But if I was Alice’s father… that would change so much in my mind. If Alice was mine and not Roman’s, then Amber likely didn’t have an affair. This meant Roman had been lying then, when he imed to be the father. If he lied then, he could be lying now with this news of the engagement. After all, the only quote in the newspaper was from Roman, not Anna.

I knew what I hoped for. Though I would hate myself for having missed so much of Alice’s childhood, I wanted to be here for her now. And Amber? This would be just one more wrong of mine that I needed to make up to her.

“Alpha?” said one of the elders in the meeting I was currently in.

Gods, I had been trying so hard to pay attention, but it seemed I couldn’t help being thoroughly distracted.

“I said?” “Forgive me,” I said at once. “Could you repeat what you

The elder gave me a strange look. For most of my tenure as Alpha, I had always ced work before my personal life in all things. There had been nothing more important than being an Alpha.

I had thought that would be true forever, but because of that mindset, I had lost my wife.

Now, I was learning quickly that my daughter was more important too – if she was in fact my daughter.

The stress was unbearable. This anticipation felt like I was standing on pins and needles, waiting to see what might happen next.

I wanted to know one way or the other so that I could get passed this terrible unknowing.

“Alpha?” the same elder asked again.

Oh no. I had lost my train of thought again.

I opened my mouthb, /bembarrassingly about to ask him to repeat himself for the second time when there was a knock on the door to the meeting room. Beta ducked his head inside.

“Forgive me, but I have an urgent matter that only the Alpha King can address.”

The elder gave me a long look before nodding, dismissing me. I didn’t need his permission to leave, but as I had just offended him twice in a row, was pleased to have it nheless.

Standing, I exited the room.

Beta started handing me a man envelope.

“Not here,” I said and let him through the winding Ballways of the Alpha headquarters building back to my personal office. There, I remained standing, not trusting myself to sit, and held my hand out for the man envelope,

Beta handed it over.

“Did you look?” I asked him.

“No, Alpha,” he replied. “That wasn’t part of my co

He was such a good Beta, and I was truly grateful fo

“Should I go?” Beta asked.

“You might as well stay,” I said. I wasn’t sure I wa maintain myposure with another person pres

Beta nodded and stood still.

Swallowing hard, I looked down at the man env of envelope. I had hundreds of ones just like this in

I didn’t know if I was ready for the truth. But then

The only thing I could do was push myself forwar

So I opened the folder.

There was a single sheet of paper inside.

I skimmed down through the scientific jargon to

Immediately, my chest clenched, my heart achin

Alice wasn’t my daughter.