Pregnant And Rejected

Chapter 47

Bastien‘s POV

The first thing I see is the fear on Selene‘s face. Fear I hate myself for causing. She‘s backed into a corner, appearing so much more like the lost little wolf I pulled from a tree, than the confident woman I met today.

It takes all my strength to pull my eyes from Selene‘s haunted expression and survey the rest of the scene, at which point I realize why she‘s in the corner. The tiny body is visible even now, with pint–sized hands clutching her skirt and a gleaming pair of two–toned

eyes peeking out from behind her leg.

Mate, Axel croons with satisfaction. And mate‘s pup. Mine, both mine.

We don‘t know who that pup belongs to yet. I caution him, though I cannot help but feel drawn to the tiny creature in a way I can‘t explain

I don‘t care who she belonged to. He growls. I saw her. I like her. She‘s mine now.

That‘s not how it works. I admonish him.

Unable to assuage her curiosity, the little girl pokes her head out of hiding, and Selene stiffens reflexively. Waving off my men, 1 stride forward and close the door, carefully approaching the she–wolves. “Hello little one.” I murmur to the child, kneeling down so that we‘re at eye level, even if I‘m still halfway across the room. “Goddess she looks exactly like you.” I revel, looking back and forth between the beautiful faces.

I‘ve seen many pups and kissed many babies in my life, but I cannot remember ever seeing such a perfect child. It‘s not just that she is my mate‘s creation that she is the heart and soul of the woman I adore – it‘s that she is pure light, pure love. Despite my misgivings, I have to agree with Axel. Mine.

A tiny voice tugs at my heart strings. “Mommy who‘s that?”

The gooey warmth in my belly hardens like a rock, and the reality of our situation splashes over me like a bucket of ice water. If this child is mine, Selene hid her existence from me for years. She left Elysium knowing she was pregnant, and took my baby someplace where I could not protect her.

“That‘s an excellent question.” I state harshly, catching my mate in my crosshairs. “Selene?” Slowly unfolding until I‘m standing again, I move forward. “Who am I to her?”

“A stranger,” Selene designates coldly, “and what do we say to strangers, Lila?”

On cue the tiny pup lifts her chubby fingers to her lips and pulls ar imaginary zipper across her mouth, pressing her lips tightly together and shaking her head once she‘s finished.

“That‘s very smart.” | praise in a much softer voice than I directed at her mother. “You should never talk to strangers, but that‘s not what I am.” Little by little, the tot is emerging from behind her mother. Interesting – most children are afraid of me at first. “I‘m your mommy‘s mate. Do you know what that word means?”

shakes her head, still

I say this to Selene alone. “And

flashes across Selene‘s features. “What

to

to put those kinds of ideas in her head!” She hisses, flames dancing in her

that passes, the more certain I am that this is my child, which means

fingers to answer my question with a patented “this mary” instead Selene scowls, her plump lip curling “She‘s

whose is she?” I

wolf glowing in her

made her all

yourself in her? Do you see even

I bend down and scoop up the sweet little girl before Selene can stop me. “Come here, pup.” || rumble gently. “let‘s have a

around her new predicament. Nonetheless, her surprise disappears quickly, replaced

for the moon I would try to steal it for her, no matter how impossible. Shaking my head, settling Lila more comfortably in my arms and internally swooning when she instantly rests her cheek on my shoulder. “I can‘t see anyone else in her either.” I finally answer Selene‘s question, unable to disguise the reverence

her attention swinging back and forth between my face and Lila‘s, clearly unsure of

decision for her, lifting her head and staring at the floor far below before looking back to me, as

around

expression transforms to one of pure excitement. “No, want

for a moment before agreeing,

as I live, I will never hear a more beautiful sound than this child squealing and giggling with joy as I toss her over my

all go wrong? I lament, thoroughly indulging in a fit of self–pity as I watch my daughter riding around on the back of a huge black wolf like he‘s a pony. Bastien gallops around the room indulging Lila‘s every whim. It started with “the flying game“, as it‘s now known, and somehow evolved and unraveled into

like a common dog and proudly returned it to my three year old, licking her face until she

this moment, this is the very last thing I ever imagined. I was ready for the anger, for yelling and drawn out fights, but no amount of preparation could ever make me ready for this: for watching Lila play with her father for the first time in her

pregnant this was exactly the kind of scene I dreamed about. Before the rejection, before Arabella and

Goddess for doing this to me, for giving me these dreams and then snatching them away; showing me these glimpses of bliss that will haunt me for

to stay strong, I have to keep

an impulse I understand how many times did he shift to comfort me through thunderstorms, when he knew the feel of a male body would only

to the living room Bastien shifts back, passing Lila to me so he can

not mine?” He