Pregnant And Rejected By My Alpha Mate By Caroline Above Chapter 81
Chapter 81 Daddy
Bastien’s POV
By the time theb has mixed the antidote for L, Selene is so exhausted she’s barely able to keep
her eyes open. She’s trying so hard to stay awake, but thest few days have been exhausting in more
ways than one.
As pleasurable as heat cycles are, non-stop sex for hours on end takes a lot out of you as does
resisting the hormones in order to function normally when you inevitably must. Running on almost no
sleep, my poor little wolf had to cope with heat, her pup being kidnapped, then being taken herself, and
now this. If it hadn’t been for her time under the Starlight, I think the stress would have toppled her over
hours ago.
I’m not in great shape myself, but I’ve been trained to endure war, to survive under the harshest
conditions imaginable and somehow persevere. Besides, just as Selene keeps herself going for L, I
keep myself going for them both. I’ve stationed myself between their beds, holding my mate’s hand and
gazing at my pup in wonder.
I’m a father. Not a surrogate standing in for another man, not a guardian or adoptive parent, but a real
father. It still doesn’t seem real. I already thought I was the luckiest bastard on the just for getting
to call Selene my own and help raise L. Now! think I must be dreaming.
“You should really try to rest a little.” I encourage Selene for the dozenth time, stroking her palm with
my thumb. “I promise I’ll wake you the second something changes.”
Selene shakes her head weakly. “No.” She replies hoarsely, “not until I know she’s okay.”
Luckily we don’t have to wait much longer. Selene has been watching L’s vital signs like a hawk, and
when the doctors finally enter with a syringe full of eerie purple liquid, she practically tries to jump out of
her bed. I catch her before she gets very far, not that it’s difficult. Her movements are sluggish and
unsteady, like a drunk under water.
“Okay Mr and Mrs Durand, the antidote is ready.” The doctor announces, showing us the drug. “I’m
going to inject it straight into her IV so it will get into her system nice and fast.”
“You’re sure it’s going to work?” Selene frets.
“Nothing’s ever one hundred percent.” The doctor hedges, “but I’ve never known this treatment to fail.”
She presses the needle into one of the little ports along the clear tubes feeding into L’s arms, and
depresses the plunger. The purple liquid slowly seeps out of the syringe and into the tubes, then
disappears into the toddler’s veins. “It will take a little while to fully revive her.”
“How long?” I press, my agitation spiking now that the moment of truth is imminent.
“Half an hour?” She theorizes. “Give or take.”
“Half an hour.” I repeat to Selene, kissing her hand. “That’s not so bad.”
The waiting is terrible, but after five minutes L’s vital signs begin to improve. Her heart beat grows
more steady and her blood pressure rises, even her coloring starts to look a little better.
“Bastien.” Selene shakes my hands as vigorously as she’s able – which isn’t very much. “look!”
“I know, baby.” I assure her, “It’s working.”
For a moment I think she’s going to start crying again, only she doesn’t look relieved or happy as I
might expect. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s too far away.” Seleneins in a small voice.
My lipspress into a hard line as I study the pup, observing all the wires and machines hooked up
to her tiny body. It’s impossible to put them in the same bed, but Selene isn’t nearly as tangled up in
equipment. Careful to pull her IV pole with us, i scoop my mate up and settle her in myp, moving the
chair as close to L’s bed as possible.
She’spletely limp, her wet cheek pressed against the curve of my neck. Still, she peeps, “Closer.”
She needs to sleep. Axel gripes, his concern for our mate overriding his happiness about L. She’s
delirious.
I’m not going to make her sleep before the pup wakes. I counter, She can make it a little while longer.
“Hush sweetheart,” I soothe, rubbing her back. “It won’t be long now.”
“Why is this happening ? She whispers, so quietly I almost don’t hear her. “Why is someone always
trying to hurt us?” My heart cracks wide open at these words, at the pain in her sweet voice. The worst
part is that I don’t have an answer. Selene’s life has been one trauma after another, and it never seems
to stop. “I don’t want L to live this way.”
