Chapter 46 CHEATING MATE
SIANNA'S POV
My hand slid to the left side of the bed to discover an empty cold space. I lifted my head to confirm that Vance had already left for the council's meeting. Duke accompanied him, and therefore, Blayne was in charge of the pack until they returned.
With Duke away, I needed to phone the White Clovers Pack and speak with Raj. There was no morning sickness momentarily and I was grateful for that. I was feeling like the regular old me.
I used my fingertips to massage my somewhat swollen stomach. It is so hilarious that Vance kissed my belly every night before we fell asleep and did it every morning before he left as a way to greet our baby.
Unlike humans, wolves do not have a nine-month gestation period. Given that the gestation period for wolves ranged from 5 to 6 months depending on rank, I would give birth soon. That suggests that the pups of higher-ranked wolves developed more quickly.
We haven't performed any additional ultrasounds since I wasn't ready for my mother to tell me that there could be more than one baby in my womb. Going about this pregnancy in a slow manner was best for me as I am getting used to motherhood crash- landing on me.
When two or three babies are crying at once, it can be stressful. One baby may need to be changed, another may be hungry, and a third may just be in need of comfort. I tried to vanquish the dread away by shaking my head. Moon goddess, please give me just one pup.
"How are you doing, love?" The sound of Vance's voice echoed in my head. I groaned slightly before curling into a ball and closing my eyes.
"Do you feel exhausted, love?" He inquired lovingly through the mind-link.
"Yeah, I am exhausted as hell," I admitted. "Hurry back, babe. The bed is cold without you," I said crudely.
"Firecat, I would be warming the bed with you naked if it were in my hands."
"Then why aren't you already here, naked?" I teased.
He groaned, "Too many meetings to cover, love. I will miss you, but I know that your hands are full today with Hailey there."
I should get up and go attend to my bestie. I hope that she managed to sleep despite her troubled affairs.
"Babe, be safe. I love you."
"I will come back to you in one piece. Take it easy today and I can't wait to be home. Love you too." His voice went away.
I remained motionless while I mentally prepared myself for the day's events. Most of it would involve Hailey and contacting Raj. Even though I was exhausted from staying up late with Hailey, I vowed to always be there for her. So, I've got to get up and put away my sluggard mentality.
A soft knocking came from the door. My stomach grumbled. Yep, it's time to feed our baby. I felt suddenly ravenous.
I sat up on the bed, cross-legged, and before going to open the door, I stretched and yawned.
"Good morning sleepy head. I made you breakfast." Hailey chirped.
Hold up, wasn't this girl bawling last night and now she's all gleeful? "This is a surprise, shouldn't I be the one making you breakfast?"
"You are preggo, so I'm not going to let you overwork because of me. Now come sit and eat with me." She bossed me around. Holding my hand, she pulled me to the table on the balcony where she had opened the door and placed the tray of breakfast on the outdoor table. She looked at me and smiled, but I was looking confused and wondered if she had become bipolar. "Hailey, don't do that." I chided.
"Do what?" She lifted a forkful of scrambled eggs to her mouth. "You told me last night to eat, so I am eating now." "Not that, Hailey. I'm talking about sweeping away your emotions and pretending to be happy." I lightly scolded her.
She chewed. "I don't want to cry anymore over a man who isn't worth my tears." Her appearance seemed normal and so did her attitude. "We vowed never to allow a man to toy with us, so I cried as much as I could, but now it's time to accept it and move on, one day at a time."
I snatched up the meatloaf on my plate. "This looks so delicious."
Hailey giggled. "I am taking care of my best friend and little niece."
"Duke is not here today but he will return tonight. Will you tell him the truth about everything?" I doubt that she could conceal this from him. Duke was very intuitive.
She sighed as her bright face drained the smile away. "I have to tell him because he will investigate." She swallowed her food next to say, "I am sure by now that the high ranks of the pack are aware of his cheating ass. Luna Gena now gets to have her best friend as the Gamma Female."
"Should I send for your things?" I asked to assess how serious she was about her decision.
"Just ask them to get rid of everything and give them to the omegas." She was very decisive, practical, and efficient.
I nodded.
"Sianna, tell him we're over. Let him know that he's banned from here. Okay?" This time her voice was soft and pleading.
"I will tell him." I set her mind at ease with my reassurance.
We ate as Hailey chatted about going shopping for new clothes, toiletries, and other things. We went to the mall and visited the high-class stores. We bought just about everything that a woman required to maintain herself.
We had so many bags that I tipped a guy to help us bring them to the car in a trolley. Then we had lunch because I had to rest my feet. I got easily tired these days. Hailey's mood was upbeat but there were times when I glimpsed sadness on her face, or she stared into space for a few seconds.
She was fighting her emotions and being strong. I believed that she was about to start going to bars and clubs to flirt with single guys. And Duke, with his protective nature for his sister, will try to put her back on a leash to keep her from getting drunk and sleeping around.
