Mated to Her Alpha Instructor (Eileen and Regis) novel Chapter 148

Eileen

I closed my eyes as the carriage swayed beneath us, and immediately the quad flooded back–Celeste’s claws raised high, the crowd’s ugly chants, Derek’s face disappearing into the mass of bodies while they tore into me.

My breath caught.

Then warmth pressed over my hand. I opened my eyes to find Regis’s fingers laced through mine, his grip steady and sure. And beneath my other palm, resting on my belly, I felt it–a soft, reassuring flutter.

The baby wasn’t afraid. Not anymore.

I exhaled slowly, letting the tension drain from my shoulders. The tightness in my chest eased.

He’s here. We’re not alone.

The market square bustled with crowds. Regis guided me through the stalls with his hand at the small of my back, his presence a shield between me and the world!

At the herbalist’s booth, I tried to focus on selecting dried herbs for the journey. My fingers moved automatically, sorting through bundles, but my mind kept drifting.

Then laughter erupted nearby–a group of young wolves, their voices bright and carefree.

My shoulders locked. I glanced over before I could stop myself. They were clustered around a food stall, joking and shoving each other playfully. Normal.

Easy.

Do they know? Has the gossip already spread beyond the Academy?

Regis shifted closer immediately, his arm sliding around my waist. “They don’t matter,” he murmured against my temple, low enough that only I could hear.

“Only we do.”

I nodded and leaned into him, drawing strength from his solid warmth.

He paid for the herbs, then insisted on stopping at another stall for nutrition supplements–iron–rich teas, calcium powders, dried fruits that would keep during travel.

Then he paused at a display of soft baby items, running his fingers over a cream–colored blanket embroidered with tiny silver moons.

I laughed. “Isn’t it a little early for this?‘

What if the baby is born wolfless because of me? What if this little carving becomes a painful reminder of everything they can’t be, everything they’ll never have?

“Eileen. Regis’s voice was quiet, careful. “What’s wrong?”

I couldn’t meet his eyes. My thumb kept moving over the wooden wolf, tracing the same path again and again. “What if… My throat tightened. “What if the baby can’t shift? What if it’s because of me, and they face the same- I couldn’t finish. Couldn’t say hatred or rejection or loneliness out loud.

‘Look at me.”

I forced myself to meet his gaze.

“Would you love our child any less?‘ he asked, his voice steady and unflinching. If they were born without a wolf, would that change how you feel about them?

“No! The answer came instantly, fierce. ‘Of course not. Never.”

“Then that’s your answer. His hand found mine again, warm and grounding. That’s what matters.”

I stared at him, something shifting deep in my chest. And then it clicked–not because of what he said, but because of what I suddenly understood.

“You’re right,” I whispered. My hand curved protectively over my belly, over the little life growing there. Even if they re wolfless… My voice grew stronger as the realization took hold. “They won’t be like me. They won’t be alone.”