PROTECTOR OF THE ALPHA'S CURSED HEIR

The nurse came in carrying a file which she held against her chest – her face warm and responsive.

"Miss Annie we have your results", she reported. Annie felt tension take hold of her but she put on a smile. "Please tell me it's not cancer," she begged.

"You're pregnant"

The nurse said, her words a sharp pain to the twenty-three-year-old Annie's heart. Annie's face went to confusion. "What do you mean I'm pregnant?. The nurse nodded gently. "You're about a month along."

"That's impossible" Annie cried out, very much at a loss. "I haven't been with a man in over a year and a half. Are you sure this is my result? She asked, her voice breaking. The nurse went over the file and checked the info again. "Yes, these are for you. Your HCG levels are what you'd see in the early stages of pregnancy. Here take a look" she said, passing the file to Annie. Before the nurse could hand it over, Annie snatched it from her and began to scan the pages. As her eyes went over the results, disbelief settled in that there was no mistake.

"But I swear I haven't had any sexual contact with anyone! How is this even possible? She protested, still trying to come to terms with the news. The nurse looked at her, taking in the weight of the moment. The nurse stood shocked but gave a sympathetic smile which said to Annie that she was just another in a long list of careless girls. "You're pregnant. The test results are definite.

Annie went to sit on the bed, bewildered. She suddenly felt a whisper inside her,

"Hi, mommy."

She jumped up, her eyes searching the room. "Did you hear that?"

The nurse looked surprised. "Hear what?"

"It sounded like a baby's voice."

"Miss Annie, please sit down. I'll fetch you some cold water to help you relax."

"Mommy, don't be scared." The baby inside Annie was speaking to her, and she felt like she was the only one who could hear it.

"Can't you hear it?" Annie pressed her trembling hand against her flat belly. Her heart raced as she took a step back, her eyes wide with realisation; she knew she had heard it clearly coming from within her. "The baby... It's talking to me."

"Annie, please sit down. You look really pale. I'll call the doctor to check on you," the nurse said, worried that Annie might be hallucinating.

"Mommy, they are coming. You have to protect me." This time the voice is clearer, sweeter, and smaller.

Annie staggered pressing her stomach, knocking over a tray of medical instruments.

"The voice...it's coming from my womb. I think the baby is talking to me." Annie is terrified.

The nurse became concerned. "What voice?" The nurse kept trying to calm her and talking to her but all Annie could hear was the voice of the baby calling out to her from within her.

Annie screamed.

Annie kept screaming. She ran outside like she had seen a ghost.

Lightning struck across the sky, followed by heavy downpour.

Annie stood in front of the hospital, completely soaked and confused about what was happening to her. She sat on the ground, confused like never before. The city was lively, people hurried in the rain with umbrellas while cars honked impatiently.

Suddenly, the rain stopped.

Not everywhere-only where she sat. Above her, a sleek black umbrella covering her from the rain, held by a man in an elegant black suit. Tall, broad-shouldered, with eyes that seemed to pierce right through her. He was Killian Zerok, a billionaire Alpha werewolf.

"Annie Morales, get into the car," he commanded, as a black SUV pulled up next to them.

Annie stared at him, an unsettling feeling creeping over her. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"I am the father of the child you're carrying," he replied.

Fear gripping in Annie's eyes, followed by disbelief. She laughed nervously "What is wrong with everyone today? I don't even know you,"

"You don't need to know who I am, you just need to survive. The fact that you're carrying my child makes you a target."

Staring at him, she felt paralysed, but managed to push the umbrella aside and stood up. "Stay away from me. I won't go anywhere with you," she said, taking a step back.

He felt offended, and for an instant, his eyes shined with an unnatural green light. "You have no idea what's growing inside you," he warned. He signalled to an SUV, from which two hefty looking men came out, dressed in black suits. They seized Annie by both wrists.

"Take her to the villa where she'll be safe... for now." With that, he turned and strode into the hospital, leaving her in shock.

"Let go of me," she argued as they carried her into the car.

Killian, at the hospital door, almost as if his eyes were about to shoot lasers. " There better be some reasonable explanations for this, or I'm going to kill him," he said to himself. He dashed through the hallway. His blood was boiling with rage. He reached doctor Owen" 's office, he didn't knock, he just burst the door open with his boot.

Doctor Owen, who was just doing some work on his laptop, barely even had time to look up before the Alpha grabbed him by the neck and pushed him against the wall. "What did you do?"

