Finding Her True Alpha
Chapter 61: Hurt, Pain and Tears

Derek

I was feeling guilty and lost. l couldn’t even look at Ashlyn when she entered the dining room with Mason.

How the hell was I going to explain to her that someone else could have my baby? I was barely holding myself together sitting at that table away from her. I didn’t want to be away from her. Her scent and touch made me feel comforted.

This was the hardest feeling I’ve ever had to deal with. I knew after she learned the truth about what I did, she would never want me again. But how could I ever let her go? Magnus was growling in my head. He knew that our mate would never forgive my actions.

I was sitting there in a daze until my father stood up to announce that he was handing the title of Dragon King to me, but what he said next made my heart stop and my b***d run cold.

Chantel followed through on her threat and told my father about the baby. And he just announced it to my marked mate and council.

I could hear her asking Mason if he knew, and his face said it all. I immediately felt guilty about involving him in my mess. But nothing could prepare me for the look Ashlyn gave me before she left the room. It was like I sucked the happiness out of her. The pain in my chest knocked the air from my lungs and I felt like l was slowly dying.

“Prince Derek, I thought Ashlyn marked you?” Arthur asked me, and the entire room gasped.

“What?!” my father yelled, and I cursed. All my dirty laundry was about to be dragged out for the council to see.

“Derek, I thought you were with Chantel? When did you and Ashlyn happen? And Mason? What the hell is going on?” He growled and I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

“Dad, you were at the meeting when I told Ashlyn that I was her mate, and then Mason rejected her.” There were immediately more gasps.

“Yes, but then Mason came to his senses about his relationship with Ashlyn and they are back together? Are they not?” And I just sighed.

“Dragon King, Ashlyn asked me to accept her relationship with Derek, and I did. And Derek only found out about the pregnancy this morning when Chantel called him. Ashlyn answered the call and Chantel was claiming to be Derek’s mate. That’s why Ashlyn ended up here. She was upset. But she didn’t know about the baby that you just announced.” Mason explained, and my father flopped into his chair beside me.

“What the actual f**k, son?” he sighed.

“Maybe we should take this to the library?” The Alpha King suggested, and my father agreed.

We left the Fae king and queen and the vampire king and queen in the dining room. The rest of us headed for the library. We were all sitting in the seating area surrounding the fireplace. I was leaning on the mantle, staring at the fire.

“Derek, can you please explain what the hell is going on?” My father asked.

“My king, what did Chantel tell you?” Matt asked him.

“She told me that Derek was taking her as his chosen mate and she was having his child. She came to see me this morning.” My father told us.

“Dad, I just found out about Chantel’s pregnancy this morning.” I said into the fireplace.

“What? She just told you?” He asked, stunned.

“Yeah, I’m assuming she was around 6 weeks, since that was the last time we were together.” I told him.

“Son, she is over 6 weeks. She told me she was due in a couple of weeks.” My father said, and I stood up straighter to look at him.

“Wait? What?” I yelled.

“Derek, what?” Matt asked. Mason was now standing beside me.

“Chantel was in Europe with her parents for three months before I went on that mission. She had only been home for two weeks when I had to leave.” I rushed out. My mind was racing, trying to figure out dates.

“Derek, how did you not notice that she was pregnant eight weeks ago?” Matt asked me.

“I don’t know? I saw nothing off with her. She was still drinking and doing all the crazy sh!t she always does.” I shrugged.

“Okay, so this is very suspicious. If she is pregnant and 18 weeks, she’s an awful human being. But what if she’s faking it? But what would she gain from claiming the child is yours?” Sage asked.

“Derek, I think you should call her? Don’t confront her yet, but just try to get more information out of her.

Matt, have you heard about her records?” Mason said.

“I’ll do you one better,” Matt answered. He was looking at his phone, smiling. He walked over to me and showed me the photo on his screen. It was Chantel dancing at some club, and she was clearly not pregnant.

“Kyle just took this picture of her. They followed her there with some of her friends. She doesn’t look pregnant to me.” Matt said, and I was shaking in rage.

How the f**k could she try to ruin my life? Magnus was on the verge of shifting. He was ready to burn this whole place to the ground.

“Sage!” I heard Mason yell. Something touched my forehead, and I was out.

Sage

“What the f**k is going on?” I yelled after I spelled Derek to sleep to stop his shift. His dragon would have destroyed this entire building.

“Someone clearly wants to hurt the three of you,” The Alpha King said.

“But why would Chantel lie? I don’t understand.” The Dragon King said, clearly upset by all of this. Mason and Matt were trying to hold up Derek’s limp body. I had to spell him or he would have burnt us all into nonexistence.

“Help me take him to our room,” Mason asked. Brandon and Liam both picked up a leg, and they all carried the massive sleeping dragon prince to bed.

Arthur was trying to comfort the Dragon King. I could tell that he was hoping for a grand baby. This b!tch broke everyone. But she broke my best friend, most of all.

My phone chimed in my pocket and I took it out to see that my brother had texted me. They would be in the front garden in about 5 minutes. I excused myself and headed out to meet them.

It didn’t take long fora portal to open and my father and brother to step through. My father rushed up to me, grabbing my shoulders.

“Where’s Ashlyn?” He rushed out.

“I don’t know. s**t hit the fan at dinner and she walked out. Why?” l asked him.

“Ashlyn is my daughter.” he said, and I was stunned.

“What?” I stuttered.

“Dad, what are you saying?” Nathan asked.

“Sage, Ashlyn is your half sister.” He sighed, and I was stunned by what he was telling us.

“Did mom know?” Nathan asked him.

“Kids, it was a mistake and should never have happened.” He said, just as Ashlyn came around the building. She was wearing her gold and white laced dress from before.

“Ashlyn? Where have you been?” I ran over to her.

“You’re my father?” Ashlyn asked my dad, confused.

“Ashlyn, what did you hear?” I asked her and she glared at me.

“Did you know about Derek?” She growled.

“It wasn’t my idea?” I tried to explain.

“Get the f**k away from me! I fucken trusted you!” She screamed at me and I decided that the best thing to do was not to anger her further. I moved back to stand with my brother.

When Ashlyn and my father were talking, I opened a portal into our living area to find the guys, minus Derek, sitting around talking. I motioned them to walk through the portal to us. They all stepped through, and the portal closed.

My father explained Ashlyn was the first hybrid, a wolf/witch. And that everyone was just trying to protect her. And this explained so much.

“That’s why she can Dream Walk?” I asked my father, and he nodded.

It explains why Ashlyn is so powerful, and why she can do things that only witches can do. I’ve always thought of her as my sister, and she really was.

It was hard to watch my best friend and sister fall apart. The amount of hurt and pain that she must be in was breaking my heart. She didn’t deserve any of this.

When Mason could finally grab her, I spelled her to sleep. It was hard to hear her begging for the pain to stop, for Mason to help her.

Mason scooped her up and headed towards the council building. I turned my attention to my father.

“I’m not sure what you were doing, but clearly it wasn’t to help her. She was right. You abandoned her after her pack’s death, and it wasn’t because you were protecting her.”