Her mate

LARISSA

The candles were in place. The plates were in order. The cutlery was perfectly placed. The chandelier had given the setting a sparkling finishing touch. 

My heart was giddy and full, because I’m sure Ryan’s gonna love this dinner surprise that I’m preparing for him. 

“Here it is, Ma’am.” Anna walked in from the kitchen with the freshly baked cake. She set it on the table, completing my perfect dinner table. 

Ryan loves chocolate cakes and I made him one. I cooked his favorite dishes too. I’m just so over the moon and I want him to be too when I finally tell him the big news. 

“Ma’am,” Anna called me softly. She had that nurturing smile that always showed she loved me but also that she was worried. 

“What is it?” I asked her softly. She’s been my handmaid since I became Luna. Our bond wasn’t just a boss and maid bond anymore. It has already strengthened beyond that. She could easily be the godmother of my child when he comes nine months later. 

“Don’t you think you’re doing a bit too much?” She asked softly, obviously trying not to offend me. 

The thing is, I couldn’t be offended right now. Even if I get smacked in the face, I’d still be giddy. 

Coming from the hospital and learning about my three-week pregnancy already put me in a very hyper mood. No one can undo that, definitely not with words.

I reached for her hand and caressed it a bit. “I know I am doing too much. But I hope you understand why. Ryan and I have always wanted a baby. You know that.”

When it comes to having a mate, the moon goddess blessed me with the best man ever. 

Ryan isn’t just my chosen mate but he’s the anchor of my life. Being his Luna has been the most fulfilling thing that’s ever happened to me. And the way loves me makes me think I must have done a great deal in my past life for me to be rewarded with so much love in this lifetime. 

I wake up every day blessing the moon goddess for the gift of him. And I wake up every day with the ample sorrow in my heart that I’ve been unable to give him the one thing I know he’s wanted all his life. An heir.

My barrenness has been the only sour thing in my perfect love life. I’ve done everything. I’ve drunk countless concoctions just to get pregnant and nothing happened. 

He never really stressed me about it. Matter of fact, he encourages me and reassures me that he loves me and that my condition doesn’t really matter. 

But it matters to me. I wanna make him as happy as he’s made me and I need to give him an heir for that to happen. 

Crazy how years later, with no concoctions or countless medical sessions, the moon goddess has blessed me with the chance to give him an heir. 

I wanna scream from a rooftop and tell the whole world that I’m finally carrying Ryan’s Heir. That’s how happy and excited I am right now. 

“I’m just glad that I can finally give him the one thing you always wanted. You understand that, don’t you?” I explained further to Anna.

“Of course, Ma’am, I do. But…what if his priorities have changed? What if he doesn’t want a baby anymore?”

I chuckled. “That’s nonsense. Of course, he still wants a baby. He needs an heir to his throne.”

“No, what I meant was…” she was gonna continue but I really didn’t want to keep entertaining her pessimism. 

“Just be happy for me, Anna. Alright? Please.” I patted her cheek gently. 

“Of course, I’m happy for you, Ma’am. I’m the happiest person in this room right now.” She smiled. 

“I know you are.” I laughed and hugged her lightly. “Thank you. It means a lot. ”

I went to the living room to sit and maybe keep myself entertained until Ryan returns. But no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t get engrossed in the movie. 

Anna’s words were gently haunting my mind. She wasn’t the type to just say things and that’s why I’m so restless right now. 

God. I wanna get mad at her for being such a killjoy but I know she loves me and wouldn’t say that just to hurt me. 

So which is it?

Is Ryan really not gonna be thrilled about the news? Is he no longer looking forward to having a child? That’s impossible. I know he wants a child. He wants an heir. I know that too well. 

So…so why am I still restless?

The clock ticked faster, and soon an hour went by, and Ryan’s car drove into the compound. I waited anxiously for him to enter the house. 

He finally did. 

“Hey, Hun!” I squealed, going straight into his arms. 

He held me tightly and kissed my cheek. “How are you feeling, baby?”

“Great.” I was grinning ear to ear. A part of me wanted to tell him here and right now but my tongue went frozen as the next figure walked in. 

A young lady. She was about my height, a little more slender, and had gorgeous brown hair, dressed in exquisite curls. She was dressed elegantly and had the most innocent and radiant smile. 

But something about that smile was already making my heart ache. It got worse when my gaze dropped lower and I saw that she had a suitcase. 

“Baby,” Ryan whispered, and I turned my gaze to him. “We need to talk.”

I nodded. Tears were gathering in my eyes and I wasn’t even sure why. She could be a distant relative and maybe he wanted to beg me to let her stay here. Yeah, that’s supposedly the situation so why am I so jittery?

He shut the door to his study and we both sat on the small couch. I waited anxiously for him to start talking. 

He looked conflicted and wouldn’t stop ruffling his hair. And when he looked at me, the guilt in those eyes made my heart snap. 

“What…is it?” I asked, with a forced, panicky smile. “Tell me.”

He hesitated, took a deep breath, and then let the words out. “She’s…my fated mate.”

Those words hit me so hard, I feared I was gonna have a cardiac arrest. 

Even though years had gone by since I became Ryan’s chosen mate and the beloved Luna of the Pack, I’ve always felt a tiny insecurity in the back of my mind about the fact that I wasn’t his fated mate. 

I’ve always dreaded the reality of a woman, coming into our lives and kicking me out because she’s his fated mate. 

When I couldn’t handle those fears anymore, I told him about them and he relentlessly reassured me that it’s never gonna happen. He said it and matched his words with actions. That made our years of being together so far the dreamiest moments of my life. I forgot about that fear. 

Never knew it would come punching me in the face on the most important night of my existence. 

“Why…why…is she here?” I asked, holding back my tears. 

He looked at me like I’d just asked him a silly question. Well, forgive me, but when you spend all your life reassuring someone that you’d never hurt them like this. They tend to be in disbelief when you eventually pull such an ugly stunt out of the blue. 

“She’ll…be staying here.” He replied and dear God, my heart crushed into tiny, miserable bits. 

I sniffled back my tears. “For how long?”

God, I sounded so hopelessly broken. No one prepared me for such heartbreak. No one gave me a heads-up. And now I’m a mess. 

“Indefinitely.”

The rest of the tears I was holding back flooded down my face. How could he do this to me?