Mated to My Fiancé’s Alpha King Brother

Chapter 31

Valerie’s POV 1

The drive toward the territorial borders felt endless, made worse by the constant chatter coming from the back seat. Adrian had been

asking questions nonstop for the past hour, his little voice bright with excitement and hope that made my teeth clench with irritation.

“Are we almost there? When will I see my daddy? What does he look like? Does he know about me?”

Each innocent question was like fingernails on a chalkboard. I glanced in the rearview mirror at the child strapped into Gabriel’s old car

seat-a pathetic piece of safety equipment that had seen better days, much like everything else in my miserable life. Adrian’s dark curls

were messed from leaning against the window.

“Soon,” I said tersely, not bothering to hide my annoyance anymore. “We’ll be there soon, and then you can ask him all the questions you

want.”

Adrian bounced excitedly in his seat, pressing his small hands against the window as we passed increasingly sparse neighborhoods. “Will

he like me? Mommy says I’m a good boy. I can tie my shoes now, and I know all my

letters!”

“I’m sure he’ll be… thrilled,” I muttered, pressing harder on the accelerator. The sooner I finished this unpleasant task.

The residential areas gradually gave way to industrial zones, then to empty lots and finally to the wild forestland that marked the outer

boundaries of our territory. This was as far as I could go without crossing into rogue territory-dangerous, lawless land where pack

protection didn’t extend and anything could happen to an unwary traveler.

Perfect for my purposes.

I’d heard the reports over the past few months about increased rogue activity in this area. Lone wolves and outcasts who’d been

banished from their packs, desperate and dangerous, with nothing left to lose. They wouldn’t hesitate to attack anything they perceived

as weak or vulnerable.

Like a four-year-old child who hadn’t even had his first shift yet.

he noticed the changing landscape outside his window.

Where are we

the main road onto a dirt track that led deeper into

Adrian’s confused whimpering from the back seat as

said, his voice trembling with the first hints of fear.

enough to make

no one would find him quickly, but not so deep that I’d get lost trying to find my way back out. I put the car in park and turned to face the child who was

unbuckling my seatbelt. “Out you

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my daddy?” Adrian asked, his eyes darting around the empty clearing. “You said he was

the car and

time to meet you.”

seat. “I don’t see anyone. And Mommy

alone.”

be alone,” I said, my patience finally reaching its breaking

to find his father won out over his caution. He unbuckled himself and climbed

reaching automatically for mine.

him to the edge of the forest, where the trees grew thick enough to block out

decomposing leaves and something else-something wild and predatory that made

uneasily in my

staring into the shadowy depths between the trees.

said, crouching down to his level and speaking in the

waiting for

forest, far enough that he wouldn’t be visible from the clearing but not so far that I’d have

reached a small cluster of fallen logs, I

forest where the shadows grew thickest. “I think I see

those trees?”

warring on his small face.

insisted, already backing away from him. “He’s

flickering in those distinctive blue eyes. “Don’t leave me! I

floor as I hurried back toward the

me, then to his imaginary father, his voice growing smaller and more frightened with

I can’t

time I reached my car, Adrian’s voice had faded to a distant cry echoing

drowning out whatever final pleas he might have

I reached the main road, Elizabeth’s name flashing on

you have her locked up somewhere,” I said without preamble. “Because I just finished handling my end of