A Broken Contract (Alpha's Secret Regret)

Nick's POV

I carried the child back upstairs, rocking him as he screamed for his mommy.

"She'll be back. I promise," I whispered soothingly again and again. Moments later, he started to relax. Soon, he was truly calm, and then I laid him gently on the bed.

Jake stood, watching. It felt like he was thinking really hard for the perfect excuse for his error. He was supposed to stay in the room with the kid till I called out his name. Once my son was calm, I motioned for us to leave. "What the fuck, Jake?" I said once we were outside the room.

"I heard you call out Alex, I swear. The kid heard it, too." He gave an innocent shrug. "You said I can let him come out once you call out his name."

Yeah the mistake was mine. I'd said the name before I should. Sara didn't leave the resort yet. I can feel it. Of course, she wouldn't. She'd remain downstairs till they let her back up or till I show up there.

I should do something about that quickly. I hadn't thought things through when I rushed to her house this morning.

Well, I hadn't been thinking straight since I laid eyes on her at that restaurant yesterday. My fingers unwittingly went to my lips. I recalled the fresh taste of jasmine tinged with Sara's denial when I kissed her moments ago. It's the sweetest thing I've tasted in a long, long time.

What the fuck was I thinking? I had no business kissing her. I lost control there.

"The paternity test results can't come out for another twenty-four hours, Nick. But... you just need that for records, right? It's not important?" Jake's voice shook me out of my thoughts.

I nodded before he adds, "I'm nearly done with what you asked me to prepare. You and I know a lot can happen in twenty-four hours, Nick. For one, she's not gonna leave the resort willingly and she could police or something. You need to stall her." "That's what I'm thinking," I lied.

There's only one way to prevent this from getting into any public eye. I turned around and returned to the child. He's not on the bed where I left him. He's now crouched by the corner instead.

My annoyance stirred. We were starting off on the wrong foot, me and him. I couldn't have him see me as the enemy. Maybe I shouldn't have made the move to collect him so soon.

"Get up, Alex. Come to me," I ordered.

"I want my mommy," he replied in a small voice.

"She'll be back, I told you. But not if you hide from me." It was wrong to threaten him, but that was all I have at the moment.

""Mommy said you're not her friend," the child remarked.

"That's because she's mad at me." At least, there was some truth in that statement.

"When is she coming back? Is granpa coming?" the boy asked.

It was a surprise that the older man hadn't come with her daughter to fight for his grandkid. No doubt, he was pulling strings in the background to bring people here. Thank Goddess, he's a nobody, whereas I have power and influence. I nodded at the child. "I think he will, yeah."

He still didn't move from beside the bed. This wasn't going well. A moment ago, he let me hold him. Now he's hiding? Well, I'm Sara's least favourite person, and the child knew it. That was the problem. Getting through to him would be tough. I went to where he's crouched and knelt in front of him.

"When can I go home?" he asked before I could speak.

I wanted to tell him that wherever I go would be his new home, but that's not a good idea. For now. It'll freak his tiny mind out. He would ask why, and I would have to say because "I'm your daddy."

Then he would probably say where have you been all my life. I exhaled to stop the silly dialogue in my head. That conversation would happen when it did.

Apart from being his dad, I am his alpha. He needs to start to understand that.

"Your mommy would be back, but you have to do as I say. First, they'll bring you some food and you'll eat it. What would you like?"

A brief knock interrupted our heart-to-heart, and Jake entered. "The police are on the phone."

I stood up abruptly, motioning for us to talk outside the room.

"I'll be right back," I told the kid.

Once the door was shut and I was sure the kid couldn't hear us, I started to speak.

"You should take care of the police. I'll speak to the mayor." I proceeded towards the room I used as an office. "Absolute discretion, Jake."

"Of course, alpha."

Within ten minutes, that problem was handled. The mayor was happy to be of help, and the police understood that this was a family matter. Then, I made my way downstairs to have a word with Sara.

As soon as she saw me coming, she ran towards me with puffy eyes, trying to evade the human security standing in her way. I gave him the signal to let her come through, and he stepped aside.

"You can't keep him here," she cried. "He needs me. He didn't even eat breakfast yet... and he's... scared and... confused."

She sniffed, tears racing down her already tears-drenched cheek.

"I think I'm capable of providing breakfast for my child, Sara," I said as several uncomfortable emotions rose inside me.

Seeing her like this sent an odd pang to my chest. The plea in her eyes did weird things to my heart. In all of the times I've known her, I never saw ker like this. Not even when we went our ё

separate ways four years ago Certainly not when she saw me kissing her best friend. We were

bound by the mate bond then.

"Try calling the police one more time! Maybe they'll come let you have your way this time," I mocked, hoping my own irritation would clear out the ache in my chest.

"I had to call 911. They wouldn't let me see you. I had to do something, that's why I called them," she cried. Is that an apology?

"You kept him from me for all these YEARS, Sara. It's only been what? Barely two hours, and you're already losing it? Imagine four years," I accused in a hushed tone. "You wanted nothing to do with me. With us," she countered.

"Oh, so now you admit he's my child now, huh?"

She sniffed again, biting down her bottom lip. It occurred to me that she really was determined to never utter the words I want to hear.

like she was determined to Just

child fatherless for as long as possible. The thought raised my anger.

"Do you admit it, Sara?" I asked.

that

"Please, let me go to him." She clasped both hands together, begging. "He needs me."

"You're right. He needs you. But he needs me, too. So here's what we'll do. I'll let you stay with him," I said.

Hope flared in her eyes as she waited for me to continue.

"You'll stay here... at my penthouse with OUR son. For now. Till his house is ready!"