Bound By Alpha's Blood

Chapter 9

RILEY

The charged electric air between us came to a screeching halt.

Killian froze, his jaw tightening into a hard, rigid line.

“Killian!” Sophia’s impatient voice echoed through the thick wood again, accompanied by a sharp knock. “I know you’re in there. I need to speak with you immediately. Let me in.”

Killian’s emerald eyes narrowed. He took a deliberate step back, releasing me from his magnetic aura before straightening his dark shirt and turning toward the suite door.

I sank back against the leather couch, taking a ragged breath. My heart was still hammering in my ribs, but the relief of having him out of my personal space was almost overwhelming.

That brief respite vanished the second the door swung open.

Sophia stepped inside with hurried, graceful authority. “Goddess above, what took you so long? My father said—”

She cut herself off mid-sentence, her hazel eyes locking onto me.

I sat up straighter, holding her gaze.

“What is she doing here?” Sophia asked, her mouth tightening into a thin, venomous line as she looked between Killian and me.

Before Killian could answer, I stood up from the couch.

“I should go,” I said firmly. I had zero desire to stand around and be caught in the middle of whatever aristocratic game they were playing. “I need to get back to Dominic.”

Killian turned his head, his dark green eyes studying me intensely. I could tell he wanted to say something, but as I brushed past him toward the hallway, he didn't reach out to stop me.

Sophia took a subtle step back, giving me a dismissive, disdainful glare before promptly slamming the grand door shut behind me.

I lingered in the carpeted corridor for a fraction of a second. I could hear Sophia’s sharp tone rising from inside the suite, but I didn't care to eavesdrop. Turning on my heel, I hurried down the hall toward the elevators, trying to ignore the way my hands were still shaking.

On the cab ride back to Bayview General, I pulled out my phone and dialed Hannah. It was right around her lunch break, and after the chaotic morning I’d had, I desperately needed to hear a grounded voice.

She picked up on the second ring.

“Hey,” she answered warmly. “I was literally just about to call you.”

A heavy, exhausted sigh slipped out of me before I could stop it.

“Remember our conversation yesterday about how exhausting men are?”

“Yes,” Hannah said, her tone instantly sharpening. “Let me guess. Killian?”

I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the car window, watching the city skyline blur past. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

“That bad?”

I let out a breathless, humorless laugh. “Maybe worse.”

Hannah stayed quiet, patiently giving me the space to vent.

“Dr. Ward called me into his office this morning...” I began.

I laid it all out for her—the diagnosis of Dominic’s atypical leukemia, the urgent recommendation to transfer him to a specialist, and my explosive confrontation with Killian in his hotel suite.

“So,” I concluded, my fingers tightening around my phone, “he went behind my back and pulled strings with Dr. Ward without even asking me first. And he saw absolutely nothing wrong with it.”

“s**t,” Hannah muttered softly. “Sounds like a typical wealthy, arrogant bastard.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, letting out a quiet huff.

“The absolute worst part is that I know the transfer he arranged is the best thing for Domi,” I confessed, the raw truth bleeding into my tone. “But... I don’t know if I can agree to it, Hannah.”

“What’s making you hesitate?” she asked gently.

“I don’t know if I can trust him,” I whispered, staring down at my trembling lap. “I’m terrified he’s going to use his power to take Domi away from me.”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and terrifying.

Was I furious with Killian? Absolutely. But beneath the anger was a bone-deep, paralyzing horror that he could snatch my son away and leave me with nothing.

“He has everything,” I continued in a hushed whisper. “Money, power, high-society connections. He can give Dominic a life I could never dream of offering. What if he decides I’m just an insignificant nobody who raised his heir until he showed up?”

My throat constricted, hot tears threatening to spill over. “I... I know it sounds pathetic.”

“It doesn’t sound pathetic at all, Riles,” Hannah said fiercely. “You’ve been Dominic’s whole entire world for four years. Of course you’re terrified of someone coming in and throwing a wrench into that.”

She took a short breath before continuing, her lawyerly logic cutting through my panic.

“But listen to me. If Killian Bryce wanted to steal custody, a man with his resources wouldn't be playing nice in the hospital background. He’d have slapped you with a court order before you even left Bayview General.”

