12 St vouchers
I stirred on the bed, my eyes opening slowly. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the brightness coming from the window. The light pressed into my eyes, making my head throb.
The room felt so unfamiliar. I dragged a hand over my face and rubbed my eyes, breathing out slowly. The sheets were bunched around my legs, wrinkled and warm. One corner of the duvet hung halfway off the bed.
I frowned and turned my head. Everything in the room was white and black. I pushed myself up a little more. A large mirror sat across the room, catching my reflection when I moved. A dressing table stood beneath it.
Charlotte.
Her scent hit me and my wolf purred in contentment. “We’re in our mate’s room.”
Memories of last night flashed through my head. I looked down at my body and I was wearing an unfamiliar blue shirt, but my pants were still mine.
Except for the soreness from my cuts, I felt great. Whatever she gave me last night worked. It must have been strong, because I could feel it running through me, making me better and stronger.
A little knock came on the door before it opened slowly. A tiny figure ran through the door, jumping on the bed, then slowed down, careful, like he didn’t want to hurt me. He was wearing his pajamas that was slightly big on him.
“Are you feeling better now?” he asked. He placed his palm on my forehead, then on his own, checking our temperature, his
eyes
looked serious.
“Yes, I feel so much better,” I said, smiling faintly.
“Your temperature is back to normal now,” he said, relief in his voice.
I lifted my brow, staring at his serious little face, the way he was acting like a proper doctor. “Are you a doctor now?” I asked with a teasing.
“Well, yes,” he said proudly, puffing his chest a little. “My mummy is a doctor, so you can also say that I’m a doctor too. I go to the hospital with her and I learn a lot of things.”
I smiled and opened my arms. He ran straight into my chest, his small body pressing against me. I hugged him tight, feeling him wiggle and giggle in my arms.
“I told mummy not to leave you if you didn’t get well, so she brought you home,” he confessed when I finally let him go, his eyes serious for a moment.
“You asked your mummy to take care of me?” I asked softly, touched by his words.
He nodded furiously, almost bouncing on his toes. “Yes! You see, we were supposed to go out for a dinner date last night, but she couldn’t make it because you were sick. So I told her to take care of you.”
I suddenly felt bad for ruining their little outing. “I’m so sorry I ruined your date,” I said quietly.
He shook his head at once. “It’s okay,” he said, then looked up at me like he was thinking hard. “If you’re not married yet, I
would have asked you to marry my mummy. That way you can take her out on dates every night. She’s always working.” He paused, his voice dropping a little. “And I wish you were my daddy.”
1/4
1:34 pm
Chapter Ik
Something light wrapped around my chest at his words. I stayed quiet, forcing myself to breathe. I wanted to tell him the truth so badly, but if I did. I would have to explain everything. And I didn’t know how. Lately, I had started to believe that Charlotte didn’t truly remember me. I couldn’t explain it, but it felt like she had lost every memory of me, of us. And I didn’t know if that was a good thing of a bad thing. I didn’t give her any good memories to remember.
“I want to be your daddy too,” I said suddenly, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
His eyes widened, bright with joy. “Really? You also want to be my daddy?” Then his smile slowly faded. “I thought you didn’t like me anymore.”
“Baby,” I said softly, “why would you even think that?”
“Well, you said you were going to come see me after the bad wolf incident, but you never did. You didn’t even call once.” Liam’s voice shook a little, and his eyes looked like they might fill with tears.
I pulled him into another hug, holding him tight. I spent the next ten minutes whispering to him, convincing him I loved him, my hand rubbing his back slowly. He clung to me like he never wanted to let go. Even as I moved around doing my morning rituals, he followed, tiny footsteps padding behind me. Charlotte had left new sets of toothbrushes, towels, and other things neatly on the counter.
When we finally went downstairs, my heart beat increased drastically. Charlotte was in the dining area, talking on the phone, her back turned to us. She didn’t see us come in.
Liam and I slid onto the chairs at the dining table, keeping quiet, waiting for her to finish.
“Liam, you have to eat quickly, and get ready for school,” Charlotte said after a moment, her voice still busy over the phone.
He nodded quickly and started eating, his small hands moving fast.
Charlotte ignored me when she finally joined us. She barely gave me a nod when I greeted her. My eyes drifted to her lips. and I couldn’t help remembering how soft they had felt last night when I touched them.
“Why are you ignoring me?” I asked, my voice almost desperate. “Did I do something wrong?”
She didn’t answer. Her attention stayed on Liam, smiling and talking to him, until her phone rang again. She left the dining room to answer it.
After breakfast, a lady in her mid sixties came in and took Liam upstairs to get him ready. She returned a few minutes later, holding a shirt out for me.
“Dr. asked me to find you something decent to wear,” she said, handing it over carefully. “But it was kinda hard, considering that you’re huge. Sir, Ethan is also big, so I picked something that would fit you.”
“I don’t want to wear anything that belongs to that jerk,” I said, frowning at the shirt.
