Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley)

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four

I didn't know how to feel. While I had been venting about not being ready, a small part of me had already accepted the pregnancy-the challenges that came with it. For those few hours when I thought I was pregnant, I couldn't deny a strange fascination with the idea of a life growing inside of me. Her news should have brought relief, but strangely, it didn't.

It was midnight. I didn't know exactly how I had ended up at the door of our apartment. Letting out a sigh of resignation, I stepped inside. Maybe I did need to talk to Alexander.

I found him seated in the exact same position I had left him, but this time, a bottle

of liquor was in his hand. Even from here, I could smell the harsh smell of

wolfsbane. My eyes widened, and I rushed to him.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"Well, that would just mean one less person for anyone to worry about."

"Are you crazy? You are the Alpha king!"

He smirked; it was humorless. I had never seen him look so scary and at the same time so broken. "I didn't expect you to come back anytime soon."

"I didn't plan on coming back either."

This was the moment I told him everything-the truth about Aric and what he had done. The image of him, wounded and lying on the ground in the woods, flashed through my mind. Sympathy filled my chest. Despite everything he had done, despite the pain and betrayal he had put me through, I couldn't bring myself to say the words. I knew that in Alexander's state, he would kill him for what he did, and... I wanted him alive. Because, in spite of everything, he was still family.

"You are right." I said to Alexander; he didn't look at me, not once. "I am a liar. I lied because I was afraid. I betrayed you. I don't know how it happened-one thing led to the other, and then..." I let out a small sob.

Alexander reached out as if to hold me, but then he drew back. "I'm sorry I jeopardized the relationship we had. It all happened in the heat of the moment, and I will never stop regretting it," I said to him. I wished I could tell him the truth; maybe then he wouldn't stare at me with those disappointment-filled eyes.

"I should never have reacted the way I did, even if the child wasn't mine..."noveldrama

"Turns out there was no child to begin with... There was some sort of mix-up with the test results. Maybe it's all for the best, after all; I wasn't ready to raise a child; I wouldn't have been a good mother."

"I doubt that," he said, and his words surprised me. I had just admitted to him that

I had indeed cheated on him; even if that wasn't entirely true, I had expected him to be furious at me, but strangely, he was very calm.

He tilted my jaw so I stared into his eyes. His touch felt so electrifying.

"I Should have known." He muttered more to himself than to me; that didn't stop me from asking, "You should

have known what?"

"You didn't do it, did you? You are never one to fall into temptations; I was too mad at you to really think."

"No, I did it. I betrayed you."

"I should have done a better job at reading you; of course, that's why you said nothing, because there was nothing to be said. Why are you trying to protect him, Kaida?"

I couldn't speak, couldn't say anything; how had he figured it all out?

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Four

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"You do. Please don't lie to me; tell me everything that happened."

"Promise me you won't hurt him; promise me that if I tell you the truth, you won't make a move against him."

"I can't promise you that, if he did touch you against your will, I will kill him." Alexander said, his words sounded more like a promise. I knew that If I didn't tell him the truth, he would find out anyway, and so I told him everything, and just as I had expected, he was furious. But for the first time in what felt like a very long time- though it had only been days-his anger wasn't directed at me.

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five

ALEXANDER'S POV

How could I have missed it?

I always knew Kaida was different; she was not like other girls, and yet I doubted her. I had been the one wrong. She never did betray me.

For the past few days, I had avoided looking at her-her eyes had this power over me, and I wasn't ready to let her in again. But now, I noticed her-every part of her. I noticed she had lost weight. This was all my fault; I had jumped into conclusions too quickly.

"Don't hurt him." She pleaded, and once again, that surprised me; after what he had done to her, he deserved to pay. Why was she protecting him?

Because he would always remain family to her. Even after everything he had done, she was going to forgive him.

"If he doesn't suffer for what he's done, he may never understand the severity of his offense."

"I know he deserves to be punished; I mean, he's not exactly in the best state right now," she said. I couldn't help the small smile that formed on my lips-of course, she must have thrown in a few punches at him, and damn, was I proud of her. But the smile instantly disappeared when I remembered the pain-both physical and mental- that I had inflicted on her.

"I'll do this for you, but you will never be alone with him again; I will make sure of that."

"Thank you," she said, her shoulders sagging with relief.

I sent for some food; she looked starved, and seeing her like this filled me up with even more guilt.

The maid delivered the food, and Kaida dug in. Halfway through, she paused— then suddenly bolted for the bathroom. I followed, watching as she threw up into the toilet. I knelt beside her, running a soothing hand down her back. When she was done, she flushed and brushed her teeth.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"No," she said. "Earlier, Sarah thought these signs meant I was pregnant. She might have been wrong about that, but I need to know why this keeps happening."

This wasn't the first time it happened.

"How long have you been sick?"

"A few days." She answered.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were hardly around Alexander, and you were never in the mood to talk. I couldn't tell you."

That was true I had done my best to stay away from her. Still, no matter how hard

I tried to push her from my thoughts, she was always there.

"You didn't deserve the treatment I gave you, and you were right; I was being a hypocrite."

"Alexander, when I came here, you gave me a choice. You needed to be satisfied, and I wasn't willing to go through with it. At first, I made myself believe I didn't mind you being with other women, but the truth was, I did. Then I grew tired of pretending. You've stayed away from those women since then."

"When I felt the pain, the first thing I thought about was how I had subjected you to go through all that... I would

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Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Five

never forgive myself for doing that."

"Everything is all in the past now. I only ask one thing of you."

"Anything." I replied, and I meant it.

"Don't shut me out like that ever again. Please."

"Never." I said, pulling her closer, and placed a kiss on her lips.

I didn't deserve her, and I probably never will, but I would spend the rest of my

days trying my very best to make her happy.

I escorted her to the healers. Turns out the cause of her sickness was the remnant of the drug Aric had used on her still in her system. It took everything for

me to hold back my anger and not rip out my commander's head from his body, but he'd just messed with my girl, and I was waiting for one more slip, and that's all it would take.

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