Bound By Alpha's Blood

RILEY

Five years ago, I discovered I was pregnant with a stranger's child.

It had been the only reckless one-night stand of my life, following a painful breakup. I had found out that the boyfriend I’d loved for a year was actually already married. Heartbroken and disillusioned, I went to a bar to drown my sorrows. In that dazed, emotionally turbulent state, I cast aside all caution and slept with a stranger.

When I woke up the next morning, he was gone, leaving behind only a business card with the name "Killian Bryce" printed on it.

Two weeks later, staring at the two distinct red lines on the pregnancy test, I couldn't believe it was happening.

I was a junior in college and an orphan with no one to turn to; I had no choice but to dial the number on the card.

A woman’s voice answered. "Hello? Who is this?"

I gripped the phone tightly, struggling to steady my trembling voice. "Hello... is this Killian's number? I need to speak with him about something important."

There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Who are you? What do you want with him?"

"I... I'm Riley. Could I speak to him directly? It's a private matter."

"A private matter?" the woman asked bluntly. "Oh—so you slept with him?"

Overwhelmed by a mix of shame and indignation, I froze.

"I don't care who you are," her tone sharpened, "or how you got this number. He isn't interested. Do you want money, or something else?"

"No, it's not like that... I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant?" The woman gave a cold laugh. "Do you expect me to believe that? If every girl who called claiming she’d slept with Killian and gotten pregnant were telling the truth, he’d have enough kids to field a football team by now."

"No, it's true—" I tried to explain, but she cut me off without mercy.

"Listen, whatever this is, just forget about it. Don't think sleeping with him changes anything." She muttered, "Another sl*t," under her breath before hanging up.

When I tried to call back, I found my number had been blocked.

***

"Miss, are you sure this is the right address?"

The taxi driver stared at me through the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed. "This... uh... doesn't look right."

I snapped out of my memories and looked out the window.

Without my realizing it, the cityscape had vanished. We had long since left the highway and were now driving deeper into the mountains, surrounded by dense, towering forest.

The driver slowed down and pointed to the dashboard screen.

"The GPS signal is completely gone. How could anyone possibly live or work out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Could you please keep driving?" I leaned forward, my voice tight with anxiety. "It should be somewhere around here."

"Miss, this is a waste of time," the driver said impatiently. "There's no way a major corporate office exists out in this valley."

"Fine, I'll walk the rest of the way." I quickly gathered my things and pulled cash from my bag. "Just pull over up ahead."

The driver sighed and pulled off onto the gravel shoulder. "If you insist. But be careful—there are wild animals out here, and there's zero signal if you get into trouble."

Despite his warning, I stepped out onto the damp dirt path leading into the forest. Having come this far, I couldn't turn back.

I hadn't come here on a romantic whim. Two days ago, my four-year-old son, Dominic, had suddenly collapsed with an unremitting fever.

"Ms. Clarkson, it's acute leukemia." Dr. Ward's words echoed in my head, sending a chill through my blood. "He may need a bone marrow transplant. His biological father is his best chance for a match. Without a donor... it's a matter of life and death."

So this morning—while my best friend Hannah watched Dominic at the hospital—I followed the address on that old business card.

Although I had sworn to raise Dominic alone, I was now completely out of options. I would do anything for my child—even swallow my pride and confront the man who had ignored me.

As I ventured deeper into the valley, the woods grew darker and unnaturally quiet.

Just as doubt began to creep in, I caught a glimpse of something through the canopy ahead.

A striking, modern compound appeared out of nowhere: a sleek structure featuring expansive glass walls, heavy stone accents, and a private courtyard filled with high-end luxury vehicles.

I smoothed my hair, adjusted my jacket, and stepped through the front entrance.

The lobby was pristine and silent.

Behind a marble reception desk sat a young woman beneath a metallic emblem reading "Bryce Corporation."

"How can I help you?" she asked, her eyes sweeping over my plain attire with immediate skepticism.

"Hi... I'm here to see someone," I said, forcing a polite tone.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but I'm looking for Killian Bryce."

At the mention of his name, the receptionist flinched, her posture instantly stiffening.

"I can't help you without an appointment."