Fifty-five-year-old doctor Owen struggled for breath with the Alpha's hand tightened on his neck. "You.. you said you needed an heir. I had to do it."

"You risked a girl's life. You put her in danger. I never asked for any of this. You ignored my instructions." the Alpha growled and removed his hand from the doctor's neck.

The doctor fell backwards. "You said it yourself, you are cursed. No woman survives your seed but Miss Annie Morales did. All the other women died. No one from the point of conception has ever carried your seed for up to a week. Miss Morales is a month pregnant with your heir."

On hearing that, Alpha Killian pushed away every File, medical records on Doctor Owen's table and his laptop hit the floor and shattered.

He had always been powerful- too powerful for his own good. He was a monster whenever he shifted to his wolf form. His strength was unmatched. His name was whispered in packs. Enemies feared Him.

But with that kind of strength came hunger. There were nights he woke up soaking in blood that wasn't his, nights he couldn't remember what he had done. Only the screams of the people he hurt and some- he killed, remained in his head.

Seven years ago, at the age of twenty three, he went to a very powerful witch. Her name was Hannah. She told him she could remove the beast in him and make his power dormant forever so that no one would ever get hurt. No Alpha would ever agree to that but desperate for peace, he agreed and drank the potion she prepared unknowingly to him that the magic came at a higher cost. The witch hadn't subjugated his wolf power, she only moved it. She bound his power into his legacy. He would never father a child. Every woman that conceived his seed, died within one week.

He had spent seven years and resources looking for a cure - anything to remove Hannah's curse.

That's when he met doctor Owen who suggested IVF but so far two women have died trying to carry Alpha Killian's heir so he instructed doctor Owen to stop trying two years ago.

The doctor shouted, almost tearing up.

" I did this for you. After everything you've been through, you deserve to be a father."

Alpha looks like he's not really convinced. "Why did it work with her? How did you do it? Tell me everything." he demanded.

"she came in for a checkup because she kept fainting. She said she often blacked out and her temperature was too high." So I ran some tests." He paused watching the Alpha's eyes glaring at him. "But her blood wasn't normal. Her blood cells lit up under the scanner like it was reacting to energy. I almost thought the machines were going bad. I've never seen any kind of blood work like that."

Alpha Killian cuts in "so she's not human. Are you saying she is a witch?"

"NO, she's not a witch. Her DNA carries something else, more ancient. I don't know what she is but I know she is something special." he said, holding his throat where the Alpha's hand had just been.

"Does she know who she is?"

"Absolutely not! She is completely clueless. After her test results came out, I traced her family record and discovered that she is an orphan, raised by different foster parents and houses."

"How did you get her to do the IVF?"

Doctor Owen took a step back, for fear of what the Alpha might do once he answered that question. He cleared his throat. "Well, uhhmm during one of her fainting episodes, when she was sedated for observation I extracted a single ovum. The sedation kept her unaware. When she woke up, she believed she had just been through another medical routine. She doesn't know. I had the nurse call her in today to tell her about the pregnancy and that's when I called you too."

Alpha Killian growls in rage and disgust "You stole it?"

"I preserved your bloodline." Owen blurted out almost immediately.

"I used your sperm from the cryo bank you authorised two years ago and I merged them and her womb held it. I saved you" He moves closer to the Alpha "I did this for you."

"What you have done just might be the death of all of us. I smell war coming. The council will tear her apart if they find out about this. We don't know what she is. The one thing the council fears the most is the power they can't control. They'll see her as a threat and that puts her in danger."

"She is no threat at all," he argued back.

Alpha moved closer to the door almost as if he was leaving. "What if the reason she survived the implantation is because what lives inside of her is eager to destroy all of us?"

"But there is no hostility in her."

"Shut up Owen, you don't even know what she is. You have no idea of what you have done. She is carrying a hybrid and the council will sense the shift in bloodlines soon and they'll come for her.

You are a powerful Alpha, Your family is one of the most influential and highly connected werewolf conglomerates in America. You can protect her.

You have to protect her. Give me some time, and I'll definitely find out what she is.

Alpha turned and walked out on him. Slammed the door and stormed into the rain and made his way back to the villa.

The gate of the villa swung open before the Alpha's black SUV even stopped. He stepped out and signalled all his men to gather around him.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"Upstairs."

