The Alpha King's Series
CHAPTER 47

CHAPTER-FORTY-SEVEN

BRINLEY.

ONE YEAR LATER...

I never waited to face any of this alone. I thought that Xander and I went through so much that nothing would ever break us apart. But, if it wasn't for Charles threatening Dominic's life, if I didn't give him what he wanted, I couldn't risk him hurting my baby or letting that amulet fall into Charles's hands.

Charles left me no choice; I had to run. I know Xander will never give up looking for me; I also know neither will Charles.

Knox destroyed my phone and gave me cash to not have to use my credit cards. No doubt Charles and Xander would be looking for that. I didn't tell Knox where I was going. He dropped me off at a bus station, and I took it from there.

Dominic is two now and is currently undergoing his heart surgery, and to say I was a nervous wreck would be an understatement. I can't stop pacing the halls chewing on my nails, and my heart stops every time I see a doctor in blue scrubs.

I want to have Xander hold me and tell me everything will be fine.

Nothing about this is satisfactory. I have been living with the constant pain of being away from my mate, and I thought so many times about calling him and telling him what has been going on with Dominic and that I didn't leave him willingly. It was to protect him and the Kingdom from his heartless uncle.

But I couldn't do that.

I've been writing everything down in journals for Xander about Dominic's growth, his heart giving out a few times, and I lost him for minutes until they brought him back.

I will send them to him after the journal is complete. I go a few towns over and send them so that Xander doesn't try and track the postage stamps.

Sage hardly speaks to me. She wanted me to stand my ground with Charles and show him we were not afraid. Of course, I'm not scared for myself, but I couldn't let him grow up without a mother for my child's sake.

I think about Xander a lot, like if he has moved on? Or is he hurting just like me?

I shake my head.

I can't get wrapped up in my thoughts right now. I've been unable to sleep since I brought Dominic here at 3:00 Am, and he has been in surgery for hours now.

It's hard to rest when I always have to look over my shoulder.

When I got to this small town a year ago, I was nervous and scared Charles would find me. I couldn't risk getting a big job, afraid they would advertise and mention my name. I found a job at dinner. It doesn't pay much money, but Dominic and I get by what I earn.

I don't have many friends, only the old lady that lives in the apartment beside me, and she also watches Dominic while I work.

"Ms. James?"

I freeze and slowly turn to face the Doctor wearing blue scrubs; my eyes fall on all the blood that covered most of the blue.

Oh, goddess, is that from my baby?

"You're son is in recovery now. We did run into some problems once we opened him up, the valve was coming apart into pieces, and his heart stopped three times during surgery. But we managed to bring him back. However, these next twenty-four hours are crucial, and I'm afraid this will not be his last surgery,”

I nod.

Unable to speak, I was crying so hard.

"You can see him in a few hours. Go home, get some food, and rest. I'll let the nurses know you're coming back later. There is nothing you can do now,"

XANDER.

"I traced the postage stamp to a town about ten hours away,” Kyle says.

"Did you check to see if she's there?"

Kyle nods.

"I have men there now and traces of her,” Kyle shakes his head.

"Son of bitch," I mutter punching another hole in the wall.

"If you don't stop doing that, you will run out of money fixing that one wall,” Kyle shakes his head. "I don't fucking care. I want her back now, and it's been a fucking year and damn trace of her anywhere,”

"If we can't find her, that means Charles can't either," Kyle reminds me.

"This isn't good enough,” I say, shaking the journals in front of his face.

"I want to be there and watch him fucking grow. He is my son; how would you feel if the shoe was on the other foot?"

Kyle sighs.

"You're right. I'd be doing the same thing you are right now, but you have to calm down, Xander. Brinley is bound to fuck up, and when she does, we will be there,"

I shake my head.

"You don't know her. Brinley won't fuck up if know Charles is after her,”

Kyle shrugs.

"You never know. Maybe we should try to find out why Charles is after her, and if he is, why?"

"I could make a trip to new york," I tell him.

"That could work," Kyle says, standing up.

"You have to visit him to get your mind off your mate leaving you the way she did," Kyle says, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm not sure Charles will believe that,”

"You never know until you try," Kyle says.

"New york, new york, here I come,”

BRINLEY.

Dominic woke up a few times crying in pain and trying to rip the tubes from his nose, and they had to restrain him. My heart breaks watching him suffer. Finally, the Doctor gave him a sedative to help relax him to get rest.

