by Merel Pierce
I knew I was stepping over the line of disrespect, but I didn’t care. If what I guessed was true, the woman didn’t deserve my respect—or love, for that matter.
She stayed perfectly silent, with a completely straight face. I couldn’t believe the nerve of her. Sighing, I slammed my hands down in the couch and pushed myself up. I bent over and took my shoes off, holding them by the backs as I walked toward the entrance hall, my head low and tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Dahlia, come back here. We need to discuss this Alpha business. You know we need to cancel that purchase, right?”
I didn’t even bother to turned around when I replied, “Fuck you, Mom!”
Chapter Six
My phone’s ringtone screeched through the air, startling me awake. It didn’t usually sound that loud or annoying, but with the throbbing headache I currently had, every little noise was excruciating.
Without lifting my drool-covered face off my pillow, I flapped my arm around the bed in search of my purse. My feeble attempts failed miserably, and with the noise now getting on my last nerve, I propped myself up on my elbow and forced open my eyes.
I scanned the bed. There you are.
“Hello?” I answered in a crackly voice.
“Hello, Miss Mountford?” a man asked.
I cleared my throat. “Yes. May I ask who’s speaking?”
“I’m the delivery driver from Algar-Din’s auction house. We will be with you in around twenty minutes. I just wanted to check that you had everything in place for your Alpha’s arrival.”
Damn it! I thought as I jumped off the bed and began spinning around in a panic. I hadn’t prepared anything for the Alpha’s arrival, nor for his child.
“Yes, yes, of course. I’ll be waiting. Goodbye.”
I didn’t even give the guy a chance to respond before abruptly hanging up the phone and throwing it onto the bed.
I ran to the bedroom door, spotting a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror. I backed up and inspected my reflection.
Oh, hell no. No, no, no!
I looked like complete crap. I couldn’t let him see me like that, not to mention his child. I’d scare the living hell out of her. My hair was sticking up all over the place like I’d been dragged through a bush. Some had been soaked in my drool, which had dried and was now well and truly adhering several strands to my cheek. With a deep intake of breath, I ripped the crusty hair from my face.
Grabbing a brush from my dressing table, I began frantically tearing it through my knotted mane. I grimaced as the brush caught on every single tangle, but I didn’t have time to worry about pain. Given my mascara-covered cheeks and ridiculous panda eyes, I needed to wash my face, pronto.
I scrambled around my dressing table trying to find my makeup remover wipes. Where the hell are they?
Throwing my brush on the bed, I spotted a wipe packet poking out of my purse.
No, don’t even think about it, Dahlia! Ugh, but we’re running out of time. Fuck it.
I pulled out the feminine wipes and opened them, cringing at the thought of washing my face with vagina wipes. Desperate times, and all that, I thought as I rubbed the wipe all over my face.
Now that my hair and face looked more human, I pulled a set of my soft, fluffy pajamas out of my drawers and got changed, making sure to match them with my socks. I was sure the Alpha would be fine with me being casual. It was late, and he had to get used to it eventually. I wasn’t gonna be in sexy dresses all the time.
I checked the time on my phone. I had less than five minutes before they arrived.
On my way down the corridor, I popped my head into the room next to mine. I hadn’t had a chance to set it up, and I sure as hell hadn’t been expecting a child. But the bed was made, it was clean, and it would do for the night.
A heavy knock at the door startled me. My pulse race as I ran along the corridor, nervousness and excitement surging through me.
I dashed down the stairs, leapt over the last two steps, and glided across the wooden floor like a figure skater, skidding to a stop just before the door. I took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.
This is it, I thought as I reached shakily for the door handle.
As soon as the door swung open, the Alpha’s tiny daughter came charging at me. She wrapped her arms around my legs and looked up at me with a huge smile on her face.
I glanced down at her, beaming a smile of my own. I’d never felt so much love from a hug before.
She was almost unrecognizable. Her previously matted hair had been washed, conditioned, and brushed. It was now pulled back into a shiny ponytail held in place by a dark purple silk bow. She wore a matching dress, crisp white socks with purple bows on the sides, and dark purple shoes. She looked so adorable.
“Nala, let the lady breathe. We don’t want her fainting, do we?”
The Alpha’s deep voice made the hairs on my arms stand on end with excitement, and his chuckle made my stomach do somersaults.
The little girl turned her head to look at her father and I slowly followed her gaze. My breath hitched in my throat. He’s so fucking hot.
