Pregnant And Rejected

Chapter 61

Bastien’s POV

This isn’t right.

The lab report in my hand is as clear as day, and its conclusions unmistakeable, but it can’t be right. I ve read it at least ten times now, scanning the page over and over again, looking for any sign of hope, any hint that the samples got mixed up or were contaminated in the lab. Yet every time the information remains the same. Beneath columns full of DNA markers I cannot even begin to understand, read the damning words:

Probability of Paternity: 0%

I don’t believe it. She has to be mine.

Selene, who turned pale and ashen the moment my mother revealed the envelope, squeezes the pup in her arms a little tighter. I can’t see Lila’s face, but I can hear the delicate wafts of her breath as she slum bers in her mother’s arms, completely oblivious to the disaster unfolding around her.

Selene furrows her dark brows and pouts her full lips, her beautiful face sullen and wary in equal mea sure. My stomach is in my throat, and the room around me is spinning out of control. She was telling the truth. I think simply, unable to process any more complex feelings than shock and pain.

I’d been so sure. I felt connected to Lila from the moment I saw her, and we bonded almost instantly. That has to mean something, doesn’t it? Surely I would not feel so possessive of another wolf’s child.

I suppose it might simply be the fact that she’s my mate’s daughter; after all, how could I not feel drawn to a pup who has so much of Selene in her? Maybe my mother was right, and I just wanted to be Lila’ s father. Maybe I didn’t want to believe my mate had truly chosen another wolf over me.

But she did. Selene chose Drake Cavanaugh’s pack over mine. She chose him for her protector; she chose him to father her pup.

Axel is howling mournfully in my head as I finally lower the paper. Every eye in the room is on me, and I realize they’re waiting for me to say something. “She isn’t mine,” I repeat, dropping the test results onto the side table. “The DNA wasn’t a match.”

anything but. Howling has turned to ranting and raging, de crying the results with savage snarls and vicious growls. My head is

lilac eyes glow through the haze of blurry bodies and unfocused faces filling the room beloved, ethereal and far too painful to look at now that I know the

straight to the core. I assumed she was so upset about the test because she thought her lie would be revealed. Now I realize she was simply afraid of how I

right

or claim Selene. Frankly, I like the sound of both options. Of course, who’s to say

concern. Unless I’m mistaken, she’s upset by the re sults too, but she can also see that I’m in very

of my heart. I know I’m barreling towards doing something I’ll

of a woman who betrayed me. I’m ‘an Alpha, not some

the feral energy rolling off my body like a dark storm. “You need to pull back brother.” He says, adding

we try to force down the bloodlust consum ing us. Clenching and unclenching my fists, I will my pulse to slow. I can’t give in to my instincts with Lila here, no matter how entitled

realize this was never going to turn out well. Whether my mate lied and stole my child, or bore one with another wolf, I was always going to lose. It’s a reminder of everything that’s wrong be tween us, further proof of how little I

loved me,

I imagined it

our entire relationship a fantasy I

pain, but almost

if she truly loved me so much, how could she take another mate so quickly? How could she be hap py when I was

demand, pouring all my confusion and grief into the words. “Why did you

Selene answers with exasperation. “It was never going to work

I argue,

sighs, appearing to grapple for patience. “We were doomed from the beginning.” Do I imagine the pain in her voice? “A marriage can’t be built on pity and obligation. I couldn’t give you what you wanted, and you couldn’t

everything I ever wanted and more.” | profess fiercely, blocking out our audience so that I can speak to Selene, and Selene alone. “How can you think