TWO

Rowena’s POV

My eyes are stinging with tears. I felt like a caged bird unable to fly and escape the pain that consumed me. Just last week, Sèbastien had refused to satisfy my sexual cravings and said that he was weak.

He wouldn’t even let me touch him. Could this be the reason for the change? I stifled a cry. How could he?

My face turned bright red and I glared at their sleeping forms. Pain washed over me, not only did he decide to cheat, he couldn't keep it hidden away from me either. How could he do this to me? I attempted to break them apart when my phone rang, once again.

It was Doctor Julia, our family’s doctor. I picked the call and made my way out the room and down the hallway. Out the corner of my eyes, I saw my mate stir from his sleep with a delightful smile. His arms circled Olivia around the waist and cupped her closer to his chest.

“Yes, doctor. Sorry I took a while—” I sighed and have barely spoken when she cut in, rendering me speechless.

“Congratulations, Rowena. You’re three weeks pregnant.” Doctor Julia said and I blinked twice. I removed the phone from my ear and looked at it in shock. I wasn’t mistaken. No matter how many times I looked, the caller ID remained the same. Was I hearing things?

Time ticked by, each stroke like a decade, as I stayed frozen in my disbelief. Finally my head broke free from their trance and blinked twice.

How can I be pregnant?

Amongst Sèbastien’s other endeavors for me to get pregnant was my frequent every three weeks checkups. Just three weeks ago, I had left the doctor’s office in a hurry without waiting for the test result. It was the day of Olivia’s arrival back to the pack.

I was unbothered. Moreover, one missed result was nothing compared to useless piled-up dozens. My emotional turmoil had taken a toil on me, and my body must have refused to give me any signs. I know the moon goddess was going to hear my prayers one day but today of all days, I never expected to receive the biggest shock of my life.

“Are you sure, Doctor? I mean, it’s April 1st.” With a bitter smile, I forced out, wanting to know if she was playing a trick on me to play with my emotions.

An embarrassing gnash caused my cheeks to heat up as anxiety ate me whole.

She chuckled and just then, the pack’s mail carrier approached with an envelope in his hand. “I sent someone. Go ahead and quench the suspense, ma’am.” She admonished and the line went dead.

With a slow nod, I received the piece of paper from his hand, my heart pounding with excitement and fear. The moment I opened the envelope, my hope was renewed. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes as I placed my hand on my stomach.

The memory of the last session I had together with Sèbastien crossed my mind. The memory of his hands in my hair, the weight of him over me as the bed creaked beneath us muffled by my moans have me the goosebumps. Remembering the evident trail of hickies on my neck too made me want to crawl in a hole out of shame.

“I’m pregnant,” I whispered to myself and looked up at the sky from where I stood. “I can finally have my mate back. I’m pregnant!” I screamed for joy, and burst into tears as I remembered all I’ve been through. I can’t wait to share the news of my pregnancy with my mate. Sebastian would be overjoyed to know he was going to be a father.

I shall forget whatever he had with Olivia. We can go back to how we were.

Blinking away the burning tears from my eyes, I took a deep breath, determined to set things straight. I pushed open the door and my heart sank at the horrific image before me.

Olivia laid asleep on my bed. Sebastian was seated beside her, his hand rubbing her hair as he pecked her forehead. “You make me feel so good, baby. Damn, I always knew you were the one for me. Only you, Olive.”

To my surprise, he kept his lips on her forehead, as Olivia remained on our bed, where I should be.

I could not look at anyone for an explanation. She stirred out of sleep and was in Sèbastien's embrace in no time. I expected her to say something but none came, not even an expression was on her face.

She looked away, kissed Sèbastien on the lips as their fingers intertwined. My knees attempted to buckle but I straightened. There has to be some explanation.

"Sèbastien, speak to me please." I choosed to call out and confront the situation rather than to run away. "Although I can see, I don't understand what this is."

With a sudden jolt, the duo broke free from their trance of romance.

Sèbastien's instant action was to give distance between Olivia and him, put his hand out and shield his face with it. "This is our matrimonial bed, Seb. Why would you even think of doing this to me?"

"She's my mate now." He shook his head and replied, avoiding my eyes again.

"What about me then?" I asked. "Yesterday was supposed to be a good day for us. So tell me, what about me? What am I to do with myself? Is this how you want to make your choice?" My voice broke out. I couldn't keep it in, I asked all the questions at once like my life depend on it. My body trembled without effort, dreading his response and the possibility my worst fear was coming true.

