Pregnant and Rejected by My Alpha Mate

Bastien’s POV

This isn’t right.

The lab report in my hand is as clear as day, and its conclusions unmistakeable, but it can’t be right. I ve read it at least ten times now, scanning the page over and over again, looking for any sign of hope, any hint that the samples got mixed up or were contaminated in the lab. Yet every time the information remains the same. Beneath columns full of DNA markers I cannot even begin to understand, read the damning words:

Probability of Paternity: 0%

I don’t believe it. She has to be mine.

Selene, who turned pale and ashen the moment my mother revealed the envelope, squeezes the pup in her arms a little tighter. I can’t see Lila’s face, but I can hear the delicate wafts of her breath as she slum bers in her mother’s arms, completely oblivious to the disaster unfolding around her.

Selene furrows her dark brows and pouts her full lips, her beautiful face sullen and wary in equal mea sure. My stomach is in my throat, and the room around me is spinning out of control. She was telling the truth. I think simply, unable to process any more complex feelings than shock and pain.

I’d been so sure. I felt connected to Lila from the moment I saw her, and we bonded almost instantly. That has to mean something, doesn’t it? Surely I would not feel so possessive of another wolf’s child.

I suppose it might simply be the fact that she’s my mate’s daughter; after all, how could I not feel drawn to a pup who has so much of Selene in her? Maybe my mother was right, and I just wanted to be Lila’ s father. Maybe I didn’t want to believe my mate had truly chosen another wolf over me.

But she did. Selene chose Drake Cavanaugh’s pack over mine. She chose him for her protector; she chose him to father her pup.

Axel is howling mournfully in my head as I finally lower the paper. Every eye in the room is on me, and I realize they’re waiting for me to say something. “She isn’t mine,” I repeat, dropping the test results onto the side table. “The DNA wasn’t a match.”

Shockwaves reverberate through the room, surprised and disappointed faces mingling with those of re lief and triumph – but all remain silent. Axel is anything but. Howling has turned to ranting and raging, de crying the results with savage snarls and vicious growls. My head is so full of his fury I almost forget where I am.

unfocused faces filling the ::. room: beloved, ethereal and far too painful to look at now that I

your own fault for not believing me.” My mate’s cold words slice me straight to the core. I assumed she was so upset about the test because

was right to

even further, and he claws at the surface of my skin, desperate to get out. I’m not sure if I want to kill Drake or claim Selene. Frankly, I like the sound of both options. Of course, who’s to say I need to limit myself to one? Every instinct I possess is urging me

re sults too, but she can also see that I’m in very

tantly. “Are you alight?”

my shallow, seething breaths, punctuating the violent pounding of my heart. I know I’m barreling towards doing something I’ll regret, but even if I could stop my

‘an Alpha, not some feeble Omega. It’s my job to lead and protect at all costs, to dominate and control, not coddle

need to pull back brother.” He says,

billowing back. It ebbs just enough for Aiden’s words to filter through to Axel, and together we try to force down the bloodlust consum ing us. Clenching and unclenching my fists, I will my pulse to slow. I can’t give in

and stole my child, or bore one with another wolf, I was always going to lose. It’s a reminder of everything that’s wrong be tween us, further proof of how little I truly

loved

I imagined it

a fantasy I created

deeply she cared. She’d been out of her mind with pain, but almost seemed more devastated by the idea I’d rejected her. How many times has she told me that I had my chance, that

could she take another mate so quickly? How could she be hap py when I was in the depths

all my confusion and grief into the words. “Why did you do

with exasperation. “It was

happy.”| argue,

My mate sighs, appearing to grapple for patience. “We were doomed from the beginning.” Do I imagine the pain in her voice? “A marriage can’t be built on pity and obligation. I couldn’t give you what you wanted, and you couldn’t give me what I need ed. That’s not

wanted and more.” | profess fiercely, blocking out our audience so that I can speak to