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

CALLUM’S POV

"Let’s begin."

I kept my eyes on the guard as I said it, waiting for him to understand that I wasn’t interested in excuses or half-truths.

He straightened immediately, clasping his hands behind his back while I leaned against the edge of the desk.

The room was quiet except for the faint noise coming from outside, and I let the silence continue for a moment before I started questioning him. "You were responsible for helping set up the chandeliers for Nadia’s birthday party. I want everything you know about them. Where they came from, who brought them here, who installed them, and whether anyone besides your team had access to them before the party."

The guard nodded. "The chandeliers were rented from the same vendor we’ve always used, Alpha. Nothing was purchased specifically for the party. We contacted the store, they delivered the pieces, and their workers brought them inside. My team handled the installation after that. We’ve worked with those chandeliers before, so there wasn’t supposed to be anything complicated about it."

"Supposed to be?" I raised a brow.

The guard hesitated before answering. "There was one problem."

I immediately straightened. "What problem?"

"One of the chandeliers wasn’t sitting properly after we fixed it. The chain was holding, but it wasn’t as secure as I wanted it to be. I told Lady Vera about it because she was overseeing the arrangements, and I suggested we take it down and have it fixed again before the guests arrived."

"And what did she say?" I asked.

The guard looked uncomfortable. "She told me to leave it alone."

That made me frown and adjust in my seat. "Those were her exact words?"

"Not exactly. She was irritated that I kept insisting there was an issue. She told me that we’d already spent enough time setting everything up and that the chandelier wasn’t going anywhere. She ordered me to finish the rest of my work and stop wasting time worrying about it."

I stared at him. "And you obeyed."

"I did, Alpha. I couldn’t say no. No one says no to her."

I couldn’t blame him for that. Vera had authority within the household, and there was nothing unusual about her overseeing preparations for my daughter’s birthday. What bothered me was the fact that the chandelier had fallen directly above Keisha and Nadia’s section of the hall, and Vera had to have been aware that it was as a result of her direct carelessness.

"Bring me the vendor." I ordered.

The guard immediately bowed and left.

It didn’t take long before he came back. The man who entered looked considerably older than the guard, dressed in a neatly pressed shirt with a nervous expression that became even more obvious when he realized why he’d been summoned. He bowed deeply. "Alpha, I was told you wanted to speak with me."

"I do. You supplied the chandeliers for the birthday party." I reminded him.

"Yes, Alpha. My store has supplied the estate for many years."

"How long?" I asked.

He thought for a moment. "Almost nine years. Your household has been one of our oldest clients."

I tilted my chin up. "And have you ever had a chandelier fail after installation?"

The man shook his head immediately. "Never. Our equipment is inspected before it leaves the store. We have a strict policy about that because chandeliers are not something you can afford to take chances with. Every chain, hook and connecting point is checked before delivery."

"Then explain what happened at my daughter’s birthday party."

The man looked genuinely confused. "I don’t know, Alpha. When my workers left the estate, everything was secure. I personally checked the pieces before they were transported because I knew there would be a large gathering. Nothing was damaged and nothing was loose."

"Could someone have tampered with one after it arrived?" I muttered under my breath.

He hesitated. "Technically, yes. Once the equipment leaves my store, I can’t control who handles it. But if you’re asking whether it left my store in a condition that could have caused what happened, then no. I would stake my reputation on that."

I watched him carefully. "You’ve supplied us for nine years."

"Yes, Alpha."

"And you’ve never had a problem." I muttered.

"Never." He shook his head.

"You have no reason to protect my sister, Vera?" I chose my words carefully now.

The question caught him off guard. "Lady Vera? No, Alpha. She is simply the person who usually handles the arrangements when there’s an event. I don’t have any personal relationship with her beyond business."

I studied him for another moment before nodding. "That’s all I needed."

The man bowed and left.

Once the door closed, I turned back toward the guard. "So the chandeliers came from the same vendor we’ve trusted for years, and he has no history of faulty equipment. Your team installed them, and one was unstable."

"Yes, Alpha." He nodded

"And when you reported that instability, Vera told you to leave it." I tried to piece it together.

The guard swallowed. "Yes."

I didn’t need to say anything else. The implication was already sitting between us.

I dismissed him and immediately reached for my phone and Dane answered quickly. "Callum?"

"I need you here." I simply said

"I’m on my way." Then the call ended.

He arrived shortly afterward, and the moment he entered the study, he looked at me expectantly. "What happened?"

