Bound by Contract to the Alpha Chapter 151

Rebecca's POV

I burst through the front doors of the Sterling villa, every sense on high alert. The entrance hall was eerily quiet, but I could hear movement deeper in the house and smell the anxiety permeating the air.

Marcus appeared from a side corridor, his usually impeccable appearance slightly disheveled, a bluetooth earpiece in one ear and a tablet in hand.

"Report," I demanded, the word coming out more commanding than I'd intended.

If Marcus was surprised by my tone, he didn't show it. "North and east perimeter sensors triggered twice in the past thirty minutes. Security footage shows nothing, which suggests they're using tech to mask their approach."

"Dominic?" I asked, striding toward the main staircase.

"No direct contact," Marcus replied, falling into step beside me. "All standard communications channels are experiencing interference. We've reverted to legacy systems and mind-link where possible."

I stopped abruptly, turning to face him. "Dominic and Luna Sterling?"

Marcus's expression remained professional, but I caught the flicker of concern in his eyes. "Unable to establish consistent contact, but we detected Alpha Sterling's signature briefly from the industrial sector. They're being pursued, but the Alpha is... formidable."

The last word carried respect bordering on reverence. Despite the situation, I felt a flicker of pride. Dominic was indeed formidable.

"Where's Lucas?" I asked, my voice dropping to a near-whisper.

"Upper level, west wing nursery. Sofia arrived about twenty minutes ago. Diana is with them."

I nodded, relief washing through me. "Prepare three armored vehicles and a fully equipped Delta team. I want them ready to move within fifteen minutes."

Marcus blinked, the first sign of surprise he'd shown. "Ma'am?"

"You heard me." I met his gaze steadily. "Fifteen minutes, Marcus. Full tactical gear, silver-resistant vests."

After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

As he turned to leave, I called after him, "And Marcus? Thank you for protecting our home."

His shoulders straightened almost imperceptibly. "Always, ma'am."

I continued up the stairs, moving swiftly toward the nursery. As I approached, I could hear Sofia's soft voice singing what sounded like a Spanish lullaby. The gentle melody provided a surreal contrast to the tension gripping the house.

---

I pushed open the door quietly. The sight that greeted me loosened the knot of anxiety in my chest slightly: Sofia sat in the rocking chair by the window, Lucas cradled in her arms, her dark curls falling forward as she smiled down at him. Diana stood nearby, her watchful gaze moving between the baby and the windows.

Both women looked up as I entered. Diana's eyes widened at the sight of me—I suddenly remembered I was still wearing clothes stained with Raymond's blood.

"Rebecca!" Sofia gasped, rising carefully with Lucas. "What happened? Where's Raymond and Dominic?"

I moved forward, pressing a kiss to Lucas's forehead before responding. His familiar scent—milk and powder and that indefinable sweetness that was uniquely his—centered me.

"Raymond was attacked at the funeral," I explained, keeping my voice low and calm. "He's at Silvercrest with Dr. Winters. Dominic and his mother are being pursued, but they're evading capture."

Diana's eyes filled with tears. "Oh my God, how could this happen?"

I reached out, squeezing her hand. "Don't worry, Diana. Dominic is strong, and we're going to make sure everyone stays safe." I turned to Sofia. "But right now, I need your help. Things are going to get worse before they get better."

Sofia straightened, shifting Lucas to her shoulder. "Whatever you need, Becca. You know that."

"We need to move Lucas to a secure location," I said, crossing to the closet. "Somewhere only Dominic and I know about."

I pulled out a waterproof backpack and began methodically filling it with essentials: diapers, formula, several changes of clothes. My hands moved with practiced efficiency, but I could feel them trembling slightly.

"The situation is dangerous," I continued, not looking up from my task. "Someone is targeting our family specifically. We need to separate to make it harder for them to find us all."

I paused, reaching for the framed photo on the dresser—the three of us, taken just days after Lucas was born. My fingers lingered on Dominic's face before I wrapped the frame in a blanket and tucked it into a side pocket of the bag.

"Sofia, I'm asking a lot, but I need you to take Lucas somewhere safe." I finally looked up, meeting her eyes. "I need you to delete all your social media accounts, turn off location services on your phone, and disappear for a while."

Sofia's expression grew serious, but she nodded without hesitation. "Of course." She attempted a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

I zipped the backpack closed and turned to Diana. "Diana, I need you to make sure nothing in this room indicates where Lucas has gone. Can you do that?"

Tears slid down Diana's cheeks, but she nodded firmly. "Of course, Ms. Rebecca. I've served this family for thirty years. I would die before letting harm come to the young master."

I squeezed her hand again. "It won't come to that. I promise."

I closed my eyes, reaching out through the mate bond. "Dominic, are you safe? Luna with you?"

The response came faintly, as if from a great distance. "Being tracked. Leading them away. Keep Lucas safe. Will find way to you."

Relief flooded me—he was alive, still fighting. I opened my eyes to find Sofia watching me intently.

"He's okay?"

"For now." I moved to a decorative panel on the wall, pressing a hidden mechanism to reveal a small safe. "But we need to move quickly."

I extracted a burner phone and a USB drive from the safe, holding them out to Sofia. "Use this phone to contact me—it can't be traced. The drive contains offshore account information, enough money to disappear completely and start over if..." I couldn't finish the sentence.

Sofia took the items, then grabbed my hand. "Don't you dare talk like that, Rebecca Sterling. This isn't a goodbye. This is just a temporary measure until you and Dominic deal with whoever is behind this."

She shifted Lucas to her other arm and pulled me into a fierce one-armed hug. "I swear on my life, I'll protect him with everything I have. But you and Dominic better come back to us, understand?"

I hugged her back, breathing in the comforting scent of my friend mixed with the sweet smell of my son. "We will. I promise."

I reluctantly pulled away, glancing at Diana. "Can you help Sofia get everything ready while I prepare a few more things?"

Diana nodded, taking the bag from me. "Of course."

As they busied themselves gathering the remaining items Lucas would need, I slipped into the master bedroom. Moving quickly, I opened the hidden safe in our closet and retrieved emergency passports, cash, and another encrypted drive containing sensitive pack information.

I changed out of my bloodstained clothes, opting for dark jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt, and sturdy boots—clothes I could move and, if necessary, fight in. I tied my hair back tightly, securing it at the nape of my neck.

Pausing at the dresser, I reached out again through our bond. "Dominic?"

Nothing. The silence was more frightening than any response could have been. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I gripped the edge of the dresser to steady myself.

"Moon Goddess," I whispered, unfamiliar words rising from some primal place within me. "Protect him. Please don't let my son lose his father."