When Alpha Gideon Stewart returned to the packhouse, he carried himself with the same effortless charm he always did. His towering frame filled the doorway, his broad shoulders and muscular build a testament to his Alpha status. In his hands, he held a bouquet of fresh flowers, their scent mingling with the overpowering cologne he wore. He leaned in, his presence warm and familiar, though I instinctively stepped back.
"Sorry, Ophelia," he said, his deep voice smooth and apologetic. "I’m late."
His face faltered for a moment, as if struck by a sudden thought, and he quickly offered an explanation. "I had a little too much to drink today. I didn’t want to overwhelm you with the smell. Are you hungry? I’ll whip up something tasty for you."
With that, he rolled up his sleeves, revealing the corded muscles of his forearms, and hurried into the kitchen. Once a man who never lifted a finger in the kitchen, he had learned to cook because of my sensitive stomach. Whenever he was home, he insisted on preparing meals himself. If I hadn’t seen the truth for myself, anyone would have believed he was deeply in love with me.
But he’s kept up this pretense for so many years.
As we ate, I casually said, "Tomorrow, could you come with me to the clinic for a check-up?"
His face lit with concern, his dark eyes searching mine. "What’s wrong? Is something the matter?"
As usual, his response was filled with genuine concern. I shook my head. "It’s nothing, just time for a routine check-up."
He breathed a sigh of relief, nodding with a smile. But soon after, Gideon seemed to remember something, his brow furrowing with a conflicted expression. "Ophelia, I just remembered I have to accompany an important client tomorrow. I can’t cancel."
I looked down and continued eating in silence. The air between us grew tense.
He glanced at me, his Alpha aura pressing lightly against me, and tentatively asked, "Are you upset?"
"Fine, I’ll change the appointment. Nothing is more important than your health."
I looked up at him. His gaze was steady, without a hint of guilt.
"It’s fine. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow."
I managed a smile. A day’s worth of emotional turbulence had numbed my senses.
The phone next to me lit up; it was a message from Aurora Phillips, the Gamma from his pack.
"Tomorrow, Alpha Gideon’s coming with me for a prenatal check-up. He’s really looking forward to this baby."
"Oh, and you’d better stay away from him for now. I’m pregnant, and if something makes me sick, I can’t help him."
After dinner, Gideon moved in to embrace me, his large frame enveloping mine. "Ophelia, you’re so quiet today. It’s unlike you."
As his warmth pressed against me, a wave of nausea surged up my throat, and I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I jerked away from his embrace and rushed to the bathroom.
Gideon followed, his voice laced with worry as he reached out to soothe me. I instinctively slapped his hand away. "Don’t touch me!"
He froze, his eyes filled with hurt.
I couldn’t help but voice my thoughts: "If I said nothing happened that night five years ago, would you believe me?"
Gideon looked stunned, then smirked, feigning ignorance. "What happened five years ago?"
I laughed coldly inside, turning away, not wanting to speak to him any further.
The next day, I checked myself into the clinic for a thorough examination. Gideon was too tainted; I didn’t want to risk leaving a trace of him on my body.
I hadn’t expected to run into Gideon and Aurora head-on.
Gideon held Aurora closely, his voice gentle as he reassured her: "It’s okay, the healer says it’s not a big deal. Just be sure to stay calm and watch your emotions."
As he spoke, Gideon seemed to sense something and turned, meeting my gaze. The moment he saw me, his face drained of color, and he immediately let go of Aurora, walking briskly toward me.