Alpha's right hand man and one of his loyal guards, Adam, answered the Alpha.

"I had the maid prepare the guest house for her but she is restless. She's been yelling, and she wants to leave."

"Double the security around the perimeters. No one leaves and no one comes in. You breathe wrong around that girl, I'll rip your throat." Alpha commanded and walked away"

"Yes Alpha." all his men responded and scattered to their various posts, only Adam followed behind the Alpha.

Annie was inside the room upstairs. She was pacing and banging on the door. Alpha could hear her scream as he walked up to her room. Adam unlocked the door and only the Alpha went in.

Annie's face was flushed with frustration, her hair loose and wild. And she looks way more fiesty than earlier at the hospital. For a minute Alpha thought she was breathtakingly beautiful but he shook it off.

"You! What do you want from me?" She pointed her finger at his face.

He shut the door behind him gently and leaned against it. "You are hiding something." He said.

Annie blinked "What? You kidnapped me! Now let me out of here."

"Don't play dumb with me" His voice became deeper and colder. "You came out of nowhere with a miraculous womb that can suddenly carry my heir. Tell me, what are you?

"Who the hell do you think you are? Annie snapped. I'm tired of listening to you talk crazy about an heir. Let me go now."

Alpha's brow lifted. No one has ever talked to him like that before. "You have no idea who you are talking to so I'll forgive you."

"Fuck you." she fired back at him "so you think because you have money and bodyguards everywhere that'll just fall on my knees to worship you?"

He hated being talked to like that but damn she had fire in her bones and she is feisty too.

He took a step closer "You are not afraid of me." and grabbed her neck-not choking her but holding. "Why are you not afraid of me? Did one of my enemies send you?"

Annie glared at him "You are just a man playing monster " let go of me."

He hates her courage but he is turned on by it. He was not used to being challenged but it thrilled him. He was drawn to her scent. He leaned close enough like he was going to sniff her. He stared at her and she stared back. She didn't move. He couldn't stop himself, in a heartbeat His mouth found hers, he kissed her and she froze. Lost in the moment for a second then realisation hit her. She pulled back and slapped him.

A heavy silence between them, Annie's breath was pulsing with rage and fear. She was expecting him to hit her back. Alpha smiled slightly, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve like the slap never happened.

"Doctor Owen said something interesting today."

Annie was thrown off by how easily he wasn't mad about the slap or hitting her. "What-what are you talking about?"

"Long story short- he stole your eggs, merged them with my sperm and he had IVF carried out on you during one of your medical check-ups and your womb held my seed without killing you."

"He did all that without my consent? That's insane. I should sue both of you." Annie is even more confused. "That's horrible."

Alpha smirks- that dangerous kind of smirk that's like saying he is in control. "Before that, you need to survive first. Some dangerous people will not let you have this baby. You are not human, I am a werewolf, that baby has my blood and the blood of whatever you are. So I ask again, what are you?

Annie laughed and stepped forward "You're insane. I am human okay? I don't have claws or fangs or whatever sick fantasy you are spinning in that Crazy head of yours."

Alpha tightened his jaw "You are not human, you are not a witch and you are obviously not a werewolf. I can feel it. Your scent is different. I am not letting you go until I figure out what to do with you." He turned to leave her room.

Annie pulled up behind him. "You have no right. I need to..."

She heard the baby's voice again from within her.

"He's right mummy. You are not human."

The baby's voice was faint and soft. Annie was shocked, clutching her belly "Did you hear that?

"Hear what?" Alpha hadn't spoken. He watched her with curiosity and then Stepped towards her.

Annie didn't answer. She held her belly with one hand, the other hand gripping the wall. The fear in her eyes was no longer directed at Him, it was inward, like she was trying to comprehend what was inside her.

He sensed the shift in her attitude. He took another step closer to her, his eyes narrowing, he held her wrist "What is it? What did you hear?"

"Don't touch me" Annie removed his hand.

"Mommy, you have to stay. He is the only one who can protect us. You have to trust the Alpha." Annie instinctively knew she was safe around him.

"Are you the Alpha?" She stared into his eyes.

He hesitated for a moment but said it calmly. "Yes, I'm the Alpha. You said you are human. How did you know that?" He watched her like she was a puzzle and a threat.

"It's the baby. The baby said You are Alpha and that I can trust you." Annie sobbed. "What is happening to me?"

