All Chapters of The Alpha's Betrayal: Pregnant And Accused: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Diana's POVI found Alisha on the training grounds at dawn, staring at the bloodstained dirt where she'd killed rogues yesterday."Your first kill?" I asked quietly.She turned, surprised. "I thought you'd be sleeping.""Couldn't." I sat beside her. "Does it get easier?""No. But you learn to live with it." She looked at her hands. "I still see his eyes.""Because you're not a monster. Monsters don't feel guilty.""Irene doesn't feel guilty.""Exactly." I paused. "When they dragged Irene away yesterday... she looked at me like she recognized me."Alisha's grip tightened on the bench. "Yeah.""'You're her daughter.' Like it was obvious." My voice cracked. "Whose daughter am I?""I don't know. But I think Val does."I stood. "Pack meeting tonight. We need to address the division about Joshua."I walked away before she could question.My quarters felt wrong when I returned. Nothing obviously disturbed, but someone had been here.I moved slowly through the room, checking the corners, the

Joshua's POVThe adoption record was three pages long.Twenty-six years old.I found it while looking for something else.I'd been pulling Val's files.Building a quiet case.The kind you build when the man who loved your mate has access to your children four days a week.Not noble. I knew that.I kept pulling anyway.The record was filed because of a property dispute and a medical waiver.I almost skipped it.*Leon and Nicole Ross, formally adopting one female infant unnamed at time of placement estimated age two to four days. Found at the Blue Moon border by patrol. No family history available. *I checked the date against what I knew about Lisa Davis. They matched within seventy-two hours.Diana walked past the corridor window just then.Training report under her arm with that specific stillness. Contained and precise. Like taking up space was something she had to earn.My father had walked exactly like that.I looked back at the intake photograph. A newborn. Features not yet settl

Diana's POVThe Council chamber of Val's pack house was crowded that evening.Elder Moira stood at the center. Her presence was that kind that made wolves instinctively lower their eyes.I stood beside Alisha. Joshua was on her other side, and Val was near the door.Nathan, James, Derek, and Marie. All gathered. Alisha carried the twins, Alexander on the left. Ella on the right.Moira studied them for a long moment."The prophecy was written before either of you was born," she said. Looking at Alisha and Joshua. "Bridge children. Born of two territories. Carrying bloodlines that should unite what was divided."She gestured to Alexander. "This one carries a protective instinct. Pack empathy. He will feel what his pack feels. Guard them before they know they need guarding."Then to Ella. "This one carries emotional amplification. Shield potential. She will strengthen those around her. Protect through power others cannot see."Moira's eyes moved to Val. Then to Joshua."Both bloodlines

Diana's POVIt was dawn, and I walked Blue Moon's grounds on patrol as a habit, not an assignment.I stopped when I saw Joshua, standing at the packhouse entrance surrounded by hundreds of roses.I moved closer for a better view."He was carefully and methodically arranging them."Red roses everywhere."How many?" I asked.He looked up. "Four hundred eighty-eight.""That's specific.""One for each day since banishment." His voice was quiet. "Since I destroyed everything."I said nothing. He stepped back when he finished arranging."No speech?" I asked."No speech. No demands." He looked at the roses. "Just this. And my steady presence. If she'll have it."He left. The roses remained, filling the entrance, the hallway, every surface.A promise written in petals.*Alisha's POV - Noon*I found Val's gesture at midday. The garden was transformed.Blankets spread beneath the stars. String lights mimic constellations.Every favorite food was laid out carefully. Arranged with precision.A te

*Joshua's POV*At 4: PM, I sat in the chair I'd occupied dozens of times at Dr. Morse's office. But I felt different today."What are you afraid of?" she asked.I looked at my hands. "That she'll see I haven't changed.""Have you?"I was quiet. "I'm trying.""That's a start." Dr. Morse leaned forward. "She's not asking for perfection. She's asking for effort.""What if my effort isn't enough?""Then you try harder." She paused. "But Joshua? You're allowed to hope. You're allowed to believe this might work."I nodded."Tonight is just dinner," she said. "Not a test. Not a performance. Just two people trying.""Just dinner."I was in my quarters getting ready when James appeared in the doorway."Knock much?" I asked.He didn't answer. Just walked over. Straightened my collar without asking."I'm fine," I said."You've got your father's habit of underdressing for things that matter."I looked down. Simple shirt. Dark pants, nothing special."That's not a compliment," I said."No. It isn'