Wasn't he feeling it? Was he unaware of how the pull from the mate bond is making everything hurt even more. I'm definitely the only one affected.

"Why do this to me too, Olivia?" I asked my voice becoming laced with a mixture of hurt and confusion. "Was it really worth destroying our mate bond like this?" The tears slipping out of my eyes were uncontrollable this time.

"I guess you're Rowena," Olivia said. "I have to say I am sorry that things ended like this between you and Sèbastien but we don't write our own fate, it just happened and I am pregnant with his first child." She apologized and compared to the expression I expected to see on her face she seemed pleased, that too with no regrets.

"But___"

While in search of what to say I looked at my stomach out of instinct. I was about to give him the news of my pregnancy. I was going to tell him he’s going to become a father. More so, judging from his change of heart, he wouldn’t even want anything to do with the child in my stomach.

For the fact Olivia's pregnant, it meant he had been seeing her all these times and Olivia has been in the pack since but he lied to me she arrived not long ago.

I want to ask how long it'd been from him but I didn't want to have a mental breakdown in front of them. More so, I knew what was coming.

“I, Sèbastien Ace Falco of Crystal Pack, reject you, Rowena Lindsay as my mate and Luna.”

His rejection hit my heart like a ton of heavy bricks.

Suddenly breathing was hard for me. I open my mouth to speak only to end up so speechless. The betrayal stung like poison. I have suddenly become nothing in his eyes.

Those eyes that used to look at me with love was now empty.

I have nothing but gave him my all out of love. Ever since he marked me, I fully devoted myself to him. I was ready to go rogue when my inability to get pregnant proved to be a barrier to our relationship.

His assurances were enough to make me stay. All the backlash I had to face from his pack didn’t sway me. I stayed through the test of time. Alas, his turn came and he choosed his childhood sweetheart over me.

"I'm sorry, Rowena." Said Sèbastien, his apology tripped over themselves as he drew a step close to me, his expression was twisted into a deep picture of regret.

Sèbastien and I have come a long way. I was the first mate connected to him by the moon goddess. Why is this happening?

"Why? The moon goddess gave me to you first. Why are you rejecting me instead? I'm not even sure if I did anything wrong. Please tell me what I did and I will plead. Please Séb!" I cried and tears rolled out of my eyes. It felt like my heart was being torn. The pain was unimaginable.

At that moment, I couldn't help but imagine what would have happened if I was not carrying his child. I even took gasp in attempt to hold my tears.

The pregnancy test result and my phone slipped away from my hand, falling down across the floor. My pills rolled out of reach and my legs gave up turning me completely weak.

The pain I have been hiding since yesterday could no longer be kept away. A desperate cry and I slammed both hands against his hard chest, pleading for rethink.

“You did no wrong. I just happen to realize the person I would love to spend the rest of my life with is Olivia and not you. You know how much we have been struggling to have a child and now Olivia is pregnant for me. I have to take the responsibility."

That was the final straw for me. A few minutes later my heart constricted and I stood. I couldn't believe what he just spouted. That was the best excuse he can give? What has happened to us?

He betrayed me. Maybe if he had tried to rectify his mistake the ache by my neck from the mate mark would ease and perhaps the hurt inside me would subside too.

I was done sitting down to convince him. He's made his choice. When I spoke out, a wave of irritation and disgust washed over me.

“I accept your rejection.” I said without battling an eye and surprise was visible on their faces. His face scrunched up into a frown. Then regret followed by remorse.

"I, Rowena Lindsay, accept your rejection."

I didn't want to show my pain as I feel the connection between our wolves fading.

When it was finally over, I forced a smile. I was now an ordinary wolf.

The moon goddess is once again using my life to play a twisted game, making me an object of ridicule. Nothing makes sense at all. Finding out I was pregnant when it's too late to save my relationship? Absolutely ridiculous.

I will never understand what Olivia holds against me to ruin my life this way, nor will I understand why Sèbastien choosed me over her. But one thing I was certain of as I rubbed my stomach knowing things weren't going to be easy for me anymore was; I wasn't going to stay here and watch them kill both me and my unborn child, that shall remain forever unknown to anyone of them.

Sèbastien especially.

I'm going to leave this place for sure and I'm never coming back.