GL1
The clock struck seven, and my hands trembled as I buttoned Nathan’s suit jacket. The fabric felt smooth
beneath my fingers, but my heart was anything but steady.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Nathan sighed, his warm brown eyes softening. “Hannah, we’ve talked about this.”
C
I shook my head. “I don’t care how many times we’ve talked about it–I have a bad feeling. Dean is unpredictable.
This could be a trap.”
Nathan cupped my face, his thumb brushing over my cheek. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
938 AM da.
(Kept the Alpha’s Secret He
But careful wasn’t enough. Not when it came to Alpha Dean.
I clenched my fists. “Then I’m coming with you.”
His jaw tensed. “Hannah-”
“No,” I cut him off. “This is my fight too. I won’t hide. I won’t run.”
Nathan exhaled heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew me well enough to understand there was no changing my mind.
After a moment, he sighed. “Fine. But we’re taking Nicholas. I won’t leave him alone.”
The thought made my stomach twist. Bringing our son into the lion’s den was dangerous, but leaving him unprotected? That was worse.
I nodded, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my gut.
The moment we arrived at the pack’s mansion, my breath hitched.
The sight of it–those towering walls, the grand entrance, the massive chandelier glowing through the windows -it all sent a wave of nausea through me.
This place had been my prison.
I swallowed hard, gripping Nicholas’s hand tightly as we stepped inside.
The second we crossed the threshold, the noise of the party halted.
Everyone was staring at us.
Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire.
“Is that-?”
“They actually came?”
I lifted my chin, refusing to shrink under their gazes.
Then I saw him. Alpha Dean.
He stood by the staircase, Cecelia at his side.
My stomach clenched as Cecelia’s expression turned to pure disappointment. She hadn’t expected me to come. Good.
Dean, however, wasn’t nearly as shaken. His dark gaze flickered over me before settling on Nicholas. And then–he winked.
A chill ran down my spine as Nicholas smiled back. Before I could make a move, Nicholas let go of my hand and stepped forward. Nathan’s arm shot out, pulling Nicholas back to us. His entire body was coiled with fury.
Dean smirked. “Relax, brother. I’m not here to fight.” His eyes flickered to me. “I just wanted to… include you in my celebration.”
I took a slow breath, steadying myself.
“We’re not here to celebrate,” I said coldly. “We’re here to tell you to stay away from our son.”
Cecelia scoffed, stepping forward. “You’re the ones who should stay away.” Her voice dripped with resentment. “You weren’t even invited.”
I raised a brow. “Then why did Dean send us an invitation? And why has he been following my child?”
Cecelia flushed She snapped her head toward Dean, but he barely spared her a glance. I noticed it then–the tension between them.
They weren’t as close as before.
Cecelia clenched her jaw, furious. Without another word, she stormed off. And Dean?
He didn’t even care.
He sighed as if mildly inconvenienced. “She’ll get over it.” Then his gaze settled back on me. “Why don’t you stay
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9:38 AM D
1 Kept the Alpha’s Secret Hea
for dinner? Mother would love to see you, Nathan.”
Nathan’s voice was sharp. “We’re leaving.”
Dean’s smirk faltered. “Don’t be rude. Everyone’s watching.”
I narrowed my eyes. “We don’t care.”
His expression darkened. “Then stop pretending.”
Something in his voice sent a sharp prickle of fear down my spine.
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “Stop pretending,” he murmured. “You know as well as I do…you’re
hiding something.”
My breath caught in my throat.
Nathan stepped between us. “We’re done here.”
Dean didn’t stop us as we turned toward the exit, but I felt his eyes burning into my back.
I made the mistake of glancing over my shoulder.
And there he was.
Standing in the center of the ballroom, watching us leave.
But it wasn’t anger in his eyes.
It was calculated. It was a promise.
And that terrified me.
As we walked to the car, my hands were still shaking. Nicholas, oblivious to the tension, swung my hand.
playfully.
“Mommy, why didn’t we stay for cake?” he asked.
I forced a smile, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Because we don’t belong there, sweetheart.”
“But Mr. Dean was nice,” Nicholas continued, frowning. “He gave me that teddy bear.”
I stopped in my tracks.
Nathan’s grip on my waist tightened as I slowly turned to Nicholas. “What did you say?”
Nicholas shifted on his feet, looking down. “Um… the teddy bear I got? The man outside my school gave it to me.
He looked like Mr. Dean.”
I felt sick.
Nathan and I exchanged a look, the same thought passing between us. Dean had been closer than we thought.
He hadn’t just been watching. He had approached our son.
I crouched down, gripping Nicholas’s shoulders. “Sweetheart, I need you to promise me something, okay?”
Nicholas nodded, wide–eyed.
“If you ever see that man again, you don’t talk to him. You don’t take anything from him. You come straight to me or your father. Understand?”
Nicholas’s face fell. “Did I do something bad?”
I pulled him into a hug, my heart aching. “No, baby. You didn’t. You’re perfect.”
But Dean wasn’t.
Nathan exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. “This isn’t over.”
I swallowed hard. “I know.”
As we finally reached the car, I took one last glance at the mansion.
I barely slept that night.
