Pregnant and Rejected by My Alpha Mate novel Chapter 171

Chapter 171 – Reunion Part 2

Selene

If Bastien wants to hold me up against this wall and growl at me for the rest of our lives, I’ll gladly let him. It’s honestly a miracle I’m not crying like a baby just being reunited with him. The crushing weight that left my shoulders when I saw him was absolutely unfathomable. I truly did not realize how much stress I was carrying until I felt the sweet release of knowing my mate is unharmed – even if he has lost his marbles a bit.

I don’t have the first idea what Arabella has done to him, but it’s clear he has no idea what has been happening while he’s away – or even what happened before. If she were a Volana I might think he’d been hypnotized, but since she’s not, I have to think some sort of magic is responsible.

When he looks at me with that bewildered expression and opens my coat to reveal my small baby bump, I feel a tiny flutter behind my belly button. It’s as if the pup knows it’s father is finally near, and it’s the first time I’ve felt the baby quicken. I’m about to gasp when his silver eyes bore into me, “You’re breeding?”

“Arabella didn’t tell you?” I guess, not surprised Arabella would have kept this knowledge secret when she’s clearly been hiding more recent news from him as well.

“How would she know?” Bastien snarls defensively.

“Bastien, it’s been all over the news. I’ve been in the hospital, Frederic was keeping me there, making me sick.” I explain in the simplest terms I can.

“You’re lying.” He accuses immediately, “I’ve been following the news very closely – I haven’t seen anything about this.”

“I don’t know what coverage you get here, but I promise if you search you’ll find plenty of results.” I share, hoping he’ll do as I suggest. I can’t be sure how much of what I’m saying is actually getting through to him, but I have to try to plant as many seeds as I can.”

Bastien stares at my belly for a moment, his jaw ticking. “I suppose this is another of his bastards?”

“Bastien, If I’d been with Frederic, you’d smell him on me, but you don’t do you? There’s only you.” I pull my neckline back to expose his mark.” I’ve never been with anyone else, and you planted this pup the night you gave me this.”

He stares at the crinkled white scar as if he’s waiting for it to jump out and speak to him. I have no idea what he sees or smells, but I know the way male wolves respond to marks, I know they can sense things completely below women’s radar.

“This pup is yours, just like Lila is.” I remind him passionately.

“Lila?” He repeats, sounding as if the name might be ringing a bell, but one which he simply cannot place. – “Lila, our daughter.” I’m unbelievably glad my pup isn’t here at the moment, it would devastate her to think her father had forgotten her. “Do you

truly remember nothing of the last five years?” I press, becoming increasingly worried. “Do… do you remember meeting me?”

Bastien finally sets my feet on the ground, removing some of the pressure forcing me against the cold bricks, “your assassins took my memory in the attack.”

“They weren’t my assassins!” | exclaim. “They were Frederic’s and they didn’t take your memory. We spoke after it happened. You called Aiden and Donovan to get Lila and I to a safe house because you were afraid someone was coming for us too!”

“She’s lying!” Suddenly Arabella is standing next to Helen just inside the alleyway. I’m beginning to think the magic has dulled my other senses. I didn’t smell Bastien until he was in front of me, and I didn’t hear her coming. “Don’t let her fool you Bastien. You remember waking up after the attack – you were in my apartment.”

“And just how did he get from being knocked out by assassins to being in your apartment?” Helene demands, voicing my thoughts. “How did he escape them if they knocked him out. I suppose they had a sudden crisis of conscience, decided to give up their mercenary ways and carried him to your doorstep?”

Keeping one eye on Bastien, a spark of hope lights in my hear when he apparently considers this question for the first time. What in the Goddess’s name has she done to him? I ask Luna. It’s like it’s not just his memory but

his logic too.

Cringing away from the woman, Arabella reached for Bastien,“ Remember honey, you’d already found me when they caught up to you, after we fought them off I had a friend help me get you inside.”

“Since when do you lose fights? Since when do you succumb to injury or illness?” I press, “This isn’t you. If you would only come home with me you’ll see. Aiden, Donovan, your mother, they can verify all this. We‘ve all been calling you for weeks.”

“You’ve tricked them.” He says dully, not sounding like himself at all. Disappointment slams into me, for a moment there I thought we’d had him, but now it seems like he’s fallen further away. “You‘ve tricked them just like you tricked me.”