One Night Stand. I Didn't Know He Was Powerful Alpha

"I'm... Uh... Pregnant."

Theodore and Maria Winchester exchanged glances. Confusion colored their expressions.

"Honey, it's not April," Maria said softly. "You don't have to make jokes, and even if it were, they weren't funny at all."

Theodore cupped his wife's hands on the table. He had studied Noreen's face as she spoke and knew that what his only daughter had said had nothing to do with April Fool's Day.

"Noreen, are you serious?" Theodore asked, his voice trembling. "How long has it been?"

"Wait," Maria said nervously. "What, oh my God, Noreen? You're really... Pregnant?"

Noreen clenched the hem of her dress tightly, until her knuckles turned white. Her chest felt tight and her throat dry. She felt her eyes burning with the tears she was holding back.

Preparing herself to say this embarrassing thing was hard enough, but seeing her mother's face turn pale and her father's face contorted in pain was even worse.

Noreen nodded, and as expected, Maria burst into tears. She shook in Theodore's arms. Noreen lowered her head, and a single tear fell onto her skirt, followed by another.

She dug her nails into her thighs, trying to keep her sobs from becoming louder and louder. She couldn't collapse now. This was just the beginning.

"How... no, who is it?" Theodore asked in a low voice. "Do I know him?"

It was a question that haunted Noreen for nights after she learned that life was growing inside her womb.

Noreen shook her head. "I d-don't know h-him. It was... a one-night stand, w-when I went to the club, on Veronica and Thomas's wedding night."

Maria's sobs intensified, while Theodore sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"W-what?" Maria whispered. "Is that true?"

Noreen nodded and wiped her eyes and wet cheeks. "I'm sorry, Mom, Dad. I am really sorry. I never want to disappoint you. I realize my mistake, and I will take full responsibility. I hope you won't ask me to abort this baby. This baby is innocent. I will give birth and raise this baby."

Theodore could see the determination in Noreen's eyes. His only daughter had always been stubborn since she was little, but she was also resilient and hardworking.

Noreen stood up. "I...will pack my suitcase."

Maria released her hug from Theodore in surprise and stood, taking Noreen's hand.

"Wait! What do you mean you'll pack your suitcase?"

The corner of Noreen's eye twitched. Her mother's tear-stained face made her heart feel like it was being pinched by an invisible hand.

"I-I'll go," Noreen stammered, then lowered her head. "I don't want to burden you with any further embarrassment."

Maria turned to her husband, who remained motionless. "Theo? Really?"

Now, Theodore stood up too. "You're not going anywhere, Noreen. You're staying with us, giving birth to the baby, and raising it with us."

Noreen was stunned. "Dad? B-but..."

Noreen had prepared herself to choose keeping her baby over her parents. She would leave home and find a way to take responsibility for her own carelessness.

But what she heard from her father was completely out of her expectations.

Her parents were well-known in the St. Orvalle neighborhood. Her father was a university professor and her mother was a middle school teacher. Many respected and liked them. Noreen didn't want that to change that because of what was happening to her now.

"There's no arguing," Theodore said. "You're our only daughter, and the baby in your womb is our grandchild, so we'll take care of you and the baby."

This time, Noreen couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Maria pulled her into a hug and patted her back gently.

"We're sorry, honey. If only we hadn't forced you that night..." Maria said, her voice choked.

***

Five weeks ago

"Mom, are you seriously asking me to be that bitch's bridesmaid?" Noreen asked, her eyebrows raised. "What were you thinking, Mom?"

Maria sighed. "Noreen, even though Veronica was guilty, she's already had her punishment. Remember how long she was sick after Lisbeth beat her? Come on, Noreen, she's your cousin, after all."

"I don't want to think of her as a cousin, and I have nothing to lose by losing a cousin as lowly as that bitch," Noreen hissed sharply.

"Enough, Noreen, don't go too far!" Theodore snapped. "It's important to keep our family together, and your business with Thomas should be over. Now's the time to show your big heart. In three days, you'll be her bridesmaid down the aisle!"