“She’s not going to.” I vow, not having the faintest idea how to fix any of this, but certain that I will find a
way. I will not let this be my daughter’s story or my mate’s, not anymore. “I promise Selene, if it’s the
last thing I do, I’m going to make her safe.”
Unfortunately Axel is right, and Selene has fallen beyond logic or understanding. She’s spiraling
deeper, delving into dark thoughts and buried fears. “What did we do to deserve this?” She continues
wearily, “Is life always this hard?”
“You didn’t deserve anything that’s happened to you, Selene. Do you hear me?” I demand, squeezing
her more tightly.
“Hm.” She grunts sleepily, not truly answering me. “Life isn’t always going to be this way.” I soberly
im, “We’re going to make it better, we’re going to be happy all three of us.”
Selene nuzzles her face into my neck, “I’m so tired, Bastien.”
Before I can respond, a tiny voice sounds on my right, ”Mommy?”
We both jolt, our attention snapping to the bed. L’s two-toned eyes are blinking blearily, and she’s
squirming with difort, no doubt riddled with confusing aches from the machinery.
As disoriented as she was a moment ago, the sound of her pup’s voice rouses Selene like a ring
rm. “I’m here, angel.” She immediately answers, reaching for the child. Standing, I bnce Selene
on the edge of the bed, keeping her weight braced against me so she doesn’t topple over. Her gentle
hands flutter over the pup. “It’s okay, my darling. You’re safe.”
Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
L’s little face twists up, and she begins pulling at the various tubes connected to her body. “Mommy,
owie.”
“No L, you have to leave those alone.” Selene tells her. “I know they hurt but they’re helping you.”
Her cheeks flush bright red, and I can’t help but admire the color given how pale she was a little while
ago, even though I recognize what’sing. L begins to cry, overwhelmed by the aches, strange
surroundings, and Goddess knows whatever else the Starlight did to her system.
Selene tries to soothe her, but unable to hold the pup or fix her hurts, she soon bes distressed.
Within minutes I have two crying she-wolves on my hands, one whom I can’t calm, and another who
won’t allow me to try.
The nursese to give L a sleeping draught, and Selene shakily croons to her until she goes
under. The moment L’s eyes fall shut once more, Selene copses, passing out in my arms.
Selene’s POV
It feels as though I’ve been asleep for days. My body is so heavy and leadened I can’t lift a finger. I
think I must be drugged. I feel so calm and restful, like I’m floating on a warm breeze.
I can hear L’s precious voice somewhere to my left, and I can feel Bastien nearby. “Mommy’s really
sleepy.” She’s saying.
“She is.” Bastien agrees, “She had a very rough few days. You both did.”
“What happened to bad man?” L asks in return, undoubtedly thinking of Martin.
“He’s gone away.” Bastien informs her, “And he’s nevering back.”
“That’s good.” L chirps, prompting a chuckle from her father. She giggles right back, pausing to linger
in their shared amusement before speaking again. “Bashun, I’s hungry.”
“Well we can certainly get you some food.” He quips, an odd note in his low voice. When he speaks
again, I understand why. “But instead of Bastien, how would you like to call me Daddy?”
“Daddy?” L mimics thoughtfully. My heart flutters in my chest, he’s offering my daughter the one thing
I’ve never been able to give her, the thing I never thought she’d have.
“That’s right.” He remarks solemnly, “Because that’s who I am. I’m your daddy.”
“I’ve never had Daddy before.” L muses.
“Well you do now.” He replies adoringly.
My heart has been broken in so many ways over the years that I’ve lost track of all the fissures and
cracks; all the fractures. Often I don’t realize a piece was broken until it’s mended, and this is no
different. I never realized how badly I needed to hear L call Bastien Daddy, to see my pup and my
mate together. It’s such a small word, a simple gesture, and yet it carries all the weight in the world.
Now that the truth is out, we can finally be a family.
We are a family atst.