She smiled politely. “You might want to reconsider that, seeing that you already have something on.” Her finger pointed at the shirt I was wearing. “Dr. Charlotte put that on you when your temperature dropped and you became cold.” She laughed. softly, then handed me the shirt before leaving.
She reminded me so much of Nana. Same age, same calm way of speaking. For some reason you can’t get angry at those ladies.
I couldn’t believe my ears when Charlotte told me to take a cab back to my office. Did I do something I didn’t remember? Why was she acting so cold toward me this morning? My mind ran in circles, trying to catch the reason.
“Mummy, let uncle daddy come with us, please,” Liam begged, his bottom lip poking out, giving that impossible to resist puppy face.
2/4
4:34 pm
Chapter 13
“Liam, let this be the first and last time you call him daddy, is that understood? Her voice was soft but strict at the same time. He nodded quickly, looking sad.
Charlotte cheered him up as they got to school, and soon Liam was back to his usual happy self. “Uncle, I hope you come hang out with me sometimes and play video games,” he said, his eyes sparkling. He waited for my positive nod before he ran off to his class, practically bouncing with excitement.
“Please, stop leading him on,” Charlotte said, her face looking like she was trying hard to hide how annoyed she was.
“Now that we’re alone,” I said, “can you tell me why you’re so mad at me? Last night you were gentle, taking care of me like you actually cared, and now you’re acting like we’re strangers.”
She looked at me coldly. “Because that’s what we are, strangers. I made it clear last night that you are nothing but just a patient.”
I swallowed hard, feeling it hit me like a punch. Why does she hate me so much?
“But then I also don’t like patients who think they can put themselves in danger and expect doctors to perform some magic.”
“I’m so confused. What are you talking about?”
“I ran some blood work on you last night, and it seems you consumed some kind of potion. The elixir was quite powerful if it was able to do that to you. It wasn’t just the curse last night, whatever that elixir was that you took, it worsened the curse. Why did you drink it?”
“I didn’t take any potion.”
She took her eyes off the road and glared at me. “You’re gonna sit there and lie to a doctor?”
I tried to defend myself, but the memory of that incident with Moon two nights ago rushed back. “My wife…” I hesitated,
you think.” unsure how to explain that my wife had drugged me. “It’s not what
The hesitation in my voice didn’t sit right with her. “I don’t care what you and your wife do to each other, but if I’m going to continue being your doctor, you’ve got to learn to keep your health right. If it was a regular Alpha with your condition, that elixir could have killed him. You have your power and strength to thank for keeping you alive. Is that understood?”
She was scolding me, but I felt a strange happiness bloom inside me. My eyes stayed locked on her, drawn like they had a mind of their own. I couldn’t stop thinking how stupid I had been to reject her for her sister. The love I had for Moon years ago was nothing compared to the feelings ripping through me just being near this girl. Every glance, every word, it felt like my chest was burning.
She switched off the engine, and that’s when I realized we were in front of my company.
“Are you going to leave my car or what?”
“No, I want you to come inside,” I added.
She gave me that look, the one that made me question my own sanity. “Why would I want to do that?”
“I want to sign the partnership right now. This is your third time here, and I don’t want to delay it any longer,” I said, trying to stay steady.
“You’re too late. I already put some calls through this morning, and I’m going to partner with Global Auto. They are equally good. I don’t know why Grandpa initially wanted you. Thank God he understood and changed his mind.”
Heat surged through my chest. My hands clenched at my sides. “You can’t do that,” I said, my voice slowly, my words were trembling with anger I couldn’t hold back.
Chapso 14
Talwarly did Now, if you don’t mind. I have an important surgery in two hours, and I need to grs ge
I got down from bei cat, and without waiting a second, the zoomed off
As I stood in the elevator going up to my office. I took out my phone and dialer my Gamma, Damien
“Bring me fresh clothes this instam.” I growled through gritted teeth. “Call the Global Auto company and threaten them not to accept any partnership from the Graves company. If they refuse, make them a juicy offer they can’t reject. And if they don’t accept, buy the company!”
When I got into my office, the place was a mess. Papers and files scattered everywhere. On the couch, a figure was sleeping I walked closer, and my growl escaped before I could stop it. It was my new secretary. She jumped up the moment i growled. her eyes wide.
“I’m so sorry, Alpha. I didn’t mean to fall asleep in your office,” she said quickly, bowing slightly, trying to make herself small
I wanted to fire her on the spot. The words were already on my tongue. Then I recalled she was there last night with Charlotte. She saw everything that happened to me. I looked at her properly this time. Her skirt was still stained with blood, probably my blood. In her hand was my torn shirt, folded tight like she didn’t know what else to do with it.
I let out a slow breath. “Don’t ever try this again,” I warned. “And get someone to clean this place.”
“It won’t happen again, Alpha,” she replied quickly. She walked toward the door on her toes, like she was afraid one wrong move would set me off again.
I stopped her. “What you saw here last night should die with you. You can also go home and change your clothes.”
Her shoulders dropped in relief. “Thank you so much, Alpha.”
A few minutes after she left, my office went quiet again. My phone buzzed in my hand with a message.
“Alpha, I’ve found it.”
AD
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