Noreen stared at her parents, angry, disappointed, and confused. How could they force her to be a bridesmaid for Veronica and Thomas, the people who had destroyed her dreams, her trust, and her self-esteem?

She and Thomas had been dating for four years, shortly before they graduated from college. It was Noreen's first relationship, and she loved Thomas sincerely. She believed Thomas felt the same way about her.

How naive.

Shortly after graduation, Noreen landed a decent-paying job in real estate, while Thomas took over the family business.

They started talking about marriage, and Noreen was excited. With the help of her best friend, Lisbeth, she began searching for vendors to organize her dream wedding.

However, two days before Thomas's birthday, when Noreen came to Thomas's office to surprise him with a lunchbox from their favorite restaurant, she was shocked by what she saw.

Thomas and Veronica, her cousin, were making love on Thomas's desk, amidst the scattered stationery and documents.

Noreen nearly vomited at the scene for a full minute, hearing Veronika's seductive moans and Thomas's groans of pleasure, before she snapped back to reality and, with full consciousness, threw the packed lunchbox at Thomas's head.

Two days later, when Veronica and Thomas, accompanied by Veronica's parents, came to Noreen's house to apologize, Lisbeth arrived and beat the cheating couple to a pulp.

No one could resist. Lisbeth was a national Taekwondo champion, and if it hadn't been for Noreen's intervention, Veronica and Thomas would probably be disabled by now.

Veronica and Thomas should have been grateful that Noreen was still motivated to stop Lisbeth, even though they still had to be hospitalized for three days afterward.

The incident strained the relationship between Noreen's parents and Veronica's-their mothers were sisters-until then, seven months later, Aunt Merly announced that Veronica and Thomas were getting married and asked Noreen to be a bridesmaid as a sign of peace.

Noreen couldn't fathom how her parents could accept that as a sign of peace? Had they been bewitched to the point that their logic was completely broken?

"Big heart, my ass!" Noreen snapped angrily. "You wouldn't want me to embarrass you by throwing up in their faces, because that would be too disgusting, would you?"

"NOREEN!" Theodore snapped.

Noreen's eyes lit up and she turned and went into her room. When she came back out, she was carrying a backpack. She walked past Maria and Theodore, saying nothing and even turning deaf when they called out to her.

On the night of Veronica and Thomas's wedding, Noreen put on her best evening gown, her newly purchased perfume, and grabbed her purse, winking at Lisbeth, who was staring at her with a wide smile in the reflection of the full-length mirror.

"Let's party, girl. I guarantee tonight will be the best night of my life!"

Noreen's POV

Handsome. Extremely handsome.

That's what I was thinking as he approached and sat down in the chair next to me, then, in his deep, husky voice, ordered a drink from the bartender.

I think he sensed my gaze on him, because he turned his head, raising the glass of blue liquid in front of him. His eyebrows raised charmingly, and I think my heart skipped a beat.

"So beautiful."

I leaned closer to him, seeing his lips move, but the noise around me prevented me from hearing his voice.

"I can read your lip," I said.

I saw his brow furrow as I almost touched his high nose.

"Oh, you're even more handsome up close," I said honestly. "And you smell good."

He chuckled. "You're so beautiful. And sexy. And you smell... I've never smelled anything so good."

"It must be my new perfume," I said with a smile. I pulled my bottle out of my bag and handed it to him. "Here. Don't waste it. I've been saving up for this for a long time."

He took the bottle of perfume, unscrewed the cap, and sniffed it. His nose wrinkled, and he shook his head as he handed it back to me.

"What? Why? You said it smelled good," I said, confused. Damn, why did I feel so hot standing so close to this guy?

"It's not your perfume," he said. "It's your body odor."

Oh come on, I was already feeling uneasy after the third glass and Lisbeth was nowhere to be seen among the crowd swaying on the dance floor, but this guy was saying things that weren't clear.

I grabbed my bag and walked past him, stumbling and almost bumping into a chair when a strong hand grabbed my waist.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked. "You can't be alone like this."

"Oh, then you'll have to come with me," I said, putting on my best smile. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"I'll walk you," he said.

He led me into a room that looked like an office and directed me to a door.

"This is the bathroom," the man said. "Take your time. I'll wait here."

