C07
I barely made it out of the ballroom before my hands started shaking. The air outside the grand hall was crisp, biting against my skin as I sucked in a deep breath. The weight of a hundred stares, of Dean’s fury, of Cecelia’s smug satisfaction–it was all pressing down on me.
She knew exactly what she was doing.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I had played along, flipped the script on her little show
this wasn’t over.
“You okay?”
Nathan’s voice was soft, but there was an edge to it.
C
I turned to him, forcing a smirk. “Well, I just announced to half the territory that you’re the father of my child. I think okay is a stretch.”
Nathan exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Hannah, you just put a target on your back.”
“I already had a target on my back,” I shot back. “At least now I’m holding the damn bow.” Nathan hesitated, then sighed. “Dean’s going to come for you after this. You know that, right?”
Kept the Apha’s Secret Hos
I nodded. “Good. Let him.”
Nathan studied me for a long moment. Then, with a nod, he said, “We need to be careful. He’s not just going to sit back and accept this.”
Before I could answer, the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor. Heavy, purposeful.
Dean.
I barely had time to brace myself before he stormed around the corner.
His presence was like a force of nature–anger rolling off him in waves, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might snap. His dark eyes burned into me as he closed the space between us.
“Nathan,” he said, his voice cold, “leave.”
Nathan didn’t move.
Dean’s eyes flicked to him. “Now.”
I placed a hand on Nathan’s arm before he could do something reckless. “It’s fine,” I murmured. “Go.”
Nathan shot me a warning look before nodding stiffly and stepping back. But he didn’t go far. He stood a few feet away, arms crossed, watching.
Dean didn’t acknowledge him again. His focus was solely on me.
“You lied.” His voice was dangerously low.
I arched a brow. “Did I?”
His hands twitched at his sides. “That isn’t Nathan’s child, and you damn well know it.”
I tilted my head, pretending to think. “Oh? And why do you care so much, Dean? Shouldn’t you be celebrating? You don’t have to be tied to me anymore.”
His nostrils flared. “Cut the crap, Hannah.”
I took a slow step forward, watching the way his muscles tensed. “Why does it bother you?” I pressed. “Why does the thought of me carrying someone else’s child make you this angry?”
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
So I pushed further. “Could it be that you don’t actually want me gone?” I smiled, tilting my head. “Could it be that you hate the idea of me belonging to someone else?”
His hand shot out so fast I barely had time to react. He grabbed my wrist, pulling me close. My breath hitched as his scent overwhelmed me–woodsy, familiar, intoxicating.
His voice was low, rough, filled with something I couldn’t quite place. “You belong to me, Hannah.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
I swallowed hard, refusing to show weakness. “No,” I whispered, staring straight into his stormy eyes. “I don’t.”
For a moment, neither of us moved. The tension between us was electric, crackling like a live wire.
Then, just as suddenly as he had grabbed me, he let go.
“You’re making a mistake,” he muttered.
I smiled bitterly. “No, Dean. You did.”
His eyes darkened, but before he could say anything else, Cecelia’s voice rang out from the ballroom.
“Dean, darling!”
I stiffened.
C
Cecelia appeared in the doorway, her face painted with concern–so fake it made my stomach turn. “Is everything alright?”
Dean’s posture stiffened. His expression shuttered, and just like that, he was Alpha Dean again.
“Fine,” he said coolly.
938 AM.
Kept the Alpha’s Secret Her
Cecelia’s gaze flicked to me, and her lips curled into something sickeningly sweet. “Oh, Hannah,” she sighed. “I hope you’re not too stressed. After all, pregnancy can be so exhausting.”
I clenched my teeth.
Dean didn’t say a word.
He just turned and walked away, Cecelia slipping her arm through his like she belonged there.
I stood there, watching them disappear into the crowd. And for the first time, I realized something.
This wasn’t just about revenge anymore.
This was war.
Later That Night
I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the ceiling.
Nathan was right–Dean wasn’t going to let this go. Cecelia wasn’t going to stop her little games.
And me? I was done playing defense.
A knock at my door made me sit up.
“Come in.”
Nathan stepped inside, his expression serious. “We need to talk.”
I nodded, standing. “I know. This is getting worse.”
Nathan ran a hand through his hair. “Hannah… if we keep pushing, if we keep provoking him–Dean’s going to snap.”
“Let him,” I said flatly.
Nathan exhaled, looking at me like he wasn’t sure whether to admire me or strangle me. “You’re really not scared of him, are you?”
I met his gaze. “No. And you shouldn’t be either.”
He sighed, then reached into his pocket. “Here.”
I frowned as he handed me a small key. “What’s this?”
“A backup plan,” he said quietly. “There’s a safe house outside the territory. If things get out of control… if you need to disappear–you use this.”
I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the key. “Nathan-”
“I’m serious, Hannah,” he cut me off. “If Dean decides to make a move, if he ever tries to force you back under his control, you run.”
I looked down at the key, my mind racing.
Nathan was right.
I had started this war. But I needed to be prepared for the fallout.
I wasn’t just fighting for myself anymore.
I was fighting for my unborn child.