Hailey wasn't promiscuous, but broken-hearted people do crap sometimes to get past their pain as a coping mechanism. I also knew that her wolf would be tormenting her to go back to her mate. Our wolves affected us through emotions and it was like having a living animal inside your body that can force your movements.
There's an innate connection between everything our wolves do. We can feel and see them like visions wagging their tails, rolling over, prancing, growling, and forcing their way to take over our bodies when they get mad.
Like when Vance comes home tonight, my wolf would urge me to jump on him, and his wolf would compel him to hug, kiss or mate with me. I never could comprehend the actions of cheating mates when the bond is a rapturous bliss.
By 2 pm we were finally heading back home. Hailey never told me where she planned to live. "Are we taking the stuff to my house or the pack house?"
"Since Duke is not here, I could unpack my stuff there. But Keisha will be asking questions." She paused at the car door with her thinking cap on. "I will tell her I'm here to spend time with you but when Duke comes back, I will sit both of them down and explain."
I got into the car, she slid in right next to me. We buckled our seat belts and drove to the pack house. I requested the omegas for assistance with getting the shopping bags inside and Hailey directed them to which room to take them.
Stairs, urgh! I hated stairs because, by the time I got to the top, I would be so tired. So we took the elevator instead to Hailey's old room on the Beta's living space on the fourth floor. Keisha was at work, thank goddess.
The room was clean because the omegas had to preserve the cleanliness even for unoccupied ones. I took a moment to rest on the bed while Hailey went into the closet to start arranging things.
"May I have Raj's phone number?" I turned my head to see her stooping in the closet with the shoe boxes. "I'm ready to call him."
"Sure," she unlocked her phone and gave it to me. "Are you certain that you can quarrel with anyone today? You look deadbeat." "I'm making the call right now." I pressed the dialer.
She turned and went back into the closet, bringing two other bags with her. The phone rang at first and went straight to voicemail.
I redialed with lofty determination. "Hello," the gruff voice answered.
"Hey, this is Luna Sianna from the Dark Wolverson Pack and I'm trying to speak with Gamma Raj." I sounded like a recording machine or some customer representative.
There was a succinct silence that only made his breathing loud. "Hi, Luna. Is Hailey with you? Is that why you are calling?"
"Yes, Hailey is home and her reasons for coming back were not what we expected. What happened Raj?" I should give him a chance to talk and explain himself. So that he would feel heard. Though, I was already biased and on my best friend's side.
I sounded like my mom whenever she was due an explanation about my misbehavior. Guess I must be transitioning well into motherhood by adopting some of my mother's traits.
"Luna, I don't even know what happened that night. I woke up in some woman's bedroom. She told me Hailey walked in on us. I searched the entire pack for Hailey and did not find her." His voice cracked up.
"Wasn't the woman your ex-fiancée or was that just to fool Hailey?" I slammed at him.
"We were engaged but.......when I met Hailey I called off the wedding. I didn't think they would have gone this far. But please believe me that I did not consciously do this." He sniffed as though he was crying. "C-can I talk to Hailey.......please?"
My best friend was busy sorting through her new clothes on the bed beside me and not interested in the phone conversation." She's not going to talk to you. She said to tell you that it's over and she will do the rejection soon."
"Fuck!" He yelled, almost deafening me.
"The Alpha's will be involved to ensure that the rejection is done. But, if someone played a foul hand into breaking you and Hailey up, I suggest you prove that within two weeks. Otherwise, it's bye-bye."
"Please d-don't hang up. I need to know that she's okay," His voice was tainted with sadness.
"She's fine, Raj. She's home with family." This was to remind him that we knew how to take care of Hailey.
"I'm her family too." He contended. "Sianna, I can't lose her. I love her. Please....please let her talk to me."
"I can't force her to do that. Give me some proof of your innocence or the rejection will be done in fifteen ays." I chose to be my best friend's gatekeeper, bodyguard, and everything right now.
"Okay. Alright. But have her take care of herself and the baby."
Immediately, I sat up upright, looking directly in the walk-in closet at her. She was hanging up some dresses. My shocking exclamation caused her to shoot her attention to me. "Hailey's pregnant?!"
She dropped the dress instantly and chuckled nervously.
"Do what you need to do and get back to us. It's your only chance. Get to work. Raj." I disconnected with an angry face and walked into the closet. Hailey tried to play it off.
"If I had told you, I know you would try to convince me to work it out for the sake of the baby. Especially since he wants me back." She pouted like a child. Normally, that kiddy face would make me laugh, but we are not kids anymore, and a child is
involved in this mess.
When she realized my solemn demeanor, her eyes became glossy with tears, which she vividly tried hard not to shed.
"Aye, aye, aye," I breathed out. I yearned for Vance's comforting touch. I was frazzled. Reading me like a book, she came closer and hugged me. We both needed each other.
For the first time, I felt like ripping someone's throat out. That person was Raj.