I emptied my bladder and felt a little relieved afterward. Then I washed my face and looked at myself in the mirror, chuckled self-deprecatingly, then exited the nice bathroom.

The handsome man sat on the couch and smiled as he watched me walk toward him. I plopped down next to him and exhaled sharply. The skin on my arm brushed against his, sending shivers down my spine.

"Life sucks," I muttered.

I turned my head and met his silver-blue eyes in the dim light of the room. Unconsciously, I reached out and stroked the thick eyebrows that framed those beautiful eyes.

"Your eyes are beautiful," I murmured. "Just like my Husky's."

The man took my hand and kissed it down my palm to the inside of my wrist. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and damn! My core was wet. Why did he look so delicious?

I guess the alcohol had washed away my shyness, because the next second I was straddling his lap, moaning into his hot mouth as his tongue tugged at mine in a wild dance.

His chest was so strong, and I could feel something large and hard pressing against my bottom. I squeezed his muscular chest through his shirt and shifted my bottom, feeling satisfied when I heard him growl into my mouth.

He unbuttoned my blouse, trailing kisses down my neck, and I guess he liked my neck because he seemed even more aroused when he nuzzled behind my ear.

"Ugh, how can you smell so good?" he murmured, kneading my breasts through my satin bra.

I moaned in pleasure as his fingers slipped under my bra and expertly played with my nipples.

I thought I knew what I had to do to repay him for the pleasure he was giving me. So I quickly unzipped his belt and zipper and grabbed his massive member beneath his underwear.

"Oh my God, you're so big," I murmured in amazement, kissing his broad shoulders as he continued to play with my neck. "I don't think he'll fit inside me."

He laughed and kissed my lips again. His hands moved from my breasts, lifting my skirt, and touching my panties.

"Want to prove it?" he whispered hoarsely. "You are so hot and wet. Maybe it will fit."

Uh, sexy, I thought, and without waiting, I stood up, so he could remove my underwear, then he pulled down his trousers and underwear. I was already throbbing intensely when I sat back down on his lap and he grabbed my nipple with his mouth.

"Aahhhn..." I moaned in my throat. "Hurry up, big man, you're making me thirsty!"

He laughed and his fingers rubbed me down there, making me gasp. "You're so impatient, baby."

I kissed his neck and as he entered me, I unconsciously bit his neck. He let out a long moan and, with my teeth still buried in his neck, he moved.

God, this must be heaven. I felt myself bobbing on a soft, fluffy cloud, scented like sweet caramel candy. I gripped his shoulders and moved with him, meeting each jolt that shattered my consciousness.

"Oh, baby, you're squeezing me so hard," he murmured, kissing my breast. "Very tight!"

"Aahhnnn... Harder, honey, ooh, I want you faster and deeper," I mumbled incoherently, struggling to handle the waves of pleasure that came with each thrust.

"Oh my god, baby, you're driving me crazy."

The more I moved, the harder he slammed into me, and I bounced higher and higher, until I felt like my stomach was going to split open. For a moment, in my ecstasy, I wondered if he was getting bigger inside me.

Then, a colorful firework exploded, sending me into a wave of pleasure unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It was so powerful and it wouldn't stop crashing into me.

He kissed my lips softly, stroking my hair, as I leaned against him, panting. I couldn't move, too weak from the overwhelming sensation.

This was the best sex I'd ever had in my life. Well, Thomas and I had slept together, but that was on one hand, less than ten times in our four years together, and he couldn't wait for me.

Thomas just kissed me, touched me carelessly, and entered me quickly, in and out even faster, and then it was over, before I even started to get aroused.

But I loved him enough to accept that kind of sex. I guess, at the time, I was just lying to myself, believing that sex wasn't everything in a relationship.

This man, who was now carefully laying me down on the sofa, straightened my dress, even put my underwear back on, and wiped the sweat from my forehead with a tissue,

made me realize that Thomas just gave me a completely uninteresting sexual experience.

He hugged me and kissed the tip of my nose, giving me a look that made me blush.

"I've never met a woman like you," he said, half-muttering, as his index finger traced my face from my forehead to behind my ear. "You... are amazing."

