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

KEISHA’S POV

For a brief moment, none of us moved.

Vanessa stood a few steps away from the annex, dressed as elegantly as ever, with the same confident smile she always wore whenever she believed she had the upper hand. It had been days since anyone in the estate had mentioned her name.

The silence had been so unusual that I’d almost started believing she’d finally accepted things and chosen to stay away.

Seeing her standing in front of us now, I realized how foolish that hope had been.

Nadia was the first to recover from the surprise. She shifted the basket of food into one hand and moved subtly closer to me, putting herself between Vanessa and me without making it obvious.

"What are you doing here, Vanessa?" she asked, her voice polite but guarded.

Vanessa didn’t answer. She looked past Nadia as though she hadn’t spoken at all, her eyes settling on me with so much calm that I felt uneasy. Then, without asking permission, she began walking toward us. She stopped only when she was close enough for her gaze to drift deliberately from my face to my stomach.

The smile on her lips widened. "So it’s true," she murmured.

I instinctively folded my arms over my middle, though I knew it was far too early for there to be anything to hide.

"I’ve been wondering for days why everyone suddenly started whispering whenever I walked by. Now I understand."

Nadia frowned. "If you have something to say, say it and leave."

Vanessa still ignored her. "You know," she continued, speaking as though we were the only two people there, "for a while, I thought you were sleeping with the Alpha."

The words landed like a blow and I felt Lyra stiffen beside me.

Vanessa gave a light, humorless laugh. "It wasn’t exactly difficult to believe. People kept seeing him around your annex. He was always finding reasons to be near you, and you somehow always managed to appear wherever he was. I thought that was why he’d stopped paying attention to me."

She tilted her head slightly, studying my expression as if hoping to find guilt written across my face. "I’ll admit I hated you for it."

My fingers curled tightly against my sleeves.

Every instinct told me to defend myself, to deny everything she’d just implied, but I knew there was no point. The truth was far more complicated than the story she’d created in her mind, and explaining it would only make things worse.

Vanessa smiled again, though this one carried open mockery. "But it turns out I worried for nothing." Her eyes dropped toward my stomach once more. "You’re carrying Dane’s child, aren’t you? That explains everything. I suppose the Alpha was only being kind to one of his employees after all."

She gave a small shrug. "At least now I know I was competing with nobody."

The insult settled over us like a blanket. Before I could think of a response, Lyra stepped forward.

She had remained unusually quiet until now, simply listening, but there was nothing calm about the expression on her face anymore.. "So you’re Vanessa."

Vanessa finally looked at her.. "And you are?"

"The sister of the woman you’ve been insulting for the last five minutes."

Vanessa’s brows lifted slightly, though she didn’t seem intimidated. "I wasn’t speaking to you."

"I noticed." Lyra smiled pleasantly enough that it almost looked genuine. "Which is why I’m speaking to you instead."

Nadia sighed under her breath and even I recognized that smile on Lyra’s face. It usually meant someone was about to regret their life choices.

"My sister has done absolutely nothing to you," Lyra continued, her voice remaining surprisingly calm. "Yet you’ve walked all the way here just to throw accusations at her and make yourself feel better. That’s embarrassing."

Vanessa folded her arms. "I simply stated what everyone has been thinking."

"No." Lyra shook her head. "You stated what you’ve been thinking, and there’s a difference."

Vanessa’s expression hardened.. "You don’t know anything about me."

"I know enough." Lyra took another slow step forward. "I know jealous women when I see them, and you’re practically glowing green."

A few servants passing nearby slowed down, sensing another argument about to unfold and Vanessa noticed them too. "I don’t need to explain myself to strangers."

"Good," Lyra replied. "Because I wasn’t asking for an explanation." She smiled again. "I was giving you advice."

"And what advice is that?"

"Stay away from my sister."

Vanessa let out a short laugh. "Or what?"

Lyra didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she closed the distance between them until barely a step remained, her smile never leaving her face. "Or you’ll discover that people don’t call me a maniac because it sounds entertaining."

The words were spoken so softly that they barely carried beyond the four of us and that somehow made them even more frightening.

For the first time since she’d arrived, uncertainty flickered across Vanessa’s face. She held Lyra’s gaze for another second before clicking her tongue in annoyance. "This conversation is beneath me."

"It should have been beneath you from the beginning," Lyra replied.

Vanessa shot me one last look before turning sharply on her heel and walking away without another word.

Only after she disappeared around the corner did I realize I’d been holding my breath.

**************

The following morning, I reported to the office as usual. I had barely sat down when one of the administrative workers approached my desk carrying a sealed envelope. "This is for you."

Confused, I accepted it and broke the seal. Inside was a neatly typed notice informing me that, effective immediately, I was being placed on pregnancy leave with full pay until further notice.

I blinked, a frown crossing my expression. "There has to be some mistake."

"There isn’t," the woman replied with a smile. "Everything has already been approved."

"I can still work."

"I’m sure you can."

"My pregnancy isn’t affecting my duties."

She laughed sympathetically. "Take that up with Beta Dane."

I looked up. "...Dane?"

She nodded. "He personally arranged everything this morning."

For a moment, I simply stared at the paper in my hands.

I thought back to the dungeon, to the way he’d stepped between me and Elder Osric without hesitation, to the way he’d carried me out despite my protests, and now this.

A smile pulled at my lips. It felt slightly refreshing. Knowing that he could openly care for me now. Little efforts, but it still warmed my heart.

Around the office, a few people smiled as they passed my desk.

"You’ve got a thoughtful mate."

"Beta Dane really takes good care of you."

"You’re lucky."

Heat crept into my cheeks. Lucky?

The word felt strangely complicated. I looked down at the letter one last time before folding it carefully.

Arguing wouldn’t change anything. Once Dane had made up his mind, convincing him otherwise was almost impossible.

It seemed I was about to spend the next few months away from the office.

A part of me felt relieved knowing my babies would be safe.

But another part of me would miss the bustle of the office.

But either way? This was for the best.