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

Author’s POV

Vera went to find Nadia while Keisha was still away from the mansion. She found her in the sitting room and immediately noticed that she was alone.

Instead of getting straight to the reason for her visit, Vera sat down and asked her to have some wine brought over.

Nadia didn’t question it and called for Becca, who returned shortly afterward with two glasses and a bottle.

Once they were served, Vera leaned back comfortably and started talking about the years when Nadia had been younger and how often she had been around to take care of her whenever Callum was busy with pack affairs.

"You were such a difficult child," Vera said with a laugh, lifting her glass. "Your father could leave you with me for an afternoon and somehow I’d spend the entire time chasing you through the mansion."

Nadia laughed as she remembered. "You make it sound worse than it was. I wasn’t that bad."

"You absolutely were. You once locked yourself in the pantry because you didn’t want to take your medicine, and I had to convince you that I wasn’t going to force you to take it."

Nadia shook her head, smiling at the memory. "I remember that. I also remember you giving me sweets afterward."

"You remember that part because that’s the part you liked."

They laughed for a while, and for a few minutes, the conversation remained the same.

Vera asked about Nadia’s school years, mentioned a few embarrassing memories from when she had been younger and even brought up how much she had changed since becoming an adult. Nadia relaxed around her, believing the visit was simply Vera wanting to spend time with her.

Then Vera placed her glass down.. "Where is Keisha?"

Nadia looked at her. "I don’t know. She’s probably somewhere in the mansion."

"She’s not." Vera’s smile was tight.

Nadia frowned. "How do you know?"

"Because I’ve been looking for her."

Nadia shrugged. "Maybe she’s in the library. She spends a lot of time there lately."

Vera studied her for a moment before shaking her head. "That’s not what I mean. Keisha is starting to grow wings."

Nadia’s smile disappeared. "What does that mean?"

"It means she’s becoming more involved in things she shouldn’t be involved in."

Vera reached beside her and picked up a folder she had brought with her. She placed it on the table between them and opened it.

"I’ve been looking into something concerning Keisha’s activities around the communications office. She has access to information that most people in this pack don’t have, and I’ve found records suggesting that she’s been using that access to collect information that could be damaging to the pack."

Nadia stared at her. "Keisha?"

Vera pushed several documents toward her. "Read them."

Nadia picked up the first page and began going through it. There were communications records, lists of information supposedly accessed through the office and several notes suggesting that Keisha had been collecting details about the pack’s internal affairs. "This doesn’t make sense."

Vera watched her carefully. "Why wouldn’t it? You’ve seen how much she’s been investigating lately."

"Investigating the attacks against her." Nadia corrected.

"That’s what she wants everyone to believe."

Nadia looked up sharply. "You’re saying she’s trying to hurt the pack?"

"I’m saying you need to stop assuming that because she’s your friend, she can’t do something wrong."

Nadia lowered her eyes to the documents again, but the more she read, the more confused she became. She couldn’t reconcile what she was seeing with the person she had known for years. Keisha had been her friend since they were young. They had gone through school together, spent nights talking about their problems, gone out together and shared things neither of them had told other people.

Vera reached across the table and placed a hand over Nadia’s. "I know this is difficult for you."

Nadia swallowed. "Why would she do something like this?"

"I don’t know what she’s planning, and that’s exactly why I’m worried. I care about this pack, and I care about you. I’ve watched your father carry this responsibility for years, and I won’t sit back while someone puts everything he’s built at risk."

Nadia remained silent, unable to speak.

Vera continued, keeping her voice calm. "You need to be careful around Keisha. Don’t confront her, and don’t let her know that we’ve had this conversation. If she’s really doing what these records suggest, we need to understand what she’s planning before we make any accusation."

Nadia looked at her uneasily. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to watch her."

Nadia’s expression changed.

"Pay attention to where she goes, who she speaks to and what she’s investigating. If she receives documents, find out what they are. If she leaves the mansion, find out where she’s going. You know her better than anyone, so you’ll notice things the guards won’t." Vera told her quietly.

Nadia stared at the documents again. "You want me to spy on my friend."

Vera gave a sad smile. "I want you to protect your father and your pack."

Vera stood and picked up her glass. "You don’t have to decide everything today, Nadia. Just remember that sometimes protecting the people we love means being willing to question them."

She left the documents behind and walked out of the room.

Nadia remained seated long after Vera had gone.

Vera returned to the annex where she had been staying, leaving Nadia alone with the information she had just been given. The moment Nadia returned to her room, she went straight to the cabinet where she kept her old photo albums.

She pulled one out and sat on the edge of her bed.

The first pages contained pictures from childhood. There were photographs of her and Keisha standing together, smiling at birthdays and family gatherings. Nadia turned another page and found pictures from their high school years, then university, then the nights they had spent going out together when they were older.

She stopped at one photograph and stared at it for a long time.

Keisha was standing beside her, laughing at something outside the frame.

Nadia slowly closed the album. She couldn’t decide whether the documents Vera had shown her were enough to make her question everything she knew about Keisha or whether she was simply being manipulated into turning against the person who had been her friend for most of her life.

And she couldn’t decide what to do now.