A Broken Contract (Alpha's Secret Regret)

Sara POV

I couldn't see my father during lunch as planned, but I was so glad the day was finally over. We would talk as soon as He's done with this round of customers.

"Jeremy gave me too much work when we got back from the business meeting," I explained. "I feel like he suspects something."

My dad wasn't paying attention. His back stiffened at the same time as Nick's familiar scent and aura wafted by. My heart jerked. I didn't dare strain my neck to see the person in front of the truck. Instead, I settle Alex on the chair gently. My hands shook as I set his drawing beside him.

"Cake, mommy," Alex protested.

"Shh, hold on, sweetheart. Grandpa's will give it to you once you've had your..."

All thoughts and words died in my mouth as my gaze rested on Nick's. My dad stood frozen with the cup of ice tea in one hand.

"Seb," the customer called out impatiently. "My tea, please."

He seemed to regain himself and moved, handing the older woman her tea. Nick stood beside the customer, glaring at me.

"Mommeee," Alex screamed. I quickly covered my his mouth with shaky hands.

"Shh..." But there's no use.

Nick is an alpha. He would scent his flesh and blood from a mile away. The look in his eyes and the fact that he's standing here in front of my father's shop meant that he already has. But how did he know? We left them at the restaurant this afternoon. Did he have me followed? I refused to think that he gave me enough thought to do such a thing.

My dad gave the woman her change in coins, and Nick cut in front of the next customer.

""Excuse me-"

The look in his eyes shut the man up, who swallowed before adding,

"sir," under his breath. Then he stepped aside.

Nick redirected his gaze to me, straining his neck to look farther inside the truck. His eyes shone as they shifted from me to the little boy on the bench.

My dad stepped in front of us, blocking his view. "Why are you here?"

"You know exactly why I'm here, Sebastian!" he snapped.

Jake appeared in that moment. A tiny bruise at the corner of his lips.

"Come out here, Sara. You've got something that belongs to me," Nick called out in a voice that was unrecognizable.

My heart leapt to my throat as he said these words.

""Mommy, who's that?" Alex asked.

"Good question! Why don't you answer it, Sara," Nick called.

"Shh... baby, I'll explain later, okay," I said to my son.

My father meant to ignore Nick, so he signalled to the customer behind.

"What can I get you, Zeek?"

"Caserole and coffee with extra ice, please," he replied.

"Sara!" Anger and urgency ring in Nick's voice as he called out my name again.

It was not yet 6:30 PM but once my father was done with the young man Nick cut in front of, he waved the other two customers, signalling he was close for the day.

"I'm sorry, guys. Family emergency," he said. Then he turned to me.

"Listen to me, Sara. We'll ignore him till he goes away. This isn't his territory. He can't do anything," my father said.

"I could come snatch him out of there! Wanna see?" Nick called out.

The threat didn't sound empty, and my father knew this, too. This may not be his territory, but I was sure he had more influence here than we could ever dream of, even though we've been here for four years now. "Alex, baby, wait here for me, okay? Don't come out. I'll be right back."

My dad was about to protest when I turned to him. "You know he'll barge in if I don't go out. Let me go talk to him."

"I don't want you anywhere near-"

"Sara!" Nick's voice cut my dad off.

"It's okay, dad. I can handle this. It's between me and him." I squeezed his hand and started to leave.

As I climbed down from the truck, I watched the rage dissolve from Nick's eyes. What replaced it was a look I'd nearly forgotten. It sent a flash of the past into my mind as I recalled how he and I used to be. I look away from him and force the past out of my mind, bracing myself to talk to him.

He slipped both hands into his pocket, and I wonder if he's trying to restrain himself from strangling me.

"Why do you need to see me?" I asked calmly.

He frowned, but before he could reply, I added, "You made it clear that we won't have to run into each other after that meeting this morning. So what's this about?"

He gave a short, scary laugh and shook his head before saying,

"What's this? Are we playing a game? You know why I'm here, Sara!"

"No, I don't!" I shook my head.

"That child, Sara!"

"Please keep your voice down!" I whip my head around to check that Alex is still inside and hopefully out of earshot.

"You had a baby-"

"Yes, I did!" I cut him off. "I met someone and got pregnant. What, did you think I'll never meet anyone after your idiotic, broken contract?" I didn't know when the anger replaced my earlier fear.

"Are you seriously going to deny that he's mine? I'm alpha of the Forest Moon, Sweetness. Did you really think I wouldn't know my own from miles away?" His eyes hardened as his anger returned. "You're wrong about this, Mister alpha of the Forest Moon. He is NOT yours! And don't you EVER call me that again," I replied.

Then, taking a deep breath to steady my shaky, high-pitched voice, I added, "I'd like you to leave now. You've disrupted my father's business this evening."

And he's disrupting our lives right now. How dare he call me that pet name? After what he did to me? That was a name he used a few times when we were naked between the sheets.

Goddess, why had he shown up here and now? What kind of cruel fate was this? My father was right, we had to move. We had to run. Otherwise, he'd take my child.

Nick nodded as his jaw ticked. "You want difficult? Fine! Let's do difficult," he said.

My heart lurched. I thought he would force his way into the truck, but he simply stepped back to look at me again before speaking.

"That child is born of a divine bond. He's a true Reign. My heir. You're welcome to fight me for him, but you and I know you can't win, SWEETNESS! And now that I know he exists, there's no way in hell I'm leaving him in this dump with you and your father, you hear me!"