Bastian’s POV:
“Alpha?” Mak said as she and Barlow rushed into my office.
“Yes, Mak, what is it?”
“I think there is something you should know about Ria.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yes,” they both answered at the same time.
“Then I’m sure she would not want you to tell me what is going on with her. As long as she is okay, that’s all that matters.” I leaned back over my desk and continued my work.
“But Alpha, Ria is pregnant,” Barlow chimed in.
I completely froze, and my pen dropped out of my hand as I looked up at Barlow and Mak, letting the words that she just said sink in.
“Pregnant?”
They both nodded in agreement.
“How far along?”
“About four months.”
I looked at them, confused, trying to pinpoint exactly when that was.
“If you need a little help with the timing, it was right around her heat time,” Mak mentioned.
Feeling my eyes grow wide, I immediately jumped out of my chair and headed out of the office with the girls following closely behind me.
“Mak, where is she?” I asked as I started making my way down the stairs.
“She is at the Sapphire Moon Pack lands.”
“Got it. Thanks, girls.”
“Go get her, Alpha!” they both yelled.
I started mumbling to myself. When I get my hands on that girl... I could not believe she didn’t tell me she was pregnant.
Rufus: We have a pup?
Me: Not now.
I decide to take one of the SUVs instead of running there. It would be difficult to drag her back without a vehicle. Hopefully, by the time I got there, my rage would have calmed down, and I would not want to strangle her.
Rufus: But we are going to be a father!
Me: Goddess, help me.
***
Ria’s POV:
“Alright, Soren, let’s head out and check on the male and female warriors and see how well they are playing along with one another.”
He chuckled.
“Are you sure you can handle the walk there?” he asked as he saw me taking my time to get up from my chair.
I glared at him and then said, “Yes, I can handle the walk there. I am pregnant, not dying.”
We walked out of the office, made our way out the packhouse door, and started walking on the pathway to the training field.
“It’s just you have really grown in this last week or two.”
“Yeah, well, pups grow quicker than humans. I will only be pregnant for half the time a full human is, which I am incredibly grateful for. Besides, Doc says I am doing fine and looks like I will hit my due date with no problems.”
“That’s good. Have you told Alpha Bastian yet?”
Again, I gave him another glare and then said, “Soren, are you trying to piss me off today?”
“No, sorry.”
I let out a deep sigh and continued my journey to the training field. There was a chill in the air, and I was relieved to be wearing warmer clothes to keep me and the pup warm. I rubbed my belly as I watched the warriors do battle practice and enjoyed watching the female warriors keep up with the male warriors.
Another chilly wind blew by, and I caught a scent.
Freya: Yes!
Oh no! Oh boy!
“Luria Mathieson!”
I froze when I heard that Alpha tone barking my name.
I didn’t dare to turn around; I did not want to look in those light blue eyes. I would lose myself in those eyes.
My heart started palpitating. My stomach was tied into knots, and a wetness grew between my legs.
Why, Goddess? Why?
His scent was getting stronger the closer he got to me. I still refused to turn to look at the angry Alpha that was coming my way.
I could suddenly feel a strong presence standing behind me, his breath hitting my neck and his scent driving me crazy.
“Ria?”
“Yes?”
“Do you have something to say to me?”
“Why are you here, Bastian?”
“I think you know why I am here.”
I tugged on my sweater gently and wrapped one of my arms around my belly as my heart continued to race, and the tingles in my stomach would not stop.
Everyone around us was just staring at us. I still refused to turn to look at him. My chest tightened, and the tears started to well up in my eyes.
Damn hormones.
The next thing I knew, I was being swept up into his arms, and he started to carry me somewhere I had no clue.
“Bastian, please put me down,” I asked calmly.
“No.”
I sighed as I continued to hold him around the neck as he continued to carry me.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Home.”
“Bastian, this is my home.”
“Beta!” Bastian called out to Soren, who had been following him like a lost puppy the whole time.
“Yes, Alpha?”
“You are in charge while your Luna is away. If you need anything, call my Beta, Jasper. He will help you with anything.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Bastian, wait, no. I can’t leave with you right now.”
“Yes, you can. You should have never left, and you should have told me you were carrying my pup. “
I gave him a look of shock, but I figured that was the real reason why he was here. Someone told him.
“Who do I have to thank for telling you?”
