A Baby for the Ruthless Alpha

Valeria Romanez:   My father hates me, I'm sure of it but he doesn't show it. Maybe it is because I am his daughter too or maybe another reason could be that he is an alpha, so he needs to seem upright and just, but deep down, I know it––– he hates me.   I turned to the left to see my best friend, Karina, dragging my arm.   "Come on!!! Let's go" she said as pulled harder. She wanted us to try out a new club in town. I shook my head, no way!   Karina suddenly let go of my arm as she jumped in front of me. "If you come along with me, I promise, I'll give you a treat afterwards. I really will" she said with a big grin. I still shook my head. I wasn't going to let Karina convince me. My fear for my stepmother was slightly greater than my love for partying.   "But you're the alpha's child. Why are you so scared?!!!" She got a hold of my shoulder and shook it aggressively. "Come on!!! Let's go!!" She yelled.   I wanted to go to the party so badly with her but I couldn't go. Why? Because of that woman! My father's second mate, Kate Romanez. Kate hated me and I hated her too but I couldn't show it. I could not do anything about it either.   Karina snapped me out of my daydream. "You seem worried about your stepmother, is that it?" I tightened the corner of my lips into a smile, and I nodded. Karina knew me too well. She had been best friends with me since I was born. "I knew it!!!" She whispered to my ear as she leaned close to my face. I smiled with my eyes closed.   "Let's go to the club, I promise I will beg for her permission afterwards"   "What if she says no and gets upset, yelling that I should have told her?"   "I will beg for you," she said again.   "...and if she locks me outside the house?" I said with a raised eyebrow.   "I'll let you sleep in my place" I chuckled. Karina was an angel in werewolf form.   With that, she gave me an embrace. Her big body holding tightly to my tiny frame, I, looked helpless as I shrunk into her hug. "I love you," she whispered to me.   "I love you too," I said back. I peeled myself off her. "Alright, let's go!" I said as I grabbed my coat and shoes to wear. Karina shifted from me too as she sat on my dressing table. I watched her fix her makeup and come over to fix mine.   "Open wide," she said with a funny voice. "Why?" My voice became deeper. "So we could look good together. I wouldn't want you to look ugly while I look beautiful"   I giggled and did as she asked. Karina simmered some lipstick on my lips and asked me to kiss them. In a few seconds, we were out of the door, sneaking past the hallway, down on her fingers and knees.   We got to the front door entrance when I sensed my stepmother nearby. I turned to Karina and asked her to wait. She tried to ask why and I hushed her. "I can sense her nearby"   I quickly hid us behind the curtain as Karina and I watched Kate walk past us. She held her nose high up in the air and her arms crossed, on top of her waist. The same pose my father loved about her.   That was her signature pose. Whether walking, sitting or working, Kate always had her hands on top of her waist.   "Coast is clear" Karina dragged my arm  Together, we lunged at the door, jumping outside the house. We both landed on the floor, laughing with teary eyes. It was a funny moment.. "Let's go," I quickly recovered and stood up to help my friend, "... Before that woman notices I am gone"     ******   We got into the club and I was totally blown away. It was different from every other thing I had seen while Karina took me clubbing.   From the entrance of the club to the guards and ambience inside, my jaw continuously dropped and contracted again.   "What is this place?" I asked Karina in awe. Karina winked at me. "It's Party Banes Club. I heard about it yesterday and wanted us to come immediately. Do you like it?"   I nodded my head, lifting them to gaze at the ceiling. It was wonderful. The club lights that looked rather colourful and energetic were reflecting on the mirrored ceiling aesthetic, the chandelier hung low but looked majestic and to one side of the club, we saw its signboard.   Suddenly, my friend tapped me. "Let's go sit over there," she said as I leaned in to hear what she had to say. I agree, following behind her as she grabbed us a stool and bent to talk to the bartender. "We want your coolest drink!" Her voice overpowered everyone else.   Karina was the strong friend while I was the weak one. I wasn't weak. I like to think I was 'delicate', that was the term she gave me. Karina did all the fighting and standing up for me while I did the thinking for both of us. Perfect couple.   The bartender brought the small glass to our table. Karina took one, handed the other to me and we clinked glasses. "Cheers to us!!" I nodded and we drank.   Karina asked the bartender to refill our glasses but I shook my head. "Something wrong?" She asked, concern on her face. I shook my head as I bent to remind her that I needed to go home in one piece.   "Nonsense!!!" She yelled. "Take another shot. I will defend you from that witch" She made me laugh out loud with the way she pouted her lips after she said the word 'witch" "Alright then, let him refill our glasses" Karina smiled at me and requested again.   Glasses were brought to us more than three times if I am not mistaken and at the end of the night, I was drunk. I could tell what was before me but I couldn't tell why. Karina passed out.   "Karina!!!" I yelled at her as I started to shake her body. Karina wasn't responsive. For a second, I got scared but then, I leaned in to check her pulse and saw that she was just sleeping.   When I was sure my best friend was fine, I sighed in relief as I leaned into the chair. I thought of my life and what was going on back home. I was feeling a little sad all of a sudden.   My father had taken another wife a few years back and he had stopped showing much concern for me like before. One day, I heard him curse at me when I told him his Luna and mate, Kate Romanez, was treating me terribly.   I could never forget that day. The night my father grabbed me by the collar and told me to never talk about his mate again. "I blame you for this!!" He yelled in my ear, "You killed your mother during childbirth and that was why I took another mate. If you hadn't killed her, we wouldn't be in this position so stop complaining!!" He yelled again.   I cried when he left as I watched my stepmother stick out her tongue and smile at me. Witch!!!   "Hello" someone whispered to my ears. His breath on my shoulder brought me back to my reality. I wasn't that little girl my father could scream at again, I was a twenty-year-old in a club.   "I've been watching you for a while and I was wondering if you would like to have a drink with me," he said, pulling back a little for me to see his face.   Damn. I was drunk but I could see his handsome face. "So what do you say?" His deep manly voice tickled my fancy. I cleared my throat to speak when I felt Karina raise her head. "Yes!! Yes, she would!!" Karina winked at me.     "Noo.. no.. no" I tried to protest but Karina pulled my shoulder and whispered to my ears, "Don't worry about it. Go have fun!" I swallowed hard and looked at the stranger.   He smiled at me. "Okay! One more drink"