I lay down on the sofa that could make a bed if I needed it to, but this was fine, as I wouldn't get much sleep from watching Dominic and the door to make sure no one had found us.

The constant looking over my shoulder and at every vehicle that passes is tiring.

And I'm not sure how much longer my body can take running on energy drinks and coffee. My body will break down at some point.

ONE MONTH LATER.

"Betty, I have to pull a double tonight, so I won't be back to get Dominic until ten. Is that okay?" "Of course," she nods.

"I have his nitro pills if he needs them. But he will be fine. I have toys, and I'll let him watch cartoons if he gets too rowdy,"

"Thanks, Betty.”

I kneel and kiss Dominic's cheeks.

"Be a good boy for Betty, and this weekend I'll take you to buy a toy," I tell him, and he smiles and nods.

"Call me if you need anything," I tell Betty as I walk away.

The walk to work isn't far from where we live. It's been a month since Dominic's surgery, and the doctors say he is doing great. Though I still hate to leave him, we need the money for food and rent. I wasn't able to work last month but two days. Dominic required a lot of help but my boss Cherry understood and gave me a loan to rent, which I have to pay back with my next two paychecks. So what I make on tips is what I will have to buy Dominic the food he needs.

Dominic's nitro pills coasted a small fortune. Unfortunately, I had to dip into the money Knox gave me before I left last year and there isn't much left now.

I try not to use it unless I have to if we have to run.

"Welcome back, B," Cherry says.

"Thanks,"

"I need to see you in the back before you get started,” She says.

Oh, no. This doesn't sound good at all.

I follow Cherry to her office in the back of the diner. And shut the door before taking my seat. "Now, B, I know you said you don't believe in handouts,” Cherry starts.

"But getting welfare could help put food on the table and pay for Dominic's medicines,"

I shake my head.

"I can't. I have my reasons,” I say, and she nods.

"I thought you would say that. So, I've decided the money I lent you to help with rent I don't want back,”

"I'm paying you back,"

She shook her head.

"I'm your friend and your boss. It wasn't much money anyways; keep it and buy what you need,” Tears were already starting to swell up in my eyes.

I thought Cherry was going to fire me. I didn't expect this, and I couldn't be more thankful to her. "Are you sure? I can pay you back. It's not a problem,”

"You just take care of that baby, okay?" She tells me.

I nod.

"Now get back to work. I ain't paying you to sit on your ass,"

I wipe the tears. The sound of laughter comes from my parted lips.

"Thanks, Cherry," I say and close the door to her office.

"Can I get you anything else?" I ask everyone at the last table of the night.

"Were good,”

I nod and smile, handing them the check.

"When you ready, I can check you out the cashier,”

I picked up the rag and started cleaning the other tables. Once I finished, I decided to sweep the floor since the last of my customers weren't ready.

When the young couple decided they were finished, I was done cleaning everything but that table and was working on the bar table.

"Forty-five dollars is your total.”

The young man pulls out his wallet and hands me a hundred-dollar bill.

"Your change is fifty-five dollars. Have a great night,”

"Keep the change,” He says, smiling down at his date.

"Are you sure? It's a big tip,”

He nods, and the girl laces her arm through his and leaves the building.

No one has given me a tip over twenty dollars before.

Once I finished the cleaning, I gathered up all my tips for the night and headed home.

"Good night Carol; see you tomorrow,"

“Later, B,"

"How was he?"

Betty shook her head.

"He was fine. How was work?"

I sigh.

"Exhausting,"

She laughs.

"Most work is dear. Just yell if you need anything," Betty says and closes the door if you need me. After his bath, Dominic went right off to sleep. I cleaned the apartment and sat at the kitchen table to count the tips I had made.

200 dollars.

I don't have to be at work until 4:00 pm tomorrow. So I could use some of this money to buy food to put in the house.

I quickly make a shopping list of the things we need and then check all the locks on the windows and door before settling down on the couch to get an hour or two of sleep.

XANDER.

"What brings you here?" Charles says as his maid lets me in

"I needed to get away before I lost my sanity,”

Charles nods.

"I've always told you mates make you weak."

"You did, and I'm starting to think your right,” I tell him.

"I'm always right,” He mutters and motions me to follow him.

Charles's mansion is lovely. He lives about a mile from his pack, said he couldn't stand to be near the mated males making fools of themselves, and refused to let Weston grow up and watch it.

My uncle is a lot of things, but he cares about his boy.

