Pregnant and Rejected

NICHOLE

“She’s your mate?” Caitlyn gasps.

Hunter ignores her.

He grabs my wrist, yanking me out of the room. We race up the flight of stairs and into the first empty bedroom.

Hunter locks the door and pushes me up against it, crashing his lips to mine.

My pulse races. It’s shocking, the press of his mouth, but his lips feel like they belong with mine.

I respond, my lips moving against his: timidly at first, then with hunger.

I’ve never kissed anyone like this.

“This is the one,” my wolf preens in my brain.

I wrap my arms around his neck and he picks me up.

Desire fizzles in his low-lashed gaze.

“Do you want me, mate?” he growls, dark and primal.

“Yes!” I moan. “Yes, now and always!”

My legs curl around his waist like they have a mind of their own. Hunter walks over to the bed and gently sets me down.

Hunter expertly shreds my clothes.

“Perfect,” he hums, smoothing his palm down the sweat-glistening planes of my body.

“Let me see you,” I say huskily.

He pulls his shirt over his head, revealing broad, defined muscles.

My mouth waters.

He shucks the rest of his clothes, standing over me like this is the moment we were both made for.

I fall asleep that night with a smile on my face, my body alive and buzzing with pure happiness, wrapped in the arms of my mate. The man I love.

***

I wake up to an empty bed. My clothes are neatly piled on the white dresser at the side of the bed and his side of the bed is neatly made.

“Hunter?”

I sit up, feeling empty without him.

I walk downstairs and into the kitchen, looking for any sign of him. Scattered cups and limp, snoozing forms are everywhere throughout the house.

I wander down the hall to the front door. Hunter probably just wanted some fresh air. No reason to be paranoid.

As I twist the handle and crack the door open, voices trickle in from the front porch, just outside.

“She is not my mate,” a familiar, deep voice says.

My heart jumps into my throat.

He can’t be serious!

“But you said so last night when you saw her! Then you had sex!” a voice that sounds like Caitlyn yells at him.

Hunter just grunts. “I was just trying to get an easy lay, Cait. You should know better by now.”

“Why would you lie about something like that, Hunt?” she replies, sounding disgusted. “You should know better!”

Gritting my teeth, I push the door open and face the two of them.

My pulse thunders in my ears.

“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice tight with emotion.

“Cait, go find Andrew and tell him we will have to talk another time. I gotta go,” Hunter says sternly.

Cait walks past me into the house, giving me a sad glance on the way.

Without a second glance, Hunter turns and starts to walk down the drive toward a shiny black ’95 Ford Mustang.

“Where are you going?” I ask him, my heart in my throat.

Hunter stops once he gets to his car.

“Home,” is all he says before unlocking his car door.

This isn’t right.

The wolf in my head panics, clawing my feelings into a raw frenzy.

“But—” I struggle for words, “your home is where I am!”

The look on his face cuts my heart in two.

“Look, I don’t want someone like you as my mate. I already have someone I care about and I refuse to give her up for you.”

My mouth drops open.

He cheated on someone...with me?

“I, Hunter Remington, officially reject you as my mate,” he says with such venom in his voice.

Tears spring to my eyes.

No! He can’t!

Mates are supposed to love you, not hurt you.

I don’t want to do this but I have to. Or I’ll be in pain.

“I, Nichole Smith, formally accept your rejection.”

I turn around and run to my car sitting in the garage. My heart shatters with each step I take away from him.

***

A knock sounds on my door and I jump off my bed.

“Come in,” I say hesitantly.

Gosh, I am so nervous.

Becky slides inside with a small brown bag in her hand. She quickly shuts the door behind her and sits down next to me.

It’s been four months since Andrew’s party. Four months since my mate rejected me.

Hunter.

I stop myself before I can even start to picture his handsome face and his—No! Stop! He doesn’t want you! He clearly stated that.

“Are you sure about this, Nikki? Could you really be? Y’know…pregnant? I mean you are on the pill, aren’t you?” Becky asks, her voice just above a whisper.

“I only get my period every four months, and I’m two weeks late. The last time I had it was the week before the party. What else could be wrong? I’ve even gained weight.

“Becky, I’m scared,” I whisper.

She envelops me in a hug as I silently cry into her shoulder.

“What if I am? What do I do? I’m so close to finishing college and being able to start my life. I’m only twenty-four…”

“I don’t want to do it by myself.”

“Well, before we get all worked up, go take the test, and then we will go from there. But Nikki, know that I will never leave you like he did.

“I’m always here for you no matter what. Andrew and Caitlyn as well. You know that, right?” I nod my head.

I grab the test from Becky and walk into my bathroom.

Several minutes later, Becky and I are sitting on my bed, our hands gripping each other’s. We watch the test like a ticking time bomb, waiting for the results. The test beeps, and we look down, scared. Pregnant.

I gasp. Tears start to fall from my eyes uncontrollably. Becky holds me as I slowly crumble all over again. Just like the night after being rejected by him.

“It’s okay, Nikki, we will get through this. Okay? You graduate at the end of the month, and then we will figure it out from there. Okay?

Becky says, starting to repeat herself. She tends to do that when she is nervous.

“I’m glad I have you, Becky,” I say through the sobs. “I don’t know where I would be without you.”

***

I stare at my graduation dress on its hanger by my bedroom mirror.

“Becky! I’m getting bigger! Do you think anyone will notice?”

“Nikki, even you won’t see your stomach once you put that dress on,” Becky says, laughing at me. “Remember we picked it out just for that reason.”

“I’m just so nervous about life after college. I can’t believe I’m graduating with a baby on the way. It all seems so mixed up.”

“Nik,” Becky says in a soothing voice, “You will do just fine as a single mother. I’ve watched you grow up into such an intelligent, beautiful woman.”.

I take a deep breath and reach for the dress.

“I wish you could just tell everyone,” Becky says, sadness heavy in her voice. “You could stay, and I could help you with the baby.”.

I shake my head.

“I can’t, Becky, Hunter will find out and hurt me all over again.”.

Becky’s lips tighten, and she stares at the floor.

“This medical internship in Paris will give me room to breathe,” I continue, “plus when I come back, I’ll be ready to practice as a full-on werewolf doctor.”.

“I know how much that means to you,” she says softly. “I’ll really miss you.”.

We embrace and my throat tightens.

“Okay, we’ve got thirty minutes until your graduation, I’d better get my makeup on before I start crying!” she says, trying to put on a brave face.

She dumps out her bag of products on my vanity and sits down in front of the mirror.

I slip into the bathroom.

I quickly strip my clothes and throw them in the hamper next to the sink. I catch a glimpse in the mirror of my round belly. Five months. I can’t believe it.

I shake off my thoughts and get in the warm, relaxing shower. Letting my tense muscles relax and the stress run off me with the water.

When I’m done, I quickly dry myself and slide into the deep blue silk dress.

The dress fits loose around the stomach and tight around the breasts with straps that go around my neck.

Becky was right. You can’t even see my stomach in this dress.

***

“Nichole Smith,” the dean calls out and I walk over smiling widely. I shake his hand and pose for the picture before taking my degree and returning to my seat.

I’ve finally done it. I’ve graduated. I place my hand on my stomach. Now little one, will I be able to give you the life you deserve? I promise to do the best I can.