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

KEISHA’S POV

Nadia had barely finished thanking another group of guests before I reached her.

She turned at the sound of my footsteps, and before she could say a word, I cupped her face with both hands and planted a quick kiss on each of her cheeks. "Happy birthday," I said, smiling. "You only get one every year, so you don’t have permission to complain about everyone fussing over you today."

She laughed, the sound bright enough to draw the attention of a few nearby guests. "I wasn’t complaining."

The smile on her face hadn’t disappeared since we’d arrived, and seeing it made something inside me feel lighter.

"I have something for you." I reached into the small gift bag I’d been carrying all evening and handed it to her.

Her eyes widened immediately. "You actually bought me something?"

I rolled my eyes almost playfully. "Open it before you start asking questions."

She wasted no time.

The paper barely survived her excitement as she carefully pulled out the neatly wrapped box inside.

Nadia removed the ribbon first, then the wrapping paper and the second she lifted the lid, her entire face lit up. "No way..." She looked back at me in complete disbelief. "You remembered?"

"Of course I remembered."

Months ago, she’d spent nearly an hour talking about it after seeing one displayed in a boutique, insisting she’d never spend that much money on herself even though she’d secretly wanted it.

Apparently, she’d never forgotten that conversation. "You actually bought it." She gasped.

"I got tired of hearing you say you’d buy it ’one day.’"

Without warning, she threw both arms around me in a tight embrace. "I love it."

I laughed. "I know you do."

"No, seriously." She pulled back just enough to look at me. "I’ve wanted this forever."

A smile tugged at my lips. "I know you wanted it."

Her lips pulled down into a pout. "You weren’t supposed to remember."

"I remember more than you think."

Her eyes became suspiciously glossy. "I’m trying very hard not to cry on my own birthday."

I burst into derisive laughter. "I’d appreciate that."

She jabbed at my shoulder a bit. "You’re ruining the moment."

"I’m saving your makeup. That shit took a while, and I’m not keen on doing it again."

Before either of us could continue, my phone vibrated inside my purse and the screen lit up with a familiar name.

Lyra.

I answered immediately before turning the phone toward Nadia. "You’ve got another birthday wish."

Nadia grinned. "Lyra!"

"My favourite birthday girl." Lyra’s voice carried through the speaker, sounding much more relaxed than it had when she’d left Ashveil. "I wish I could’ve been there."

"We miss you already," Nadia admitted.

Lyra sighed. "I miss both of you too, but work refused to cooperate." She sighed dramatically before continuing. "Promise me you’ll actually enjoy yourselves tonight. I’d dance with you but distance is a thing, just have fun tonight."

"We’ll try," I said.

"No trying." Her tone became mockingly stern. "I’m giving direct orders."

Nadia laughed. "Yes, ma’am."

"Good." There was a brief pause before her voice softened. "Take care of each other."

"We always do." Lyra looked at me as she said that, a smile on her face.

Another call interrupted hers. "I’ve got someone waiting for me. Happy birthday again, Nadia."

"Thank you." Then the call ended.

For a few seconds, neither of us said anything.

It felt nice hearing Lyra’s voice.

"So..." Callum’s voice interrupted our thoughts. "I assume I’m not the only person allowed to give birthday presents."

We turned together as he approached with a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Nadia folded her arms dramatically. "I suppose that depends."

He smirked. "On what?"

She nodded to me. "Whether your gift is better than Keisha’s."

He looked between us both. "I wasn’t aware this had become a competition."

"Oh, it absolutely has." Nadia grinned.

He chuckled quietly. "In that case..." He looked toward the entrance. "You should probably come outside."

Nadia frowned. "My gift is outside?"

"It wouldn’t fit in here."

That single sentence was enough to make even curious guests start whispering.

"What did the Alpha buy?"

"Now I’m curious."

"Let’s go."

Within moments, a crowd had naturally formed behind us as everyone followed Callum toward the front entrance.

Rows of decorative lights illuminated the courtyard, and directly at the centre stood an object hidden beneath an enormous black cloth.

Nadia looked from the covered shape to Callum. "You’ve gone overboard."

He shrugged casually. "I haven’t."

"You definitely have." She turned back to it.

He nodded toward the attendants waiting nearby. "Go ahead."

They pulled the cloth away in one smooth motion and we saw a brand-new luxury car that gleamed beneath the lights.

For a second... the place went silent.

