Pregnant And Rejected By My Alpha Mate By Caroline Above Chapter 54
Bastien’s POV
I’ve never spent much time in Asphodel.
When I was a boy my father dragged me all over the continent, visiting different territories and packs,
learning they of thend and meeting other Alphas, but I never liked anyce as well as Elysium.
Now, watching Selene and Lmune with the strange animals who live in the watery mangroves of
the Eros Pack’s capital, I can almost appreciate the strange, floating city.
A soft, furry snout emerges from the water, kissing L’s tiny toddler hand and making the pup squeal
with delight. Selene keeps one slender arm locked around her daughter’s middle so the child doesn’t
leap from the dock, but her own beaming grin is so wide 1 feel tempted to step forward and impose the
same protection on my mate.
As if she can feel my gaze on her, Selene nces over her shoulder, her bright, intelligent eyes
narrowing on me as her full mouth forms a luscious pout. I offer her a wolfish grin, Axel purring in my
chest when a visible quiver vibrates up Selene’s spine despite her grumpy expression.
I’m only vaguely aware of my Beta approaching on my left, desperately trying to ignore his grim energy
in favor of the vision before me on the pier. Arabe fled Elysium.
Well that certainly dampened the mood. She what?
Someone tipped her off, clearly. Donovan responds evenly, She was gone before the warrant was even
issued.
Then it’s true. Aiden joins our silent conversation, appearing on my other side.
N?velDrama.Org content rights.
You doubted it? Donavon questions skeptically. Where Arabe’s romantic interest in me had exposed
the less savory aspects of her nature long ago, and Donavon’s experience standing in as one of her
guardians had offered him the same rity, Aiden’s idealistic view of our surrogate little sister has
never quite been challenged until now that is.
No. He rebuts, I just hoped… I suppose it was just denial. Aiden finally confesses. We grew up with her
after all. Can you me me for not wanting to believe it?
No. I answer easily. I don’t want to believe it either but I refuse to allow my own wishes to blind me to
the truth. Guilt floods me as we stand there watching the identical she-wolves ying in the water, both
so small in their own ways. The fact is I let myself ignore Arabe’s faults for way too long. If I hadn’t,
none of this might have ever happened.
I can feel my Betas’ eyes on me, and I know what Donovan is going to ask before the thought leaves
his head. Do you want us to go after Arabe, or let her go?
A few years ago my allegiance to Flynn would have rendered the question unnecessary, even this time
last yeah, I’m not sure how I would have answered. Now I don’t give it a second thought: Hunt her
down. No matter how long it takes.
L fell asleep around mid-afternoon, begging to be carried and then slumping in her mother’s arms
long before we neared the center-city neighborhood my mate and her pup called home. Though Selene
had agreed to apany our party on a diplomatic tour around the city only after significant cajoling,
her daughter’s exhaustion seemed to provide the excuse for which she’d been waiting to duck out
early.
She was, therefore, less than amused when I offered to carry L the rest of the way, bearing the brunt
of the physical toll. Halting her imminent excuses to slip away, Selene reluctantly passed the pup to me
while grumbling mutinously under her breath.
Taking the featherlight load into my arms and resisting the urge to steal a kiss from my mate in the
process, I snuggled the pint sized wolf throughout the rest of the tour, determinedly parsing her delicate
scent for any traces of Drake Cavanaugh and finding none,
When Selene stepped out to use the restroom, I took the opportunity for which I’d been waiting, feeling
only a small sliver of guilt a: I plucked a few hairs from the sleeping pups’ head and passed them to
Aiden. “Here, get these back to Elysium straight away. I want you to oversee the tests personally, and
don’t leave until they have the results.”
I’ve already provided my Beta with samples of my own DNA topare against L’s. Though I have
no doubt the hospitals in Asphodel are world-ss, I don’t trust Eros wolves with such delicate matters.
I want the Drs in Elysium to run these tests, and I do I want a single middleman involved to muddy the
waters of the results.
“Are you kidding?” I scoff “She’d have my head for even suggesting it” i joke. In truth, Sne’s
defensiveness only raises my suspicions that L is mine. After all, what cause would she have to be
so defensive if L truly belonged to Drake?
“For what it’s worth, Bastien. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” Donovan confides, “That
girl has your smile – not Cavanaughs.
His words bothfort and concern me. “All due respect Donovan, I think I have even more to worry
about if she is mine.” “At least if she isn’t I know Selene is being honest.”
“Well if I were you, I’d start worrying.” Aiden frowns, carefully wrapping up L’s sample. “Because
Donovan’s right. If this pup isn’t yours, I’ll eat my hat.”
Selene’s POV
I firmly turn over the deadbolt locking my apartment, looking over my shoulder at the Alpha cradling my
daughter as I push the door open. Stepping just inside, I reach out for L, sighing in frustration when
Bastien pushes past me into the foyer rather than handing over my pup.
y sofa. Sirpanien.” I instruct,
He strides past me as if he owns the space, pulling off his jacket and then L’s before settling on my
sofa. Stripping off my own outerwear, I promptly swipe my baby away from the big predator and cuddle
her to my chest, “You can go now, Bastien.” I instruct, nodding towards the door where Donovan still
hovers.
Rather than doing as I suggested, Bastien scoots closer, throwing one burly arm over my shoulder and
circling the other around L. “I put out an order for Arabe’s arrest.” He announces nonchntly.
My chin jerks toward him in surprise, and I sit up, holding my body away from his intoxicating touch as
best I can. “Did you get her?”
“She ran.” He sighs, dragging onerge paw over his face.
It takes a moment for his words to sink in, their full implications washing over me like a drowning tide.
“Then she knows I’m here.”
He’s growling before the words can leave his mouth. “Not necessarily.”
“Of course she does!” | argue. “You tried to arrest her for attempting to kill me. The only way you could
have found that out is if you found me, which means she knows I’m alive.” And that also means she
knows L is alive.
Luna whines in my chest, you have to tell him. If Arabe knows about L, she’s in danger.
I force down my wolf’s protests, even as Bastien remarks, “You’re right, you’ll just have toe back to
Elysium with me then.“
“What?” I hiss coldly.
“You’re safest with me.” Bastien announces smugly, “We know Arabe isn’t in Elysium, So that’s
where you should go.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, being near you got me almost murdered multiple times and you didn’t do a
damn thing to protect me.” I bite back, squeezing L just a bit too tightly. The sweet pup murmurs and
tosses in her sleep, and Bastien plucks her from my arms.
“There, there, little one.” He croons. “Was Mommy getting too worked up?”
My mouth gapes open in outrage, “how dare you!”
Bastien gently rubs L’s back in small, concentric circles. “Easy little wolf.” Though he’s petting my
pup, I know he’s speaking to me and me alone. “I didn’t know before. I do now. I won’t let any harm
come to you.”
Fuming and certain smoke is billowing from my nostrils, I extend my arms, “Hand her over, and get out
of my house.”
Bastien arches a thick brow, not moving an inch, “No.”
“What do you mean, no?” I demand, “This is my house, I told you to leave. Now leave.”
I’m not sure how he manages it, after all, L isn’t known for being the deepest sleeper in the world.
Nheless, one moment I’m hovering over Bastien flinging threats and and res, and the next he’s
got my pup sleeping contentedly in one hand, and my nape in the other, “This might be your house, but
you belong to me, Selene.” Bastien growls “That means I make the rules here.”
My breast heaves as I scrabble for the words to respond, but he stops me again. “You need some rest,
as does this angel, so you’r going to get it.” He orders coldly. “Be a good girl and go to sleep. We’ll
finish this in the morning.”