Pregnant And Rejected By My Alpha Mate By Caroline Above Chapter 32


    Chapter 32 House Arrest


    Bastien’s POV


    “Enough” i cut through the rising voices: Selene swearing her innocence, the enforcersbatively


    contending that the evidence is against her, Aiden calling for calm. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. Our


    priority is finding Arabe.”


    No one quells more than Selene under the force of my tone, and I wish I couldfort her. My anger is


    for the enforcers, not her.


    “Our best trackers are on the trail, Alpha.” A resigned Danvers promises, “I’ve already received word


    that the men you sent rendezvoused with the team.”


    “They’ve followed Be’s scent to New Town.” Aiden confirms. Then, using our mental link he adds, If it


    were me, and I wanted to frame Selene, I would take Arabe to Garrick’s house.


    He’s right. It’s the only property Selene owns independently, and thest ce either of us would ever


    go. Let’s go.


    Aiden marches out on my order, no doubt pulling the car around while I wrangle the enforcers back out


    of the room. “We have a lead.” I announce. “I want everyone ready to move out in five minutes.”


    Danvers brow furrows, “What lead?”


    T’ll exin on the way.” I deflect, calling mother and the sentries back into the secure room.


    “You’re leaving?” Selene’s small voice surprises me. “Now?”


    “Yes.” I answer simply.


    “What if it’s a trap?” Selene halts me for the second time. “You should let the enforcers go and make


    sure it’s safe first.”


    I don’t even consider the suggestion. I’ve never run from a fight before, I don’t intend to start now, I


    need to be there for Arabe.”


    *Please don’t go, Bastien.” Selene whispers, her cerulean and violet eyes shining.


    “I have to.” Once the guards are positioned at the door once more, Imand, “Don’t let anyone in


    until I’m back.”


    “Wait.” Tiny feet charge after me, near silent on the persian rug. “You’re locking us in here again?”


    I turn back, facing the distress written clearly across my wife’s face. “I promise you’ll be safe.”


    Selene blinks, her confusion and fear gradually eclipsed by outrage. “From what?” She hisses,


    sounding entirely unlike my mate.” thought I was the kidnapper. Why do I have to stay in lock down if


    I’m the one causing all this?”


    Her anger ispletely justified, but I don’t have time to put out this fire, not when another zes out


    of control. I need to ensure my mate is safe, and the enforcers want to keep her under lock and key


    until she’s eliminated as a suspect.


    Heaving a weary sigh, I close the distance to my wife and drop my lips to her ear. “Don’t make this


    harder than it has to be. Selene.”


    “I’m not making this anything!” She croaks.


    “It’s this or enforcer custody, sweetheart.” The endearment rings false in my clipped tone, “which would


    you prefer?”


    It’s a lie, but we still have an audience. I have no intention of allowing the enforcers anywhere near


    Selene, no matter what other false evidence they find, but I can’t reveal this – not yet. It will be seen as


    corruption, and I need the investigators on my side until Arabe is safe and the immediate threat


    neutralized. I cannot risk alienating them by going against thew.


    *Oh.” The threat hits home with devastating impact, and I wish I could take back the words. “So it isn’t


    lock down.” She summarizes. “It’s house arrest.”


    “I don’t mind what you call it,” I said. “As long as you stay put.”


    Selene’s POV


    “This is ridiculous.” | vent. “Where the hell do they think I’m hiding her? My hands gesticte wildly as I


    pace in front of Odette “Do they imagine I’m such a viin that I have a secretir somewhere under the


    mountain?”


    “I don’t think logic has anything to do with it, Darling.” Odette soothes, more alert than I’ve seen her in a


    long time. Providingfort seems to have sidelined her sorrow, if only for a while. “Enforcers aren’t


    trained to question evidence, only collect it.”


    “I know.” I grumble, “But I can’t believe Bastien is going along with it. Doesn’t he know me better than


    that?”


    “I think he’s just afraid for Be.” She asserts. “He’s always had a blind spot when ites to her.”


    “Truly though,” I harp on, unable to let the issue go. “Let’s assume I wanted to kidnap Arabe and


    actually found a way to aplish it. Where could I possibly put her? What am I supposed to be doing


    with her? There’s no ransom and no body and I’ve been here basically 24/7 since before she was


    taken, so it’s not like I can be off torturing her!” The words pour out of me in a frenzy.” And they’d know


    if I hired someone to do it for me, because all of my money is Bastien’s!”