She paused, letting the thought sink in.

“A rich asshole like him is used to snapping his fingers and getting results. It doesn't make what he did right, but it doesn't mean he’s trying to erase you. And besides... wasn't getting help for Domi the exact reason you looked for him in the first place?”

I closed my eyes, letting her words wash over me.

She was right.

This wasn't about my pride or my deep-seated fears. It was about saving my son's life.

Whether it was for a bone marrow match or getting access to top-tier specialists, Domi needed Killian. Killian had the means and the willingness to save him. If I let my anxiety stall this transfer, I was placing my own fear above my son's health.

I let out a slow, steady breath, my grip on the phone relaxing. “I hate that you’re always so annoyingly logical.”

Hannah chuckled softly. “I know. It’s a very inconvenient trait.”

A tiny, genuine smile touched my lips.

“And don't you dare forget,” Hannah added, her tone turning resolute, “your best friend is a lawyer. If Killian Bryce tries any shady legal maneuvers, I will fight him in court until my last breath. You aren't alone in this, Riles.”

“Thank you, Hannah,” I rasped, warmth blooming in my chest. “I love you.”

“Love you too. Now go take care of our boy.”

Back in Domi’s hospital room later that afternoon, I pulled up Dr. Raphael Douglas’s profile on my phone.

Part of my anxious brain had secretly feared Killian was sending us to some sketchy, under-the-table facility, but the medical credentials online were staggering. Dr. Douglas was a world-renowned specialist in rare blood disorders with degrees from top international institutions.

Scrolling through his bio, a high-resolution photo of the doctor popped up. He was a middle-aged man with sharp, warm eyes and a kind, striking face. Strangely, a faint sense of familiarity washed over me—like I’d seen his face somewhere years ago—but I couldn't place where.

When I clicked on the institute's location tab, I paused.

The Douglas Medical Center was situated deep in the lush, secluded valley just outside the city limits. It was right near the sprawling timber properties owned by the Bryce Estate, hidden away in a valley that had always seemed strangely empty whenever I drove past the highway.

Was the map pin incorrect?

“Mommy?” a soft, sleepy voice called from the hospital bed.

I set my phone on the tray table and leaned over Domi, running my fingers gently through his dark hair.

“Hey, sweet baby. You woke up.”

Domi rubbed his tired eyes and looked around the room. “Where’s Uncle Dale?”

I blinked, realizing Dale had slipped out the second I walked back into the room earlier. He’d muttered something about an urgent task from his boss before making a quick exit.

“I’m not sure, honey,” I murmured, kissing Domi's forehead. “He probably had some work stuff to take care of.”

Domi gave a small, disappointed nod, but his expression quickly brightened. “I like Dale. He brought me cool cars. And I like Killian, too!”

My hand stilled in his hair for a fraction of a second. I tried to keep my expression neutral. “You’ve only met him once, Domi.”

“Uh-uh,” Domi insisted, shaking his head. “Killian came back last night while Auntie Hannah and Uncle Dale were sleeping! He said he couldn't sleep 'cause he took a big nap during the day, just like me.”

My stomach churned slightly. Killian came back in the middle of the night?

“Is that so?” I asked, keeping my voice gentle.

“Yeah,” Domi whispered, tilting his head. “Do you not like him, Mommy?”

I sat up a little straighter. “Why would you ask that, baby?”

Domi scowled, scrunching up his tiny nose and furrowing his brows into a ridiculous, exaggerated frown. “Because you make this face whenever his name comes up!”

Despite the heaviness in my chest, a small laugh bubbled out of me, and I stroked his cheek.

“Killian is fine, sweetie,” I assured him softly. “Sometimes grownups just make funny faces when they have a lot on their mind. I’m really glad he came to visit you.”

Domi smiled happily, leaning his cheek into my warm hand. He soaked in the affection for a quiet moment before looking up at me with big, curious hazel eyes.

“Mommy?” he asked innocently.

“Yes, baby?”

“Why did Killian tell me not to call him Uncle Killian?” Domi tilted his head. “He said you’d tell me why.”