Pregnant And Rejected

Chapter 35 She Is Dead

“Bastien,” Mom follows me, dogged even amidst her grief. She catches my shoulders, wrapping her arms around me before I can stop her. “I’m so sorry.” She keens. “She was inside.”

“No!” I say again, my voice a dull roar in my own ears, “You’re wrong. She can’t – she can’t be. I would know if she was dead, would feel it!” I insist.

My mother buries her face in my neck, her tears hot and wet against my skin. “I know.” She laments, “I know sweetheart.” Her small hands rub circles over the rigid muscles of my back. “But she’s gone.”

“How do you know?” I struggle to push her off me without hurting her, “Is there a body? Show me her body?”

Mom’s arms clamp down around me more tightly, squeezing me with her supernatural strength. “They already took it.” She whimpers. “It’s at the morgue,”

The phone line opens with a fuzzy click, dissolving into a strange, droning roar punctuated by splintering wood and hollow crackling. “Bas-en.” Selene’s terrified voice cuts out as she attempts to cry my name, “I eed. Th-re’s… el… Pl-elp!”

I listen to the voicemail over and over again on the way to the coroner’s office, trying to decipher any clear words or message from the jumbled sounds. Unfortunately no matter how many times I play the recording, I can’t make anything out.

I don’t want to believe it. I can hear the fire in the background, and I’ve seen what’s left of the cabin, but I cannot fathom that Selene might be dead. She was clearly in trouble, but that doesn’t mean she’s gone. After all, her phone cut out – if it ran out of battery she could be trying to find help this very moment and simply unable to call me again.

She isn’t dead. Axel says for the thousandth time. I would know.

How did this even happen? How did the fire start? And if Selene really was in the cabin when it began, why couldn’t she get out?

fists, clenching and unclenching compulsively as the city flies by out the window.

in the back of my mind wonders. And

but I refuse to look at her. I can’t bear to see her

the house?”

hoarsely, “It seemed like the only place they could

her hand. “Why didn’t

being locked up with a bunch of enforcers.” Despite her words, there is no venom in her tone. “I didn’t

safe.” I groan, “To prevent something

us they were there to keep her in custody!” Mom exclaims. “That was a cover!” I explode, “Somebody is trying to destroy this family

She

that’s all! I know she didn’t have anything

informs me thickly. She believed you were against her,

is my fault?” I demand, “It’s my fault

that, Bastien. If anything it’s my fault… I’m the one who broke her

The only person responsible is whoever lit the fire in the first place Selene knew you

talking about her in the

“Bastien.” She broaches genth, the salty scent of her tears filling the small space. “I don’t want it to be true either, but the longer you deny it, the more painful it will be to deal with “She cautions. “You need to accept

we have to assume this is another trick.” The car rounds

kane proclaims softly,

firmly. It