#Chapter Nine: The Job

I carefully placed the strands of Thea's hair into a small cloth bag, taking care to stash it somewhere that no one would come across it. All it would take was a simple DNA test. And if the DNA matched mine, then the truth about Thea's parentage would finally be revealed, and I would have to confront the reality of my situation. As I secured the bag, I felt a tight knot forming in my stomach. If Thea was truly my daughter… then what next? How could I convince the Alpha that she belonged to me and not him? Would I have to steal her back and run away with her, forever living as fugitives? Would he imprison me outright, calling me a crazy lady who was trying to steal his daughter? At least, those were the worst outcomes. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that. But right now, I had to actually run the test first instead of speculating. Just then, I heard Thea's cheerful voice calling for me from the hallway. “Mommy, come eat breakfast with me!” The warmth in her tone melted away the t