I burst through the hospital doors, Nonna right behind me. My heart hammered as I rushed down the corridor. Cody had been missing all night, and Dr. Richard called saying he was here with the Alpha King and his brother.
Why would the royal wolves have my son?
I shoved open the office door without knocking.
"Mummy!"
Cody's voice cut through everything else. I dropped to my knees as he wriggled out of Richard's arms and ran to me. Nothing else mattered. Not the tension in the air. Not the three powerful wolves watching. Just my baby boy, safe and whole.
"Where have you been, mummy?" Cody buried his face in my neck, his little fingers tangling in my hair.
"I am here now, baby. I was so worried about you all night." I held him tighter, breathing in his scent. My wolf settled, reassured our pup was safe.
"Aurora is what?" a deep voice asked.
I looked up sharply. John Hudson, the Beta Prince, stood near the window. His gaze darted between Richard and the massive oak desk. My stomach dropped when I saw who sat there.
Alpha King Jack Hudson.
The wolf who had taken my innocence four years ago. The wolf who had accused me of being a spy, forced himself on me, and cast me out of the royal pack house.
"Aurora Bluey is Cody's biological mother," Richard said coldly, his eyes fixed on John. "Do you remember her now?"
The Beta Prince opened his mouth but no words came out.
"Mummy, can we go home?" Cody whispered against my shoulder.
"Yes, sweetheart. Let's go home." I started to stand, ready to leave this nightmare behind.
"Not so quick, Aurora."
The Alpha King's voice froze me in place. Deep. Commanding. Authority that made my wolf want to submit. I forced her down and turned slowly, still holding Cody.
Jack Hudson rose from behind his desk. Tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair and eyes that could strip away every defense. He moved like a predator.
"You know where to find me, right?" He walked straight toward us.
Before I could react, he bent down and lifted Cody from my arms.
"No!" I grabbed his suit jacket, desperate. "You cannot take him."
Jack turned his head, and the look in his eyes made me release him instantly. Pure alpha dominance radiated from him in waves that made my knees weak.
"What about the DNA test, Alpha King?" Richard stepped forward. "We need to confirm—"
"I do not need DNA to confirm that Cody is my son." Jack's voice left no room for argument. "Do you understand me, Dr. Richard?"
My blood turned cold. How did he know? How could he be certain?
I moved in front of him, blocking his path. My hands shook but I lifted my chin and met his gaze. "You think I will let you take my son? I may be weak and unable to resist you, Jack, but when it comes to Cody, I am a lioness. I will fight with my life."
Nonna gasped behind me. I had not denied it. I had just confirmed that the Alpha King was Cody's father.
"Then fight." Jack's lips curved into a cruel smile. "Let's see just how much of a lioness you are."
He shoved past me and I stumbled backward. By the time I regained my balance, he was already through the door.
"No! Cody!" I ran after them, my wolf howling in rage and fear.
John stepped in front of Richard. "Jack is Aurora's one night lover. He is Cody's father, not me."
I heard the words but they did not matter. Only one thing mattered now.
The parking lot stretched before me as I burst through the hospital's main entrance. Jack was halfway across it, kissing Cody's face while my son giggled at the attention.
"Cody, I am your father. You are mine," the Alpha King said between kisses.
"Stop!" I screamed, running toward them.
Two massive guards materialized from nowhere and blocked my path. I tried to push through them but they were like walls of solid muscle.
"Let me go! That is my son!" I fought against their hold, watching helplessly as Jack slid into the back of a black SUV with Cody in his arms.
The guards released me just as the vehicle's engine roared to life. I sprinted toward it but the SUV pulled away, tires screeching on the pavement.
"No, no, no!" I kept running, my legs burning, lungs screaming for air. The SUV turned onto the main road and disappeared.
I ran until my vision blurred and my legs gave out. A taxi pulled over and I climbed in.
"Hudson's Royal Pack House," I managed to say through my sobs.
The driver said nothing about my tear-stained face.
My phone buzzed continuously. Nonna calling. Richard calling. I could not answer. My throat was raw from screaming.
The guards at the pack house gates told me the Alpha King had not returned. I pushed past them into the entrance hall and sank onto a leather couch.
"I will wait," I told them.
One hour passed. Then two. My phone kept ringing but I stared at the doors, willing them to open. Willing Jack to return with my son.
The sun began to set.
A younger wolf in uniform approached cautiously. "Miss, the Alpha King called. He said he will speak with you tomorrow when you have calmed down."
"Calmed down?" The words came out as a broken whisper. "He took my son."
"I understand, miss, but—"
"You understand nothing!" I shot to my feet. "That is my baby. My son. Mine!"
The guard stepped back, clearly uncomfortable. "I am sorry, miss. Those were the Alpha King's orders."
I sank back onto the couch and wrapped my arms around myself. The pack house felt cold despite the setting sun streaming through the windows.
My phone buzzed again. A text from Nonna.
Where are you? Richard and I are worried. Please answer.
I stared at the message but could not reply. How could I explain that the Alpha King had taken Cody? That I had been powerless to stop him? That the father I had hidden my son from for four years had just claimed him?
The grand doors remained closed. And somewhere in this city, Jack Hudson had my son.