Chapter 65 Fractured Bonds
The door to my room slammed shut behind me, the sound echoing through the hallway like a gunshot in the quiet estate. I leaned against it for a moment, forehead pressed to the cool wood, breaths coming in ragged bursts that fogged the grain. The air in the room was still, carrying the faint scent of lemon polish and the lingering warmth of the fire from the sitting room below. But inside me, a storm raged, hurt crashing like waves against rocks, sharp and unrelenting.
Pregnant. Maddie was pregnant. And she'd kept it from me.
I pushed off the door, striding into my study, the carpet muffling my footsteps. The room was dark, lit only by the desk lamp I'd left on earlier, casting long shadows across the bookshelves and the leather armchairs. I dropped into the chair behind the desk, the material creaking under my weight, and buried my face in my hands. The bond pulsed in my chest, warm, insistent, but twisted now with her shock and fear from downstairs. She was hurting too. But that didn't ease the ache in mine.
How long had she known? Weeks? And not a word. The test result Ben had shown, six weeks. Six weeks she'd carried our child, our child, and hidden it. The joy that should have come, the fierce, protective rush of knowing my mate was pregnant with my pup, was drowned in betrayal. Why? Did she think I wouldn't want it? That I'd reject her? The thought stung like salt in a wound. I'd told her I could take care of her, that I'd multiply whatever Ben promised. We could be together for real. I'd meant it, for her, for us, for whatever future we could build. But this... this secret cut deep.
I raked my hands through my hair, pulling at the roots until the pain grounded me. The bond had hinted at something, her avoidance since the cabin, the way she'd pulled away, the excuses. I'd thought it was Ben's accusations, Tamara's meddling, the awakening overwhelming her. But this? A baby. My baby. And she'd faced it alone. Hurt bloomed, raw, aching. She didn't trust me enough to tell me. Me, her mate, the one person bound to her soul-deep. The bond twisted, echoing her confusion from the sitting room, but mine overwhelmed it: why hide this? Why not come to me?
Tamara's words at the rite flashed, I told her all she needed to know about me... or perhaps about us. She'd poisoned the well, planting doubts about my past. I'd seen the hurt in Maddie's eyes when Tamara kissed my cheek, the way she'd looked away. But I'd laughed it off in the car, trying to explain. It's not exactly like that. She'd cut me off, and said not to explain. Now I wondered if that was the root, if she thought I had someone else, if she didn't trust me with her heart, let alone a child.
The pack rite had been meant to bring her closer, to show her our world, to make her feel part of it. The chant's energy still lingered in my blood, the shared howl a reminder of unity. But unity required trust. And Maddie... she was slipping away.
I stood, pacing the room, the carpet soft under my boots. The window overlooked the garden, dark now, the fountain frozen, snow glittering under the moon. Ben's face downstairs replayed: the smug laugh, the phone thrust in my face, the revelation meant to wound. So you had no idea? Your little girlfriend is pregnant? I'd masked the shock, kept my expression blank, my voice steady, but he'd seen it, the flicker in my eyes. The rage had nearly unleashed the wolf, claws itching to extend, fangs aching to sink into his throat. But Maddie had been there, her face pale, eyes wide. I couldn't lose control. Not in front of her.
Ben was a leech, spreading rumors to the board, hiring investigators, now this. Williams Brown's warning rang: Put him in check. Rival packs could use him. Ironthorn and Moonclaw were still out there, sniffing for weakness. Ben, oblivious to the supernatural world, was a vulnerability. If he learned the truth... no. He couldn't.
But the hurt, the real hurt, was Maddie. Pregnant. Alone with it. Why? The bond tugged, her emotions a distant storm: confusion, fear, regret. She'd heard everything. Seen me walk away. The ache deepened, did she think I was angry at her? Rejecting her? The opposite. I wanted to hold her, protect her, and claim our child. But she'd hidden it. That betrayal stung, a wound that wouldn't heal easily.
I stopped pacing, staring at my reflection in the window, face shadowed, eyes dark. The alpha in me demanded action: confront her, protect her, end Ben's threats. But the mate in me knew better. Force her, and I'd lose her. She needed time. Space. But how much longer could I give?
A soft knock interrupted, Clara, with a tray. "Thought you might need coffee, sir."
I nodded, taking the mug. The steam rose, rich and bitter, but it did nothing to warm the cold in my chest.
Tomorrow. I'd talk to her tomorrow.
For now, the night stretched long and empty