Alpha's gaze softened in a way he's never allowed anyone to see "The baby spoke to you?"

Annie nodded slowly. "I think so. I also heard it back at the hospital. It was coming out of me and it wasn't my voice."

The Alpha exhaled. Of all the strange things he had seen in his life-shape-shifting beasts, wolf pack wars and witches' curses, this was different. He lowered his voice and looked into her eyes. "Listen to me Annie, this child is not ordinary. It's special in ways you may not understand right but if this child trusts me, you should trust me and do as I say. I'll never let any harm come to either of you."

They were both silent and looking deep into each other's eyes. Then he looked away, composing himself again, commanding like a man hiding the softness he had just revealed. "You will stay here. I'll ask the maids to give you food and a change of clothes. I'll leave the door open trusting that you will not try to run away with our mysterious baby. Feel free to have a tour of the villa if you want, as long as you don't cross the gate." He left the room.

The house was quiet in the morning, and Annie woke up to the smell of rain. She left her room, gazing through the hallway barefoot. The mansion was enormous and reeked of luxury. Her curiosity led her to a half-closed door –the Alpha's study.

She didn't really mean to look but she did.

The sight of what she saw shocked her.

She saw Alpha Killian standing behind a woman, her black leather pants undone, her legs spread apart and her back arced over the table. The table shook softly as Alpha stroked her from behind. His breath came in a rough burst against her neck and she moaned in a soft low tone. Her hair was loose from Alpha's tight grip.

Annie stepped back, heart pounding and mouth wide open. The Alpha's broad back was turned towards her. His shirt was discarded somewhere on the floor. She stared a second longer, long enough to notice the control in his movement, the strange quiet authority that made even sex look like power. She slowly walked away before she would be noticed.

Alpha, while he finished off on the woman, he held her for a calm moment and said her name.

"Onika."

He leaned back on his chair, half-dressed, sweat dripping down his chest. He watched her dress up.

Yes, Alpha " The room was silent except for the faint sound of Onika pulling her pants back on. Her body was full of scars– scars that held painful stories. They've had sex too many times. She didn't hide her body from him, She never did.

Alpha poured himself a glass of whisky "The baby inside her...it talks." he said quietly almost to himself.

"Talks?" Onika sat on the edge of the table, adjusted her leather jacket and tied her hair back. She is calm, poised and her movements are soldier-like.

Alpha definitely is not going to repeat himself. He sipped his whisky. "Tighten security around her. No one– no one goes an inch near her without your clearance."

"You are worried," she said with unwavering certainty.

Alpha looked away from her and fixed his gaze on the glass of whisky "I don't like it when you read me like that."

"You don't like that, I'm right. You've never had any weaknesses till now. She's your weakness " Onika stood up and backed away. "I'll see to the security, make sure she is safe."

"She's not just any kind of weakness, she is also a threat. I hate not knowing what's going on with her. Doctor Owen says her fucking blood is not human and he doesn't know what she is." he threw the glass cup of whisky on the wall and it shattered.

Onika didn't blink. There is no softness in her only loyalty. She stepped closer to him "You are the Alpha. You've faced worse. You've tamed monsters. Built an empire. You are in control. Whatever this is, you'll handle it. You always do.

Alpha looked at her and said calmly "You could have had a different life, you know.

"I did once." she said quietly " until your father destroyed my pack. I lost everything. You gave me a choice –revenge or purpose and I chose purpose."

He nodded "and you've never regretted it?"

"Regret is Luxury Alpha," she said, meeting his eyes. " You thought me better than that."

Years ago, Alpha Killian saved Onika from his father's wrath. When he rose to power she followed him, not as a lover, not as a slave but as his blade. When Alpha's curse began, and every woman who got pregnant with his child died, Onika took out her womb as an act of sexual service to the Alpha. She can never get pregnant or die from Alpha's cursed seed because she has no womb.

He didn't ask her to do it but she volunteered and since then, she had been his sex mate, his most loyal, most dangerous weapon. For two years, he had not been with any other woman sexually.

Alpha exhaled deeply "You've given too much for me Onika. "

"I owe you my life." she smiled faintly "You got this Alpha. "

Alpha stood up and looked through the window in a silent moment. "You know she saw us right?"

Onika nodded "Yes I caught her scent too. She's a strong one." She stepped closer to the door and then turned to the Alpha "I'll see to her security. You should rest."

Alpha watched her leave and continued to stare into the air.