Alpha Boss, Baby Daddy - Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Cora
Even hours later, I could still feel Kingston’s arms around me—warm, steady, unshakable. Panic attacks were something I’d lived with most of my life, especially when I was confined to small spaces, but that one had been brutal. I couldn’t shake the memory of the cold air, the locked door, the dark space closing in… it was like being buried alive.
And then he came.
Kingston.
He’d shifted into his wolf form to break through the warehouse door, and when he saw me shaking on the floor, he didn’t hesitate.
No judgment. No demands. Just strength. Just warmth. Just him. In that moment, something inside me shifted.
The man I had once feared, resented, and admittedly, misunderstood, had held me like I mattered. Like I was more than just a human employee beneath his notice. He didn’t lecture me or scold me for being weak. He simply held me until the terror passed, whispering, You’re safe. I’m here.
It had given me strength I didn’t know I had.
And afterward… things were different. Not in any outwardly dramatic way, but in small, quiet shifts.
For the first time, Kingston had saved his private number in my phone. We started messaging each other directly, but strictly about work. Always about work. Because to talk about anything else would be overstepping this thin line we had drawn.
Still, I read and reread his short, professional texts like they were secret treasures.
I was in the middle of typing a logistics report and anticipating a response from Kingston when a message popped up from a contact I hadn’t heard from in a while: Daisy.
“Can we meet?” it asked. “Just the two of us. Please, I want to talk.”
I stared at the screen for a long time, thumb hovering over the keyboard. But no matter what had happened between us, she was still my sister. I had practically raised her.
And Riley… Riley adored her. We were the only family he had left.
I replied and agreed to meet.
The café she chose was quiet, tucked into a corner near the park where we used to walk after school. Daisy was already there when I arrived, looking uncharacteristically subdued. No flashy lipstick or tight skirts this time—just a soft cream sweater and a pair of jeans. She looked more like the sister I used to know.
When she saw me, her eyes filled with tears.
“Cora,” she whispered, standing. “I’m so sorry.”
She hugged me, and I stood frozen for a moment before wrapping my arms around her in return. Her shoulders shook slightly.
“I didn’t mean what I said before,” she continued, pulling back to wipe her eyes. “I was just angry. I was stupid. You’ve always looked out for me, and I… I took advantage of that kindness.”
I sat across from her, watching her warily, waiting for the act to slip. But for once, Daisy seemed genuine as she continued to apologize profusely. She even brought up old memories from our childhood, like the time we got lost on a field trip and I gave her my jacket because she was cold, or how we used to play kickball in the park we were next to.
“And I know I’ve been a bitch about it,” she said softly. “But I’ve always known I was our parents’ real daughter… and you weren’t.”
I froze.
“But that never mattered to me, not really,” she added quickly. “You are still my big sister. The only one I’ve ever had. The person I loved the most.”
My throat tightened. For a moment, I saw a glimmer of the girl I used to read bedtime stories to. The one who cried in my arms when she had nightmares. The one who followed me everywhere, calling my name.
Then she pulled out a small envelope and slid it across the table.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“A card,” she said. “And… some money I’ve been saving. I moved out and got a job. I’ve been working nonstop, Cora. And it made me realize how much you’ve sacrificed for me all these years.”
She pushed the card closer to me. “I want you to take this. Use it to switch to a different job. One in a human company. Somewhere you won’t be in danger.”
I looked up at her. “Daisy… this is so generous.” And unlike her, but I did not admit to that.
“I know,” she said. “It’s everything I have. And I want you to have it.”
My heart twisted. For all the mistakes she’d made—her selfishness, her schemes, her jealousy—this gesture was unexpectedly kind. And it seemed sincere.
“I forgive you,” I said. “But I can’t take your money.”
“Why not?”
“Because you need it for Billy,” I said gently. “And speaking of Billy… his biological father. Is he treating you okay?”
Her eyes darted to the side. “He’s… he’s a patroller. One of the werewolves stationed at the border. He can’t come home just yet.”
I frowned. “That sounds sketchy. Do you want me to go out to the border and meet him? Just to see if he’s decent?”
She waved her hand dismissively. “No, no. It’s fine. Really. He’s just busy.”
I didn’t believe her, but I let it go. Before leaving, Daisy gave me another tearful hug and whispered, “I really am sorry, Cora.”
And for once, I believed her.
That night, after Riley had gone to bed, there was a knock at the front door.
I opened it and was met with a familiar, unwelcome face.
Zach.
His face was smug, and before I could even open my mouth to tell him to leave, he held out a single printed photo.
I took it from him, heart already sinking.
It was a photo of Kingston and me at the warehouse. His arms were around me. My face was buried in his chest. It was intimate. Vulnerable. The kind of image that could easily be taken out of context and twisted into a scandal.
“Looks pretty compromising, huh? We can put this all behind us, though. If you pay me ten thousand dollars,” Zach said with a smirk, “this never sees the light of day.”
I narrowed my eyes. “So you’re blackmailing me now.”
“Let’s not call it that,” he said, shrugging. “Let’s call it… a business arrangement.”
I straightened my spine. “I don’t care about gossip. People at work can whisper all they want.”
“Oh, I’m sure you can take it,” he said. “But Kingston? You think the most prominent Alpha King candidate wants this floating around during campaign season? That kind of thing spreads like wildfire. Especially among wolves.”
My stomach turned. Not because of the threat to me. But because Kingston—who had saved me without hesitation—could be hurt because of this.
I swallowed dryly, pushing down my pride. This wasn’t just about me. I had to do this.
“All right,” I said quietly. “I’ll pay you.”
Zach looked smug. “You’ve got two days.”
The next morning, I submitted a request for an advance on part of my salary: ten thousand dollars, deducted over the next year.
It wasn’t long after that Kingston called me into his office. His face was unreadable as he gestured for me to sit.
“I saw your advance request,” he said.
I clasped my hands in my lap. “Yes, sir.”
“Is there a financial issue I should be aware of?” His voice wasn’t cold, but it was probing. Concerned.
I hesitated.
What could I say? I’m being blackmailed with a photo of you holding me. I don’t want you to get hurt.
“I just need the money for something personal,” I said finally.
He leaned forward slightly. “You’ve never asked for anything like this before. I need to know if something is going on before I can approve of this.”
I looked down at my hands, then back up at him. His gaze was sharp, unwavering. I wanted to tell him everything.
But I didn’t.
Because I wasn’t sure how he’d react. Because if there was one thing I could do for him after all he’d done for me… it was to protect him from this.
So I lied.
“No,” I said with a tight smile. “It’s just for me to get some stuff for Riley.”
Kingston’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I see,” he said. It was clear, though, that he didn’t believe me.