Fuck!!!! I'm Having The Alpha Princess's Baby.

That event made me stop talking to Yuki altogether. I couldn’t even look at her the same way after what she did in that octagon. Ever since the match, I’ve been staying with Princess at the club, putting all my energy into being there for her and trying to show her my most caring side. I don’t know exactly what her grandfather said about the fight, Princess claims he hasn’t called yet, but I can still see the lingering worry in her eyes whenever she thinks I’m not looking.

Being an Alpha, her injury ended up being a minor thing in the long run. She really was telling the truth when she said she had healed up quickly. Her body just seemed to knit itself back together while I was still busy crying over her. But still, I warned her sternly not to put her body in harm’s way like that ever again. She doesn’t need to prove anything in a cage. She should just remain the boss bitch she is and leave the reckless fighting to people who have nothing to lose.

It was the last day of the year and also the night of the last full moon. It was a big deal for our kind. Since I’m pregnant, I wasn’t going to shift this time. But I was definitely going to watch Princess shift. We made plans for it to be just me and her, tucked away somewhere deep in the woods where no one could bother us. A date night..

I told her straight up not to take any pills or suppressants this time. I wanted to see the real thing. I wanted to be there for her, even if it meant seeing her in pain as her bones cracked and reshaped themselves. She stayed quiet for a moment before telling me she doesn’t take any of Leo’s drugs. That was new..

I had to head back home for a bit to grab some fresh clothes and supplies. Since it’s the holidays, I’ve been spending almost every waking moment with Princess, and my dresser at home was looking pretty empty. It was late afternoon by the time I let myself into the house.

Eriko was sprawled out on the couch, while my brother was stationed in the dining room, picking at some food.

"Welcome home, puppy..." my brother called out without looking up.

He has been calling me puppy more and more often lately. I’m pretty sure he’s just doing it because he’s jealous of how Princess calls me that. He wants to remind me that he’s the big brother, even if I am carrying little wolfies of my own now.

"Hey, Paye, you’re home today," I said, walking in and feeling a bit like a guilty wolf returning to the pack after wandering off for too long.

"Of course I’m home," he said in that lazy, rhythmic tone of his. He finally looked up, his eyes scanning me with that knowing look brothers always have. "I’m not even going to ask where you’ve been for the last few days. You reek of Princess Kings. It’s all over your scent. When will that stop?" he muttered.

I rolled my eyes, but secretly, I was relieved. It was a good thing he was actually using her name instead of just calling her that Alpha like he used to. Progress was slow, but it was happening.

"Come on, Paye, don’t be such a douchebag about it. Faye is pregnant. She needs to be with her partner for the hormones. It’s a biological thing," Eriko chimed in from the couch. He was lying back, casually tossing chips into his mouth. "When I was pregnant, I stayed with Leo constantly. We were stuck together every single day. We even shared the same blanket just so he could keep me warm. You can’t fight the instinct."

I leaned against the wall, a playful smirk forming on my face. "See? Eriko has actual experience. I would have officially moved in with Princess by now, but I don’t want my brother to miss me so much that he ends up in the hospital from a broken heart..." I mocked.

Paye didn’t miss a beat. "No one is stopping you, Faye. Truly. You can leave whenever you want. I promise you, I’m not going to miss you or your attitude one bit," he sang out, though I could hear the teasing edge in his voice.

"Oh yes, you will. Don’t lie to yourself," I said, walking over to the table. "I’m your only sister. You’d be bored to death without me. You literally can’t live without me."

"I have Kaye," he shot back.

"Huh, Kaye now way, he won’t talk to you the way I do. He won’t call you out on your crap. I’m the only mole in your life that will never leave you alone. Haha."

He just shook his head in disbelief, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he went back to his food. He knew I was right.

I turned my attention back to Eriko and leaned on the back of the couch, watching him crunch on another chip. I had been wondering about something for a while, and since everyone was in a talkative mood, I figured I’d just ask.

"If I may ask... why did you and Alpha Leo actually get a divorce? You sometimes talk so sweetly about him, like you still miss those days..."

Eriko’s expression shifted, becoming a little more guarded. "Well... we just didn’t work out in the end. Life happens," he said, trying to brush it off.

"Come on, tell me. I really want to know," I pressed. "I’m dating his sister now. That basically makes me part of the family, right? When I saw Alpha Leo the other day, he seemed pretty nice. He was funny, and he seemed... I don’t know, proud? In a good way?"

"That’s exactly it, that douche-head. He’s always full of himself," Eriko explained, sitting up a bit. "When I first met him, he was so lovely and kind. He swept me off my feet. But after the marriage, he changed completely. It was like he didn’t need to try anymore."

"That’s a total lie and you know it," Paye called out from the dining room. "You fell for his looks and you purposely ignored every single red flag he waved in your face. You knew he was a proud king who wanted to become the richest and most powerful among all his siblings. He was always going to achieve that by any means necessary. You seduced him, got yourself pregnant, and basically forced him to marry you. Everyone knew you were going to get bored of the married life eventually..."

Immediately, Eriko reached into the bag and threw a chip with pinpoint accuracy. It landed right on Paye’s face.

"Look who’s talking, Mr. I-want-to-forget-my-ex," Eriko snapped, though there was a hint of a laugh in his voice. "Faye, don’t listen to him. Your brother is a total wolf in sheep’s clothing. He was just as messy back in school. He fell head over heels for someone who was already engaged to someone else... and now look at him. A single father..."

I just stood there, looking back and forth between them. I was completely confused. I looked at Paye, who had gone stiff, and then back at Eriko.

"Well, we are both single fathers, aren’t we? We’re in the same boat," Paye shot back, his voice a little lower now.

"At least mine pays his child support on time," Eriko sang out, mocking him with a grin. "And he still remembers me and my daughter."

"What the fuck is wrong with you guys?" I asked, throwing my hands up. "I was actually looking up to both of you as examples of how to handle this life, and you two are way worse than me. This is a mess. So, brother... you actually do know who Kaye’s father is? You’ve been keeping that from me?"

"Oh, oh, Faye... don’t act so surprised," Eriko scoffed as he stood up from the couch and headed toward the kitchen. "We are all connected by one blood." He grabbed a beer from the fridge and popped the top.

Paye said absolutely nothing. The playful mood had vanished from his face. He just picked up his plate, stood up, and walked straight into his room without a word. The door shut with a firm click.

I stood there in the middle of the living room, my mind racing. Who the hell was Kaye’s other father?