Pregnant And Rejected

Chapter 155 Bastien Takes Care of Arabella

Bastien’s POV

All I ever seem to do these days is pace.

Pace, scour the news from Elysium and try to figure out what hell I’m going to do. I cannot stomach the idea of standing by and doing nothing, but Arabella gets so frantic every time I mention going back or taking action that I’ve learned to cool my temper around her.

It’s strange, I’ve witnessed a thousand of Bella’s tantrums over the years, but she’s never been a cowardly wolf. No, her fits have almost always been about not getting her way, this is the first time I’ve ever seen her so beside herself out of fear. She must have been terribly traumatized to be this afraid, and things must be even worse in Elysium then I realized if she feels she has no allies there. I still find it hard to believe my mother, Aiden and Donovan would all be so easily fooled by Selene, but everything I read in the papers or see on TV backs up what Arabella says.

The pack is about ready to throw me out as Alpha, and my so-called mate is nowhere to be found. If anything, she stirs up the discontent by making herself a victim at the expense of my absence. Unfortunately the cable was out last week during the press conference she gave, but Arabella showed me the papers the next day, which detailed how my wife bemoaned my negligence and blamed me for everything going wrong at home.

I don’t want to upset Arabella, but I cannot allow this to go on, I have to return home and expose my cousin and traitorous wife. I’m supposed to be here planning my next move, but every time I think of a new idea, Arabella shoots it down. I admit she knows the current situation better than I do, but I think I’ve been letting her fear guide us both, and that cannot continue.

My wolf goes on high alert when I smell Bella drawing near the apartment and hear her crying. I’m automatically bracing myself for danger when she stumbles into the room, bruised and sobbing. “Bella!” Rushing to her side, I lock the door behind her and gather her up, trying to get a look at her even as she collapses into my arms. “What happened?”

“It was Blaise.” She wails, sniffling loudly, “He called an audience with me and I thought it was just to talk about the state dinner next week, but it wasn’t.”

“Blaise did this?!” I demand fiercely, finally pushing her off of me long enough to get a look at the dark bruise blooming across her cheek. What kind of a man hits and innocent woman? I think in horror, what kind of Alpha treats his subjects that way?

The same kind that would lock all the poor and diabled people in an underground prison and ban them from mixing with their “betters”. Axel supplies with a snarl.

“Yes!” Arabella cries, “oh Bastien, he was terrifying. He’s been having me followed, he said he knew I’d been exploring the city, going to the underground. He said he didn’t give me permission to roam Tartarus at will and threatened to kill me if I crossed him again.”

Tutter in disbelief,

“it’s only a blessing he didn’t see us together. We can’t risk you leaving the house again, or he might

zero intention of lying down and letting a tyrant walk all over me. And third, because none of this makes any sense. I mean, I know Blaise is a ruthless tyrant, but I have to be missing some detail here. Why would he care so much about a random she-wolf who doesn’t even

telling us everything. Axel reasons, far more calmly than I would have expected him to

I encourage Arabella gently, guiding her to the kitchen, “Let me take

is limping, so I sweep her up into my arms and set her on the counter.

few gulps of breath, and when her shaking has lessened, I prompt her to

chokes, “He called me for an audience

Based on my own battle experience, I’d say he walloped her pretty hard, but only struck once. At least the bastard is capable of

my ankle.” She sniffs, her lips trembling

I can’t find anything visibly wrong with it, but presume it must be

was Blaise having you followed?” I don’t really know a delicate way of asking this question, so I simply blurt out the tactless thought in my mind, “Why does he care about you, or

know Axel was right. she is hiding something. It’s also clear she doesn’t want to tell

her lashes, looking more vulnerable than I can remember seeing her in a very long time. “You have to

me, honey. I promise you’ll feel better with

onto me when I first arrived but I told him

a funny way of showing his affection.” I growl, pulling a bag of frozen peas from the freezer

taking care of me, Bastien.” She whimpers, “I don’t know what i’d

ever have to worry about that again.” I vow. “From here on out, it’s you and me, Bella. We’re going to get

at me tearfully, her hands clutching my shirt in an iron

recognize the hallmarks well, and I have a feeling this is more of the same. I don’t doubt she’s hurting, but Arabella has never been the type to pull out the puppy dog