    “You’re right.” She agrees, sitting up with a look of dawning light on her face. “The only things you have


    are Bastien’s.”


    “Well thanks for putting it so gently.” I mutter.


    Odette ignores my sarcasm, pulling me into the bathroom and out of the guard’s hearing. “The cabin.”


    She murmurs, “The pack house isn’t technically your property because it transfers to any Alpha, but the


    cabin is in Bastien’s and your name. It’s the only ce they could tie directly to you, and no one has


    been up in ages.”


    I fight the urge to jump up and down in excitement. “Odette, you’re a genius!”


    “I have my moments.” A sly smile stretches across her face. “What do you say, we make a break for


    it?”


    I‘ve wanted nothing more than to get out of this room since the first moment Bastien threw me into it.


    “How?* I agree immediately.


    Odette beginsbing her hands along the wall, her slender fingers searching for some unseen


    pressure point in the ster. “One benefit of being Alphas,” she shares smugly, we get to know the


    escape routes even the guards don’t.”


    As her lips close around the final word, the wall clicks loudly, and a hidden doorway slides open before


    us. Sweet relief fills me, apanied by only a fraction of frustration. “Why didn’t you show me this


    five hours ago?”


    Odette shrugs. “That was before. Now we know you aren’t in any danger – they can’t me you for the


    kidnapping and attack you at the same time.”


    I catch her arm as she lifts her foot over the threshold. “What about you?”


    “Don’t worry about me sweetling.” She pats my cheek and shes her fangs, “Gabriel wasn’t the only


    one who ruled this pack with an iron fist.”


    “The lights are off.” I frown, peeking over a mossy boulder beyond the treeline of the cabin’s clearing.


    “And I don’t hear anything inside – or smell Arabe.” Odette is hunkered down beside me, her wolf


    glowing through her eyes. All wolves seem to rise to the surface in the forest, and being near them


    when it happens makes me ache for Luna, no matter how long I’ve been without her.


    I can almost imagine I feel a stirring in my own blood, a spark of fire in my empty heart. I don’t even feel


    nauseous here. For the first time since I found out about the baby, not even a sliver of difort


    assails my belly.


    It’s odd to feel so suddenly light when we’ve found naught but disappointment.


    “Damn.” | huff, “I was really hoping she’d be here. It seemed like the only exnation.”


    “I know.” Odette frowns. “But at least it got us out of that room.”


    Right. Our escape. I’d hoped finding Arabe would give us immunity for that little stunt, but that’s


    seeming less and less likely. “How mad do you think Bastien will be?”


    Odette’s lip quirks. “He has to find us first.”


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    “Did you disable the tracking in the car?” I ask worriedly:


    My mother inw rolls her eyes. “This isn’t my first rodeo, Darling.”


    giggle, leaning back on the soft ground. “Should we go inside?”


    “Let’s!” She chirps, bounding to her feet. Inside we find nketed furniture, stripped beds and an empty


    pantry – but no kidnapped she-wolves.


    Together we prepared the rooms, opening all the windows to air out the space and cleaning swiftly if


    not thoroughly. By the time the sun sets my stomach is growling like a wild beast, and Odette raises an


    eyebrow, “I don’t think ordering in is a good idea. So why don’t I run out to get some groceries?”


    I nod, watching her retreating back in the mirror above the side table I’m dusting. “Odette.” I say, just as


    she reaches the door.


    She turns back. “Yes, my love?”


    “Arabe,” I begin, picking at my cuticles anxiously. “When I said we don’t really get along…She really


    hates me. Enough to…”


    Odette freezes with her hand on the door knob. “Are you saying she might be behind all this? That she


    might not have truly been kidnapped?”


    “I don’t know what I’m saying.” i concede, “I just know nothing about this feels right.” I take a deep


    breath, “And she’s attempted worse.”


    She’s in front of me now, taking my face between her soft hands and drawing my eyes up. “First, let’s


    get you fed. Then we’ll sit down, and you can tell me everything.”


    I hup and nod, epting a hug before watching her retreat to the door again, disappearing beyond


    and driving away with a sh of headlights. I’m only just realizing she’s left her phone on the kitchen


    counter, when I hear a knock at the door.


    I don’t need to see the sh of blonde hair, or smell the cloying perfume to know who stands on the


    other side.


    Arabe.