Chapter 47 Trapped
Jeremy's POV
The hall was still celebrating. Cheering. Toasting.
But I couldn't hear any of it.
All I heard was Mia's words. Over and over.
"I'm pregnant."
Pregnant. She was pregnant.
With my child. Supposedly.
But how? How was that possible?
My body didn't work. Not for her. Not sober. Not consciously.
Unless...
That night. The night I couldn't remember. The night I woke up with her.
Did something actually happen? Did my body finally...?
"Alpha." James appeared beside me. His face concerned. "Can we talk? Privately?"
I nodded. Numb. Following him to a corner away from the crowd.
"What is going on?" James whispered. Urgent. "The announcement. You didn't tell me anything about this."
"That's because I didn't know." My voice was flat. Empty.
His eyes widened, James was not speaking as my beta at that moment but as my friend, that I'm sure of . "Your own fiancée is pregnant and you didn't know?"
"She just told me. Right now. With everyone else." I ran my hand through my hair. "I'm just as shocked as you are."
"But..." James looked confused. "How is that possible? The curse..."
"I don't know." I looked at Mia across the room. Smiling. Glowing. Accepting congratulations. "I don't remember anything from that night."
"What night?"
"The celebration. Two weeks ago. I got drunk. Really drunk. Mia helped me to my room." I swallowed hard. "Next morning, I woke up... we were in bed together. Both naked."
"You slept with her?"
"I don't remember it. Don't remember anything." My hands clenched into fists. "But she says we did. Says we finally... connected."
"And now she's pregnant."
"Apparently."
James was quiet for a moment. Thinking.
"Something feels wrong about this, Alpha."
"I know."
"Your curse... it's been three years. Your body never responded to her. Not once." He looked at me. "And suddenly one drunk night and everything works?"
"I don't know, James. Maybe the alcohol helped. Maybe..."
"Or maybe something else happened." His voice dropped. "Something she's not telling you."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying we should verify this. Get a doctor. A real examination."
I looked at the crowd. At Mia. At everyone celebrating.
"She said the pack doctor already confirmed it."
"Then let's hear it from the doctor directly." James stepped closer. "Before this goes any further. Before the whole pack believes it. We need to be sure."
He was right. I needed to know. Needed to be certain.
"Find Doctor Hayes. Bring him here. Now."
James nodded. Disappeared into the crowd.
I stood there. Watching. Waiting.
Mia saw me. Walked over. Still smiling.
"Isn't it wonderful?" She took my hand. "We're going to be parents, Jeremy. Finally."
"Mia, we need to talk..."
"Not now. Later." She squeezed my hand.
"Right now, we need to celebrate. Let the pack see we're happy."
"Are we happy?"
"Of course we are." She leaned close. Whispered. "This is what you wanted, isn't it? A way out of the curse? Well, here it is. Proof that your body works. That we can have a future."
"But I don't remember..."
"Does it matter?" Her grip tightened. "What matters is the result. A baby. An heir. Everything the pack needs."
She walked away. Back to the crowd. Back to the congratulations.
And I stood there. Trapped.
Because she was right. In a way.
If this was true... if she was really pregnant with my child...
Then I was bound to her. Forever. No escape. No choice.
James returned. Doctor Hayes with him.
"Alpha Jeremy." The doctor bowed. "Congratulations on the wonderful news."
"Doctor. I need to ask you something." I pulled him aside. "Did you examine Mia? Confirm the pregnancy?"
"Yes, Alpha. This morning." He nodded. "She came to my office. Asked for a test. She said Doctor Melissa had confirmed it before but she wants to be sure, So I examine her for confirmation."
"And?"
"The test was positive. She's definitely pregnant."
"How far along?"
"About two weeks. Still very early. But the signs are clear."
Two weeks. Right after that night.
"Is there any way..." I hesitated. "Any way to be absolutely certain it's mine?"
Doctor Hayes looked uncomfortable. "Alpha, I... that's a delicate question."
"I need to know."
"There are tests. Blood tests. But..." He lowered his voice. "They can't be done until the baby is born. Or much later in the pregnancy."
So no way to know. Not now. Not for months.
"Is there anything else, Alpha?"
"No. Thank you, Doctor."
He bowed and left.
James looked at me. "Well?"
"He confirmed it. She's pregnant."
"But is it yours?"
"No way to know. Not yet." I watched Mia across the room. Laughing. Glowing. "I'm stuck, James. Completely stuck."
"What are you going to do?"
"What can I do?" My voice came out bitter. "If there's even a chance that baby is mine... I can't walk away. Can't question it publicly. Can't do anything."
"So you're just going to accept it? Marry her? Pretend everything's fine?"
"What choice do I have?" I looked at him. "If I deny it, I look like a monster. If I question it, I have to explain about the curse. About my body not working."
"And you can't do that."
"No. I can't." I leaned against the wall. "So I'm trapped. By duty. By obligation. By this... situation."
"What about Margaret?"
The name hit like a punch.
I looked across the room. Found her in the corner.
Margaret. Lady Margaret. The woman who made my wolf howl. Who could break my curse with just a touch. Who made me feel alive.
She was watching. Her face calm. But her eyes... her eyes burned.
With anger. With disgust. With something that looked like... hurt.
She saw the whole thing. Saw the announcement. Saw me trapped.
And she was seething.
I could feel it. Even across the room. Even through the crowd.
The mate bond pulled. Screamed. Demanded.
GO TO HER. EXPLAIN. MAKE HER UNDERSTAND.
But I couldn't. How could I?
What would I say? That I didn't remember sleeping with Mia? That I didn't know if the baby was mine?
That I'd rather be with her instead?
"Alpha?" James touched my shoulder. "What are you going to do about her?"
"Nothing." The word came out hollow. "There's nothing I can do."
"You're just going to let her go?"
"I have to." I tore my eyes away from Margaret. "I have a responsibility now. To Mia. To this baby. To the pack."
"Even if it means losing your second chance mate?"
"Even then."
The celebration continued. Louder. Happier.
But I felt nothing. Just... trapped.
Caught between duty and desire. Between obligation and the mate bond. Between what I should do and what I wanted to do.
Mia came back. Took my arm. Smiled up at me.
"Dance with me?" She asked. Loud enough for others to hear.
"Of course."
We moved to the dance floor. Started swaying to the music.
She pressed close. Her head on my chest. Her hand on my heart.
"Everything's perfect now." She whispered. "Just like I planned."
Just like she planned.
The words sent chills down my spine.
But I said nothing. Did nothing.
Just held her. Danced with her. Played the part.
While across the room, Margaret watched.
And I watched her back.
Knowing I was losing her. Losing everything.
Because of a baby I didn't remember making. With a woman I didn't love. In a situation that felt more like a trap than a blessing.
And there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. I could do about it.