Who Will Be Alpha?

I slumped on the bed, feeling the life seep out of me as a cold dread gripped my spine. The hospital room was sterile and white, with machines beeping and wires attached to my body. I glared at the newborn in front of me with a mixture of fear and hatred. She was wrapped in a pink blanket, oblivious to the danger she was in. I constantly gritted my teeth and clipped off my nails with my hands, trying to ignore the pain and the blood. I felt nothing but confusion and resentment for the baby. I had just given birth, where was the motherly love I was supposed to feel for this child? I searched my heart time and time again but couldn’t find anything. Tears rolled down my cheeks as it dawned on me that I was in a deep mess. But it was a very beautiful baby girl. She had my eyes and had Zane’s jet black hair and his lips. The thought of Zane made my heart skip two beats because then I realized that he would be in the hospital in a couple of hours to see that I brought him a female child which he despised. “I failed him,” I muttered under my breath, more tears rolling down my cheeks. My mind drifted to the very moment that brought me in this mess in the first place. It was a year ago… “Mother! No!” I yelled in despair as the police officer roughly pushed my mother against the wall to handcuff her. “Ella. Take care of your dad, I’ll be fine,” she said and I wondered how she could be so relaxed even in that situation. “But mother! You didn’t do this!! Why are you taking the blame for that man?!” I thundered angrily as she gave me a pity look while the police officer dragged her out of the house. I knew she was covering for my stepdad, who had killed his brother in a fit of rage. She was sacrificing herself for him, and I hated her for it. I turned around and my eyes met with my stepdad’s. He was sitting on the couch, looking guilty and scared. He had blood on his shirt and a bruise on his face. It was obvious he had been drinking again. “You! You did this!!!! You put my mother in this situation!!” I thundered angrily, growling at him while he stepped back with guilt written all over his face. I wanted to hurt him, to make him pay for what he had done. But I was just a weak Omega. And even if I had tried, he would rip me to shreds. “Ella, it’s not what you think… Ella! Ella! Ella!” I jerked up once I felt a hand hit my shoulder. “Jesus! What was that for?!” I groaned looking at my stepdad who had just brought me back to reality. He had followed me to the hospital, and barged into my room. He looked angry and impatient, as if he had something important to say. “You want to tell me why you gave birth to a girl and not a boy?!” He asked angrily and I glared at him in disbelief. He had the nerve to ask me that, after what he had done? “Get out!” I snapped, clutching my newborn daughter to my chest. He scoffed and slammed the door behind him. “You know what will happen if Zane finds out the first child from his eleventh breeder is a girl!” He shouted, his eyes darting around the room as if looking for a way out. I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. “It’s not my fault he was cursed to birth just girls,” I shrugged, trying to sound calm. “Maybe he should stop impregnating random Omegas and find a mate.” “I thought you didn’t believe in that curse,” he said, narrowing his eyes at me. “Well…I didn’t but now I do!” I snapped, losing my patience. “How else do you explain the fact that he has fathered over a hundred girls and not a single boy?” “I told you taking this deal was stupid. You can’t fight a curse! And you promised him a male child,” he continued, his voice rising. I rolled my eyes and turned away from him. “William, they were going to kill mum by firing squad for what you did!!” I thundered pointing at him with rage and tears in my eyes. “I had to do what I had to do to keep her alive!” I continued, my voice cracking with emotion. He kept quiet and bit his lips, looking at my baby with a mix of pity and greed. I looked away, unable to bear the sight of his cold eyes on my daughter. “Okay fine. I have a plan,” he said and I shifted my gaze back to him, hoping for a miracle. “Which is?” “He doesn’t have to know you birthed a girl,” he said with a cocky smile, as if he had just solved all our problems. I shook my head vigorously knowing where he was driving at. “No no no no! I won’t agree,” I said and he shrugged, dismissing my protest. “You know how powerful Alpha Zane is around here and you know his desperation. He can rip you to shreds and order the killing of your mom at once! If you have a better plan then you better start talking!” He thundered in annoyance, making me flinch. His voice echoed in the sterile hospital room, where the only sounds were the beeping of the machines and the faint cries of the newborns. I kept mute, thinking. He was right. Zane was a ruthless alpha who always got what he wanted. He barely spared anyone who wronged him and he wouldn’t spare me too because he didn’t like me one bit. “What would you have me do William?” I asked, sighing. “Blond boy or red head,” he said and I lifted my brows in confusion. “What do you mean?” I asked. “I mean what do you want your baby to look like?” He asked, as if it was a trivial matter. “What does that have to do with anything?” I asked folding my hands across my chest, feeling defensive. “If we don’t have the boy, we can take the boy,” he said again with a wicked grin, revealing his plan. “No no William. You are asking me to steal another woman’s child!” I whispered angrily, feeling a wave of nausea and guilt. “You don’t have much of a choice here Ella. It’s either that or your mother dies,” he shrugged, as if it was a simple equation. “No! It’s either that or you don’t get your millions to run away with and avoid the police coming after the real killer which is you!” I shouted, exposing his true motive. He shifted his gaze back to the child, who was sleeping peacefully in a pink blanket. He reached out to touch her, but I slapped his hand away. “Don’t you dare touch her!” I snapped, holding her closer to my chest. “Okay you and I know it is as beneficial for me as it is for you. I can pay a nurse right now who will help with the switching,” he said, trying to sound persuasive. He pulled out his phone and showed me a picture of a blond baby boy, who had my deep ocean eyes and my blonde hair. “Look, he’s perfect. No one will suspect a thing. Just give me your girl and take this boy. It’s the only way out,” he said, pushing the phone to my face. I looked at the picture, then at my daughter, then at him. I felt a sting in my heart, but I had to do what I had to do. It was either that or death for both my child, my step dad, my mother and me.