Lone Werewolf

She doesn't belong

The woman sat at the café table, biting her lip nervously. Her husband sat across from her, but neither had said a word. Her leg jittered as he studied her, his face grave and hard as stone. Unreadable. The silence was unbearable, anxiety ate away at her insides, but she couldn't find the words to explain herself. To explain this.

"So," he prompted, calmly stirring sugar into his coffee, "You're getting rid of it?"

She snapped her head up from the table, where she had been examining a coffee stain, and laid a protective hand across her belly. Dread began to settle where her baby lay.

"I-I can't do that," she all but whispered, "she's just a child."

"Well maybe you should have thought of that before you slept the night with that dog," he snapped cruelly. She flinched.

"Jackson please..." she whispered. He made eye contact with her, his eyes cold and uncaring. His wolf flashed under the surface, teeth bared - how dare she betray him.

"Emily, may I remind you that I am being incredibly lenient with you?" he said, letting contempt colour his steady voice. She nodded, eyes cast down, fidgeting with shaking fingers.

"I know that and I'm sorry, Jack. It was a mistake," she apologised, "I didn't-I didn't mean for it to happen and-"

"I know," Jackson said icily, unwilling to hear her whine her excuses. She nodded again and took a deep breath.

"I want to keep her." She resolved, voice even and steady, sounding the strongest she had yet. "You cannot expect me to kill her."

Jackson sighed. He supposed it was already too late in term to terminate - lest it harm Emily or damage their reputation further. To let the mother of the pack kill a child? But, oh, the shame! He resented the position she had placed him in. To undermine him, his wolf, his position, his pack. His lip curled into a snarl at the thought.

"I will not force this on you. I'm faithful to you," he resolved, his bitter tone causing Emily to flinch, "Remember you are my mate. You are mine. You belong to me."

"Thank you, Jack-"

"However," he continued and her smile faltered, "that thing," He pointed to her belly, "has nothing to do with me. If it so much as breathes too hard it will be out of the pack in an instant. I don't care. It's not mine. It's not my responsibility."

Emily nodded hesitantly.

"I want you to have nothing to do with it either," he said. Her eyes widened at that.

"But she's my daughter-!"

"And Luke's also. If you're going to keep it, I don't want it interacting with my children or our pack. It doesn't deserve us and we do not deserve the shame and burden of it. So by all means, keep the thing. But it's not going to take the attention away from our family. As soon as it is independent, it goes in the attic. Where all unwanted things go."

Emily nodded, breathing deeply to hide the tears that threatened to spill. It would not do to have him see her cry over a child that was not his.

"Listen to me, Emily," he commanded, her eyes met his and faltered under his intensity, "You will obey me, understand?"

She nodded fervently, "Yes, Jackson."

He broke eye contact, and she felt the heavy atmosphere lift.

"I have to go to a pack meeting with my Beta," He announced, as he stood up, kissed her on the cheek and left the café.

When he was gone Emily broke down, hands cradling her unborn baby girl. She couldn't kill her, but she knew she would not get the childhood she needed.

Emily could see no other choice.