royal Voice. I had forced an Alpha King to his knees. And I had told him I was pregnant.My life was over. The secret was out. Now, I was just waiting for the judgment.We arrived at the castle gates at midnight. The guards waved us through, but Dante didn't drive to the main entrance. He drove around the back, to a private underground garage that only he used.The heavy steel door rolled down behind us, shutting out the world.Dante killed the engine. The silence in the garage was deafening.Dante told me to get out of the car. His voice was low and rough.I opened the door. My legs were still weak from the energy drain.

The lockdown lasted for three days.Dante called it "security protocol." I called it "the honeymoon we never had."For three days, the world outside didn't exist. There were no Council investigators, no jealous ex-girlfriends, and no pack politics. There was just the penthouse, the fireplace, and us.We dedicated our days to strategic planning. Dante's office space became our base of operations. We established a schedule for the "miracle pregnancy" event. We made false medical documents to justify my absence from the pack hospital. We practiced our narrative until I could recite it automatically.The nighttime hours belonged to us.Dante surprised me on the third night which preceded the public announcement.I left the bedroom space to place another room service order. The living room had undergone complete transformation by the time I arrived.The electric lights were off. The room was illuminated by multiple candles which created a festive atmosphere. They were everywhere—on the man