Page 28 of Alpha's Secret Baby
But my earlier resolve to move on from Dylan and the mistakes that had happened over the past few days had me saying, “I have a boyfriend, Dylan.”
I thought of how I’d just committed to being with Carl fully and forced myself to be clear. “So whatever you think is going to happen between us isn’t, okay? I’ve told you that already. I’m sorry, Dylan, there isn’t anything more to say.”
And with that, I pushed back my chair and exited the coffee shop without looking back.
Chapter 19 Dylan
I left the coffee shop shortly after Cherry. Immediately, I pulled out my phone and called my Beta.
Bert’s upbeat voice was a welcome taste of home, and I felt calmer as I walked down the foreign street. “You seen Cherry yet?” he asked.
“I have,” I answered, awash with heady emotion. “She’s as beautiful as ever.”
“You know it was only two days ago since you saw her last, right?”
“Yes, but she’s majorly jetlagged and still easily the most beautiful woman in any room.”
My Beta laughed indulgently. “How have these compliments not won her round yet?”
“She has a boyfriend, Bert,” I growled out, grinding my teeth. The thought of Cherry with someone else set a furnace roaring through me. The beast within me snarled and threatened to stalk back to her apartment, then carry her off to where no one else but me could find her.
“Oh,” Bert responded. “Yeah, she mentioned there was someone.”
I was startled. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I kinda thought that Cherry having a daughter, who’s likely yours, was bigger news.”
Warmth ran through me at his words. Ihadseen Fern from a distance in the garden. She had dark brown eyes and hair like mine, and Cherry’s heart-shaped face and delicate build. Besides, it wasn’t just these outward signs and wishful thinking that had me feeling sure that Fern was mine. It was Nuu-Chah’s insight, that flash of the future I’d seen in which I’d already accurately seen Fern before I’d even seen her today.
“I can still demote you, you know?” I retorted to Bert half-heartedly.
“Idoremember Cherry saying that she wasn’t sure about her current suitor,” my Beta recalled.
“That’s more like it,” I said, my wolf rumbling happily at my Beta’s words. If Cherry hadn’t been sure about her and her suitor a few days ago, there was no reason for her to be surer now. If anything, she was likely less sure, given how wonderful the kiss with her after my Alpha Ceremony had been.
She was likely simply pushing me away because she was scared: of being treated and hurt by me as she had been in the past. Also, if Fern were my daughter, Cherry would fear that I’d force them to come to live with the Starsmoon Pack. I had to prove to her that she was wrong on both counts. I wanted what was best for her because Ilovedher. But I would earn her trust and prove to her that she was happiest at my side because I was her mate.
With my resolve hardened, I ordered Bert, “I need you to reach out to our preternatural contacts here in Berlin. Find out about who Cherry’s dating. Get everything you can on him.”
A few hours later, I parked myself in my hotel’s restaurant, enjoying a schnitzel for dinner. With meat this good, I was starting to see why my mate might like this city. I multi-tasked, scrolling through Berlin property listings within a mile radius of Cherry’s as I ate. My phone on the table vibrated, my Beta’s name popping up on the screen.
“Bert?” I answered.
“So, her suitor’s name is Carl Jacobs. He’s human, thirty-one years old, and lives in Wedding, in the Mitte District of Berlin. He’s a property lawyer and works for DLL Partners.”
A smile wound across my face. Cherry was dating a human. This was hardly competition for me. Another thought occurred to me as I stumbled across a great find on the property website.
“Bert?” I said, my mind whirring as I concocted plans. “I’m going to send you a property listing I’d like you to buy. And after you call to make the offer, I’d like you to call DLL Partners and ask for Mr. Jacobs to deal with the legalities of the sale.”
Bert chuckled. “You want a look at the competition.”
I huffed a laugh. “Can’t hurt to keep your enemies close. Tell the property broker I’d like to move in tomorrow. Money’s no issue.”
When my Beta rang off, I retired to my room with the happy probability that I’d only be sleeping in a hotel room for a night, and tomorrow night would find meverymuch closer to Cherry.
By lunchtime the next day, I found myself successfully installed in the beautiful townhouse opposite Cherry’s apartment. From a distance, Bert and other pack members have done a stellar job of managing the purchase and have even managed to furnish the kitchen, living room, and one of the bedrooms for my needs. Throughout the morning, too, a local witch from the Mitte district who had a good relationship with my pack and happened to be a designer arrived with a new wardrobe for me. And a food delivery turned up, too, so my kitchen and cupboards are fully stocked.
Properly moved in, I was left with enough time to nip to the shopping mall and spend the afternoon browsing for toys. Having no idea what would capture a girl of six’s interest, I put myself at the mercy of the sales assistant. She was soon walking me through the store’s best-selling items for that age group.