I smiled and smacked my lips, feeling thirsty. "I need a drink."

He nodded and kissed my lips, then got up and straightened his clothes. "I'll get you a drink. Take a nap while I wait. I won't be long."

Wow, he even took care of me after sex, which was another thing Thomas never did for me.

The bastard would just roll over and snore, leaving me to hug myself.

My phone rang just as I was about to close my eyes. I got up and grabbed my bag from the table. Lisbeth's name flashed on the screen.

"Hello," I said lazily.

"Noreen! Where are you? Come here, to the parking lot, if you want to go home with me, or you'll walk all the way to my house!" Lisbeth barked fiercely.

"Shit! I'm on my way! Wait for me!"

Wasting no time, I grabbed my shoes and ran out of the room. As I ran, I remembered that I didn't even know the name of that amazing man.

Damn!

Never mind.

I was more worried about Lisbeth's threat to leave me home with my legs feeling like they'd turned to jelly.

"It must have been the best sex ever, even if you forgot to use protection?" Lisbeth's eyebrows rose as high as her parents had hoped, but Noreen saw the smirk at the corners of her lips.

Noreen curled her lip. She had already berated herself all day yesterday for realizing her stupidity the night before, and now Lisbeth was going to tease her to death.

"Oh, come on, Lis, don't make me dig up your yard to bury myself. Now you better go to the pharmacy and buy me some morning-after pills," Noreen said weakly.

"Okay," Lisbeth said. "But I don't think you need to worry. It's not your fertile period, and you've also had sex with Thomas, sometimes without protection, but you've never gotten pregnant."

"Hmm, yeah," Noreen murmured. Somehow, she felt a little reassured. "You're right."

Noreen spent three days at Lisbeth's house, not taking a single call or returning any of her parents' messages.

They called Lisbeth and asked about Noreen's whereabouts, but Lisbeth casually said she was calming down, feeling depressed due to the lack of moral support from those closest to her. This answer managed to silence Noreen's parents.

After returning home on the fourth day, having to work and all her clothes and work files at home, Noreen's relationship with her parents became cold and distant.

Noreen couldn't shake the hurt feelings from what had happened earlier, while her parents also felt regretful afterward.

Furthermore, not long after their marriage, Victoria and Thomas bought a house just two blocks from the family home, so they inevitably crossed paths frequently. It seemed deliberate, and Noreen's parents began to realize the gravity of the situation.

Not only that, like good neighbors, even though their homes weren't that close, Veronica and Thomas always found an excuse to come over to Noreen's house, visiting and showing off their affection.

"My mom made an apple pie. She told us to share it here," Veronika once said. She held out her jam-stained index finger to Thomas, who affectionately licked it.

Noreen made a gag gesture at the sight. "I don't think I'm going to eat this apple pie. I'm afraid my stomach will rebel from the bacteria you put in the dough."

"Noreen," Maria reprimanded gently.

"What? It's true, just look at the way they act so disgustingly in front of other people," Noreen said defiantly.

"You're still mad at me," Veronica said, her eyes welling up. Thomas hugged her shoulders with fake sweetness.

Noreen grinned. "I can only be mad at humans, not at wild skunks who spread their stench everywhere. Ugh!"

Theodore and Maria could no longer stop Noreen from being mean to the couple and even to Merly, Veronica's mother, who, like her daughter, often tried to provoke them with her sarcastic words and behavior.

Instead of catering to their insanity, Noreen is now more focused on her work and isolating herself from her extended family, especially her mother's side, which is filled with toxic individuals who claim to be relatives and emphasize the importance of maintaining good family relationships despite problems.

"Well, Noreen, you did a great job again," said Daniel Wettish, Noreen's boss, after reviewing the dining room and kitchen set and furniture designs she submitted this morning. "These will definitely be approved by the client. After three projects that have achieved their targets, I'm sure your annual bonus will be the biggest this year."

Noreen was proud of herself.

After graduating from college with a degree in interior design, Noreen applied for a job at the largest real estate firm in the country, The Golden Moonlight Real Estate. It was every engineering graduate's dream company, and she was accepted because her test scores were excellent.

