Pregnant And Rejected

Chapter 89 Breeding

Selene’s pov

“What?” I ask, unable to conjure any other words.

“I’ve been away too long,” Bastien sighs, “And so have you.” He adds pointedly. Suddenly I realize he must have dropped everything to come here. He has so many responsibilities in Elysium, I don’t know how he managed it. Who’s been running the pack while he’s been busy chasing me around Asphodel? The council?

Next I wonder how none of this occurred to me before. We can hardly be together while living in separate cities. In Bastien’s mind, I probably agreed to come back to Elysium the moment I let him claim me. The last card in my hand had been needing to keep Lila near her father, and that excuse went out the window when I told him the truth about the DNA test.

“Bastien, I have a life here.” I reply hesitantly,

“You had a life there too:” Bastien reminds me, brushing a few strands of hair out of my eyes.

“No.” I correct him. “I had you and nothing else. Here I have a business, friends, a purpose beyond standing beside you and looking pretty.”

“That’s not what I want for you, Selene. You can have all those things in Elysium. You could have had those things before if…” He trails off, uncertain why I hadn’t shown an interest in opening a cafe or having a life of my own when we were married. Puzzled and clearly concerned he asks, Did you think I wouldn’t let you?”

“No.” I exhale heavily, “It wasn’t anything you did, well, not in the way you mean.” I amend, reaching up to stroke my mate’s clenched jaw. “You have to understand. When you first rescued me I was completely helpless. I did need you to do everything for me, and you were so willing to take on that role that you never pushed me to step out of my comfort zone or do anything for myself. At the time I thought it was because you didn’t think I was capable of standing on my own two feet.” I share, reaching into my memories.

“If I coddled you, it’s because I love you.” Bastien informs me, looking perturbed. “I didn’t push you because taking care of you was never a burden to me, I wanted to do everything for you. I never wanted you to have to struggle again.”

“I know that now.” I assure him gently, but I never learned how to fend for myself. I never got far enough out into the world to find myself, to figure out who I was and what I wanted out of life.”

entire adolescence.” He reminds me as if I could forget.

did it in a bubble.” I proclaim firmly, “When I came here I didn’t have a choice. Drake helped me get the apartment and provided for me financially, but I had to figure out how to survive on my own. I had to

those things in Elysium.” Bastien beseeches, “It

trying to choose my words carefully, but I’m not sure how successful my efforts are. My mate is looking grumpier by the minute. “It’s a full time job with a lot of responsibilities, if I go back I won’t have a

frustration. “What did you think was going to happen when I claimed you Selene? That you and Lila would stay here when I went back home?” He eyes

squeak, not sure I heard him

rolls his eyes. “You’re in

tell me things I already know this evening. “So?” I exclaim, throwing my hands

palms together and speaking very deliberately, “You’re the most fertile you’ll ever be, and we’ve had

the island to brace myself. Suddenly my knees feel like jelly. How could I have failed to connect those dots? Without contraception heat cycles almost

in my ears, blocking out all other sounds with a loud whirring. I’ve never considered having another pup. I wouldn’ t have ever wanted one with anyone but Bastien and I never thought

it would be like to go through a pregnancy now, how different it might be from the first time with Bastien by my side. I try to imagine having another pup, a sibling for Lila,

that I know it’s possible, I desperately want to have another child with Bastien, but I’m not sure I’m ready to do it right this minute. We still have a lot to figure out. Lila and I are still in danger what

else, a niggling thought in the back of my mind. Bastien knew. He knew he might get me pregnant again. He seems to expect it, treating it like it’s a foregone conclusion. What’s more, we always used protection in the first year of our marriage, when having a

my eyes at my mate, I push away from the counter, stalking towards him. “Were you planning this?” I hiss, “Have you been trying to get me pregnant? Did you see I had a

thought did occur to me,” He admits, “But in my defense,

a big commitment when things were so uncertain between us when we live in different cities! When

length of my body is pressed against his, and his silver eyes are glaring down at me. “It’s instinct, Selene.” He states sternly, “It’s my instinct to breed

bond with another baby? Is all this lust really driven by that base instinct to