My phone rang the following morning, waking me up, and I bit back a small groan of annoyance before I turned to face away from my phone, squeezing my eyes shut. Who the fuck is calling me this early? I silently asked with another small groan and pulled my blanket over my head.

The phone stopped ringing before it started to ring again, and I groaned in annoyance and turned towards my phone, opening my eyes and pulling the blankets off of my head.

What the actual fuck? I silently wondered with a small growl in my voice. Who the hell is calling me? I grabbed my phone and answered the call, not checking the caller ID.

"This is Alexandra," I said because this was my regular phone and not my work phone for the Viper. I closed my eyes again while I buried my whole body into my blankets, biting back a yawn. "Speaking?"

The person chuckled, amused, and I opened my eyes again while I sat up in my bed, instantly recognizing the phone caller, even though he hadn't said a single word.

Shit...

"Hello, Alexandra," he said in a calm voice that only he could possess. "It is me, your adopted father."

I held back an eye roll while I scowled and shifted in bed, debating on whether or not I should go to my office to take this call but instantly deciding against it with a shake of my head. "I knew that it was you when you chuckled, Father," I said. "What do you want? Why are you calling me? Are y-"

"I am fine, Alexandra," he said, interrupting me. "However, I want to see how you are doing." He paused and cleared his throat to bite back another chuckle, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "So, how are you doing? Are you ok?"

I pursed my lips in annoyance before I sighed and shook my head, clearing my throat. "I have been better," I replied coldly before I cleared my throat and shifted on my bed. "Why are you calling me? You know that it isn't safe for you t-"

The king chuckled, interrupting me. "I will be fine, Alexandra," he said softly. "You don't have to be so worried about me, especially when I am calling to check on you."

I pursed my lips further in annoyance and wrinkled my nose before I shook my head and bit back a small growl. "I don't think you understand the importance of keeping you safe and away from danger, Your Majesty," I said, my voice cold and dark, and my father cleared his throat to hide another chuckle.

"I understand the importance of it, Alexandra Dear," he said softly before he cleared his throat to hide a chuckle. "I have the Kings Guard to protect me and then have you to make sure that I am staying safe." I had a feeling that he shifted in his seat, hearing the sound of leather shifting.

I held back an eye roll and scowled. "Where are you, Father?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Well, I am in my office," he replied, and I had a feeling that he shrugged. "I have paperwork that I have to attend to, but I wanted to check on you first."

"Hmph." I closed my eyes and bit back a small sigh. "I am fine, Father," I said coldly before I cleared my throat and grew serious. "What are you working on?"

"Don't worry about it, Alexandra," he said softly, and I held back an eye roll but scowled. He bit back a small chuckle before he cleared his throat and grew serious. "It's nothing serious and nothing important. Ok?"

I held back an eye roll before I sighed and shook my head, deciding to let this subject drop. "Of course, Father," I said tersely, earning a small chuckle from him. "Are you sure tha-"

"I am sure that it is unimportant and that you don't have to worry about it, Alexandra," he said, earning a small growl from me. "Now, now," he softly scolded, even though I could tell that he was amused. "What did I tell you about growling at me?"

I rolled my eyes and scowled but didn't say a word.

"Alexandra?" he asked, amused, and I had a feeling that he would have given me a pointed look and two raised eyebrows while he waited for my response.

"I am allowed to growl at anyone and anything besides you unless I want something to happen to me," I said before I rolled my eyes again and pressed my lips into a thin line. "The good thing is I am not near any of my group, so I am allowed to growl at you, Father."

My father chuckled before he cleared his throat and grew serious, moving some paperwork on his desk. "How are you holding up?" he asked, changing the subject before he cleared his throat again. "Are you doing well?"

I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line. "As much as I can be," I grumbled before I sighed and shifted in my bed, clearing my throat. "I am alive and well, and that's all that matters."

"Hmph." He paused and cleared his throat before there was the sound of some paper being shuffled around. "Is the pack still safe?" he asked, and I had a feeling that he raised an eyebrow in question.

"As safe as it can be, Father," I grumbled, rolling my eyes again. I sighed and moved a hand across the bridge of my nose, shaking my head with pursed lips. "No one has been killed, so that is a good thing."

