Alpha Saga: How I Met Your Daddy

Chapter 4

OLIVER

“Sorry,” I breathed, barely stopping myself from walking straight into someone at the café.

Ever since that conversation with April, my head had been a mess. Thoughts slipped through my fingers no matter how hard I tried to grab onto them. That night with April now felt less like coincidence and more like inevitability, like something the universe had quietly lined up long before either of us showed up for it.

God. The look on Rachel’s face when I told her last night.

Priceless.

Disbelief first. Then shock. Then that slow, calculating stare she always got when she was piecing something together.

“Daddy,” I whispered to myself, the word slipping out before I could stop it. My lips curved into a grin I couldn’t suppress.

The thought of a little angel looking up at me and calling me that sent a rush through my chest, warm and dizzying. I felt suspended somewhere far above the ground, like my feet no longer belonged to the pavement beneath me. It was too much. Too exhilarating. Emotions crowded in on each other until I felt like I might actually burst.

I couldn’t lie. Since that night with April, she hadn’t left my thoughts for a single moment. How could she? That had been the luckiest night of my life. I remembered leaving her room afterward, standing in the hallway and wondering what kind of cosmic alignment had taken place to make my day that perfect. Because why else would she—someone who looked like the physical embodiment of every dream girl I had ever imagined—want to make love with me?

I ordered two cups of coffee and glanced at my watch as I waited for Rachel. She was on break at work. I had already booked my flight to the city April lived in, which meant this was probably our last real chance to talk things through in person.

Five minutes later, Rachel walked in. She still had latex gloves on, the faint scent of disinfectant clinging to her. She must have left earlier than she should have just to squeeze out a little more time.

“Coffee has gotten…”

She waved it off immediately. “Forget the coffee. Have you thought about how you’re going to tell her?”

Tilting my head, I pulled a face. “I don’t think there’s any point in overthinking it. There’s no easy way to say it, Rachel. No reason to torture myself trying to find one.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, really? So you’re just going to casually tell her that her child is a werewolf. My mistake. That’s totally not something worth stressing over.”

I inhaled slowly through my nose. “Okay. Fine. You’re right. But I honestly don’t know how she’s going to take it.”

She set her empty cup down. “Badly, I reckon ,” she said evenly. “But it needs to be done. The child’s abilities will surface soon. You’d rather she hears the truth before that happens.”

Whoa. The baby was a miracle.

At first, I had thought April was lying. It was common knowledge—werewolves couldn’t impregnate humans. Everyone knew that. But the moment she said the newborn sat up right after birth, I knew something unusual had occurred. Newborn werewolves could sit. Just like wolves, they learned to walk far earlier than humans.

“So,” Rachel said slowly, watching me, “you don’t actually like this April girl, do you?”

My brows knitted. “How did we even get here?”

“You told me it was a one-night thing,” she replied, rolling the empty cup between her palms, her thumb tracing the curve of the handle. “Anyway, that’s not the point. I’d come with you if I could, but I can’t leave the kids without preparation. Right now, your priority is figuring out how to tell her.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“And one more thing, Ollie.”

“What is it?”

She gestured as she spoke. “With all this happening, maybe you should reconsider taking up your role as, you know where I'm going with this.”

“Do you have to piss me off every single time?” I snapped, frowning like I was paid to. “What makes you think I’m giving that a second thought right now?”

Her lips pushed out slightly before she spoke, hands still moving in emphasis. “People say having kids makes people grow up.”

I turned away. “Grow up? And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what it means,” she said. “Real men know when to step up and do what’s necessary. Fancy hairstyles and over-the-top skincare routines shouldn’t be your biggest concerns. Being a Dad and a leader of your people…” She paused, then added quietly, “Your child is a werewolf. And whether you like it or not, that means her life is already in danger.”

I didn't respond.

She glanced at her phone. “I have to go. If I don’t make it back before you leave for the airport, call me before you board and after you land.”

With that, she stood and walked away, leaving me with nothing but my thoughts.

I wasn’t religious, but moments like this made it feel like there was some higher intelligence rolling dice behind the scenes. The odds of a werewolf impregnating a human were so small they barely deserved mentioning. In Moonclave history, we had learned that thousands of years ago, a handful of humans had given birth to werewolves. A handful. One occurrence every few centuries, if that.

What were the odds that April was one of them?

Unreal.

***** *****

I left the café and headed back to the apartment to prepare for my flight. The sun hung warm above me, its glow spreading across my skin. Then it hit me.

That feeling.

A sharp twist in my gut. My skin prickled. My heartbeat stuttered.

One of the perks of being an Alpha was instinct. Warnings came uninvited. Sometimes it was subtle, like right before tripping or cutting myself.

This wasn’t subtle. This was violent.

It felt like death had just brushed past my shoulder. Someone was trying to kill me.

But… how? What the hell? I was on a random street where no one even knew who I was.

No. I shook it off. Probably nothing.

Then the smell hit me. It was sharp, bitter, burning. Wolfbane. Nearly strong enough to knock the breath from my lungs. Someone was wearing it like cologne.

I wasn’t exactly an expert on human fragrances, but I was damn sure wolfbane wasn’t being sold over the counter.

My chest tightened. There was a hunter nearby.

And he had the advantage. He knew exactly who I was. I scanned the passing faces, calm on the outside, alert on the inside, but I couldn’t quite pick him out from the crowd. I kept walking, posture relaxed, eyes drifting like I was just another man enjoying the day.

Would a hunter really strike in public? Damn, I needed to call Rachel. What if she was in danger too?

Then it clicked.

I knew who it was. I stopped. Turned.

And our eyes met.