He got to the car and put me down as he opened the door and pushed me inside to the passenger seat before answering, “Mak and Barlow.”
“Traitors,” I mumbled.
He closed my door and locked the car, so I was unable to get out of the vehicle while he walked around to the other side of the car, unlocked it again, and got into the driver’s seat. Then, he turned on the car and took off.
“Can we at least talk about this?” I asked.
“Sure, we have about a three-hour drive to talk about this.”
“Oh no.”
I could tell he was still angry by the repetitive movements his chest was making, trying to keep himself calm, which did not seem to be working.
After driving for a while in silence, he finally said something.
“Why.”
I took a deep breath before answering. This was the same question Freya had asked me time and time again. Why did I not tell him?
“I don’t know. I was scared and confused. I had just healed you. Then the battle happened, and then my heat. What if you had found your second mate? What was I going to say? Hi, there! I healed your mate—oh, by the way, I am carrying his pup!”
He let out a snort.
“Not a day has gone by that I have not thought about you, but I did not want to get in your way of finding your second mate.”
“Ria, that does not matter right now. You are carrying my pup, and you had no intention of telling me.”
I looked down at my hands, not able to have the decency to look at him.
“I’m sorry.”
“You are so lucky I am driving right now; it has taken everything I have not to pull this vehicle over, throttle you, and then punish you the only way I know how.”
My head popped up to those words, and my wetness was back.
Freya: Yes, please, pull over. Punish me! Punish me now!
Me: Et tu, Freya? Et tu?
Bastian took a deep breath and let out a husky chuckle before saying, “You are just going to have to wait until we get back to your cabin.”
Oh boy!
I started to fidget in my seat, feeling uncomfortable from the dampness between my legs.
“Stop that! You know I can smell you, and you are driving me insane with your scent right now.”
Oh my.
Bastian let out a frustrated grunt as he pressed his foot down on the gas pedal, pushing the car to get us to our destination faster.
I continued to look out the window and tried not to look at Bastian. My feelings were all up in an uproar.
Freya: He came for us.
Me: I know.
Freya: That should mean something.
Me: No, it doesn’t. He only came because he found out about the pup.
Freya: Which he has a right to know about.
Me: Yes, I know!
***
Bastian’s POV:
I looked over to check on Ria, looking out the window, lost in her thoughts. My grip tightened on the steering wheel. Why didn’t she tell me she was pregnant? I had every right to know about my pup. I didn’t ever want to miss a moment in their life, and she almost robbed me of that.
Rufus: You need to tell her how you feel.
Me: She won’t listen.
Rufus: You need to make her listen.
Me: What about our second mate?
Rufus: All I know is that I do fine with Freya. If I spend the rest of my life with that wolf, I won’t regret it.
Me: What about the other packs? What if she wants to continue being Luna to the other packs? There are so many unresolved issues.
Rufus: Do you love her?
Me: Yes.
Rufus: Tell her.
We pulled up to the pack land, and I started making my way to her cabin. Before the car was in park, Ria jumped out and started walking away.
I quickly jumped out of the car and followed her.
***
Ria’s POV:
I couldn’t stand being in that car any longer, smelling his scent and wanting to touch him. What was I going to do?
“Ria,” Bastian yelled.
I continued to walk. I felt him catch up to me and wrap his arms around me, forcing me to stop and turn around to look at him.
“Tell me, what is going on in that head of yours?”
I looked away, trying not to look into those knowing eyes. “That this is a messed-up situation. That I should have never stayed after the battle.”
I could feel Bastian tense up.
“Ria, how do you feel about me?”
“What?”
“Do you have feelings for me?”
This time, it was my turn to tense up.
“How would knowing how I feel about you help us right now?”
“Just tell me. Cause I can’t shake the feelings I have for you. There has not been a day that goes by that I have not thought about you. Wanting to call you, wanting to come and see you. But you had made it perfectly clear that you didn’t want to have anything to do with me these past four months.”
I looked at him and said, “No, I didn’t. I just wanted to give you a chance to find your second mate.”
“Ria, cut the crap about finding a second mate. We could have something so much more than just being each other’s second mate. We could have a chance at love, true love. Do you remember when we kissed?”
Did I remember that kiss? Of course, I remembered that kiss. That kiss was amazing. It was the kind of kiss I had always dreamed of having with my mate.
“Yes, of course, I remember the kiss,” I answered while turning away from him.