The company not only develops all things about real estate, such as houses, apartments, hotels, villas, and resorts, but also manages all design matters, from home furniture to electronic devices.

It's a full-stack business, and the company has grown significantly year after year. Now, as Noreen sits on the staff as a junior interior designer, the company has over 200 branches, including new ones in Ontario, London, and Melbourne.

"Daniel, if the client approves this, can I have your permission to supervise the work on-site?" Noreen asked sweetly, knowing how difficult it is to get Daniel to send his staff out into the field.

"Tsk, you're just looking for an excuse to get out of the office and play outside," Daniel chuckled. "Just for the finishing touches, okay?"

"Yes!" Noreen said cheerfully.

***

Noreen was supposed to be at the furniture factory this morning to supervise the finishing touches on the kitchen set she designed and the client approved two weeks ago.

But when she woke up this morning, her whole body ached as if someone had been beating her all night, her stomach cramping and her head aching.

Noreen went to the bathroom. She wanted to vomit, but her stomach was empty and there was nothing to vomit except saliva.

"Honey, your face is so pale," Maria said, surprised, as Noreen came into the kitchen and sat at the counter, massaging her head. "Are you sick?"

"I don't know," Noreen said quietly. "I think I'm just tired."

Maria's face showed concern. "You've been driving three hours to and from the factory all week, and of course you're exhausted."

Noreen sighed and took an apple from the fruit tray on the counter.

"You need to go to the hospital," Maria said, when there was no response from her daughter. "I'll take you."

"No need," Noreen replied quietly. "I'll call Lisbeth and have her take me to Dr. Mitha, her aunt who practices at St. Vincent Hospital."

Maria stared at Noreen's back as she exited the kitchen with an apple in her hand. Maria feeling distraught.

She shouldn't have listened to Merly's prodding that, as her only female cousin, Noreen should have been willing to be a bridesmaid at Veronica's wedding.

Even though Veronica had been having an affair with Thomas, Noreen's boyfriend, she hadn't done it on purpose, Merly had said. And as a family, they should have forgiven each other.

Now, because she was giving in to her sister's wishes instead of protecting her own daughter's feelings, Maria felt jealous of Lisbeth. She feels like lost her daughter.

"That's why Daniel doesn't like you going to the factory," Lisbeth said firmly, as they drove to St. Vincent's Hospital. "You're used to sitting in an air-conditioned room, with coffee and snacks readily available, thinking quietly and working with your hands on a computer, rather than being in a noisy, hot, and dusty factory area."

Noreen leaned limply against the car door, turning a deaf ear to Lisbeth's nagging. She had heard the same grumbling from Daniel when she stopped by the office briefly earlier, before calling Lisbeth, asking to take her to the hospital.

Doctor Mitha is married to Lisbeth's mother's cousin. She is a beautiful, soft-spoken middle-aged woman of Indian descent. She welcomed Noreen and Lisbeth into her comfortable office and, after chatting briefly with Lisbeth, asked Noreen to climb into the bed behind the curtain.

After almost 15 minutes, Noreen returned to the chair in front of Doctor Mitha's desk.

"Noreen, dear, you're fine," Doctor Mitha said. "All your vital signs are good. But from now on, you need to take better care of your condition and health. No alcohol. No vaping or smoking. Eat well and get enough rest, and most importantly, no stress."

"Ugh, if I'm fine, why has my body been feeling so strange all day, Doctor?" Noreen complained. "It's like someone is trying to rewire me."

Doctor Mitha smiled gently and wrote something on a piece of paper with hospital letterhead.

"Those are just normal symptoms, dear. Therefore, I will refer you for further treatment to my colleague, Doctor Lucia Vermint, an obstetrician and gynecologist. She will be practicing this afternoon, and I will make an appointment with her for you."

Lisbeth grabbed Noreen's arm, who was now as pale as a ghost.

"Auntie," Lisbeth said hoarsely. "You mean, Noreen...?"

Doctor Mitha nodded and smiled. "Congratulations, Noreen, you're two weeks pregnant and the fetus grows very healthy."