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

Keisha’s POV

I hesitated when Becca asked where we were going because I didn’t want to lie to her, but telling her the truth was even worse. If she knew we were leaving the estate to meet the stranger who had been sending me letters, there was no chance she would simply open the door and let us walk out.

She would either stop us herself or call Callum, and I couldn’t blame her for doing either. I was still trying to figure out what to say when Nadia stepped forward with a calm smile.

"We’ll be back in an hour," she told Becca. "We’re not going far, and if two hours pass and you don’t see us, call my father immediately."

Becca’s eyebrows pulled together. "Where exactly are you two going?"

"Just out." She replied vaguely.

"Out where?" Becca pressed.

Nadia smiled again, but this time there was something firmer behind it. "Becca, we’ll be fine. We’re not going to disappear, and we’re not asking you to cover for us. If we’re not back when I said we would be, you tell Dad exactly what happened."

Becca looked between us, clearly confused by the entire conversation. "I don’t understand."

"I know," Nadia said, already reaching for the door. "Just trust me for an hour."

I followed her outside, and once we were far enough from the entrance, I glanced back at the guards stationed around the mansion. "If Callum finds out we avoided them, we’re finished."

Nadia laughed quietly. "That’s why we’re avoiding them."

I groaned. "You say that like this is completely normal."

"It’s not. But we’re already outside."

We kept our heads down and took a different path away from the main entrance, eventually reaching the road outside the estate where we could find a cab.

Neither of us spoke much during the journey. I kept checking the location on my phone, wondering whether the man had given me a genuine meeting place or simply wanted to lure me somewhere. When the cab finally stopped, I looked outside and immediately noticed that it wasn’t what I had expected.

The place wasn’t deserted. There were a few businesses nearby, some people walking around and enough activity to make me feel slightly less nervous, but it wasn’t crowded either. It was the kind of place where someone could sit down and talk without attracting much attention.

"This is it," I said.

Nadia looked around. "Doesn’t look like a murder location."

"That’s reassuring." I muttered under my breath.

"You’re welcome."

We got out and walked around for several minutes, looking for someone who appeared to be waiting for us. Nobody approached. Nobody even seemed interested in us. After a while, I started wondering whether the message had been some kind of trick.

"Maybe we should leave," I said.

Nadia turned toward me. "You waited all this time just to give up now?"

"We’ve been standing here for several minutes and nobody has shown up. Maybe he changed his mind." I sighed heavily. "Or maybe he’s watching us." I looked around immediately.

"Don’t do that," Nadia muttered. "You’ll make yourself look suspicious."

"I already feel suspicious." I sighed.

We waited another minute before a man appeared from across the street.

At first, I barely paid attention to him. He was simply another person walking toward us, but something about his face made me stop. He continued approaching until there was enough distance between us for me to see him properly and I froze.

I knew that face.

"No," I whispered.

Nadia looked at me. "What?"

The man stopped in front of us. He was older than I remembered, of course. His hair had changed, there were lines around his eyes that hadn’t been there when I was a child, but I knew him. "Klein?"

The man’s expression changed. "Keisha."

I stared at him, unable to move. My mother’s brother. The man we hadn’t seen since our mother died.

For years, I had wondered where he went. I had wondered whether he ever thought about us, whether he knew what happened after our mother was gone, whether he had ever cared enough to come back. The last time I had seen him, I had been so young that most of my memories of him existed in fragments.

"You grew up," he said quietly.

I let out a disbelieving laugh. "That’s what you have to say?"

He looked at me for a moment. "I suppose I deserve that."

"You disappeared." I was still trying to wrap my head around everything.

"You left us. You didn’t even come back." I whispered.

His jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t try to defend himself. "I know, Keisha."

I stared at him, still trying to accept that the man standing in front of me was actually my uncle. "I was a child the last time I saw you. I barely remember anything about you."

He nodded slowly. "I remember."

"And you remember me?" I asked cautiously.

"Of course I do." He looked at me for a moment longer before adding, "You were always following your mother around. You hated being left behind whenever she went somewhere, and you used to get angry whenever she told you that adults needed to talk privately."

Despite everything, I smiled softly. "You really are him."

Klein smiled faintly. "I told you I was."

Nadia cleared her throat softly. "Okay, I think I’ll give you two some space."

I immediately turned toward her. "No."

She looked surprised.

"Klein might be my uncle, but we don’t know what’s happened all these years. I’m not letting you wander off alone." I hissed at her.

Klein looked at Nadia. "I didn’t realize she’d bring someone."

"She wasn’t going anywhere alone," Nadia replied.

I nodded. "This is Nadia. She’s Callum’s daughter."

Klein’s eyebrows lifted slightly. "Callum’s daughter?"

"Yes."

He nodded. "Then I suppose I understand why she came."

Nadia gave him a small smile. "I’m not going far. I’ll walk around here while you two talk."

"I’d rather you stay."

Klein shook his head. "She’s safe here. This area is quiet, and nobody is going to bother her."

Nadia looked at me. I still didn’t like the idea, but she was only going a short distance away, and I could see the road from where we stood. "Fine. But don’t go far."

She nodded and walked away, glancing back once before leaving us alone.

Klein watched her go before turning back to me. "It’s been a long time."

"That’s an understatement." I agreed.

He nodded slowly. "I didn’t think you’d bring a friend."

"I wasn’t planning to bring anyone at first. Nadia insisted, and honestly, I wasn’t comfortable coming alone." I explained, trying to understand what the hell was happening.

He didn’t falter. "I understand."

I folded my arms. "Do you?"

He looked at me. "I left you and your sister after your mother died. I don’t expect you to trust me because I suddenly appear years later with your mother’s ring."

"Good, because I don’t." I didn’t so much as blink.

He didn’t seem offended. "You shouldn’t."

That answer caught me off guard and I studied his face. "Why did you leave?"

Klein lowered his eyes briefly before looking back at me. "There are things about your mother that you weren’t old enough to understand then. I made decisions I thought would keep you safe, but I know what it looked like from your side."

I took a deep shaky breath, trying not to let it show how much it affected me. "It looked like you didn’t care."

"I’m sorry, I know."

"You didn’t call. You didn’t visit. You didn’t even try to find us. Then what am I supposed to think?" My voice raised.

He sighed. "That I failed you."

I didn’t expect him to say that.

He continued before I could respond. "I’m not going to stand here and give you some excuse that suddenly makes everything acceptable. I left. You were young, your mother was gone and you needed family, and I wasn’t there. I can’t change that now."

I stared at him, waiting for him to defend himself, but he didn’t.

"I’m sorry, Keisha."

I looked into his eyes. "I don’t know whether I can forgive you."

He didn’t seem bothered by that. "You don’t have to do that today. Or tomorrow. I’ll wait."

I looked away for a moment and he stepped slightly closer but stopped himself before getting too close. "I’m not asking you to forget what happened. I’m here now, and if you’ll allow me, I’d like to be there for you and your sister this time."

I looked back at him. "You said my mother knew you were protecting me."

"She did." He slowly nodded.

My voice shook slightly. "Then why didn’t you come back sooner?"

His expression became serious. "Because coming back sooner would have put you in more danger."

My stomach tightened. "What does that mean?"

Klein looked around briefly before returning his attention to me. "It means your mother didn’t die without leaving things behind, Keisha. And some of the people connected to her never stopped looking for them."

I stared at him. "What things?"

He gave me a tired smile. "That’s what we need to talk about."