The Imperial Wolf Series Books 1-3
Chapter 43

Kate POV

I leave my husband to go speak with my father. This is not a conversation I want to have, not today or ever. I loathe him. Maybe I should not feel this way, but I do. I feel as if I was abandoned and left with the man who raised me when someone could have stepped up and taken me into their home. Alexander could have saved me, but he made a choice to leave me with the idiot who raised me and abused me.

I lived a life of poverty when I could have been with my father. Maybe if someone had stepped up for me, I could have learned more about my mother and had a better relationship with my father and wolf. It is the past. There is no going back now. At least, I ended up with Erick, who loves me, and we are happy. It does not change the fact the Alexander abandon me just like my pack.

I go through the kitchen. There are several young vampires. None of them even look at me. Then, finally, a lady comes up to me. "Hey, I am Desire. I work closely with your father. I am so happy to meet you finally. I have been looking forward to it," she says, then she touches my baby bump.

I take a step back. Touching my baby bump seems so intrusive; at least ask first. "He is not my father, and he is just the man who got my mother pregnant. I do not even know him," I say to her.

She smiles, but I can tell it pisses her off. "Alexander is a good man. He cannot help what you went through as a child. He busted his a*s to help free you from Macon," Desire says to me.

"Well, good for him. Where is he? I want to get this little father-daughter talk over with so I can return to my pack today," I say to her.

"I will take you to him. He is waiting for you outside on the porch. He is always out there. He loves it. He says it gives him peace," Desire says to me.

"I am so happy he has found his peace," I say to her.

Desire leads me through the house. There are way more vampires than I have ever seen. "You know we should not make you nervous. You are one of us too," Desire says.

"I am a wolf, not a vampire," I say to her.

"Oh, honey, you are a vampire and a wolf. You need to accept who you are and what that baby of yours will be before it is too late for both of you," Desire says. "My baby is a wolf," I snap back at her.

Desire stops walking; she turns to me. "Listen up, I know you do not like my kind or your father, but you need to understand that you are a vampire and your baby is a vampire, also. Do not get it twisted; I am not happy about the hybrid generation, but there are hybrids out there, and you, my dear, are about to birth a hybrid like no other, so listen to what Alexander has to say. He can help you," Desire says.

"I seriously doubt that. I understand that you are loyal to him, but he has never shown me any loyalty. He abandoned me, and that is all I know about Alexander," I say to her.

I walk past Desire to go out on the porch to talk to Alexander. He is sitting in a rocker watching the birds fly by the veranda. He looks like he is in a bit of perch himself. "Alexander, you wanted to see me," I say to him.

Alexander turns and smiles when he sees me. "My daughter, yes, I thought we needed to have a little chat about your future and your child's future. My grandchild is on a clear path, and I need to help you with that path," Alexander says as he rocks back and forth, keeping his eyes locked on the birds as they fly by him.

I walk closer to him. I take a seat beside him on the porch. I watch the birds with him for a moment. This is relaxing; no wonder he does this. Maybe it will keep me calm while I talk to him.

"Alexander, I am going to keep this short and sweet, okay. This baby, your grandchild, has only one path, and that path is with Erick and me. We will guide this child. We will raise this child. We will be there for this child. Unlike you who abandoned your children," I say to him as I rock, trying to remain calm.

"You do not understand. I could not take you in back then. How could I bring a hybrid into vampire country and raise the two of you? There was no way for me to raise you or care for you or even keep you safe from the dangers that lurked. You will never understand how hard it was for me to walk away from you. But, I did look out for you and try to provide for you silently in the background," Alexander says to me.

"Alexander, I have a hard time believing a vampire," I say.

Alexander reaches for me. He touches my hand. "Kate, you are a vampire too. You need to accept that. What if this child is born more vampire than a wolf? Then what. Do you know anything about being a vampire and bloodthirst? How will you teach this child to hunt?" Alexander says to me. The concern in his voice seems real to me.

"I wish I could trust you, Alexander. You have made a valid point. I know nothing about being a vampire, but I will figure it out somehow because I love my child, and I would never abandon my child, no matter what. If I had to hide for the rest of my life, I would do it. So this baby will always know my love and Erick's. I did not have that," I say as I begin to cry.

"Please, do not get upset. I do not want to upset you, nor do I want to ruin your life. I only want to offer assistance to you for your baby and the care the child might need when he or she is born," Alexander says.

"Alexander, I will take everything you have said under advisement, and I will think about it over time, but do not expect me to jump up and forgive you overnight. I do not know how to do that, and it is not on my priority list, to be perfectly honest," I say to him. We sit silently for a few moments when a raven perches beside me. "Your mother loves Ravens," Alexander says, watching the bird look me over.

"I would not know. No one has ever told me much about her," I say to him.

"I can do that for you. I can tell you so many wonderful things about her and how much you are like her. She was strong and hard-headed. She was very special," Alexander says.

"Then why was she killed?" I ask him.

"Your mother was killed because she loved a vampire and produced little hybrids. She would have been the Alpha if she had lived. But, they did not want her to be Alpha. You know she was kind like Erick, she would have loved him very much. I know she is happy for you and your baby," Alexander says.

Alexander touches my hand. I want to trust him, but there is still something in me that says do not trust him. I look down at Alexander's cold hand on mine. What would my mother want me to do? I do not know she is not here.

Erick comes out of the front door. He looks at me. "Are you okay?" Erick asks. He cuts his eyes at Alexander.

"Yes, I am ready to go home," I say to Erick.

"May I come see you sometime?" Alexander asks.

I look at Erick for his approval. He nods his head. "Yes, Alexander, you may visit us sometime," I say to him.