Page 18 of My Ruthless Alpha (Alpha Outlaws Club #5)

I felt like a new person going into the office the following day, knowing I had my mate back and my daughter was finally aware of our connection.

There was nothing to hide at that point, and it felt like a weight off my shoulders. I could tell Faye was feeling the same, given how relaxed she seemed. It felt like the missing pieces finally fell into place, and there wasn’t much more I could want beyond that.

As much as I tried to school my emotions and remain as professional as possible, it was harder to accomplish given how everything was coming together for me, and I couldn’t deny how good it felt. I was sure even the guys could notice a difference in me.

We started our meeting by discussing some general company matters. Then we decided to have a coffee break before continuing, which, of course, diverted their complete attention to me. Honestly, I wasn’t used to being in the hot seat and didn’t quite know what to do with myself.

“So…how was your night with the daughter?” Ezra asked with a smug grin on his face.

“The daughter we had no clue about,” Sebastian added.

Sighing, I knew there was no way of getting out of it. If I tried avoiding their poking and prodding, I was well aware of how much worse their scrutiny would become. They could be relentless at times.

But, seeing as it was their way of showing they cared, and their interest wasn’t necessarily bad, I decided to indulge them.

“It’s not like I’ve known about the situation much longer than you have…but it was great. Thanks for asking.”

They chuckled, and then Levi leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. “Do tell.”

“Well, after you guys left, Faye and I finally told Margo,” I said simply, not wanting to skirt around the subject.

Sebastian lifted a brow. “So, the cat’s completely out of the bag now?”

At my nod, they all looked somewhat surprised, yet those expressions shifted into ones more akin to respect.

“I’ll be damned…I can’t say you didn’t make the right decision,” Ezra returned with a somewhat rare sense of approval. “She might seem young, but kids can hang on to some things at an early age.”

Levi nodded. “It’s better for her to know. Teasing aside, we’re all happy for you.”

Sebastian tipped his head in acknowledgment and pulled a grin for me. “I’m sure the whole situation has been weird and confusing, but you seem to be handling it well. We’re glad to see you stepping up as her father.”

“Of course…and I appreciate it,” I murmured, smiling faintly at the idea. Thinking about Faye and Margo being at home waiting for me to finish work made my heart squeeze with affection for them. “I couldn’t imagine knowing about Margo’s existence and not doing anything about it. I’m lucky Faye has even let me into her life like that.”

“And how did your rescue mission go the other night? We never asked,” Levi inquired, looking curious.

“It went well. We didn’t run into any problems, and Sydney is safe and sound in my territory now. Faye can breathe easier now, at least,” I confirmed with them, feeling both a sense of relief and satisfaction in knowing I could follow through with my promise to my mate.

They nodded their approval, and Ezra asked, “You didn’t sense anyone tracking nearby?”

I shook my head. “No, fortunately. I imagine if we were any later, that would’ve been the case.”

“Speaking of strange activity, I’ve been noticing more bikers back at my place,” Sebastian said while he looked between us. “That’s not exactly the norm for us. From what I can tell, they’re all human too.”

Levi considered the thought, and he gave him a look of recognition. “You know what, I have noticed that more recently. I’ve been hearing a lot of bikes around, and I never recognize the riders. I thought I was just being paranoid at first.”

As they agreed, I found myself tracing back to what Faye said about the gang—that there was a chance Colton had some guys in his back pocket.

Even if I didn’t see anyone who seemed to be a cause for concern for myself, the area outside of Colton’s territory left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I still couldn’t shake that bad feeling.

Given how my instincts were usually right, I knew I couldn’t just ignore it and continue like everything was perfect.

Focusing again on the conversation, I glanced between the guys. “This isn’t confirmed yet, but Sydney informed Faye that rumors were going around about their old alpha, Colton, having ties with a gang. There’s a chance they could be bikers.”

At the mention of it, everyone became a lot more serious than before.

Levi lifted a curious brow. “You think this Colton guy could be sending them out to look for Faye?”

“If two of his wolves have moved to your pack, then it seems likely,” Ezra concurred while he thought it over. “That is if he has made a connection to both of them leaving and staying within your territory.”

Despite the flood of anger at even considering my next words, I did everything I could to keep it down. I nodded. “From the sound of things, I wouldn’t put it past him. If he could kill the previous alpha and Luna in cold blood without any reason beyond wanting alpha status, then I think he’s exactly the type capable of sending his goons out to capture defectors.”

“But why?” Sebastian asked, growing more curious. “Why waste his time and energy if they don’t want to follow him anyway?”

Sighing, I tried to keep my irritation down. I hated even thinking about Colton’s previous plans. “Because he was gearing up to take Faye as his mate, but to do that, he likely would’ve forced her to give Margo up. Obviously not wanting to comply, she fled.”

“So, we’re potentially dealing with a worked-up alpha who thinks he has rights to every woman in his pack…and one who’s likely furious about his claimed mate leaving him,” Levi pieced together and hit the nail on the head.

“Exactly. Which is why we need to monitor the situation closely, even if it happens to be nothing.”

The guys all nodded, seemingly already on board.

“That’s right…we’ll keep tabs on any bikers or people we don’t know and relay that information. We’ll find out one way or another if this Colton does have extra muscle behind him,” Levi decided, sounding pleased with his plan.

“In the meantime, I’m going to be keeping a close eye on Faye and Margo just in case,” I added, irritated by the uncertain feeling in my chest. I just wanted to get everything behind us and out of the way so I could focus on them. “And we should eventually have a meeting with Ethan and Jacob included. They should know about this, and we can discuss some plans on how we’re going to amend things.”

Since everything was going so much better with my life at home, I didn’t want anything to jeopardize that. I couldn’t let it.

“That’s a good plan,” Sebastian said, maintaining that air of seriousness. “Keep us updated if you hear or see anything, and we’ll confirm a meeting time.”

I nodded, knowing I was better off by keeping them in the loop. If I ever needed their help with a more serious matter, I was sure they’d be right there at the drop of a hat. “How about the end of the week?”

With no objections, the guys all agreed, and the tentative plans were set. We had a week to monitor the situation until then, and I hoped that by some stroke of luck, the gang members would be completely out of our hair by then. Luckily, I hadn’t seen any bikers around my grounds, so that was a start.

Eventually, our meeting wrapped up, and we went on with our day, overseeing business and taking care of whatever needed our attention before we left for the night and made our way to our respective territories.

While approaching my grounds, I drove with the window down to take in the evening breeze, which helped rid me of any residuals from the workday. That way, I could be as present as possible for Faye and Margo.

But with the wind came unfamiliar scents…ones I had never placed before.

They were wolves, without a doubt, but I just didn’t know who. Detecting them nearby, even if they weren’t in my territory yet, still put me on edge. Goosebumps rose from my skin, and every alarm in me seemed to go off at once.

It didn’t feel like an urgent threat, but it was enough to sharpen my senses.

I didn’t care what it took…nobody was going to endanger my mate or child.