Pregnant And Rejected

Chapter 16 The Wine Is Drugged

Selene’s POV

Woops.

When I asked Drake to keep me company at the party, I planned to flirt and dance, to give Bastien a little taste of his own medicine. Annoyance, that was the plan. An annoyed Bastien is manageable, an enraged Bastien is dangerous.

I stare at my husband with wide eyes. He’s standing in the doorway, on the verge of shifting, fury rolling off him in waves. His metallic gaze is locked on my face, on my tears and Drake’s comforting hands.

Drake doesn’t seem the least bit troubled by the rabid creature looming over us. He slides his fingers from my skin, turning to Bastien with a friendly smile. “Bastien, it’s been a while.”

“Too long.” Bastien agrees, “So long you seem to have forgotten who you’re dealing with.”

Drake rolls his eyes, and I have a sudden and newfound respect for the young Alpha. He may wear the face of a playful rogue, but underneath he is every bit the hard and commanding leader the role demands. “Honestly Bastien, I didn’t think you’d be so ungrateful.” He quips, “In case you haven’t heard, I saved your wife’s life tonight. I wouldn’t have had to if you’d been here.”

Bastien’s claws extend and retract compulsively, betraying the conflict raging within him. Drake’s words were an outright provocation, but there was no denying the truth in them. After a moment Bastien settles into a low simmer, striding past the other man to reach me. He drags me into a tight embrace, cuddling me to his chest. “What happened?”

Feeling suddenly warm and hazy, it takes me a moment to realize he asked a question. Drake – apparently – suffers no such impediment. “You have some vipers in your nest.” He drawls, “It was only a matter of time before one striked.”

I plant my palms against Bastien’s chest, trying to push away from him so I can pin Drake with the full force of my indignant glare. “What happened to ‘heroes don’t tattle?”

Drake’s face scrunches up in a wince, and I belatedly realize my mistake. I look up at my husband, whose handsome features are awash with foreboding. “Am I to take it you intended to keep this information secret?” He asks, his voice dangerously low.

I lower my gaze, careful not to challenge his dominance, “It wasn’t a big deal.” I argue, “It’s not as if she knew I couldn’t swim.”

I see Bastien’s head turn in my periphery, and realize he’s now looking to Drake, “Who?”

His answer is immediate. “Redhead, blue dress, gaggle of minions trailing after her wherever she goes.”

Ten minutes later the door swings open, and Aiden pokes his head in. “Bastien would like to see you in the great hall.”

to see the rest of the party guests gather within. We move forward, slipping through the crowd

the hall, the redhead from the gardens at his feet. Bastien gestures us forward, still vibrating

feet away and the she-wolf looks up at Bastien sulkily, as if asking whether she really has to do this. Bastien makes short work of her hesitance, clamping

Durand, I’m deeply sorry for the things I said and the way

thunders in my husband’s chest, and the woman quickly amends her statement. “I should never have treated you

always fixing my problems for me. The rest of me is gushing pure elation. For the first time in my memory, Bastien is putting

fearless when she was bullying me, emboldened by my vulnerability and weakness. Now she

you never do

me a small smile, before turning his attention to the gathered audience. “That goes for all of you.” He announces, “if I hear anyone speaking about my wife in such a way, or anyone lays a hand on her again,

display fades almost immediately. Everything was fine when we sat down to dinner, but

and forth between giddiness, aggression, and detachment. One moment he’s so happy he’s grinning like a fool, the next he’s snarling and growling at anything that moves, and five minutes after that he can’t even focus

make it through the meal in starts and stops, and Bastien’s odd does not go unnoticed. I see his parents exchange glances

dessert and the party begins to shift toward the ballroom, I catch him. “Bastien?” | say

attention to me in a daze. His pupils are dilated and his

alright?” I question pointedly, checking his

as one of the women who’d been gossiping with my would-be murderer. I shoot her a disgruntled frown, but she smiles defiantly back

ballroom without a backward glance. Unease prickles at the back of my neck, It was extremely odd for a pack member to approach and proposition an Alpha this way – even if he weren’t married. The general rule is that unless you need their assistance with

is wrong. This is not Bastien. His behavior is completely out of character, regardless of how he may

in his direction and our eyes meet. We’re both thinking the same thing. Aiden

all the confirmation I need to go after

lingers in my mind as I search the crowd. What if he will not come away, what if he publicly rejects me after making such a

risk I have

the center of the dancefloor, Bastien swaying drunkenly next to the blonde, who is wrapped

in a

drop back down onto my heels as he begins to turn us haphazardly around the dancefloor, his intimate grip and undulating movements arousing my erogenous zones and muddling my own thoughts. I’m caught between my desire to extract us both from my situation and my instincts to submit to my

the same dominant Alpha he’s always been, and my body responds thus whether my brain is in agreement or not. Eventually he solves the

take a turn for the risqué. One moment we’re dancing and the next Bastien has dragged me out a side door and

| gasp, trying to get his attention. “Take me home.” i free my hands from their trapped position between our bodies and catch his face between them. “I need you to take me home.” I implore, hoping my words will trigger the caretaker in

as if trying to remember something he’s long forgot. Bastien’s confused expression gives way to something feverish and