Chapter 4

  Ashley's POV 

 I had intended to ignore it, but the signs were becoming too clearly obvious from the unexplained fatigue and the sudden dizzy spells that would hit me from the back of the head like I was struck with a bat, all of it was screaming one thing in my ear that I didn't want to believe. 

 After enough internal conflict I was finally pushed to consider consulting a doctor in the pack hospital.

 But then Bryce beat me to it.

 “I've scheduled a consultation for us today in the Park hospital,” he said so casually over breakfast as if he was simply talking about the weather and then went down on his pancakes like it was nobody's business.

 As for me, a paralyzing fear ran down my spine and spread across my body like a virus. 

 “Us? You will be coming with me?” I managed to say after carefully filtered as much of betrayed as I could from my tone.

 “Of course,” he said reaching for the maple syrup the third time in less than 5 minutes, “I'm worried about you,” 

I know he expected me to swoon, but that little voice was still whispering in my head that you only reason why I was doing all of this was because he wanted to feel less bad after messing around with Cassie.

  These brief moments of calm and concern were often kept firmly clenched to my chest waiting to survive a longer period of cold and distance from him before the next crumb of affection fell into my mouth again.

 It was a pathetic little cycle.

 Just when it felt like I could finally pick myself up and imagine my life without him he would do simple sweet things like this that made me dream of a marriage that could never be no matter how much I desperately craved it like a fool. 

 “Don't you want me to come with you?” 

 I don't know if it was my paranoia twisting my mind, but they just seem to be the slightest hint of suspicion in his voice which made me immediately buckle up. 

 “Of course I do, I was just worried that you would be a little busy,” 

“I'm never too busy for my mate,” he said softly, the lie flowed so naturally out of his lips that if I was not the victim of several disappointments I would have believed it.

 My mind was falling into panic, part of me wished that the doctor would refute what I already knew was true and undeniable.

  But he didn't. 

 He handed me and my mate a white envelope along with a broad smile that sang congratulations even before his voice did. 

  “I'm pregnant…” I finally vocalized the fear that had been throbbing in my heart for what felt like forever. “I'm pregnant…” I repeated again it almost sounded as if I was trying to convince either myself or the two men that were looking at me. 

  Bryce picked me from the seat and pulled me into a kiss, not realizing how half heartedly I responded he whisked the test results from my hand smiling from ear to ear. 

“I'm going to be a father!” 

 He punched the air grunting in deep satisfaction and happiness. 

 He looked at me repeating his words just like I did a moment ago. 

“I'm going to be a father, the Alpha title will have an heir soon,” 

 He placed his hand on my belly and even through the fabric of my clothes His touch felt so cold when I thought about everything. 

  Bryce had no idea, I guess he was so used to me being a love stricken moron that he could not even imagine the possibility that I had sought the company of another man intimately. 

 He definitely wouldn't have been able to guess that the other man would also be his brother who he despised down to every bone in his body.

  When we got to the parking lot and he opened the car for me I was just about to fess up with the truth, but the words would form a lump on my throat and end up diving back down. 

  I couldn't not now.

How do I explain that I don't know if the father of the child was him or his brother? 

 Where would I even begin with that?

 He could cover up his affair with Cassie even if he failed to do so people would look upon me more harshly for sleeping with his brother. 

  “Bryce, I know that this is wonderful news but I would like for us too keep it private for a while,” I said to him he agreed easily but the next day I saw it on the park platform my test results open for every and all to see with his caption; charge in with congratulations I'm going to be a dad soon.

  I bit down on my bottom lip, utterly frustrated. Why…just why I was this man making life so difficult for me…if he hadn't pushed me I would have never done this in the first place…I would have never stooped down to his level. 

   My biggest worry was that Archer would see the post, if he did would he sit quietly and still shut up about that night? He had not contacted me I don't know why that's made me feel a little bit disappointed. I was the one that had insisted that all I wanted was a one night stand, but after he gave me that I couldn't help but feel a little strange…like I wanted him to chase me but I also didn't want him to chase me.

 It was a stupid and pointless dilemma especially considering what I had on my plate, just like Bryce caption the pack members came charging in with congratulations and gifts many of them insisting to rub my tummy and bless the baby beforehand.

Keeping that smiling expression on my face for hours was exhausting to say the least, but I didn't want anybody to pick up on the little worry that would flicker into my eyes from time to time when I wondered if this baby will come out looking just like Archer who had sharper and more prominent features than my husband. 

  Just when I felt like things wouldn't get worst, I received a message on my phone 3 weeks later. 

It was from Archer.

It read; Ashley, is the baby mine?