Page 31 of Fated Alpha Baby

I shift again carefully, balancing Hannah across my back while Simon does the same with Clarissa.

Then we run straight toward the Bitterroot Valley beneath the full moon, to the beginning of our new life together, where I swear to protect them both.

Chapter 8 - Hannah

My throat burns as I take a breath that fills my lungs with oxygen and makes it feel like I’ve been sleeping for a lifetime.

A hand goes to my throat as my eyes fly open, and that’s when I shoot upright, only to discover that I’m on a bed.

“It’s okay, Hannah. You’re fine. You’re safe,” comes Conan’s voice from the side. I turn to him, brows raised in awareness and shock as my memories come crashing back to me.

The warm sun on the back of my neck is a clear indicator that it’s daytime, which means I’ve missed a few hours after passing out last night, and missed the last stretch of the journey to the Bitterroot Valley.

I can smell where we are, the scent of the valley filling my lungs and burning my mind with the memories I had once buried. Gulping hard to swallow down those memories when I hear Conan’s footsteps nearing the bed, my natural defenses come up again, like thick steel doors that can keep him out, keep my heart locked away from ever being hurt by him again.

“Where’s Clarissa? Is my daughter safe?”

“Yes,” Conan breathes as he lingers at the foot of the bed, watching me intently as if he’s gathering valuable information. I hate how intense his dark eyes are—trained in combat, but darkly mysterious enough to carry a natural charm that might weaken my knees if I’m not careful.

“She’s fine,” he continues, wringing his hands in front of him as if he’s nervous. “She stayed up all night, waiting for you to wake up. But by breakfast time, she had pancakes and became sleepy. She’s asleep in the bedroom adjoining this one.”

He points to the door on the left, and I nod slowly.

“Pancakes?” I frown.

Conan chuckles nervously. “Yeah. I asked her what she wanted, so that’s what I prepared. There’s more in the kitchen if you’d like something to eat.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” I ask as I narrow my eyes at him suspiciously. “Why are you being so nice to both of us?”

“Well, considering you saved our asses last night, I owe you that much.” He sighs as he looks down. “Besides, you are my mate now, and—”

“Only for the sake of the alliance,” I huff, crossing my arms and tilting my chin in defiance. “You and I will not be mates in any other way.”

“We are fated mates, Hannah,” Conan argues as he lifts his head and meets my eyes again, confusion etched on his brow. “You can’t ignore that.”

“I can, and I will,” I retort with another huff. “Don’t pretend that you’re doing this because you actually want me here. Want us here.”

Conan’s frown deepens, and he inclines his head. “What is that supposed to mean? I took you as my mate in that ritual, Hannah. The moment I knew it was you I was searching for, there was no doubt what needed to be done.”

“And that’s the only reason you mated me. Because you need me to get your powers back. You need me to fulfill some destiny that will lead you to victory in this war. But there will never be anything more between us.”

“What do you expect me to say, huh?” he snaps, clenching his jaw. “You expect me to be glad that I found you? With a child, on top of that?”

“I don’t expect anything from you!” I spit back. “I wish you’d never found me. I wish you had never come looking for me!”

“Right!” Conan growls, his face contorted with frustration. “Because you moved on, and there was no place for me in your new life.”

“Now that’s gone down the drain, hasn’t it?” I scoff. “All because of the alliance, and this haughty act of yours that you’re better than everyone else! Well, I have news for you, Conan Becker! You may think you’re above everyone else, but I know who you are. You’re just a manipulative bastard who gets what he wants, and throws everyone under the bus if they’re useless to him!”

Panting when the words have left my mouth, I glare at Conan as he stands in front of me, eyes widened in shock, brows furrowed as if what I said left him dumbfounded.

He presses his lips into a firm line and turns slowly on his heel before marching toward the door.

“Whatever we retrieved from the wreckage is there,” he points to a corner where clothes are stuffed into black bags. “We torched the van before we came back. Can’t leave evidence for the humans.”

I don’t move until Conan leaves the bedroom without a second glance. He shuts the door behind him, and the moment he’s gone, I climb out of bed and head to the adjoining room.

My heartbeat only steadies when I see Clarissa sleeping on the single bed, clutching a corner of the mink blanket that covers her tiny frame. I fall to my knees beside the bed, letting out the tears I’d been holding back, the weight of everything hanging on my shoulders.