Alpha King's Mate

52. Heir (Part II)

"What?" My mouth hung agape, my eyes wide.

"I'm sorry."

"Are-are you sure?"

She nodded.

My mind was foggy and I felt paralyzed, but there were things at stake, big things. So I had to take action. I grabbed her arm and led her far. We backtracked, past the guards who thankfully had taken vows and signed contracts of confidentiality, through the East wing and to my bedroom. I unintentionally slammed the door behind me and swallowed nervously. She jumped.

"Sorry," I muttered breathlessly. "Um. Please, sit."

The maids had already been in since we left minutes earlier. The bed was made and the candles were out and replaced. I rushed toward the bedside table and grabbed the matches. My hands shook as they ignited a flame at the end of the stick, and eventually tried to light the candles.

"Your Highness-"

Suddenly my finger came into contact with the match. "Shit!"

Dropping the match, I grasped my throbbing, burned finger before I scoffed out loud. Well, actually I kind of cackled. I couldn't stop cackling. "I'm sorry. It's- it's really not at all funny."

She attempted a smile but failed. "What's not funny?"

"Oh, you know," I groaned as my laughter died out. "Just the way my life has turned out."

She didn't respond, so I continued. "Right? Because I found the person that I am destined to be with, and he was a great guy. And I loved him more than anything else in my entire life, maybe even more than my own mother, who is a god damn Saint, by the way... And then, in an instant, all of that just disappeared."

I pressed my lips together, into a thin line, while I waited for the emotion to die down a bit. I didn't want to cry in front of her, but I guess I was already exposing my heart and soul in this uncharacteristic admission. Why not cry in front of her? What more had I to lose?

"The guy I thought was perfect, slept with another woman, hid it from me, and asked me to marry him. And he continued to lie to me until his mistress had to be the one to tell me the truth. We broke off our engagement and didn't speak for weeks. What's next? Oh yeah, my dad died. And now that I have finally forgiven him, and healed, she comes back, saying she is pregnant. What am I...what am I supposed to do with that?"

Diverting her gaze I take the used matches to the bathroom to run under the sink. The cool water only makes my finger throb even more. It isn't until I hear sniffles from the main room that I even think about returning. On one hand, she slept with my fiancé. On the other hand, she was pregnant and terrified and I'm sure my ranting about how she ruined my life wasn't constructive.

I discarded of the matches and made my way to the couch where she sat, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, monogrammed in pink thread. As much as I do mated to roll my eyes at the monogram I refrained.

"Caroline," I inhaled sharply. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're right," she huffed and looked at the ceiling, blinking furiously. "I've done a lot that I regret, but I'm having a baby and I don't know what to do. I wanted to tell you first because- well, I just feel terrible about everything you've been through. And it's all my fault!"

The tears came faster now.

"Hey," I said and took her hand. She sobbed again. "It isn't all your fault. He is a grown man and he made a choice that day that he was perfectly capable of denying."

She nodded with a harsh sniffle. "I, um, I have something of yours."

"Huh?"