Chapter Ninety
Delanie POV
“How’d the meeting go?” I asked Ajax as he marched out of the Pack House.
“Shit.”
“Ouch.”
He took me into his meaty arms and kissed my forehead.
“They want the land and they’re stubborn about it.”
“There has to be something else they want.”
He nodded. “One of them wanted to marry Reign. Normally I would have let them, but she’s different lately.”
“How different will she be when she finds out her man got another woman pregnant?” I raised a brow.
“Come on Delanie, Oscar’s in a wheelchair he can’t— Oh fuck, who’s pregnant? Where did you hear this from?”
I chewed on my bottom lip.
“Uh…”
This better not be gossip, Delanie. If someone’s pregnant it means, there’s an heir to the Pack.”
“I know but it also means my friend’s sleeping with the married Alpha.”
Ajax chuckled. This wasn’t a very funny situation. “Babe, leave Shaina alone. Everyone’s slept with the married Alpha. If she’s pregnant good for her, right?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. What if she’s covering up a dead woman’s pregnancy?
My phone rang and stopped me from answering Ajax’s question.
I dug out my phone. Ainsley’s voice filled my ear before I could say anything.
“You guys need to get here quickly! Your Mom and Dad are fighting and I don’t know whose side to be on.”
“What?” I gasped. “What’s going on?”
“Your Dad’s adamant Alexandra’s an imposter and she doesn’t want him anywhere near Annika.” Ainsley lowered her voice. “Now I’m sure she’s obsessed with the baby.”
“We’re coming.” I killed the call and stuffed my phone in my bag.
Ajax and I drove quickly back to the house. Why would Harvey go back to the house? Maybe he had the evidence he needed to prove Alexandra wasn’t who she said she was. My heart was racing and my mind was everywhere.
Ainsley was outside rocking Annika in her arms. Annika was screaming her lungs out.
I burst out of the truck and took her in my arms. My parents arguing must have upset her but nothing I did soothed her. I put her in her Dad’s arms but that didn’t help either.
“She hasn’t stopped crying. I don’t know what to do,” Ainsley said.
“We should go to the hospital,” Ajax said.
“She doesn’t have a fever, though.” An idea popped into my mind. “Betty’s Aunt Cheryl!”
“How’s she going to help?” Ajax grumbled.
“She’s helped us once. Let’s go see her we don’t have options, Ajax.”
“What about them?” Ainsley pointed at the house.
I nibbled on my bottom lip. “Just let Harvey know where we are. We have to go.”
***
“Put her on the couch,” Cheryl said as soon as she opened the door.
I didn’t tell Betty we were coming.
“I know you would be here today,” Cheryl admitted.
Betty’s car wasn’t parked in front of the house and there wasn’t any sign of her in the house.
“What’s wrong with her?” Ajax asked, worry thick in his voice.
“There’s magic all over her. What have you two been up to since I last saw you?”
Ajax and I shared a look. Neither of us could think of anything out of the ordinary.
Cheryl muttered something under her breath and Annika’s cries grew softer. Her eyes drooped and she stopped kicking. My heart settled but my mind asked how long would this last. She yawned and drifted off to sleep. It was like she didn’t cry the entire drive here.
“Oh, sweet girl. Betty told me about the moon magic issue in your house. I feel it’s connected to your daughter.”
“Damn it!” Ajax spat.
“I don’t understand… how did this happen?”
“Are you telling me the plant monster in my house wants my daughter?” Ajax demanded.
“I think it’s just a sign for things to come, unfortunately,” Cheryl replied.
I rattled my brain for causes. My pregnancy had been fairly uneventful but before that a lot happened in our lives. The only eventful thing we did was free my Mom. My Mother practiced moon magic but could she be practicing in our house? It showed up when she arrived. Tears pooled in my eyes.
Ajax rubbed my shoulders. “Don’t cry. No one’s going to hurt Annika.”
“What if I did this? I brought Alexandra into our home.”
“Babe, you can’t be sure she did this.”
“Alexandra?” Cheryl asked.
I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. “She’s my Mother. She practised moon magic when she was younger. Now my Dad thinks she’s an imposter.”
Cheryl blew out a breath. “This is an unusual case and I would have to be in the house to know for sure but all signs point to this woman.”
Ajax pulled me into his protective arms and held me tightly. “You didn’t bring her into our home by yourself. I helped you remember?”
I nodded. “Doesn’t ease the guilt.”
“I don’t think the baby should return to the house until I assess the home. Betty’s out job hunting but I’ll call her so she can babysit. Just let me gather my things so we can leave!” Cheryl said as she rushed down the hall.
Alexandra’s obsessed with Annika. She won’t take it lightly that we left Annika behind.
“Don’t cry, babe. I hate it when you cry.”
I sniffled. “I feel awful and defenceless.”
“I’m here.”
“I know Ajax, but you can’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders!”
He chuckled. “Watch me.”
“You’re just one man.”
He took my cheeks in his palms and stroked them gently. “For you and Annika I’ll carry the world. I’ll do it for our other kids too.”
I laughed nervously. “Other children?”
“Yes… we’re going to have other babies. If Oscar’s on his first kid, we have to start working on our second one.”
My jaw dropped playfully and I swatted his arm. “This isn’t a competition between you and your brother.”
“I know but I like to have one up over him besides, Annika needs someone to play with.”
I giggled. “I’ll play with her.”
He tugged me close and caressed my hips. “And who’s going to play with me?”
“Good point. Maybe we should consider it.”
He leaned in and kissed me. “Everything’s going to be fine, mate. It just has to be.”
Ajax’s reassurance was everything I needed. When my mind was clear enough I wondered, if the woman at our house wasn’t my real Mother then where was the real Alexandra?