Oops… I Went Into Heat and My Alpha Daddies Claimed Me

KEISHA’S POV

My heart lurched into my throat and the bowl slipped from my hands onto the counter with a dull clatter as I stared at Vera’s boots, my attention fixed on the dark stain near the heel.

I stepped closer, my eyes searching her from head to toe for any sign of an injury. "Vera... your boot."

Both she and Nadia looked down instinctively. "What about it?"

"There’s blood."

The smile on Vera’s face faded, replaced by a puzzled expression. She lifted one foot slightly, turning it enough to inspect the leather before letting out a quiet sigh of realization. "Oh, that." She spoke so casually that it only confused me further. "I nicked my leg earlier today while unloading one of my suitcases. It wasn’t anything serious, but it took a while before it stopped bleeding. I must have gotten some on my boot while I was cleaning the wound before I came inside."

I continued staring at the stain because my mind refused to move on. I looked up at her, checking to see if she was telling the truth and perhaps she noticed.

Perhaps my expression had already betrayed every suspicious thought running through my head.

Instead of becoming offended, Vera offered me a patient smile. "I promise you, Keisha, I’m perfectly fine. If you don’t believe me, I’ll change into another pair of shoes and show you the cut afterward. It’s barely more than a scratch."

Only then did I realise how intensely I had been staring and embarrassment crept into my cheeks. "I’m sorry," I admitted quietly. "I just... when I saw the blood..."

"You panicked." She let out a hoarse laugh.

I nodded.

"That’s understandable." There wasn’t a trace of annoyance in her voice. "If anything, it tells me you’ve become far too used to seeing terrible things."

Right. A few months ago, I would never have frozen at the sight of dried blood on someone’s shoe. Now my mind immediately thought of murder.

Vera gently patted my shoulder before excusing herself upstairs to change, insisting that she’d return in only a few minutes. The kitchen became quieter after she disappeared, leaving only Nadia and me to continue preparing the vegetables spread across the counter.

For several moments, neither of us spoke. I focused on slicing carrots into neat pieces, partly and Nadia was the first to break the silence. "Have you heard from Lyra since she got home?"

The question jerked me away from my thoughts almost instantly. "I spoke to her yesterday."

"How’s she doing?"

I smiled faintly. "Tired, mostly. She said reopening everything at the company has been overwhelming, but she’s settling in again. Apparently everyone kept piling work onto her desk the moment she walked through the door."

Nadia laughed softly. "That sounds about right."

"She complained about it for almost ten minutes before admitting she’d secretly missed working."

"I’m glad she’s there safely."

"So am I."

Although I missed having Lyra nearby, hearing that she had reached Coldridge safely and was slowly returning to her normal routine eased one of the many worries in my mind.

"So..." I glanced sideways at Nadia. "Have you decided whether you’re letting Vera organise your birthday?"

She pretended to think carefully before answering. "I don’t think I have much of a choice anymore."

"Not after she travelled all the way back." I nodded. "That would be weird."

"Exactly." A smile spread across her face. "I still can’t believe she kept it a secret."

"I don’t think your father even knew she’d come back."

"He probably didn’t." Her expression softened. "I wasn’t planning to celebrate this year."

"I know you didn’t. It’s a nice welcome from everything though."

"But..." She looked down at the vegetables she was chopping. "Maybe everyone could use one normal day."

I nodded quietly. Maybe we all could.

Before either of us could continue, Vera returned.

She had changed into a comfortable dress and a different pair of boots, her hair loosely tied behind her shoulders. She walked into the kitchen with the cheerful energy she’d arrived with. "There," she announced with exaggerated satisfaction. "Now nobody has to stare suspiciously at my feet."

Heat rushed into my face again. "I’m really sorry."

"Oh, stop apologising." She waved the matter away without a second thought. "If anything, your instincts are becoming sharper."

She moved toward the ingredients spread across the counter before suddenly clapping her hands together. "I’ve decided something."

Nadia looked up immediately. "Should I be worried?"

"Not at all." Vera smiled brightly. "This weekend, we’re all going dress shopping."

Nadia blinked. "All of us?"

"Of course." She looked between the two of us. "If we’re celebrating a birthday, everyone deserves something new to wear."

I couldn’t help smiling.

Finally. Something fun to do.

As they continued debating birthday ideas, Vera’s expression gradually became more thoughtful. "You know," she said quietly, "after the birthday... I’d like to visit Doctor Fenn’s graveyard too."

The room became tense almost immediately.

"She deserved better."

Neither Nadia nor I interrupted.

"She was a wonderful woman," Vera continued. "She cared for half this pack at one point or another. I think visiting her grave is the least we can do."

I slowly nodded. "I’d like that too."

The cooking resumed soon afterward.

With three pairs of hands working together, dinner came together much faster than expected. Becca returned after helping with Vera’s luggage and immediately took charge of arranging the serving dishes onto trays, muttering that she still didn’t trust anyone else to present food properly.

By the time everything reached the dining room, we were all satisfied with it.

Vera looked around with obvious satisfaction before removing her apron. "I’ll go find Callum." She disappeared upstairs before anyone could object.

Nadia and I settled into our usual seats while Becca made a few final adjustments to the cutlery and serving bowls.

Several minutes later, Callum entered alongside Vera.

He greeted us quietly before taking his seat, his gaze flickering to me for the beat of a second before he turned back to his food.

Did he want to talk to me about something?

Partway through the meal, footsteps approached from the hallway and Dane appeared in the doorway, already dressed in fresh clothes despite the doctor’s insistence that he continue resting.

He looked considerably healthier than he had that morning, and his gaze found mine almost immediately. "I’ve got the preliminary reports from yesterday’s operation," he said to Callum, holding a folder beneath one arm. "Picked it up."

"I’ll read them later, sit, " Callum replied.

Dane nodded and sank down into his seat, pulling a plate to himself.

The meal continued and I struggled to keep my gaze on the food. Because there was a low thrumming hum spreading through my body, and I had suddenly become more aware of Callum and Dane.

Not again.

Diane was already pacing about in my head. "Don’t you miss their hands...?"

Oh goddess, the thoughts that ran through my mind were downright sinful.

Now wasn’t the time to start reacting to them. But unfortunately, my hormones didn’t get the memo, and only one thought kept blaring in my head — I needed them both.