Mated to Her Alpha Instructor (Eileen and Regis) novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24

“Future’s started demanding a lot of her, he’s a wife, the intention of studying is going to change that. It’s not like she’s going out slaying hunts or defending territory, then why should we be wasting our money paying for her to be there?”

Thorny nodded, her expression hard. “Tours are hurry. We’re investing an heir at all. Most families wouldn’t bother. But your loser of a father thought maybe she could at least make herself useful as a healer. Though at this rate…” She trailed off, shaking her head.

I kept my eyes on my bowl, forcing myself to eat even though every bite felt like swallowing stones. My stomach was still uneasy, and the rich smell of the soup—mild as it was—made me gag, but I didn’t dare leave the table. I just sat there, silent and small, and waited for the meal to be over.

When it finally was, I excused myself as quickly as I could and retreated to my room, closing the door behind me and leaning against it, my whole body shaking.

No one had asked if I was all right. No one had cared.

That night, I lay in bed with the door locked, staring up at the ceiling and trying to make sense of what was happening to me. The exhaustion. The nausea. The strange, sweet undertone to my scent that Mira had noticed and that I couldn’t seem to wash away.

I pressed my hand to my stomach, feeling the slight curve of it beneath my nightgown, and tried to tell myself it was impossible.

I closed my eyes, my breath coming faster, and felt the edges of panic creeping in. If I was pregnant—if I really was—then I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t let my family find out. They would be furious, humiliated. My mother would call me a disgrace. My father would disown me.

And the academy… the academy had rules. Students weren’t allowed to be pregnant. I would be expelled, or at the very least forced to take a leave of absence, and I couldn’t afford that. I needed my scholarship. I needed to finish my training.

The thought crystallized in my mind, sharp and cold. I couldn’t do this here, where everyone knew me, where word would spread faster than wildfire. But there was a clinic near the academy, a small, discreet place that served transient pack members and didn’t ask too many questions.

On Sunday morning, I packed my bag early and told my parents I needed to leave—that the academy had sent an urgent notice about returning students.

My mother barely looked up from her tea. “Fine. Not like you’ve been much help around here anyway—just drifting around like a frost?”

My father nodded absently, and Gareth didn’t even glance in my direction.

I was halfway to the door when my mother called out, “Eileen. Wait.”