He was wearing a pair of black slacks, black shoes, and a white shirt that just barely contained his bulging biceps. A purple tie matching his daughter’s dress finished off the look.
His hair had been trimmed, but still fell over his eye, which made my lady bits go wild. He had kept his stubble, but it had been cleaned up along with the haircut. His plush pink lips were curled into a sweet smile that made his green eyes twinkle even more. The guy was everything I’d ever dreamed of, pure perfection.
“But Daddy, she feels so soft, like a giant teddy bear,” Nala whined.
I knelt in front of her. “How about we go out tomorrow and get you some to match?” Her little eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. She nodded excitedly, making my heart melt and my smile grow wider.
“Nala, sweetie, how about we go into the kitchen and get you some milk and cookies?”
My brow furrowed and anger bubbled up from the pit of my stomach when my mother addressed Nala. I stood and gently pushed the child behind me. My mom looked sincere and apologetic, but I didn’t understand why she was suddenly being nice to the Alpha's child.
What is she up to? I thought as she held her hand out for Nala.
To my surprise, the little girl ran out from behind me and took my mother’s hand. I watched in shock as they walked off toward the kitchen, laughing and chatting away like they'd known each other for years.
The click of the front door made me spin around. When I saw that the large-framed Alpha was standing right in front of me, I instinctively reached out to stop myself from bumping into him.
I gasped as soon as my hands landed on his abs. The spark that surged through my body was like nothing I’d ever felt. My heart was battering my ribs so hard I could hear it in my ears. My breathing was labored, and as I stared at my hands, I could see that he was breathing heavy too.
We stood there for what seemed like an eternity, until finally his husky voice broke the silence.
“Miss Mountford. You’ve been standing there a while now. Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry. I-I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I…”
I had never stuttered before. What was it about this guy that had me turning to jelly?
He stayed silent, and I had no idea what else to say. The guy had me speechless.
Not knowing what else to do, I turned and began to walk away. He seized my wrist in his giant hand, and in one swift motion he pulled me into his chest. With his other hand, he cupped my jaw while his thumb delicately stroked my cheek. I was lost in his gaze, and I swore the guy could have asked me for anything in that moment and I would have given it to him.
His eyes scanned down to my lips, and I gulped when his thumb traced over my bottom lip, sending pulse after pulse of excitement through my body.
“I know exactly what’s gotten into you, Miss Mountford.” The way my name rumbled in his throat sen
t chills of erotic pleasure down to my core. I wondered how my first name would sound in that husky tone of his.
I expected him to carry on talking, but to my surprise, he leaned forward and kissed me. The moment our lips met, an explosion went off inside me. What I now knew was slick began trickling down my thigh, soaking into my pajama bottoms.
A moan escaped me as he drew a deep breath through his nose. A low growl vibrated in his throat, and it was the sexiest growl I’d ever heard–not like Jaxon’s pathetic attempt. I explored the muscles beneath his shirt with one hand as I parted my lips, allowing his tongue full access.
He didn’t hesitate, slipping his tongue into my mouth where my own rose to greet it. The kiss was sensational. I’d always thought that I needed a man to be rough and dominant, but this was far from it—this was soft and passionate. It was like we were two halves of the same person coming together for the first time.
How is it even possible for me to feel like this?
Our kiss slowed in its momentum, and eventually became a few soft pecks. He gradually pulled away, and I instantly missed the taste of him on my lips. I couldn’t understand what was happening. I felt like I’d been with him for years. Being close to him, touching him, kissing him, just felt so natural.
“So, what do you know, exactly?” I blurted out.
“Huh?”
“You said you knew exactly what's gotten into me.”
“Oh yeah, right. You’re my mate.” He said it as casual as anything, then moved past me, tapping my ass on the way.
With my mouth wide open, I watched him walk into the kitchen, pull up a chair, and join my mother and his daughter like they were already one big, happy family.
Well shit, would you look at that!
Chapter Seven
I stood there in shock, watching my mom laughing and enjoying her time with the Alpha and his daughter. What the hell is going on?
When Nala yawned, I walked over to the Alpha and said, “Would you like me to show you your room?”
He stood up and stepped around the table while scooping the child into his giant arms. “That would be great, thank you. She’s had a long day.”
I smiled softly, then turned to leave the kitchen. My mom called out to me, “There are some pajamas in the drawers up there for her, and a teddy on the bed.”
