Chapter 47

Bastien‘s PO

The first thing I see is the fear on Selene‘s face. Fear I hate myself for causing. She‘s backed into a corner, appearing so much more like the lost little wolf I pulled from a tree, than the confident woman I met today.  

It takes all my strength to pull my eyes from Selene‘s haunted expression and survey the rest of the scene, at which point I realize why she‘s in the corner. The tiny body is visible even now, with pint–sized hands clutching her skirt and a gleaming pair of two–toned 

eyes peeking out from behind her leg. 

Mate, Axel croons with satisfaction. And mate‘s pup. Mine, both mine. 

We don‘t know who that pup belongs to yet. I caution him, though I cannot help but feel drawn to the tiny creature in a way I can‘t explain 

I don‘t care who she belonged to. He growls. I saw her. I like her. She‘s mine now

That‘s not how it works. I admonish him. 

Unable to assuage her curiosity, the little girl pokes her head out of hiding, and Selene stiffens reflexively. Waving off my men, 1 stride forward and close the door, carefully approaching the she–wolves. “Hello little one.” I murmur to the child, kneeling down so that we‘re at eye level, even if I‘m still halfway across the room. “Goddess she looks exactly like you.” I revel, looking back and forth between the beautiful faces, 

I‘ve seen many pups and kissed many babies in my life, but I cannot remember ever seeing such a perfect child. It‘s not just that she is my mate‘s creation – that she is the heart and soul of the woman I adore – it‘s that she is pure light, pure love. Despite my misgivings, I have to agree with Axel. Mine. 

A tiny voice tugs at my heart strings. “Mommy who‘s that?” 

The gooey warmth in my belly hardens like a rock, and the reality of our situation splashes over me like a bucket of ice water. If this child is mine, Selene hid her existence from me for years. She left Elysium knowing she was pregnant, and took my baby someplace where I could not protect her. 

“That‘s an excellent question.” I state harshly, catching my mate in my crosshairs. “Selene?” Slowly unfolding until I‘m standing again, I move forward. “Who am I to her?” 

“A stranger,” Selene designates coldly, “and what do we say to strangers, Lila?” 

On cue the tiny pup lifts her chubby fingers to her lips and pulls ar imaginary zipper across her mouth, pressing her lips tightly together and shaking her head once she‘s finished. 

softer voice than I directed at her mother. “You should never talk to strangers, but that‘s not what I am.” Little by little, the tot

head, still clutching

Selene alone. “And whatever

features. “What the hell

want me to lie to her?” I demand.

have no right to put those kinds of ideas in

little wolf. With every second that passes, the more certain I am that this is my child, which means I have every right. I arch

child‘s before she can lift her fingers to answer my question with a patented “this

whose is she?” I

her eyes. Goddess she‘s stunning when she‘s

all by yourself?”

in her?

up the sweet little girl before Selene can stop me. “Come here, pup.”

to leave the ground and can‘t quite wrap her head around her new predicament. Nonetheless, her surprise disappears quickly, replaced by unapologetic curiosity. She looks up at me

head, settling Lila more comfortably in my arms and internally swooning when she

forth between my face and Lila‘s, clearly unsure of what

decision for her, lifting her head and staring at the floor far below before looking back to me, as

sympathetically. If she‘s used to being carried around by my mate, this probably seems very high indeed. “Too

transforms to one of pure excitement. “No,

for a moment before agreeing, “Well I think that can be

with joy as I toss her over my head, catching her and repeating the move until she‘s so exhausted from laughing that we have to find a

Selene‘s POV 

watch my daughter riding around on the back of a huge black wolf like he‘s a pony. Bastien gallops around the room indulging Lila‘s every whim. It started

a common dog and proudly returned

yelling and drawn out fights, but no amount of preparation could ever make me ready for

first got pregnant this was exactly the kind of scene I dreamed about. Before the rejection, before Arabella and everything else, this was

showing me these glimpses of bliss that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

stay strong, I have to

as if he‘s a giant pillow. Honestly it‘s an impulse I understand – how many times did he shift to comfort me through thunderstorms, when he knew the feel of

sees me return to the living room Bastien shifts back, passing Lila

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