Pregnant and Rejected by My Alpha Mate novel Chapter 177

Arabella

That was way too close. I think, breathing a much need ed sigh of relief. It’s only because of dumb luck – that my potion maker was stopping by to drop off my most recent order – that I even managed to inject Bastien with the sleeping solution.

I suppose there was some cunning involved – I had pre pared the syringe and kept it in my purse for emergencies just like this, but i’d hoped I wouldn’t ever need to use it. After helping me drag Bastien to bed and charging me ex tra for the labor, my sketchy contact left as swiftly as he came, leaving me to try to sort out what to do about Selene on my own.

Injecting enough memory potion into Bastien that I’m afraid I might actually have to start my plan over all the way from scratch, I take a page out of the Alpha’s book and be gin to pace. Somehow Selene had convinced Bastien that everything I’ve worked so hard to convince him of these past few weeks was all a lie. I was only gone for half an hour, so I cannot fathom how she managed to do it.

A little while later pause my panicked plotting when I hear my phone ring, so I go digging into my handbag to re trieve it. However, when I have the device in my hand a mo ment later the screen is completely blank. Still an unmistak

able ringtone is playing from somewhere in the house. Fol lowing the sound of the noise, I stride into Bastien’s bed room, seeing a faint glimmer of light between the mattress and boxspring.

Pulling out a sleek black phone from the bed, I see Drake Cavanaugh’s photo behind the red and green call buttons, with his name beside the incoming call notice. Ap parently Bastien was right – Selene is cleverer than I gave her credit for, at least in part. She was clearly smart enough to leave her phone with Bastien so they could get in touch, but she must not have trusted he’d keep his memory be cause she removed the passcode from the device.

It makes it only too easy for me to access all her infor mation, including the videos she must have showed him to

convince him of her honesty. Well played, Selene. I think begrudgingly. Too bad you didn’t think to silence it.

Wracking my brain, I try to remember the name of the witch who had been traveling with Selene, recalling that it had been something similar to her own name. Pulling up the recent calls, the name Helene Gray appears in multiple rows, and when I check the profile image it depicts the same ancient woman from the alley. To my delight I see that the two women are sharing their locations, and while | can’t be certain, I’d be willing to bet Selene is already back with her mentor.

Laughing aloud at the irony, I feel my spirits lift. This

day might have started out badly, but it’s sure as hell im proving fast.

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Selene

I’m staring at Helene’s phone like a woman obsessed, willing the device to ring. I haven’t heard from Bastien and it’s been more than an hour, which makes me extremely nervous. “I shouldn’t have left him.” | murmur, “I should have stayed so we could face her together. Why did I let him send me away like that?” | groan.

“There’s no use beating yourself up about it now.” He lene advises. “You can’t change what happened. All that matters is that you made progress. We know a lot more about his state of mind now, and he has your phone so even if she manages to overpower him somehow, there’s a lifeline to reach him or remind him of what happened.”

“You’re right.” | concede, trying to shake off my cyni cism, “Though I should probably contact everyone to make sure they know they can’t reach me using it anymore.”

Just then the screen lights up on Helene’s phone, and a text message from me appears. “Arabella is gone. I’m on my way to you now.”

LLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLL

“Arabella is gone?” | repeat, my heart leaping into my throat with both excitement and confusion. “Does that mean dead? Or like he’s sneaking out behind her back?”

“You’re too young to be so jaded.” My mentor tells me dryly.

“Is it horrible of me to hope he will give it up?” I whisper, “I know Lila is in danger, but Blaise is getting on in years al ready, and we’ve made it this long without him finding us.”

“It’s not horrible.” Helene promises, “It’s understand able. You’re afraid of losing your mate. But we already know your fated to face Blaise one way or another, so I’m afraid it isn’t a hope that will pan out.”

“How can you be so sure?” | ask her, “surely your pre monitions have been wrong before… at least once or twice?” I suggest hopefully.

rushing forward and then stopping myself before I come within reach of the she-wolf. As my shock wears off, disap pointment and fear rise up to replace it. Arabella clearly found my phone and was clearly alive and well, which means one way or another, she did manage to overpower