Page 54 of Rejected and Pregnant by the Alpha (Forbidden Alpha Kings #52)
Hannah
Pulling up in front of the pack house, I turn off my car and climb out, with Claira following suit beside me. Work had been a long day, even in the short five hours I was away, and I am happy to be home. Hell, I can already smell Jiya’s cooking wafting from the open doors.
“Hannah!” someone shouts my name, and I turn to find Fabian walking toward me, a frown on his face.
“We need to talk before Julian and Saben get here,” my friend says as soon as he reaches my side. Sensing the urgency in his voice, I tell Claira to head inside while I pull Fabian to the side, away from prying eyes and ears.
“What happened?” I ask, worried that Julian had done something to our son.
“Julian linked me a few minutes before you arrived,” Fabian begins, running a hand along his face. “Saben knows that Julian is his father and confronted him about it. It seems your son only pretends to tolerate Julian for being the werewolf king and a visiting alpha.”
His words bring a sense of dread, and I close my eyes, taking a long, deep breath to steady myself. I thought I had hidden the fact that Julian was his father well, but it seems I hadn’t. My son is too smart for his own good and learns faster than any other pup his age.
“What did he say to Julian?” I ask, worried about my pup’s well-being.
“That he doesn’t need him as a dad,” Fabian answers, shuffling from side to side.
“What else?” I demand, watching him grimace.
“That he hates Julian for abandoning the two of you and that he will have a new dad one day.”
I groan, leaning against the tree behind me and mentally preparing for when I inevitably face my five-year-old son and my mate.
“Goddess,” I groan, running a hand through my hair.
“Don’t have kids, Fabian,” I say, looking at my friend, who is holding back his amusement.
“They don’t have a filter and will be honest about everything,” I add, recalling when Saben told me a new dress I bought made me look like the red crayon from his crayon box.
“Noted,” Fabian says, motioning behind him at the pack house. “Want to wait for him to arrive so you three can talk?” he asks, and I nod, pushing off from the tree and making my way to the front door.
Aidan, I call out through the link to my friend as I enter the foyer, deciding that I need to talk to my son right away with Julian by my side. ETA on your arrival with Julian and Saben? I ask, getting a chuckle from my theta.
Five minutes, Aidan says, his voice laced with amusement. Want me to bring them to your office?
Yes, please, I answer, grateful that Aidan suggested it first.
Got it. I will let Julian know, Aidan calls back, and I sigh with relief. Thankfully, I have five minutes to breathe before I need to talk with my son. Hopefully, Julian and I can clear the air, and Saben can accept his father into his life.
“Need me for anything?” Fabian asks as I stop at the dining hall for a mug of coffee.
“Not really,” I reply, taking a sip of the liquid gold.
“But stick around in case I need someone to help explain things to Saben. He knows you are like a brother to me, the one who helped me leave the royal pack—what I called my ‘original pack’ to him. He probably figured out that you knew Julian is his father and has questions for you,” I reply, watching Fabian grimace.
“Seriously, you and Julian created super geniuses. Please, warn us when you have another pup,” Fabian says, making me spit out my coffee and laugh.
“Trust me, I am not having another pup anytime soon,” I reassure him, only to receive a disbelieving look from Fabian.
“You say that now, but you just ended a heat cycle with Julian during his rut. Who knows what that led to?” Fabian counters.
Frowning, I wave off his words and tell him to wait for Julian to link him if Saben has questions before I head toward the stairs.
Reaching my office, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
I have a minute before they arrive at the pack house and three before they make it to my office.
Four minutes in total to mentally prepare myself to face my pup and explain the truth to him, including that Julian had no clue Saben existed before he visited Haven Trail.
I just hope my pup can forgive me for not telling him the truth sooner, knowing now that he can handle it, even if he is only five years old.