"Please, it's urgent—"

"No appointment, no meeting," she cut me off firmly.

"I'm not leaving until I speak with him!"

The receptionist's face contorted into sudden hostility. "Are you giving me orders, human?" she demanded, her eyes flashing with a cold, predatory glint.

I froze, stepping back. The weird, biting venom in the word human sent a sudden chill down my spine—as if she was referring to a completely different species.

Before I could process her strange reaction, the sharp click of high heels echoed across the marble floor.

A striking woman with flowing auburn hair and flawless skin strode into the lobby, her cold hazel eyes fixing on me before turning to the front desk.

"Lisa, what's going on out here?" she demanded. "Didn't I tell you to keep quiet? Alpha is in the middle of an important council meeting."

Lisa cowered slightly. “Gamma Sophia, this woman is causing trouble. I told her to leave—”

Alpha? Gamma?

Alpha? Gamma? The strange titles made no sense to me, but as Sophia turned her attention back to my face, my heart plummeted.

I recognized that haughty, condescending tone instantly. It was the exact voice from the phone five years ago.

“How did you get this address?” Sophia demanded, lifting her chin.

My nails dug into my palms. “K-Killian gave it to me—”

She cursed under her breath. “I don’t know what you think he promised you, but you’re wasting your breath. He doesn’t have time to be harassed by some random conquest. Run back to wherever you came from. He’s not interested.”

Humiliation burned hot in my chest, but the memory of my son's pale face in that hospital bed burned hotter. Five years ago, I ran away. Today, I couldn't afford to be weak.

"Look, I'm not what you think I am," I said firmly, holding her gaze. "I have a serious matter to discuss with Killian, and I am not leaving."

Annoyance sharpened Sophia's features, and she scoffed.

“Fine. Wait here as long as you want, but I’m telling you, you won’t get a word from him.”

With that, she strode away, the sound of her heels gradually fading down the hall.

Left alone, Lisa ignored me completely and turned back to her computer. My body was still trembling from the confrontation, and I stepped toward the glass entrance doors to gather my thoughts.

Before I could even take a deep breath, my phone buzzed.

It was Hannah.

"Hannah?" I answered quickly. "Is everything okay?"

"Riles, it's Domi." Hannah's voice trembled over the weak connection. "His condition just took a turn for the worse. His fever spiked again, and the doctors are preparing him for emergency stabilization."

Cold horror washed over me. I gripped the phone so hard my knuckles turned white.

"Can I talk to him?" I choked out.

A moment later, Domi's faint, raspy voice came through the speaker.

"Mommy...? Where are you?"

Tears pricked my eyes, but I pressed my hand over my mouth to smother the sob. "I'm coming back very soon, baby. Mommy just has to finish something really important. Be brave for me, okay?"

"Okay..." he breathed weakly before the line rustled and Hannah took the phone back.

"Get back here as fast as you can, Riley," Hannah urged before hanging up.

I stared at the black screen of my phone, tears slipping down my cheeks. Every instinct told me to run back to the hospital, but if I left without finding Killian, I might be giving up my son's only chance.

I turned back toward the desk. Lisa was watching me with a smug, mocking smirk, clearly expecting me to give up and walk out like a defeated dog.

"Are you finally leaving now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her words dripped with so much condescension that my fear instantly turned into blinding, white-hot fury.

Without saying a word, I turned and marched straight past the desk, down the hall where Sophia had disappeared.

Lisa's eyes widened in shock. "Wait! What are you doing? You can't go back there!"

I ignored her completely, picking up my pace as my shoes squeaked against the polished marble floor.

Unmarked, heavy wooden doors lined both sides of the hallway. I had no idea which room held Killian, but I didn't care. I was going to open every single door until I found him.

"Stop! Have you lost your mind?" Lisa yelled, her footsteps racing behind me. "If you disrupt this meeting, he will literally tear you apart!"

At the end of the hall stood a set of grand mahogany double doors. Faint, deep voices echoed from within.

I didn't hesitate. I reached out and slammed both palms against the push bars.

Lisa gasped behind me in sheer terror.

"No, don't—!"

The doors swung open with a heavy thud, crashing against the interior walls.

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.<