Glancing back at my mom with knit brows, I shook my head before showing the Alpha the way to his room.
When we reached it, I moved aside, and as he stood in front of me cradling his sleeping child, I leaned forward and kissed her head. “Sweet dreams, beautiful girl.”
I didn’t know what had come over me. It was like she’d always been there. I couldn’t understand how right this all felt within an hour of her being here. Did I bump my head or something?
“Will you be okay in here?” I asked. “We can go out tomorrow and get things for you both. Make it feel more like home.”
He stepped into the room, walked over to the bed, and gently placed Nala on it.
“This is perfect. Thank you, Miss Mountford.”
“You can call me Li… Dahlia,” I replied as I left the room.
It might have been the first time I’d told someone to call me Dahlia and not Lia. I was overwhelmed with the situation, but I wanted to open up and let him know the real me.
I made my way down the stairs to the kitchen to confront my mom.
“Dahlia,” she called out quietly from the living room. With a deep breath, I turned and walked toward her.
“I made you a coffee,” she said while tapping the couch for me to sit next to her. I sat on the couch opposite her. She sighed as she stood, picking up my coffee and placing it in front of me.
“I need the truth. But first I need to know why you’re being so nice to the Alpha and his child,” I told her.
She looked up at me before sitting back down on the couch. With a nod, she replied, “I was scared at the idea of you having an Alpha like your father. I thought that any man would be a better choice, even a cheating scumbag like Jaxon. I see now that I was wrong.”
I knew from the tears filling her eyes that she truly was sorry. I picked up my coffee, then sat back, letting her continue.
“After you went to bed, I had Rico drive me out to the auction house. I’ll be honest, I went there to get them to cancel the sale. An arrogant Beta took me into Bain and Nala's room, and when I saw that little girl, my heart broke,” she said with a quiver in her voice as she held her hand up to her chest.
Bain? I didn’t picture him as a Bain… I love it.
My mom pulled me from my thoughts. “She was gripping onto this disgusting little teddy bear like her life depended on it. She had no shoes on, matted hair. Oh God, Dahlia, you should have seen her.”
“I did. That’s why I bought them,” I replied before taking a sip of my coffee.
“You did the right thing. I don’t know how much longer she would have lasted. That poor girl is skin and bones.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Anyway, I chewed the pathetic little Beta out and called his boss Karson. I’m friends with his wife. He came down and saw the terrible state Nala was in and fired the Beta on the spot.”
I had to admit I was proud of my mom for doing the right thing. She used to be kind-hearted and sweet, but apparently my father had taken his toll on both of us.
“He arranged for them to have a decent meal, anything they wanted, and had his assistant fetch them some clothes. He also brought in a couple of waitresses to give Nala a nice bath and do her hair.
“And after Bain had finished getting ready, we had time to talk. I was wrong, Dahlia. I am so sorry. I was blinded for so long, and I almost cost you your mate.”
I spat my coffee out all over my pajama bottoms, but they’d needed throwing out after being soaked in slick anyway. I coughed a few times, then dragged my sleeve across my face.
“I’m sorry, what!?” Bain had told me himself, but I’d been sure he only said it because I’d bought him. “Okay, you need to explain from the beginning.”
“Okay. You’re an Omega.” She paused and sighed, clearly finding it hard to open up. Twenty-one years of lies and secrecy would do that. “When we found out that you were a girl, your father became angry and even more violent. He’d wanted an Alpha son. He said that I was defective, that if he had chosen a better woman, she would have given him a son.
“As the pregnancy progressed, your father held meetings with other Alphas. He hoped that you'd be a rare Alpha female but was preparing a new family for you if you were an Omega.”
“What? He was gonna give me away?”
She shook her head. “Not exactly. He was planning an arranged marriage. The Alphas he was meeting with had Alpha sons between newborn and seven years old. He offered you to them for their sons if they didn’t manage to find their mates. It was a surefire way to guarantee their lines were carried on if their sons were unsuccessful in their search.”
“So, I would have had to marry the highest bidder’s son?”
“Yes, and some of the Alphas were even worse than your father. I panicked. It broke my heart to think of my little girl growing up and being with an Alpha like them. I didn’t know what to do, and at one of my antenatal appointments, I broke down in front of Dr. Rashdon. I explained everything to him and showed him my bruises. He suggested altering the birth certificate, faking the blood test results, and putting you on suppressants from birth.”
