One Night with the Alpha King

Chapter 100

The car stopped in front of the sprawling stone mansion that served as the Delmark pack house. Jack stepped out first, his movements fluid and commanding as always, then reached back to help me out. His hand was warm, steady, and I took it without hesitation.

"Always wear your hair down like this when we are alone," he whispered against my temple, pulling me close. His lips brushed my skin, and I felt the familiar flutter in my stomach.

"You like it this way?" I turned to look at him, and my hair swirled around my shoulders. He laughed, a soft sound that made my chest tighten.

"I love it," he said.

We walked toward the entrance together. The pack guards stationed at the door bowed deeply as we approached, recognizing their Alpha King immediately. The steward pulled open the heavy wooden door, but we barely made it inside before Richard appeared in the doorway.

He looked tense. His eyes locked on me, and for several long seconds, he just stared. He did not blink. He did not speak. Something was wrong.

"Hey Richard, why are you staring at me like you have seen a ghost?" I tried to keep my tone light as I walked over to him, rising on my toes to cup his face in my hands.

"I wish it was a ghost, Aurora. I would have known it could never be real. Please, we need to talk. Urgently." His hands caught mine, gripping them tightly. He tried to smile, but it looked forced, broken.

I frowned. "Now?"

"Yes. There is something I need to ask you." His gaze bored into mine, searching for something. Whatever he saw there seemed to unsettle him even more.

"Okay." I glanced back at Jack, who was watching Richard with an intensity that made my skin prickle. Richard reached for my hand again, ready to pull me aside, when Jane walked into the hallway.

"Oh darling, you are here already!" She beamed at me, pulling me away from Richard and into a warm hug. Her embrace was tight, motherly.

"Mom, I told you to use your walker," Richard snapped, his voice sharp. "If you slip and fall, you could damage your spine further."

"I will not slip. I want to walk on my own. Besides, is my son not a pack healer? He will always be there when I need him." Jane's tone was teasing, but Richard looked away, his jaw clenched.

If only his mother knew what was bothering him, she might have let me go with him. But she did not know, and neither did I.

"Alpha King Jack, it is an honor to have you with us tonight." Jane turned to Jack and extended her hand. He shook it politely, his expression neutral.

Richard seemed to remember Jack was there at all. He glanced at him, and Jack gave him a small shrug. Richard bowed slightly before turning back to me. "Mom, Aurora and I need to talk. Briefly."

"Absolutely not, Richard. She is my guest, not yours. Invite her another time if you want to talk. For now, we ladies are going inside." Jane linked her arm through mine and pulled me toward the sitting room.

Richard sighed, running a hand through his hair. He glared at Jack, who only smiled in return.

"Your eyes are the same," Jack said, stepping closer to Richard. His voice was low, almost playful.

Richard's brow furrowed. "What?"

"What is it that you want to discuss with Aurora? Tell me. I am her mate." The word hung in the air, heavy and final.

"You would not understand, Alpha King. You would not." Richard placed his hands on his hips, looking lost.

"Perhaps the one who does not understand is you. The one who sees but cannot perceive. I think you are confused, and I might be able to help." Jack moved toward the sitting room, but Richard caught his arm.

"Let us talk, man to man. I found Aurora's pictures in my father's study. I wanted to ask him, but he was on the phone. That is why I need to talk to her."

Jack's smile widened. "What is the big deal if Alpha Adrian has his daughter's pictures on his desk?"

Richard's eyes went wide. "You know? You know that my father is Aurora's biological father?"

Inside the sitting room, Jane guided me toward the chairs, but we both stopped when we saw the man sitting near the window. He was on the phone, writing something on a notepad. When he looked up and saw me, his pen fell from his hand. His entire body went rigid.

"This is Aurora Bluey, Richard's friend and now a family friend," Jane said. She noticed his expression and frowned slightly. "Derick, are you all right?"

I stared at the man, at the way his hands trembled, at the shock written across his face. He knew me. Somehow, this man knew me.

"She should have been more than a friend to Richard," Derick said slowly, his voice thick with emotion. He looked me over from head to toe, and then he smiled. It was a smile full of recognition and something deeper. Relief, maybe.

Jane and I both relaxed slightly, though I was still confused.

"You look more beautiful in person than in pictures," Derick continued. "You look exactly like her, except for your face. That face is your father's, but the beautiful frame is your mother's."

My heart stopped. My breath caught. "You knew my mother? You knew her?"

Derick nodded, and tears filled his eyes. "I carried you when you were two or three years old. I called you my niece."

The world tilted. My hands found Jane's, gripping them tightly. "He knew my mom. He really knew her."

Jane's eyes filled with tears as well. She pulled me into her arms, holding me tightly as she began to sob. I did not understand why she was crying, but I held her anyway, feeling her shoulders shake.

Richard appeared in the doorway, his own eyes wet. Jack stood behind him, watching everything unfold with a knowing expression.

"Mrs. Jane, he said he knew my mother." My voice broke, and I kissed her hand, overwhelmed by the emotion in the room.

Jane pulled back to look at me, tears streaming down her face. "I suspected it," she whispered. "You are so much like Susan."

Before I could respond, another man walked into the room. He looked between his wife and me, then at his brother Derick, whose eyes were still moist. He glanced at Jack, who shrugged, and then at Richard, who looked away quickly.

The man's face went pale. His mouth opened slightly, and I saw the exact moment realization struck him.

Alpha Adrian Delmark had just discovered that his daughter had walked into his home.

To be continued…