Like I do mine, I will never stop looking for Dominic.

"Have you finally come to listen to your old uncle on how to take care of this?"

I nod.

"I did. That bitch thinks she can run with my son is crazy,"

Charles nods in agreement.

"She was a fool to think we would let her raise a Caputo when only the Caputos know how to raise one,"

"I need to get my son back. But Brinley has vanished, uncle,”

Charles shakes his head.

"One can never stay hidden for long, my dear nephew,”

I narrow my eyes.

"It's been a year,"

He nods.

"It has. How do I know you have fully given up on the mate bond? And you're not seriously coming to me for help in finding her just to take her back?"

I smirk.

"I've already got a woman to stand by my side and help raise my son the way I see fit,"

Charles raises a brow.

"Oh?"

I nod.

Charles shakes his head.

"I cannot be sure. It's hard to trust you when you've never seen things my way before,”

I clench my jaw.

"That was before she took my only son,”

Charles rubs his chin.

"I still cannot trust you,” He breathed.

The knock on the door came at the perfect time.

"Come in," Charles says, leaning back in his chair.

When she walked through the door, Charles sat straight, and a smile spread across his face. "Uncle, Charles. This woman will be queen and help me raise my son. Julia, this is my uncle Charles,” BRINLEY.

After I went grocery shopping with Dominic, I had to come home and put stuff away only to make my way to work. By the time I got home, it was 11:00 pm, and Dominic was cranky because I woke him up. Betty offered to stay the night, but I didn’t feel safe with him being away from me.

Betty doesn't know that I'm on the run.

When I dressed Dominic in his pajamas, I noticed how snug they were getting, and his clothes were also getting tight.

I plan to save as many tips as possible to buy him clothes.

Dominic is growing out of clothes, and I know part of that is because he has werewolf blood running through his veins.

I have to work every day these next three weeks. Cherry was against it and said I looked like hell and needed to sleep, but I assured her I was okay and needed the money. So she finally agreed to it.

I never know when I might have to run again, so I need to save as much money as possible. "Come on, Dominic," I say, looking down at his little hand in mine as we walk through the zoo.

I've been working non-stop, and I asked Cherry if I could have the day off to spend with Dominic. We went this morning and brought him some new clothes, and I met a girl the same age as me, and she had a daughter and is raising her alone too.

She invited Dominic and me to join her and her daughter today at the zoo

Dominic smiled and petted the small ones, and let them eat from his hands.

"This was a good idea. Thanks for inviting us," I tell Sofia.

"No problem, I'm just glad to finally meet someone almost in the same boat as me," She admits. "It's nice to have someone to talk to," I tell her, and she nods.

"Are you divorced?”

Sofia shales her head.

"You can't divorce men like the one I married,” She mutters.

I frowned.

"Why not?"

She half smiles, and I know she isn't ready to talk to me about it.

"Are you married?"

I shake my head.

"I was engaged. But I guess me running away ended it,"

"Why did you run?"

I shake my head.

"I can't talk about it in front of Dominic," I lie. I don't know who could be listening, and I've become so paranoid

"The kids seem to like each other," She says.

"They do.”

Sofia and I spent most of the day at the zoo, and it was nearly dark, so we decided to call it a night. "Would you like to come over for dinner? We could pick something up on the way," I tell Sofia. "That would be great. But, unfortunately, the homeless shelter never has anything good to eat," She mutters low, thinking I couldn't hear her and pretending I didn't.

"Why do you stay in a homeless shelter?”

Sofia sighs.

"I was hoping you didn't hear that,"

"I did,"

She nods.

"Every place to rent wants your name and phone number and the place you work. My husband is the man I'm running from, and he's the mafia.”

"The Mafia? Seriously?"

Sofia nods.

"I make enough money for an apartment, But I can risk them getting my information. If he finds me, I'm dead.”

"I have an idea," I tell her.

She raises a brow.

"And what's that?"

I move around the apartment.

"This is a two-bedroom apartment. They do have four bedrooms open right down the hall; if split rent and utility, I'm sure we can afford it,"

"I can't have the lease in my name,” She says.

I shake my head.

"Me either. The guy that owns this place helps me out, and I use a fake ID."

"Are you serious? Your sure you want to help my daughter and me? You barely know us,”

"I had no one to help me. I was alone and scared, and still am. But we can help each other,” I tell Sofia.

She nods.

"I can't believe I'm finally getting my baby out of the shelter,"

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