Pregnant And Rejected By My Alpha Mate By Caroline Above Chapter 62


    Chapter 62


    However I thought this day would go, I never could have predicted this.


    I’m so overwhelmed and confused I don’t even know where to begin, but the strange reality remains: l’


    m safe. L and my secret are safe from my mate, and though I cannot even begin to understand how


    it happened, I am eternally grateful.


    This doesn’t make sense. Luna whimpers.


    No, I agree, It doesn’t. But thank the Goddess it happened.


    Weren’t you listening to what he said? Luna presses. He wants you, whatever else happened before,


    he wants you now. He wants L.


    Well he can’t have either of us. I argue. I’ve had my fill of men pretending to be innocent, refusing to be


    ountable for their actions.


    I can’t deny how deeply his words touched me, how deeply I wanted to believe them. I’ve dreamed


    about Bastien saying precisely these sorts of things to me a thousand times, but I refuse to let him hurt


    me again. I refuse to be the vulnerable, foolish girl who he destroyed without a backward nce.


    L is still sleeping soundly in my arms, and though Drake continues to stand sentry at my side,


    Bastien is long gone. Aiden and Donovan tore out of the room after him, leaving only a few Nova


    guards and Odette behind.


    I’ve been watching my mother inw very carefully. I’ve missed her so much: her love, her warmth, her


    understanding. Yet she is not looking at me with any of those things now.


    Odette continues to stroke my pup’s hair and whisper soothing nonsense in her ear, and though she


    does not seem angry with me, neither is she calm. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve


    earned a lecture from Odette, but it’s clear I have oneing now.


    She waits until Drake steps away from us, not wanting to be overheard. “I don’t know everything that


    happened between you,” Odette finally broaches when we have a semnce of privacy, “And I don’t


    know what’s happened since. But I do know this. My son loved you with his entire heart, and thinking


    you died de stroyed him. You have no idea what it was like afterward.”


    | mp my eyes shut, not wanting to picture the events she describes. “You were there, Odette. You


    saw the way it was thatst night. He chose Arabe.”


    “Nothing is ever as simple as it seems, Selene.” Odette counters. “I admit, at first I thought he was


    crazy for, using you of being involved with the kidnapping, but that was never what he intended. It


    was to appease the police, nothing else.”


    I know my supposed death can’t have been easy, and I’ve always felt guilty for letting everyone believe


    such a horrible lie, but I also can’t apologize for doing the best thing for my pup. “You’re a mother,


    Odette.” | murmur, ‘You know what it’s like. Arabe wanted me dead, Bastien seemed to take her side,


    and I barely survived any of it.” | sigh. “By the time L came along even knowing what I do now I had


    to do what’s best for her, and that wasn’t Elysium.”


    “No.” Odette agrees, “But it could be now.”


    “How?” | inquire hotly, “Arabe tried to kill me over and over again, and Bastien still chose her.”


    “I have news for you, Selene.” Odette announces, “Arabe has fled Elysium to avoid Bastien’s retribu


    tion over her crimes against you.”


    “What?” I ask in astonishment.


    “He didn’t know,” Odette insists, “and no matter how he felt about it, he would never stand for anyone


    threatening his mate.”


    “I know that.”


    “Do you?” Odette ponders, “Do you know how deeply he cares for you, wants to be with you?”


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    “I know that my daughter will never be safe with Arabe out there.” |bat coolly, “and I know that


    until she is behind bars, that can’t happen.”


    Odette frowns. “I just want you to be happy, my love.”


    “Then you don’t have anything to worry about.” I promise. “As long as I’m here with L, I’m happy.”


    It takes a while for the room to clear. Bodies slowly filter out, starting with the contingent from Elysium


    and eventually spreading to include the members of the Eros pack..


    I’ve been waiting for everyone to get out since the moment Bastien read the test results, and the soli


    tude can’te too soon. “What in the Goddess’s name just happened?” I demand when I’m finally


    alone with Drake. “Did you do that?”


    Drake frowns, “What, doctor the test results? No.” He replied simply. “I thought maybe you were respon


    sible.”


    “I didn’t have any idea.” I breathe. “And It doesn’t make any sense.” I cry, “Bastien is L’s father – with


    out question.”


    “You never…” Drake trails off suggestively.


    “I’ve never been with anyone else,” I inform him coolly. “There had to be something wrong with the sam


    ple.”


