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

Eileen

049

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?‘

“I want them,” he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. I can’t help imagining our pup wearing them already. He added the blanket to our growing basket, along with impossibly small mittens and a knitted cap.

His words carried a quiet joy that resonated through our bond, and I knew that he was dreaming of our child with the same fierce anticipation that filled

1. me.

We were passing a woodcarver’s stall when something made me stop. There, among the forest animals and decorative boxes, sat a small wolf cub carved from

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Chapter 148

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honey–colored wood. It was caught mid–pounce, all playful energy, its tail curved in pure joy.

I picked it up… and felt a faint stir inside me. My hand went to my belly, a smile tugging at my lips.

Regis noticed and stepped closer, his palm covering mine. “What is it?‘ he asked quietly.

“I think the baby just moved, I said, still smiling. They like it too.”

His eyes softened, gold flickering in the gray. Without hesitation, he turned to the merchant. “We’ll take it.”

In the carriage home, I cradled the little wolf, running my thumb over its smooth ears and curved tail. The baby stirred again, softer now, as if settling down

contentedly.

Joy warmed me from the inside out–and then fractured.

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?

The warmth drained away, replaced by a familiar cold knot of fear.

“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.”

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