Draven’s POV
"Ella, are you home?" I asked as soon as that unbearable woman answered the phone. "I want to take you out."
I nearly went deaf from the shriek that erupted from Ella Howard. Of course, she was ecstatic about going out with me. With this opportunity presenting itself, I put my plan into motion. I was already at her door, intending to take her for a "walk" without specifying where—straight to the hospital. If she refused, I’d have my lawyer apply pressure, but she wouldn’t leave that hospital without completing those tests. The timing was perfect; Ryan had confirmed that Howard was at the pack’s social club, clearing my path to proceed without interference.
Before long, that insufferable woman emerged from her house practically skipping, wearing a white dress and pink boots. Moon goddess, how ridiculous. When she approached, I curtly told her to get in the car.
"Sweetieee, I’m sooo excited! Where are you taking me, tell me," she started in that grating voice that made Alaric growl with irritation.
"It’s a surprise. I just need to make a quick stop somewhere," I said."But there’s one condition."
"What is it?" she asked.
"Give me your phone. I don’t want anyone interrupting us, and I know your friends call nonstop." Keeping my tone calm took effort,I just wanted to get this over with.
"But sweetie, I get absolutely sick without my phone." Her pout was almost comical.
"If you don’t give me your phone, I’ll cancel our outing. I know we’ll be interrupted, and I want to spend time just with you." I gave her a pointed look that finally made her relent. She handed over her phone, which I immediately turned off and pocketed.
When we pulled into the hospital parking lot, suspicion flashed across her face.
"What are we doing here, sweetie?"
"I need to pick something up from a colleague. It won’t take long," I lied. "Come on, I want to introduce you to him. He’ll be our child’s godfather."
She practically jumped out of the car, letting out high-pitched squeals that made Alaric whine. At Dr. Molina’s office reception, my heart nearly stopped — Eleanor and Caroline were right there.
Ella didn’t waste a second, grabbing my arm possessively, while Caroline stared with clear disgust. She looked drained, her usually bright eyes dull with fatigue.
"Carrie, are you okay?" I asked.
"I’m fine, thanks! Let’s go, Elle," Caroline said sharply, her sadness barely hidden.
"Oh, sweetie, let’s meet your friend quickly—I’m already excited for our outing," Ella shot back without missing a chance to tease her.
"Honestly, Alpha," Eleanor muttered disapprovingly as she followed Caroline past us.
"Just a moment, Dr. Molina will see you soon," the secretary said kindly.
Not long after, Dr. Molina opened his office door and invited us in, being unusually polite to Ella. We exchanged greetings, and soon two nurses arrived.
"Shall we proceed with the tests?" Molina inquired.
"What tests? I’m not doing any tests!" Ella shrieked.
"Oh, sweetie, yes you are." I looked at her with a calculated smile."Look, my lawyer informed me it’s a requirement in my father’s will. The prenuptial agreement must include health examinations to ensure we’re both in good health."
"That’s nonsense, Draven, your father is dead!" Her voice rose sharply.
"Baby, I think it’s ridiculous too, but if I don’t comply, I lose everything—the money, the estate, the company. I’ll be ruined," I said with complete conviction. "So what’s the harm? It’s just a simple blood test."
"I’m pregnant, Draven! What kind of test?" She crossed her arms.
"Just a complete blood panel and STD screening for you. For me, besides those, he also required a drug test to ensure I wasn’t using substances. As you can see, it’s absurd, but I have no choice." She eyed me suspiciously.
"I don’t like this," she muttered.
"Want to speak with the lawyer?" I reached for my phone. She nodded, and I placed the call, asking the lawyer to explain the situation. He repeated essentially what I had said, but with legal terminology that lent legitimacy to the whole charade.
"So, baby, do this for me. I don’t want to end up broke," I said, trying to sound sweet but failing. Then, feeling inspired, I smiled sweetly. "And after that, we’ll tour my family’s packhouse. It’ll be our home with our little one. Sound good?"
"AAAAAAHH!" She started screaming and clapping like a child. "Honey, what made you finally wake up to reality?"
"That’s exactly it,I woke up to reality!" I replied, and in this, at least, I was entirely sincere.
"Well, can we begin then?" Dr. Molina, who had been observing our exchange with barely concealed amusement, asked.
"We can," Ella agreed, extending her arm.
All samples were collected, and I released a deep breath of relief. Alaric settled down, satisfied with our progress. Now I just needed to contain this situation. I would take her for a walk, pretend I’d forgotten the estate key, and reschedule for another day."Dr. Molina, thanks for fitting us in today. We’d be honored to have you as the godfather at our mating ceremony." I smiled, watching him play along smoothly.
"Alpha Draven, I’m honored to be considered for such an... unusual couple," Molina replied.
"That’s wonderful. Now let’s go, honey. Bye, godfather!" Ella waved enthusiastically, far too familiar.
In the car, she immediately started rambling about mind-linking her friends and mom to tell them she’d be living at my family estate. I told her to wait until after the outing. She needed to keep her excitement in check.
We pulled up to the estate gates, and I put on a show, pretending to search everywhere for the keys.
"Baby, I swear I grabbed the key, but I can’t find it. I’ll call Ryan to bring it."
"Oh yes, call him!" She practically bounced in her seat.
Right on cue, my phone rang. I put it on speaker.
"Draven speaking."
"Alpha, where are you? Get to your house now." Ryan’s voice was urgent, just like planned.
"I’m busy. What’s going on?" I asked, playing along.
"The Starlight Pack reps are here. They want a meeting with both of us."
"Can’t you handle it alone? I’m in the middle of something."
"No way, Alpha. This could be a territorial dispute. You need to come."
"Fine."
I hung up and turned to Ella, pretending to be frustrated.
"Baby, I have to go. This meeting could affect the whole pack’s safety. I’ll drop you home and we’ll reschedule the tour. Actually, this is better. You’ll have time to get the estate ready without any dust issues."
"That sucks! But if you have to..." she pouted.
"Hey, you already met our godfather and saw where we’ll live," I said like it was settled.
"I’m so happy, honey!" She started chatting again non-stop.
When I got to Ryan’s place, my head was pounding. My friends were there, and I immediately asked Nate, "Why were Caroline and Eleanor at your uncle’s office today? What’s wrong with Caroline?"
"No clue, but something’s off. Eleanor asked me to watch Liam because she was taking Carrie to the doctor. Carrie’s been feeling bad for days. I didn’t know they saw my uncle. When I got to the apartment, Carrie looked terrible," Nate said, worried.
"Did they say anything specific?" I pressed, feeling Alaric stir inside me.
"Just that Carrie needs peace and quiet. She can’t handle stress right now. But what’s weird is how she looked today. I’ve only seen her like that when..." Nate trailed off.
"When what, Nate?" I snapped, my Alpha tone slipping out.
"Nothing major. Carrie had some health issues before, and she hates hospitals," Nate said, but I sensed he wasn’t telling the full truth.
"I hope she’s okay," Ryan said. "But what about you, lover boy? Aren’t you gonna tell us about your date?" He teased, and soon everyone was giving me a hard time. At least it distracted me from worrying about Caroline.