Pregnant and Rejected by My Alpha Mate

#Chapter 89 Breeding

Selene’s pov

“What?” I ask, unable to conjure any other words.

“I’ve been away too long,” Bastien sighs, “And so have you.” He adds pointedly. Suddenly I realize he must have dropped everything to come here. He has so many responsibilities in Elysium, I don’t know how he managed it. Who’s been running the pack while he’s been busy chasing me around Asphodel? The council?

Next I wonder how none of this occurred to me before. We can hardly be together while living in separate cities. In Bastien’s mind, I probably agreed to come back to Elysium the moment I let him claim me. The last card in my hand had been needing to keep Lila near her father, and that excuse went out the window when I told him the truth about the DNA test.

“Bastien, I have a life here.” I reply hesitantly,

“You had a life there too:” Bastien reminds me, brushing a few strands of hair out of my eyes.

“No.” I correct him. “I had you and nothing else. Here I have a business, friends, a purpose beyond standing beside you and looking pretty.”

“That’s not what I want for you, Selene. You can have all those things in Elysium. You could have had those things before if…” He trails off, uncertain why I hadn’t shown an interest in opening a cafe or having a life of my own when we were married. Puzzled and clearly concerned he asks, Did you think I wouldn’t let you?”

“No.” I exhale heavily, “It wasn’t anything you did, well, not in the way you mean.” I amend, reaching up to stroke my mate’s clenched jaw. “You have to understand. When you first rescued me I was completely helpless. I did need you to do everything for me, and you were so willing to take on that role that you never pushed me to step out of my comfort zone or do anything for myself. At the time I thought it was because you didn’t think I was capable of standing on my own two feet.” I share, reaching into my memories.

.

“If I coddled you, it’s because I love you.” Bastien informs me, looking perturbed. “I didn’t push you because taking care of you was never a burden to me, I wanted to do everything for you. I never wanted you to have to struggle again.”

got far enough out into the world to find myself,

progress in that time, considering where you started. Goddess, Selene, you were trapped in a basement through your entire adolescence.” He reminds

for me financially, but I had to figure out how to survive on my own. I had to figure out what I

do those things in Elysium.” Bastien beseeches, “It

an Alpha’s mate is a lot more than just being a wife.” I’m trying to choose my words carefully, but I’m not sure how successful my efforts are. My mate is looking grumpier by the minute. “It’s a full time

one large hand through his hair, Bastien huffs in frustration. “What did you think was going to happen when I claimed you Selene?

me?” I squeak, not sure

eyes.

I already know this evening. “So?” I exclaim, throwing my hands

mate appears to be praying for patience, bringing his palms together and speaking very deliberately, “You’re the most fertile you’ll ever be, and we’ve had unprotected sex a dozen times

feel like jelly. How could I have failed to connect those dots? Without contraception heat cycles almost

loud whirring. I’ve never considered having another pup. I wouldn’

now, how different it might be from the first time with Bastien by my side. I try to imagine having another pup, a sibling

too. Now that I know it’s possible, I desperately want to have another child with Bastien, but I’m not sure I’m ready to do it right this minute. We still have a lot to

it, treating it like it’s a foregone conclusion. What’s more, we always used protection in the first year of our marriage, when having a baby would have been more

to get me pregnant? Did you see I had a child with Drake and need to plant one of your own to spite him

decidedly guilty. “The thought did occur to me,” He admits, “But in my

so uncertain between us – when we live in different cities! When my

the full length of my body is pressed against his, and his silver eyes are glaring down at me. “It’s instinct, Selene.” He states sternly, “It’s my instinct to breed my mate, to mark what’s mine and wipe away any remnants left behind by other wolves.” Goddess help me, but his words are starting to excite me again. “I

trying to seal our bond with another baby? Is all this lust really driven by that

it is. Luna tells me, I want another