    “That or the Goddess was really looking out for you.” Drake contends.


    I don’t know the truth of the matter. What I do know is that DNA won’t be thest of my problems.


    Bastien is no pushover, and unless I’m very mistaken, this won’t be enough. “Are you okay pretending


    she’s yours?” I wonder aloud.


    Admittedly, Drake has always imed L to a certain extent, but never like this. His reputation


    throughout the pack is as a fearless leader, and there are always dozens of she-wolves sniffing around


    him. Will those things change if he announces L is his daughter?


    Will the she wolves ept it and move on? Or will the more ambitious social-climbers take my


    daughter’s existence as a threat the same way Arabe did.


    “Of course,” Drake agrees without hesitation. “I just worry how the pack will react.” He sighs, “And I wor


    ry it won’t be enough to get rid of Bastien.”


    “I know,” I murmur, nuzzling L, “He’s attached to her already. He can feel their connection whether he


    understands it or not.”


    “He’s not your only problem.” Drake shares ominously. “I’ve put off taking a mate so long and our


    rtionship.” He trails off indecisively, “There are she wolves in Asphodel who will take this as a


    threat.”


    “But there’s nothing actually between us!” | exim. “Surely they know that.”


    There’s an odd look on Drake’s face: disappointment, frustration and anger entwined with his concern.


    I’ve worried about Drake’s feelings for me a few times throughout the years, but we‘ve never been in a


    situation like this. His role in my life has never been questioned this way, and as much as I want to


    brush it aside, I can’t.


    Bastien’s re-appearance isplicated for a thousand reasons, not the least of which is that he’s


    putting pressure on the delicate bnce I’ve struck here. I don’t want anything to change, but the more


    time that passes, the more I fear things have already changed beyond allprehension.


    “People aren’t always that logical.” Drake broods, interrupting my thoughts. “But we have bigger


    problems.”


    “Don’t worry about the bounty,” I try to instruct.


    “No. I will worry about the bounty.” He insists, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about it and don’t you


    dare pretend you didn’t.”.


    Feeling suddenly very petnt after withstanding the disapproval of both these men, I argue, “I refuse


    to let fear rule my life. Our lives.” I correct, squeezing L gently. “I knew about the bounty,” I admit,


    “but it was always going to be there no matter when I went. I can’t run forever.”


    “It’s not about running!” Drake corrects, “It’s about, talking to me, letting me in so I can protect you


    when you need it.”


    “I’ve had enough of Alpha’s coddling me under the pretense of protecting me or doing ‘what’s best.” I


    argue, “I came here because I wanted to be free, not because I wanted a different wolf to boss me


    around.”


    “I understand that.” Drake insists, “But it doesn’t change the fact that you’re facing very real dangers.”


    His eyes narrow. “Why does Denizen want you, anyway?”


    “I can’t tell you.” I exhale, “And you don’t need to tell me about the dangers.” Honestly, do these wolves


    think I’m oblivious? Do they think I’m suicidal or that I don’t care about my pup. I want to avoid the


    Calypso Alpha more than anything, but I also know that hiding is only a temporary option. “One way or


    another, I have to be able to build a life for myself, Drake. I can’t do that if I’m always looking over my


    shoulder.”


    “Maybe not,” He concedes, “But you need to, at least for a while longer.”


    Drake’s green eyes are full of emotion. He’s looking at me in that intense way which never fails to make


    the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. The Eros Alpha has never made a move or proposi


    tioned me, but the more time that passes, the more convinced I am that he has feelings for me. When


    he looks at me this way it seems impossible to pretend otherwise, and as ufortable as it makes


    me, it also strengthens my resolve.


    Drake has been an incredible friend these past few years, and I trust his advice, but he’s far from unbi


    ased. He’s another Alpha who wants the best for me.


    But I want the best for me too.


    I want the best for L in a way he never will.


    “You have my word, I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep L and myself safe.” I vow, tilting my chin


    up. “Maybe that means I have to find a new pack, maybe it means going very far from here. But I won’t


    return to Elysium, and I won’t be forced to hide in my own home.” I insist.


    “Alright,” Drake agrees, his features softening as he reaches onerge paw to me, “I’m sorry. We’ll find


    a way through this,”


    I settle my hand in his, smiling gently and feeling infinitely grateful for his support, “Together.”