"And no one has been banned or banished?"

"Not yet," I said and shook my head again. "Thankfully, but I don't know if that is going to continue to be the case or if something else is going to happen."

"Hmph." My father smirked before he cleared his throat and grew serious. "Do you have everything set if that does happen?" he asked, and I nodded in confirmation, even though I knew that he wouldn't be able to see me.

"Yes," I confirmed and nodded again. I lifted my head from the headboard when I heard a knock on my door and frowned. "That has been planned already."

"Good," my father said before he cleared his throat, and I could feel him start to become protective of me from the other side of the phone. "Who is at your door, Alexandra?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Don't know," I said and grabbed the gun from under my pillow before I got out of bed. "It's not my grandmother because she would have knocked and then say "Alexandra, Dear," or something like that."

"Hmph."

I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line, feeling slightly annoyed. "I will be fine, Father," I said tersely. "It's not like I am not protected."

He bit back a small snort, and I had a feeling that he rolled his eyes and scowled.

I didn't say a word and shook my head before I made my way to the door, my whole body growing tense and my heart pounding in my chest with a soft thump, thump, thump.

"Are you at least dressed appropriately, Alexandra?" he asked, sounding worried, and I had a feeling that he raised his eyebrow in question.

I bit back a small snort and held back an eye roll, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Our definitions of being dressed "appropriately" are different, Father," I said coldly, earning a covered chuckle from my father. "My lady parts are covered, if that is what you are worried about."

There was another knock on the door, this one becoming more frantic than the last, and I muttered a few curse words under my breath before I made my way to the door, ignoring my adopted father's warning.

I shifted my phone between my ear and shoulder and flung open the door mid knock to see that it was Levi staring at me in shock. "What?" I asked, all but snapped, earning a small tsk from my father, and Levi flinched back and away from the door. "What is it? What do you want?"

Levi paused and lowered his hand, not knocking on the door again. He blinked and blinked again before he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. "Oh," he said and cleared his throat again, his cheeks turning a slightly reddish color.

He looked me up and down before he met my gaze. "Did I wake you?"

I rolled my eyes and scowled, narrowing my eyes. "Don't you see me on the phone, Alpha?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "If you were the one that had woken me up, then I wouldn't be on the phone."

"Alexandra," my father softly scolded, and I rolled my eyes and bit the inside of my lip. "Be nice."

"I am always nice, Father," I said with a small mock cheerfulness in my voice. "If I wasn't nice, then I would have threatened to shoot him in the knee for waking me up."

Levi blinked and then blinked again when he heard me call someone "father." Confusion became written on his face, and he cocked his head to study me. "Father?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and I nodded in confirmation. "Your father is dead."

I made sure to keep my face blank when he said that, but I couldn't help but tighten my grip around my gun, the urge to shoot him in the knee becoming stronger. "I have been adopted, Alpha," I replied coldly, and Levi flinched and ducked his head closer to his chest. "Levi was my Alpha then and was a witness to the adoption, so yes, my biological father is dead, but my adopted father is not."

"In his defense, it took you a while to call me "Father," Alexandra Dear," my father replied, amused, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "It took you until after Levi was gone for you to start calling me "Father," and not uncle."

"Hmph." I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Not my fault, Father," I grumbled under my breath, earning a small chuckle from hum. "I will call you back later. My pack and I are fine for the time being. If we need anything, then I will let my Commander know."

My father chuckled again. "Then, I will talk to you later." He paused and cleared his throat, growing serious, and I couldn't help but set my jaw and narrow my eyes slightly. "I love you, Lex," he said softly. "I hope that you know that and will never forget that, no matter what happens. I love you, and I am proud of you."

I rolled my eyes, and my cheeks turned red, and Levi raised an eyebrow in question, looking amused. I shifted on my feet and turned away from him before I cleared my throat and bit the inside of my lip.

"I love you, too, Father," I grumbled, folding my arm around my chest and being super aware of the gun that I still held. "Tell Mother that I love her too and that I hope she is safe and stays safe."

"I will," he promised.

And with a single click, my father hung up the phone, ending the call between us and leaving Levi and I in a tense and anxious silence, waiting for the other to break it, but neither one of us did.