Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 39050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
She rarely got migraines anymore, but when they came, they made her so sick.
Seconds passed, maybe even minutes.
Blueberry came into the office and placed a cold compress on the back of her neck. “You’re too stressed, child. You need to learn to relax.”
“I can’t relax. My supposed mate ran off to talk to someone. I wonder if it is his dad.”
“Didn’t he say who he was going to talk to?” Blueberry asked.
“I can’t remember.” Misha groaned. “Why have I been cursed with such a mate?”
“You’re not cursed. Decker is … he has his own demons to live with, just as you do.”
“Yeah, but my demons don’t make me run off when I find out he’s pregnant.”
Blueberry rubbed at her shoulders. “You’re right. It doesn’t, but he isn’t pregnant, and if my memory serves me right, you nearly fainted when you read the results of the pregnancy test.”
“How come you just used a standard test that anyone can use?” Misha asked, not caring that she refused to agree with her friend. She had nearly fainted when she saw the evidence of her test. Who wouldn’t?
Her mate had all but rejected her and now, just as they were starting to make progress, she was pregnant, which would be speeding up the progress.
It sucked.
“I’m starting to think I’m cursed.”
“You’re not cursed. I use a normal pregnancy test because they are accurate. There is no reason to sell anything else,” Blueberry said. “What you do need to do is relax. This stress is not good for you, or for the baby.”
Misha groaned as she rubbed at her shoulders. “That feels good.”
“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Blueberry asked.
“Yes, I want to stay here. I don’t want to go home. He’ll only go there.”
“He will come here eventually, Misha. You can’t hide from him forever.”
Misha opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look at her friend. “I can’t leave the pack. He hasn’t removed his orders from me, remember?” She still had to do as her alpha asked her.
“You do realize there is a little loophole in the alpha request, don’t you?” Blueberry asked.
“What do you mean?”
“If you accept him as your mate, you don’t have to follow his orders.”
She frowned. “He’s my alpha.”
“Mates are far stronger than the pull of the alpha. If the alpha told someone to jump off a cliff, but their mate told them not to, the pull of the mate is stronger. The alpha is there to guide you, to keep us all safe. Mates have this unique and special bond. If Decker made the request as your alpha, you would not have to listen to him.”
Misha’s gaze widened. “Seriously.”
“Yes, and I realize how foolish it sounds for me to give you this advice when I don’t want you to take it.”
“What do you mean?” Misha asked.
“Leaving Decker isn’t going to take away the problem. You’re still pregnant, and raising this baby alone without a father will not work.”
“I was alone.”
Blueberry put a hand to her heart. “That saddens me. You were never alone, Misha. You had the entire pack at your side. Always. We will always take care of you. You are very much loved. Why do you think the pack pisses Decker off?”
Misha frowned. “What?”
“They all watched Decker reject you three years ago. The pack loved you then as they love you now. You have proven to be a worthy female to him, time and time again. You put the pack first. You take care of everyone. You’re sweet, kind, strong, and you’re loyal. They all know this. Do you really think the number of complaints has remained the same?” Blueberry asked. “Have you ever wondered if his father had to deal with this kind of attention? The pack came together to cause him trouble. They love him as an alpha, but in rejecting you, they felt betrayed. A pack thrives through love, through strength, through family. By him turning away from you, he risked stilting the pack.”
“I had no idea,” Misha said.
“The whole the pack wants you to be together. The last couple of weeks where you’ve been acting like mates, inseparable, we’ve all seen the change. You’re both happy. We all want you to find happiness.” Blueberry grabbed her hand. “However, if you do need space, I will take you to the nearest human hotel for you to take some time. There’s nothing wrong with needing space. We all know what that’s like.”
Misha shook her head. “No, I don’t need space. I don’t want to see him right now, but leaving isn’t an option.”
She loved this pack. They were her family.
She licked her lips and got to her feet. “Do you think I can stay with you tonight?”
“Yes, but if he comes here, you will not be having sex. I do not need that kind of passion anywhere near my shop. I’d have pack members rutting like beasts for years to come.”