Page 25 of The Careless Alpha

For a split second, a memory tried to surface—the scent of wildflowers and something, a feeling of rightness so profound it ached. But it was gone as quickly as it came, buried under my memories of waking up next to Scarlett. Ranger whined in my mind, a low sound of distress, but I slammed a mental wall down, refusing to listen.

Betrayal coiled in my gut, hot and venomous. Annalise was pregnant. Which meant...

"Who?" The word came out as a growl, and I saw her flinch.

"What do you mean, who?"

"Who's the father?" I stood up abruptly, my chair slamming back against the wall. "Who did you sleep with?"

Her face went even paler, if that was possible. "Marshall, you know who—"

"I know that two months ago, you were a virgin," I snarled, moving around the desk toward her. "I know that you've been living under my protection in this house, surrounded by my pack. So tell me, Annalise, which one of my wolves betrayed me by touching what was mine?"

"It was you," she whispered. "The baby is yours. The night of the winter festival, you came to my room—"

"I was with Scarlett that night," I said coldly. "I remember exactly where I was and who I was with. Try again."

"Marshall, please." Tears were starting to fill her eyes. "I know you don't remember, but it happened. You were drunk, and we—"

"ENOUGH!" I roared, and she shrank back against the door. "I don't know what sick fantasy you've created in your mind, but I was never in your room. I would never touch a child."

"I'm not a child," she said brokenly. "I'm your mate."

"You're a liar," I spat. "And a whore as well."

The words hung in the air between us like poison. I saw her face crumble, saw the exact moment her heart broke, but the rage was too strong to feel anything else.

I grabbed her arm roughly. "If you're going to spread lies about me, then the whole pack can hear them."

"Marshall, no, please—"

But I was already dragging her out of my office, down the hallway toward the dining room where I could hear the sounds of the evening meal in progress. She stumbled beside me, trying to keep up, tears streaming down her face.

I kicked open the dining room doors with enough force to make them slam against the walls. The pack looked up from their meals in surprise, conversations dying as they took in my furious expression and Annalise's tear-stained face.

"Everyone listen up," I announced, my voice carrying easily across the room. "Our future Luna has something she'd like to share with all of you."

My mother rose from her seat at the head table, concern written across her face. "Marshall, what's going on?"

"Tell them," I said, shoving Annalise forward into the center of the room. "Tell them all about your condition."

Annalise looked around the room desperately, taking in the confused faces of pack members who'd known her for years. "I... I don't..."

"She's pregnant," I announced when she couldn't find her voice. "Our seventeen-year-old future Luna is carrying someone's bastard child."

Gasps echoed through the room. Luna Etta's hand flew to her mouth in shock. I saw pack members exchanging glances, some looking scandalized, others merely curious about the drama unfolding before them.

"Marshall," Luna Etta said sharply, "that's enough. Whatever this is about, it should be discussed privately—"

"No," I cut her off. "This affects everyone here. Your future Luna has been spreading her legs for someone other than her mate."

"That's not true," Annalise said desperately, finding her voice. "Marshall, please, you know it's not true—"

"What I know," I said loudly enough for everyone to hear, "is that you're trying to convince me I'm the father of this child. You're claiming that I somehow forgot sleeping with you, even though I've never laid a hand on you."

"But you did," she whispered. "After the winter festival. You came to my room—"

"I was with Scarlett that night," I announced to the room. "Ask her yourself."