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

CALLUM’S POV

The council chamber emptied fast.

Not a single elder had another accusation to throw across the room. They filed out in clusters, exchanging low murmurs among themselves, careful not to meet my eyes for too long.

Whatever conclusions they reached afterwards no longer mattered to me. Their attempt to force a verdict had failed.

I remained standing where I was until the chamber had almost emptied.

Keisha was quietly handing the forged documents back to one of the council clerks while Dane lingered nearby, arms folded across his chest.

When Keisha turned towards me, I found myself studying her with renewed appreciation. "I owe you an apology," I admitted.

Her brows lifted slightly.. "For what?"

"I underestimated you."

She looked genuinely confused.

"I knew you’d tell the truth," I continued, "but I expected you to defend yourself emotionally. Instead, you dismantled their entire case before I even had the chance to intervene."

A faint smile appeared on her face.. "I’ve spent years working with intelligence reports. If someone is going to forge my work, the least they could do is make it convincing."

A quiet chuckle escaped me before I could stop it. "I’ll be sure to pass that criticism along when we find them."

Her smile widened just enough to soften the lingering tension between us.

Dane walked over, rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture I recognised immediately. "I shouldn’t have tried to stop you also."

She remained silent, allowing him to continue.

"I thought walking into that meeting would only make things worse. I figured Callum could handle the council while you stayed away from the accusations." He shook his head, letting out a humourless laugh.

Keisha folded her arms loosely. "So..."

"So," he admitted, "you were right."

She studied him for a second before smiling. "It’s all good. I’m not a fragile egg. Let’s go, Lyra will be leaving tomorrow."

With that, we left the meeting hall together.

The walk back to the mansion was quiet. By the time we reached the mansion, the late afternoon sun had begun dipping lower across the grounds.

Becca greeted us from the entrance, relief immediately washing over her features when she saw everyone was okay.

"I’m assuming the meeting is over? Miss Keisha left in such a hurry." she asked cautiously.

"It is," I replied.

She nodded without pressing further.

Keisha quietly excused herself and headed towards the guest room where Lyra was waiting just outside the doorway.

I watched them whisper to each other. Lyra was leaving tomorrow and Keisha had officially moved into the mansion.

I looked away before they noticed me watching.

They should have some time alone.

Without another word, I climbed the staircase towards my room.

The moment the bedroom door closed behind me, I loosened the collar of my shirt and stood in the middle of the room for several long seconds.

Today had been a long day.

With a tired sigh, I crossed into the bathroom and turned the shower on.

Hot water poured over my shoulders and I waited for the tension to leave. Normally it helped, but today it did nothing.

Fuck.

I closed my eyes as the water continued running over my face.

By the time I finished showering, the water had long since turned cool.

I dressed in a fresh shirt and had only just buttoned the sleeves when my phone began vibrating across the bedside table.

The screen displayed a familiar name.

Vera.

I answered after the second ring. "Hello."

"There you are!" Her cheerful voice burst through the speaker with enough energy to make me pull the phone slightly away from my ear.

"I’ve been trying to call since this afternoon."

"I was occupied, sorry."

"I assumed as much." She laughed lightly. "Anyway, I made it home safely."

"I’m glad." I hummed, settling properly on my chair.

"The journey wasn’t nearly as dreadful as I’d expected. There was a terrible delay halfway through because of the rain, but apart from that everything went smoothly. You should see my garden, Callum. I was gone for such a short time, yet somehow the flowers have completely taken over the front path. I’ll have to spend tomorrow trimming everything back before the neighbours start complaining."

I leaned against the edge of the desk, listening more than speaking, just putting in small commentaries and she sensed it.

Her voice softened. "You sound tired."

"It’s been a long day. I apologise." I muttered.

"I gathered that." A brief silence followed before she spoke again. "Speaking of days..." she began thoughtfully, "have you realised what next week is?"

I frowned. "What?"

"Nadia’s birthday."

Oh shit.

For several seconds, I said nothing. I had forgotten completely.

Vera sighed knowingly.. "I thought so."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "There’s been rather a lot happening. I didn’t forget intentionally."

"I know you didn’t."

She didn’t sound upset and it only made me feel worse.

"I was thinking," she continued gently, "why don’t you let me organise everything?"

I looked out of the bedroom window towards the darkening grounds below. "You don’t have to. You’ve only just arrived home."

"Yeah, and I’d like something enjoyable to focus on."

A small smile finally appeared. "You’ve already planned it, haven’t you?"

"I may have started making a list."

"I suspected as much."

"I’ll handle the decorations, invitations and food. All I need from you is permission."

I let out a slow breath. "You have it. Thank you."

She laughed softly. "I’ll make sure Nadia has a birthday worth remembering."

"I appreciate it."

"Now get some rest."

The call ended, leaving the room silent once more.

I remained standing where I was for another minute, staring at the dark screen in my hand.

Somehow, in the middle of everything that clouded my mind, an entire year had slipped past without me noticing.

Nadia deserved better than a father who forgot her birthday and I intended to make up for that.

A knock sounded against my bedroom door. "Come in."

Becca leaned her head inside. "Dinner’s ready."

"I’ll be down shortly."

By the time I went down, everyone else was already at the table, talking and joking around. Keisha remained quieter than usual, though she smiled whenever Lyra teased her.

Watching them together reminded me that by this time tomorrow, Lyra would be gone.

As the meal drew to a close, I looked towards her.. "I hope your journey tomorrow is uneventful."

She smiled warmly. "I’ll take uneventful over exciting any day. Thank you."

After dinner ended, everyone gradually drifted away from the table.

Instead of returning upstairs immediately, I headed outside.

The guard I had assigned to monitor the kitchen maid stepped from the shadows the moment he saw me approaching. "Alpha."

"Report."

"Nothing unusual."

I studied him carefully. "No visitors?"

"None."

"No attempts to leave the estate?"

"Not even once."

"And no suspicious conversations?" I asked.

He shook his head. "She’s carried out her duties exactly as she has every other day. Cooking, cleaning and returning to the staff quarters."

I considered that for a moment. "Continue watching her."

"Yes, Alpha."

I dismissed him and began walking back towards the mansion.

Forty-eight hours.. That was enough.. If the maid truly had nothing to hide, questioning her would confirm it.

As I stepped through the front doors of the mansion, my decision had already been made.

I’d watched her long enough and in less than forty-eight hours, I would have her sitting across from me.