Bound By Alpha's Blood

Chapter 2

RILEY

Inside was an expansive, high-ceilinged boardroom bathed in natural sunlight from floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the mountain forest.

At the center sat a massive conference table surrounded by nearly two dozen towering, broad-shouldered men. They looked less like corporate executives and more like hardened soldiers, radiating an oppressive, suffocating energy that made the air heavy to breathe.

Every single head snapped toward the door.

“Who the hell are you?” a broad-shouldered man near the head of the table demanded, his voice dangerously low as his eyes flashed amber.

Sophia stood up from her seat near the side wall, her face pale with rage. “Lisa, get this human out of here right now—"

“I’m here to speak with Killian Bryce,” I shouted hurriedly. “Where is he?”

The room fell silent. All eyes turned toward the man seated at the end of the table, whose wide-backed chair was facing the opposite direction.

When the chair slowly spun around, my breath hitched.

Even after five long years, I recognized him immediately.

He was just as breathtakingly handsome as I’d remembered—more so, if that was even possible.

All sharp angles—high cheekbones, a jaw that could cut glass, and a straight, noble nose. Broad shoulders tapered into a lean, powerful frame.

His hair was the exact shade of snowy white as Dominic’s, artfully disheveled and shaggy in a way that should have looked out of place in a corporate setting, but only made him look ridiculously magnetic.

But above all, it was his eyes.

They were a striking, startling emerald green—framed by thick, silvery lashes. As my gaze locked with his, the rest of the world faded into white noise.

My heart skipped a beat.

A low whistle shattered the fragile silence.

“Well, well, well. Who is this lovely lady?” the handsome man seated next to Killian asked, leaning back with an amused tilt of his head.

When Killian didn’t answer, the man pressed on, his tone smooth and patronizing. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

I swallowed past the lump of shame in my throat, forcing myself to ignore the way he looked at me—like I was just another mistress showing up at the wrong time.

“My name is Riley Clarkson,” I said, keeping my chin up.

A flash of recognition flickered in Killian’s green eyes, but he schooled his features into a neutral mask so quickly I almost missed it.

The man beside him smirked, glancing between us. “Must have been some night if she’s hunting you down at work. You sly dog—”

“Shut up, Dale,” Sophia hissed, her eyes darting nervously toward the doors. She turned her glare onto the receptionist, who was practically sweating. “And what are you waiting for, Lisa? Get her out of here—”

“Sophia, let her speak,” Killian commanded. His tone was smooth, detached, and absolute.

His dark emerald gaze pinned me to the spot. “What do you want to talk to me about?”

The entire room stared at me expectantly. I felt like prey surrounded by a pack of ruthless predators.

“Could we speak in private?” I asked, my voice barely holding steady.

Killian shook his head with cool indifference. “I don’t have time for that,” he replied, crossing his massive arms over his chest. “As you can see, we’re in the middle of something. Speak here or not at all. Your choice.”

A few snickers bounced off the mahogany walls. I squeezed my hands into fists and straightened my spine.

“Clearly, you don’t remember me,” I began, heat crawling up my neck as every pair of eyes bored into me. “Five years ago, we met at the Black Stallion pub—”

Dale whistled again, thoroughly entertained.

Killian shot him a lethal glare, making the man instantly shut his mouth. Then he turned back to me, a deep crease forming between his silvery brows.

“I don’t have time to reminisce,” Killian said, his voice dropping an octave, cold and dismissive. “If that’s all you came for, leave. Lisa, escort Miss Clarkson out.”

As the receptionist stepped forward, panic and white-hot anger flared inside me.

“No!” I blurted out, stepping right past Lisa and marching straight up to the head of the table.

“You’re right,” I snapped, my voice ringing clear across the silent room. “I shouldn’t have come here! This is the last place I wanted to be, and you’re the last person on earth I wanted to see. But this isn’t about me—it’s about our son!”

The entire room went dead silent.

It felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the space. Men sat frozen in their chairs, their eyes wide with quiet alarm. Nobody dared to breathe.

Then, the harsh screech of a leather chair scraping against the floor broke the stillness.

Killian stood up. He walked around the table toward me, his movements dangerously fluid and predatory. Towering over me, he completely invaded my personal space, his sheer physical presence overwhelming.

“Our son?” he asked, a mixture of shock and harsh disbelief lacing his deep voice.

I couldn't speak. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. I simply nodded.

“This has to be a joke,” he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. “We were together for one night. And you’re hu—”

He cut himself off mid-word, catching himself before continuing. “There’s no way.”

“It’s not a joke,” I choked out. “And I’m not lying.”

Killian stared into my eyes, a whirlwind of turbulent emotions warring across his sharp features.

“So... you were pregnant,” he said through gritted teeth. A muscle in his jaw flexed violently as he took another step forward. “Fuck... Why didn’t you tell me?! Why didn’t you contact me?!”

Intimidated by his sudden fury, I instinctively took a step back.

He was too fast. His large, calloused hands clamped around my shoulders, trapping me in place.

“D-does it matter now?” I stammered, wincing. “H-he’s—”

“Answer me, Riley!” Killian barked.

His grip tightened, and a gasp of pain escaped my lips.

“Calm down, Killian. You’re scaring her,” Dale interrupted, pushing his chair back to step between us.

“This is none of your f*****g business!” Killian growled, turning a lethal glare toward him. The deep, guttural tone of his voice sounded almost non-human. “Stand down.”

Dale opened his mouth to argue, but the overwhelming authority in Killian’s gaze made him freeze. Sparing me a brief, sympathetic look, Dale bowed his head.

“Yes, Alpha.”

Alpha. The strange title echoed in my mind again, but I was too overwhelmed by Killian’s crushing grip to process it.

“If you could track me down now, why couldn’t you find me then?!” Killian pressed, his green eyes burning into mine. “Why in the hell would you keep my child from me?! Do you think you had the right—”

“I don’t owe you anything!” I finally screamed back, shoving against his chest.

My voice trembled with five years of buried heartache, but I forced myself to hold his furious gaze.

“He’s my child! I chose to keep him, and I raised him alone for four years without asking you for a single cent! We were fine on our own! If he didn’t need you right now, I would have never come here!”

Killian’s lips drew into a tight, white line. A dark vein throbbed at his temple, and his hands trembled on my shoulders with an intensity that threatened to explode.

I prepared myself for him to blow up.

Instead, he closed his eyes, took a long, harsh breath, and released me. His heavy chest heaved as he forced his composure back into place.

“What do you mean he needs me now?” he asked, his voice low and tight.

I let my shoulders drop.

“He’s been diagnosed with acute leukemia,” I said, forcing the heavy words past my dry lips. “Blood cancer. He needs a bone marrow transplant.”

My throat tightened, and hot tears prickled behind my eyes, but I blinked hard to force them back. I refused to let these hostile strangers see me cry.

“The doctors said close relatives are the best chance for a match,” I continued, holding Killian’s gaze. “They told me to find his biological father to get tested.”

Silence descended on the boardroom once more. Nobody moved. Nobody made a sound.

Killian stood frozen, his eyes dark as he struggled to process the gravity of my words. When he finally spoke, his deep voice was rough and commanding.

“Where is he?”

“Bayview General Hospital,” I whispered.

He didn't hesitate for a second. He turned toward the room, his voice booming over his men.

“Meeting is over.” Then his dark green eyes locked back onto mine. “Take me to my son. Now.”