I explained everything I’d learned, including the vendor’s statement and the guard’s account of what happened during the installation. Dane listened without interrupting, his expression becoming more serious as I continued.

When I finished, he leaned against the desk. "You’re thinking Vera might have had something to do with it."

"I’m thinking I don’t know what Vera has been doing." I muttered. "It’s very peculiar, don’t you think? I think we should know more."

Dane stared at me for a moment. "You want me to investigate her."

"I want someone watching her quietly. Nobody approaches her, nobody confronts her, and she mustn’t know she’s being followed. I want to know where she goes, who she meets and what she’s doing when she thinks nobody is watching." I nodded.

Dane’s eyebrows lifted. "You’re actually suspicious of Vera?"

That made me bristle slightly. "Do you have a problem with the order?"

"No. I’m just surprised." He sighed heavily.

"Don’t be. After today, I’m not dismissing anything as coincidence."

Dane nodded slowly. "Understood. I’ll assign someone."

"Good." He turned to leave, but I stopped him. "And Dane?"

He looked back.

"Make sure the person you choose is discreet. If Vera really is involved, I don’t want her knowing we’re watching her."

"I’ll handle it." He assured me.

By the time I returned to the mansion, evening had already settled over the estate.

I stepped inside and immediately noticed the dining table. Plates were still stacked neatly at one end, glasses had been moved aside and there were a few crumbs left behind. They had eaten without me.

Becca appeared from the hallway. "Alpha."

"Where are Nadia and Keisha?" I asked, looking around for any sign of them.

"They’ve both gone to bed."

Oh.

"Did they eat?" I asked, concern creeping into my tone.

"Yes. Nadia ate well. Keisha didn’t eat as much, but she had enough." Becca bowed slightly

I nodded. "How are they?"

Becca smiled faintly. "They’re tired, Alpha. After everything that happened today, I think they needed the rest."

"Thank you." Then I went upstairs.

Nadia’s room was the first one I checked. I opened the door quietly and found her fast asleep, her blanket pulled up to her shoulders. I stood there for a moment, making sure she was breathing comfortably before closing the door again.

Then I went to Keisha’s room.

The lights were off, leaving only the faint glow coming through the curtains. I opened the door carefully and found her asleep on her side, one hand resting near her stomach.

I walked closer and for a while, I simply sat beside her.

She looked so peaceful. I reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from Keisha’s face and she shifted.

Oh shit.

I immediately pulled my hand back, thinking I’d disturbed her, and stood to leave when her hand caught mine. "Don’t go."

I looked down and her eyes opened slowly. "You weren’t asleep?" I whispered, my voice soft.

"I was." Her voice was thick with sleep. "I woke up when you stood."

I sat back down. "I only came to check on you."

Keisha stared at me for a few seconds before her expression crumbled. "I keep thinking about it."

I took her hand, rubbing slow circles. "About the assassin?"

She nodded, and tears immediately gathered in her eyes. "I thought I was going to die."

My chest tightened. "I’m so sorry. I understand"

"No, you don’t." Her voice shook as she wiped her face. "I know everyone keeps telling me I’m safe now, but when I close my eyes, I can still see that blade coming toward me. I didn’t even have time to move. I thought about the babies, and I thought that if I died, they would—"

"Keisha." She looked at me and I sighed. "Don’t finish that thought."

"What if nobody had come? Do you get what I’m saying?"

I moved closer and pulled her into my arms. "Then we’ll be grateful that didn’t happen. Don’t punish yourself by replaying something we can’t change."

She pressed her face against my chest, and her shoulders began shaking.

I rubbed her back slowly, keeping my other hand against her hair. "You don’t have to pretend you’re fine with me. If you’re frightened, tell me. If you’re angry, tell me. If you can’t sleep because you’re thinking about what happened, wake me up. Don’t ever feel like you’re bothering me."

She stayed against me for a while before her breathing gradually settled. "I’m sorry. Lately, it feels like I’ve been getting this mood swings and I can’t fucking control it."

I continued stroking her hair, waiting until her breathing became even. "It’s okay, Keisha. It’s okay."

Then something caught my attention — a faint red light.

I frowned when I saw where it was coming from. It was coming from beneath her wardrobe.

At first, I thought it was the reflection of something outside, but the light blinked again.

Huh?

I stared at the narrow gap beneath the wardrobe. There was something underneath it.

"Keisha," I said quietly.

She lifted her head. "What?"

"Don’t move." I got to my feet and stared at the blinking red light.

What the hell was that?