Then Nadia gasped. "Oh my God..."nShe stood completely frozen. Her eyes moved slowly across the polished bodywork before returning to Callum. "You didn’t."

"I did." He shrugged.

She stared at him another moment before practically launching herself into his arms.

She pulled away, laughing in disbelief. "This is insane."

He laughed a bit. "I figured you’d need something reliable."

"Reliable?" She pointed accusingly at the vehicle. "This isn’t reliable. This is showing off."

Callum shrugged. "I can live with that. You’re my daughter."

Dane folded his arms.n"Well..."nEveryone looked toward him.

Mn"I suddenly feel like my present isn’t very impressive."

Nadia raised an eyebrow. "You got me something?"

"I got you..." He paused dramatically. "...the knowledge that if anyone annoys you, threatens you, kidnaps you or generally decides to ruin your day, you have unlimited access to my protection services."

Several guests burst into laughter. "That’s your gift?" Nadia asked.

Dane nodded, looking serious. "It’s an excellent gift."

Her scowl deepened. "You bought me nothing."

Even Callum shook his head and the crowd laughed again.

Eventually everyone returned inside, the excitement following them back into the ballroom.

Not long afterward, Vera climbed onto the small stage erected near the musicians where she raised a crystal glass as the room gradually fell silent.

"I won’t keep everyone standing for long," she began warmly, smiling toward Nadia. "Watching this young woman grow up has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. She’s stubborn enough to argue with anyone, kind enough to forgive people who don’t deserve it, and somehow still manages to brighten every room she walks into. I hope the years ahead bring her more joy than sorrow, more victories than hardships, and people who never let her forget how deeply she’s loved." She lifted her glass higher. "To Nadia."

"To Nadia!" Hundreds of voices answered together and crystal glasses clinked throughout the ballroom.

Music resumed and within minutes, the enormous dining tables were opened, and the aroma of freshly prepared food spread across the hall.

One of the maids approached us with a polite bow. "Miss Keisha. Miss Nadia. Lady Vera asked me to escort you to your table."

She guided us toward a slightly raised corner of the ballroom. The table overlooked nearly the entire venue.. From there, we could see the dance floor, the musicians, the entrances and almost every guest moving through the celebration.

"Vera thinks of everything," Nadia murmured.

I nodded. "She probably chose this spot so she could keep an eye on you."

The food was excellent, but what I enjoyed most was the conversation.

Nadia leaned closer every few minutes to quietly point someone out to give me some juicy gossip about each person.

My shoulders relaxed and we continued to talk about random stuff.

When dinner ended, the lights dimmed slightly. A small stage at the front of the ballroom came alive as several performers entered wearing exaggerated costumes.

Vera had arranged a comedy performance. It didn’t take long to realize the actors were reenacting one of Nadia’s most embarrassing childhood memories.

The tiny actress playing a five-year-old Nadia stomped across the stage insisting she could tame a wolf twice her size before immediately running away screaming the moment it growled.

The resemblance was ridiculous.

"So that actually happened?" I asked between fits of laughter.

Nadia covered her face. "I was five, goddess." She pointed accusingly toward Vera. "She promised she’d never tell anyone. I clearly underestimated her."

By the time the performance ended, tears had gathered in both our eyes from laughing so much.

It was funny. The frightened little girl on the stage...had somehow become the confident young woman celebrating her birthday tonight.

Vera appeared beside our table moments later. "There you are." She smiled mischievously. "I need the birthday girl for a minute."

Nadia looked suspicious. "What are you planning?"

"If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise." Vera leaned closer and whispered something into her ear.

Whatever it was made Nadia laugh immediately. "Oh, absolutely not."

"Oh, absolutely yes." They continued whispering together, smiling like co-conspirators before eventually walking away.

I watched them disappear through the crowd, unable to stop smiling.

I leaned back in my chair, letting my eyes wander lazily across the ballroom.

Nothing seemed out of place.

Then... A faint sound reached my ears.

It was a slight creak and I frowned. What was that? Maybe I had imagined it? No.

The sound came from somewhere above me. Slowly, my eyes lifted toward the ceiling and my heartbeat stopped. One of the enormous crystal chandeliers hanging directly above our section of the ballroom was swaying.

The thick chain securing it groaned under the strain and a tiny shower of dust drifted from the ceiling.

My mouth went dry. "...Is that..." The words barely escaped me before the chain jerked, several metal links snapped apart with a deafening crack and the chandelier dropped.

"Oh no!" My scream tore through the ballroom.