Pregnant And Rejected

Chapter 48

Bastien‘s POV

“You‘re doing this,” Selene accuses wretchedly, “Your wolf is doing this.”

What is she talking about? I demand of Axel.

She‘s near her mate. Her instinct is to change. It has to happen eventually her wolf has never been free.

I swear under my breath. I know he‘s right, but the timing is terrible. I remember my first shift vividly all wolves do. It‘s a horrible process, requiring almost every bone in the body to break and reform, slow and agonizing. Thankfully shifting gets easier and easier until it‘s effortless, but there‘s no way to make the first few any easier. You just have to suffer through.

“It isn‘t like that sweetheart. It‘s just your time.” I explain apologetically. I gather up Selene and deposit her on the sofa, moaning and writhing, before moving toward the bed to retrieve Lila.

Aiden! I call through our mental link.

He appears almost instantly, and I carry Lila to him, “Selene is about to shift, I need you to take the pup until it‘s over.”

“What are you doing?“ Selene snarls, trying to rise from the couch and crumpling, “you‘re not taking her anywhere!”

Handing off Lila, I return to my mate, pulling her up and speaking softly and urgently in her ear, “Easy Selene, he‘ll take care of her.”

“No!” She insists, a mother wolf in full defense mode, “you can‘t have her, she‘s mine!”

“Do you really want her to see this?” I demand sternly, “She‘ll be terrified.”

Selene‘s brow furrows, and I can see the gears in her head spinning with confusion, emotion warring with instinct. “Don‘t take her from me.” She finally begs, tears spilling from her eyelashes.

“No one is taking her from you, baby.” I vow, “You have my word, they‘re just going to get her someplace safe while you shift. I‘ll take you straight to her in the morning.”

“Let me hug her goodbye,” Selene requests pitifully.

Inod to Aiden, and he returns Lila to her mother‘s arms for a tearful cuddle before removing her again and leaving Selene and I alone in the safehouse.

My mate curls up into a little ball, rocking herself back and forth and clamping her eyes shut. “How long is it going to take?”

reach for her, sighing when she flinches away. “Everyone is different. If you‘re lucky it will be an hour or so. If

long transformation. I don‘t have the heart to tell her what she‘s

do now. Sitting by and doing nothing goes against the very core

know how to

doesn‘t want me to touch her. I growl

doesn‘t know what she wants right now, she hurts, make her feel better. He orders, a note of strain in his normally steady

time she lashes out, a new spasm of pain cripples her, and her attacks wane. Tucking her small body against mine, I hush her protests and massage

little wolf, it‘s okay.” I promise, “I‘m here. I‘m not going to leave

doing this?”

any other circumstances I would be thrilled, but having her writhe in agony next to me kind of takes some of the

Selene clarifies, a bit

you need me” I answer

Selene‘s back bows as she howls with

me when she can breathe again. If you‘d stayed in Elysium where you belong,

venom. “Do you really think it would be fair to keep her trapped

“No.” Selene keens despondently.

continue, petting her hair. “If you don‘t know what shifting is like, how will

I‘m trying to feel

right, this is a terrible, horrible thing to go through and I wish I could protect you from it

her eyes clenched shut and face glistening with sweat, “Stop being nice to

“Why?” I question.

without my wolf. She cries, seemingly out of nowhere. “I know you only want me now

for a moment, sitting up to study her face, unsure whether or not she‘s serious Is this delirium talking? Are you out of your mind? Selene I always

her head,

the first time ignoring her pain, I grab Selene by the shoulders, giving her

light She looks at me hopelessly, and I wish there was a way to steal these thoughts from her brain. “Selene, I have

“But Arabella”.

| growl. “She‘s the one I core for out of obligation, not

“But” Selene tries again.

mate, and your Alpha now I love you, and