“No, thank you.”
“You need to see a doctor, and soon,” she advised before leaving.
Back in my office, it wasn’t long before Draven appeared in my doorway, his broad shoulders filling the frame. My wolf Rory immediately perked up at his presence.
“How are you feeling?” He knelt beside my chair, his violet eyes searching mine.
“I’m fine, thanks,” I said coolly, trying to ignore how his closeness affected me.
“You’re not fine, Caroline. If you were fine, you wouldn’t have gone to the doctor.” His voice dropped to a concerned whisper. “Tell me what’s wrong. I’m worried about you.”
“You should worry about your fianc?e,” I snapped, then immediately burst into tears. Damn pregnancy hormones.
Without hesitation, Draven lifted me into his arms and carried me to Ryan’s empty office. His cedar and musky scent enveloped me, somehow not triggering my nausea like Ryan’s scent had.
“I care about you,” he said, holding me close. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing important, Draven. Go hang out with your hell-spawn fianc?e,” I tried to break free from his embrace, but he only held me tighter, chuckling softly.
“I took her there because I needed her to take a test at a trusted place,” he explained. “I had to play the role of fianc? to get her to do it.”
“What test?” I asked, curious even though I was trying not to care.
“DNA test. Nate’s uncle told me about one that only needs the mother’s blood, completely safe and one hundred percent reliable.” His fingers gently stroked my hair as he spoke. “She doesn’t know she took a DNA test. It was all planned. You can ask any of the guys-Ryan, Nate, all of them know everything.”
I pulled back slightly to look at his face. “You really think this pup isn’t yours?”
“I’m pretty sure, Caroline,” he said, looking serious.
My mind spun with possibilities. If Ella’s pregnancy was fake… maybe there was still hope for us. Could I finally tell him about our baby? Rory whined softly inside me, like a little push of encouragement.
“Now tell me,” Draven continued, “what’s going on with you? You’ve been acting strange for days, feeling sick. Ryan mentioned it might be an ulcer. Is that true?”
“It’s nothing serious,” I lied, avoiding his gaze. “Just stress. You know, things haven’t been easy lately.” I paused, considering my options. “Ryan offered me a few days off. I think I’ll take them.”
“If it’ll help you feel better, you should.” He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my head.Draven stayed there, simply holding me in his strong arms. I felt so safe, so right in his embrace that for a moment, I wished the world would stop spinning and let us stay in this peaceful bubble forever.
But reality was waiting just outside the door. If Ella really is carrying his child, I have no choice but to leave.
Draven, please don’t shake my heart again. If you truly love me, don’t give me empty promises.
Ryan’s POV
I couldn’t stop thinking about Caroline’s reaction to my scent.It hit me hard.She’d complimented my scent before.But today? She looked like she was going to be sick.
“Something’s definitely wrong with her,” I muttered as I dug through my desk drawer and grabbed a small bottle of scent blocker spray. Most people hated using this stuff because it messed with their natural vibe, but Caroline’s health came first.
After spraying myself, I headed out to my meeting at social club. Alpha Draven had asked me to handle this one with the Henderson Group. He trusted me to keep things smooth and protect our interests.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off all day.
“Focus,” I told myself quietly as I shook Mr. Henderson’s hand on the tennis court. “We’ve got business to take care of.”
The match went well,I let him win just enough to boost his ego without being obvious. But halfway through lunch, his phone rang.
“Family emergency,” he said. “Can we push the contract talk to next week?”
I nodded. “Of course. Family comes first.”
With two hours to kill before my next meeting, I decided to treat myself to a massage at the club’s renowned spa. The path to the wellness center cut through a secluded grove of pine trees that provided peaceful isolation from the main facilities.
As I rounded a bend in the path, I heard a familiar voice that made me freeze.
I slowed my steps, instinctively moving into a quiet, cautious stance. Through the trees, I could see Ella Howard, who claimed to be Alpha Draven’s fianc?e, in what sounded like a heated argument with Bruno.
Curiosity got the better of me. This might be important for Draven. I hid behind a big bush and started recording on my phone.
“I can’t believe you’re actually going through with marrying Thorne,” Bruno spat, his face contorted with rage. “Does he know how many times you’ve been in my bed these last three months, Ella?”
I nearly gasped aloud. Maverick’s hackles rose within me. “I knew that female was trouble!”
“Keep your voice down,” Ella hissed, looking around nervously. “You should be grateful I even gave you attention.”
“Oh yeah? Well, the problem is you’re not going to marry that Alpha,” Bruno replied, stepping closer to her.
“Oh no? And who’s going to stop me?” she mocked, tossing her hair.
“I am, because Rafael told me you’re pregnant.” Bruno’s face had turned an alarming shade of red. “But you know what, Ella? I seriously doubt that pup is Thorne’s. I’m sure it’s mine, and you’re not going to marry him. My child won’t be raised by another Alpha!”
My hand trembled with excitement as I steadied the phone. This was exactly what we needed-proof that Ella’s baby wasn’t Draven’s. This could save both my friend and Caroline from heartbreak.
“Rafael really needs to learn to keep her mouth shut,” Ella raged. “But listen, Bruno, you’re always saying you love me, that you’d do anything for me. So do this for me,keep quiet.” Her voice had changed from angry to persuasive.
“And what do I get out of this? I’m crazy about you, but I won’t lose you. Tell me, am I the pup’s father?” Bruno’s voice had turned pathetically needy.
“Look, baby,” Ella purred, running her fingers through his hair, “my father wants me to mate with Draven to unite our packs. You know how Alphas are about bloodlines and territory. But we can keep seeing each other. You can still have me.”
“And another wolf is going to raise my pup? Never!” Bruno exploded.
“Oh, Bruno baby, do it for your little Ella, please?” She pulled him toward a nearby bench, and suddenly they were kissing passionately.
When they began fumbling with their clothes, I’d seen enough. I quickly ended the recording and backed away, no longer interested in my massage. My heart was racing with both disgust and excitement.
“Draven needs to see this immediately,” Maverick urged.
I rushed back to my car and sped toward the Thorne Enterprises building, mind-linking Kyle along the way.
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