Chapter 6 006

Chapter Six

The crowd dispersed slowly, everyone throwing glances back at me like I was a puzzle they couldn't solve. I stood in the courtyard, hand still pressed to my stomach, Marcus's words echoing in my head.

"Come inside," Dante said quietly. "We need to talk."

I followed him back into the main house, up the stairs, past curious eyes. He led me to a different room this time, smaller than his bedroom. An office, with a desk covered in papers and maps on the walls showing territory boundaries.

He closed the door and leaned against it, studying me. "Do you think you're pregnant?"

"I don't know." I wrapped my arms around myself. "Is it even possible to tell this soon? It's only been four days."

"With true mates, sometimes you can feel it earlier. The bond makes everything more intense." He moved closer but didn't touch me. "But Marcus couldn't possibly know. He's guessing. Trying to stake a claim."

"What if he's right though? What if I am pregnant and he tries to take the baby?"

"He won't." The certainty in Dante's voice was absolute. "I won't let him near you or any child you carry."

"You can't promise that."

"Yes, I can." He finally reached for me, his hands settling on my shoulders. "Sera, listen to me. Marcus is playing mind games. That's what he does. He sees you escaping his control and he's trying to pull you back with fear and doubt."

I wanted to believe him, but something didn't add up. "How did he know to even suggest it? Why would he think I'm pregnant?"

Dante's expression darkened. "That's what bothers me too."

A knock at the door interrupted us. "Come in," Dante called.

The man who entered was tall and lean with sharp features and suspicious eyes. He looked at me like I was something he'd found on the bottom of his shoe.

"This is Adrian," Dante said. "My Beta. Adrian, this is Sera."

"I know who she is." Adrian's voice was cold. "Everyone in three territories knows by now. Marcus made sure of that."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He's telling anyone who'll listen that you're carrying his child. That you ran to his uncle out of spite and confusion, but you're still his mate and that baby is his heir." Adrian crossed his arms. "He's spinning this whole thing to make himself look like the victim."

My stomach dropped. "People believe him?"

"Some do. You were his mate for three years. The timeline is close enough that it's plausible." Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Is it true? Are you pregnant with his child?"

"Adrian," Dante's voice held a warning.

"No, it's a fair question." Adrian didn't back down. "If she is pregnant, we need to know. Marcus will use any child as leverage. And if it's his, he has legal claim according to pack law."

"It's not his," I said, but my voice wavered. "I was never able to conceive with him. Three years and nothing."

"Until now, apparently." Adrian looked at Dante. "You need to have her examined by our healers. Get confirmation one way or another."

"I'm not having her poked and prodded like livestock."

"I'll do it," I said quietly. Both men looked at me. "I'll see the healer. I need to know anyway."

Dante looked like he wanted to argue, but he nodded. "I'll arrange it. But Adrian, if you can't be civil to my mate, you can leave."

"Your mate." Adrian laughed, sharp and bitter. "You've known her four days, Dante. Four days and you're ready to go to war with another Alpha over her. Do you not see how convenient this all is?"

"What are you implying?"

"I'm implying that maybe Marcus has a point. Maybe she did manipulate you during your rut. Maybe this whole true mate bond thing is—"

"Get out." Dante's voice was deadly quiet. "Now."

Adrian held his ground for a moment, then turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

The silence that followed was heavy. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

"He thinks I'm using you," I said.

"Adrian's protective. He'll come around."

"Will he? Because from where I'm standing, he has a point." I moved away from Dante, needing space. "Four days ago I was someone else's wife. Now I'm bonded to you, possibly pregnant, and causing tension with your Beta. Maybe this was a mistake."

"Don't." Dante caught my arm, turning me to face him. "Don't let Marcus get in your head. That's what he wants."

"I'm not letting Marcus do anything. I'm being realistic." I pulled free. "You don't know me, Dante. You don't know if I'm worth all this trouble."

"The bond knows."

"The bond is just biology. It doesn't mean we're compatible or that this will work or that I won't end up being exactly what Adrian thinks I am—a burden you'll regret taking on."

Dante was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, "Twenty-five years ago, I had a mate. Catherine. We weren't true mates, but I loved her. She got pregnant and we were happy." His voice was carefully controlled. "She died in childbirth. The baby died too. A son."

I stopped breathing.

"I swore I'd never mate again. Never risk that kind of loss." He met my eyes. "Then I found you. And the bond didn't give me a choice about wanting you, but everything else—staying, fighting for this, believing it's worth it—that's my choice. So don't tell me I don't know what I'm doing."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "About Catherine. About your son."

"I'm not telling you this for sympathy. I'm telling you so you understand that I'm not some naive wolf caught up in mate bond instincts. I know what loss feels like. And I'm choosing you anyway."

Before I could respond, Maya burst through the door, her face flushed from running.

"Alpha, you need to come quick. There's someone at the border asking for asylum."

"Who?"

Maya's eyes flickered to me, uncertain. "Lydia. Sera's sister. She says Marcus is planning something and she needs to warn you before it's too late."

My heart stopped. Lydia was here?

Dante's jaw tightened. "It's a trap."

"Maybe," Maya said. "But she's alone and unarmed. And she's crying, says Marcus hurt her when she tried to stop him from doing something. She won't say what."

I moved toward the door. "I need to see her."

"Absolutely not." Dante blocked my path. "This is exactly what Marcus wants. Send you out there and grab you."

"She's my sister."

"She's also been sleeping with your husband. Or did you forget that part?"

The words stung, but he was right. Still, something in my gut told me this was important. "What if she really does know something? What if Marcus is planning an attack and we ignore the warning?"

Dante looked torn. Finally he said, "Fine. But you're not going anywhere near the border. Maya, bring Lydia here under guard. If she tries anything, put her in chains."

Maya nodded and left.

Twenty minutes later, Lydia was escorted into Dante's office by two large warriors. She looked terrible. Her face was bruised, her lip split, and she was shaking.

When she saw me, she started crying. "Sera, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything."

I stayed where I was, next to Dante. "What happened to your face?"

"Marcus. When I told him I didn't want to help him anymore, he—" She touched her bruised cheek. "He's not who I thought he was. He's obsessed, Sera. With you, with the idea of getting you back. He's planning something terrible."

"What?" Dante demanded.

Lydia's eyes met mine, filled with fear. "He's going to claim you forced yourself on him. That you're unstable and dangerous. He's already filed a formal complaint with the Territorial Council saying you're a threat to yourself and others." She took a shaky breath. "He wants them to order a psychiatric evaluation. And if they find you unfit, pack law says you forfeit custody of any children to the father."

The room spun. "He can't do that."

"He can. And he has three pack members willing to testify that you've been erratic and violent for months. He's building a case." Lydia stepped closer despite the guards' warning growls. "But that's not the worst part. The Council examination is scheduled for tomorrow. And the doctor Marcus requested?" She paused. "He's Marcus's cousin. He'll say whatever Marcus wants him to say."