“Ria, you told me that a kiss was personal and could cause feelings, create passion, and lead to love. I felt all that when I kissed you. I want all that with you.”
I couldn’t stop the tears that were streaming down my face, my heart feeling both full and broken at the same time. I wanted this; I wanted him. But was I being selfish? He would never be able to find his second mate. Would loving me be enough?
Bastian walked over to me and put his finger under my chin to raise it and look him in the eye.
“Tell me. Tell me you want this. Tell me you love me, and I will be the happiest man in the world.”
“But what about Rufus and Freya?”
“What about them?”
Freya: Yeah, what about us?
“Don’t they deserve to find their second mate? Are we being selfish for not allowing them that?”
Freya: You do not have to worry about me. Girl, I am sat-is-fied with that wolf over there. I am good.
I let out a giggle.
Grabbing my face with both of his hands and making me look him in the eye, he said, “I’m sure that Freya just confirmed what Rufus just said. They are fine with being mated to each other if this is what we genuinely want. So, it’s up to you, Ria. What’s it going to be.”
I stared into his eyes, trying to find the answer.
Did I love him? Yes.
Did I want to spend the rest of my life with him? Yes.
Was I still afraid that he could still find his mate and then leave me for her? Absolutely!
I turned away from Bastian to hide the fear and pain that I was experiencing, and before I gave him an answer, it hit me—a premonition. My eyes glazed over and took me to a not-too-distant future to where I admitted to him that I loved him, and I wanted him. At that moment, I saw Bastian pull me into his arms and whisper something in my ear. I said something, and when he released me, we both looked at each other, breathing out…
I broke out into a fit of tears, and Bastian walked closer to me. I stepped back from Bastian, shaking my head, but he did not let me get too far.
Freya: Ria, say it! Say it, and make that premonition come true!
There was so much emotion in me. I couldn’t stop the tears and the hysterics from allowing me to say it.
He grabbed me and held me close to him so that I could calm down. He kissed my head and sent his calming energy through me, and I felt it all.
I pushed back from him so that I could look straight into those light blue eyes, and I said, “I love you, Bastian, I want you.”
Looking into my eyes, he saw something. He pulled me into his arms and whispered, “Say the healing prayer.”
“I say this prayer to heal the wolf before me. Her heart was hurt and was heavy, but the silver in her eyes shows her wolf is ready. Heal her now. Set her pain free. I ask you, moon goddess, please.” When it’s done, I feel my heart truly heal, no more doubts, no more fear, fully ready to love.
We let go of each other, and we both breath out the word…Mate!
Oh! Thank the Goddess!
Bastian immediately pulled me to him and kissed me.
In all the excitement, I felt a lot of wetness between my legs, actually running down my legs.
Pulling away from his kiss, I yelled, “My water just broke!”
Bastian pulled me into his arms and rushed me over to the pack hospital. We got to the hospital, and Bastian called out to the nurses that I was in labor. They rushed a wheelchair over to me so that I could be wheeled into the room. Luckily, it did not take long to get a room. I started to change into a gown when, all of a sudden, I heard Bastian through the pack-link.
Bastian to everyone: Ria is in labor!
Everyone started to comment and congratulate us.
“Ah, too many voices. Seriously, you left me on your pack-link? Ow…contractions,” I said as I tried to breathe through the contractions.
“Sorry, baby.” He looked at me with a puppy face and helped me get into the bed.
“I don’t want to hear your apologies right now. Give me your hand, so I can transfer some of this pain that you have caused me.” He gave me his hand, and I squeezed it as I started to have another contraction.
“Oh, jeez, Ria. Damn, I need that hand after this. Now, focus and breathe,” Bastian told me as he tried to alleviate the pain that I was causing him.
Doc came in. “Ria, good to see you, and look! It is already that time. You are close to full dilation, so this is going to have to be a natural birth. We will get the room prepped and get you ready for delivery.”
“Thanks, Doc,” I said in between my breathing.
“Natural. Does that mean more pain for the both of us?”
I looked at him with my eyes narrowed.
“You think your pain is anywhere close to mine?”
“No, baby, of course not. You are doing great. I love you, and I am so proud of you,” he said as he kissed my head.
“I forgot to ask; did you ever find out the sex of the baby?”
“Yep!”
He waited for a minute for an answer and then said, “And!”
I smiled at him with a devilish grin and said, “You are just going to have to wait and see.”