Chapter 459: One life

Chapter 459: Kai

"I’m pregnant."

The wolf that requested to see me in private says, and I look at her dumbfounded. My elders from the pack made this meeting possible, so...

"Congratulations..?" I say, not knowing what is going on.

"You are the father of the pup, Alpha Kai," she says.

"That is impossible."

"It is unfortunately." She meets my gaze. "I swear on the goddess."

"I am mated," I say. "That is impossible."

"The same way it should have been impossible for you to have sex with me?" she asks.

"No," I say.

"I have spent the last few weeks searching for you," she says. "Now that I know your identity, I understand why you did not want me to see your face."

She folds her hands.

I clench my fists, remembering that day. The one at fault was me. I have no excuse, unlike her, who was merely a wolf in heat. I look at her—she is young, with brown hair and eyes, and she is pretty. Must be from Redmoon, from her demeanor and clothing.

I exhale.

"I did not think..." I trail off.

"Neither did I," she says. "But it happened. And now I am pregnant."

I do not know what to do. I do not know how I will face everyone after this. How will everyone look at me?

I do not know.

But I do know the one at fault is me.

"Okay," I say in a quiet voice.

"My parents and my pack Alpha want to see you." She looks down at her hands. "It is not my fault—I had to look for you for months. So they thought it was not... consensual."

"It was..." I pause, a cold dread washing over me. "Was it not?"

Wolves that commit such crimes are the bottom of the barrel. You would just have to ask any wolf, and most times they will agree. Having someone against their will is something... evil.

"It was," she says quickly. "They just do not believe me. In fact, I remember you tried to leave. It was my fault. Had I known it was you, I never would have been so insistent, heat or not."

"No," I say. "I am at fault too."

She looks at me.

I meet her gaze.

"I should have left," I say. "I should have stayed away. I was the one with a mate. I was the one who knew better."

She is quiet.

"I will give you a moment," she says. "I am going back to my pack."

She turns and leaves.

Once she is gone, I fall to the ground and cover my face.

***

Daphne

It has been three months since Rylan left for Europe. When I occasionally decide to check on him through the System... he is having sex with some random wolf.

He certainly is experiencing the culture over there.

But he is coming back. After all, it was just three months.

What the hell do you know? He is coming with a surprise for the main character: a pregnant wolf. She is the last-born, spoilt daughter of a pretty powerful elder.

Back home, I look at the dark-haired, large man on his knees in front of some Redmoon wolves. The mother is crying.

"I just have one daughter!" she screams at him. "My daughter is everything to me, and you... how dare you?!"

The man just looks down, guilty, not moving an inch.

Yikes.

"My daughter is supposed to have mated and started a family!" the mother cries. "And she is so young! She is just nineteen! She just became an adult last year!"

The man and I flinch simultaneously.

That fault lies with me. I did not take into account the age of the wolf I was sending his way. From now on, whenever I am making my plans, I definitely will. I feel bad and guilty, but it is already happened.

"Alpha... Alpha Kai..." the father says, defeated. "You are mated... how did this?"

Now I feel guilty. Did I ruin the life of an innocent wolf?

The meeting continues. I stand, not bringing any attention to myself. They decide that Kai will do his duties as a father and that it is on him to break this news to his mate and pack. He will have to come here every day to take care of his baby mama.

Now this is what I want to see.

And Rylan’s plane is arriving on the ground tomorrow.

I am so excited.

*

I spend the day in town, playing with my family, while we wait for the plane.

It is a nearby amusement park.

I watch as Lyra and Elara laugh as they are thrown up into the air. The sound of their joy fills the warm afternoon air, and I feel my heart swell.

I look at my brother-in-law and his... I do not know what they are. His something. Standing awkwardly by a hotdog stand.

I walk over and order one.

"You do know that no one knows you here, right?" I say. "You can let down those walls."

They both jump.

"No, you got it wrong—"

"We are just—"

"Panther hearing is as good as wolf hearing, you know," I say. "No matter how hard you try to be quiet."

I watch the man plaster mustard and ketchup on my hotdog. The worker raises his eyebrow, but he probably thinks we are weird and just shakes his head.

"Sir," I say to the man. He looks up.

"This man here is my brother-in-law," I say, pointing at Eric. "And that is the man he likes. I do not know why he is so scared, when I am with his sister, we even have a daughter."

I point toward Elara and Lyra on the ride.

"They are lovely," the man says.

"Of course they are." I take a bite of my hotdog. "Now tell my brother-in-law it is okay."

The man clears his throat.

"Young man," he says, "love is love. My cousin’s son moved away from us and married a man. Sure, the world will not understand. But are you going to sacrifice your happiness for the world? We only have one life, and that life should be spent with what and whom we love, regardless of what the world thinks."

"Exactly!" I pull a bill from my wallet and hand it to him. "Here is a hundred."

I pause. "Actually, here are ten more hundreds for your kind words, sir."

I pat the man on the shoulder. He looks at the bills in his hands in disbelief.

"You heard the man," I say, tapping my brother-in-law on the shoulder. "It is only one life. And I am going to spend my only one life with my family."