Author's note
First I wanted to say that I'm sorry I haven't updated sooner, my job takes a lot of my time and I'll try to do better. Next if anyone is upset about how dark Kyle is becoming and wants to stop reading, I understand and thank you for following my story so far for everyone else, Kyle is only going to get worse, sorry.
Joel's pov
Thanks to Joey, I've been coming to the nursery for about a week now and the pups have nearly doubled in size. They've already been removed from the incubator, though they still have a little more growing to do before they'll be placed with the other pups. Joey is standing behind me, but as usual he doesn't speak, letting me enjoy my time with my babies. I can feel the guilt and sadness coming from him in waves, but I've had too many things on my own mind to approach him until now and I know that even if I tell him that I forgave him a long time ago, he's nowhere near ready to forgive himself or to accept my forgiveness, so we continue to treat each other like strangers. I've been thinking about it for a few days and I don't want things to go on like this between us, so I've decided to break the ice by saying the first thing that comes to my mind.
"Sabrina and Jonathan."
"What?"
I turned to Joey and nearly smiled at the surprise and confusion in his eyes before quickly turning back to my pups, stroking their tiny heads gently.
"The names of your niece and nephew. Do you . . . Do you want to hold one of them?"
"I don't . . . I don't have that right anymore."
"Just stop it. Your guilt isn't going to change anything that happened, just like my anger doesn't, so suck it up and get over here."
"I-It's ok . . . I'm fine."
"Now you listen to me, yes I know you started all of this by sending Kyle those pictures, but he's the one that didn't trust me . . . he's the one that killed our pup and caused the other two to have to fight for their lives and as angry as I am at you for intentionally hurting me, the truth is if it wasn't for you dragging me here when I was at my lowest point; I would have given up on my pups and let them be raised by strangers."
"I-I'm sorry."
"I know that Joey and I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago, because as painful as what you did to me is . . . after I found out that my pup had died I wanted to push everyone away so I wouldn't feel that kind of pain ever again, but when I came here and saw my pups for the first time, I realized I don't . . . I don't want to lose anyone else that I care about, I've already lost enough."
"I . . . I want to hold them."
I heard Joey coming up behind me and lifted the pups out of their tiny bed for him to hold.
"Just for a few minutes, then they have to go back."
Nodding, Joey folded his arms and I carefully placed the pups inside.
They're so tiny."
I smiled happily, staring at the pups in his arms without replying.
"Did . . . Did it hurt?"
"What?"
"When you had them . . . did it hurt?"
"I don't remember. After Kyle hit me, I can't remember much of what happened to me."
Joel's tightened his hold on my pups when his hands started trembling and the pain in his voice nearly stole my breath . . . he was drawing into himself and I knew what he was telling me had hurt him to his soul.
"He . . . He told me . . . we shared a mate this whole time, Joel. Kyle knew that . . . he knew we were both his mates and he chose between us because you were the one he wanted the most . . . that's why I couldn't move on, but now . . . I just want to escape from him."
"You can't. You're going to be the future Luna, right?"
Joel . . . I'm scared. "
"I know, but it's not about you anymore, Joey."
"How can I be his Luna when I don't even want to be near him? I . . . I just don't understand, I've wanted to be Kyle's mate for as long as I can remember, but now that its happening I don't want anything to do with him, Leon even attacked him."
I looked up at him, but he was studying the pups, smiling sadly at their sleeping faces.
"Why?"
"He found out what happened to you and I lost control of him . . . if I hadn't managed to pull him back at the last minute __________."
Joey shuddered at the thought, but my mind was on something else . . .
"So, Kyle didn't shift?"
Joey finally looked up, his eyes filled with confusion.
"No, actually I was too busy holding Leon back that I didn't think about it, but he didn't even try to shift he . . . he ran from my wolf . . . what does this mean?"
"I don't know. Joey, promise me you'll be careful around him."
Joey nodded, protectively tightening his hold on my pups before handing them back to me.
"What . . . What do you think is going to happen?"
"I don't know, but we need to talk to the Alpha soon."
Joey nodded again and we both fell into a comfortable silence, lost in our own thoughts.
Jesse's pov
It's been a week since I've been locked away, but the time seems to go even more slowly. At first my thoughts were all about my dead pup and my mate, but now they're all focused on the soft flutters in my stomach that tell me something I want to deny. As much as I need to feel Chris's arms around me, I've been through too much and hurt too deeply to even let him touch me. Whimpering, I dropped my hand from my stomach and pulled the cover over my head just as the familiar footsteps echoed from the stairs.
"I know you're awake, Jesse and you know what'll happen if you try to hide from me."
Slowly sitting up, I let the covers pool into my lap and lower my head.
"P-Please forgive me, Alpha."
Alpha Kyle clicked his tongue at me as if I was a young child he was reprimanding.
"And here I was bringing you a gift and you have to act so ungrateful."
"I-I'm sorry."
He didn't answer, instead pulling something from his pocket and letting it dangle from his fingers. A necklace? I moved closer to get a better look at it and . . . no! It can't be!
"I thought you might want this."
He smirked cruelly, tossing the necklace at me, but I was too shocked to do anything but let it bounce off my chest and fall into my lap. My tears made a tinkling sound as they dripped onto the metal, it was the necklace I had given to Chris on our fifth anniversary. I finally managed to gather enough strength to lift the necklace, letting out a shaky sob when I realized his engagement and wedding rings were attached to the platinum chain.
"Why . . . Why did he give these to you ? He promised me he'd never take them off."
"He didn't, I took them, after all he doesn't need them anymore."
"Please tell me you didn't___________."
"He was in my way."
"I____________."
"I want you to be my mistress and a mistress doesn't need a mate, now do they?"
"Y-You killed him?"
"It's your own fault, if you wouldn't have been thinking about him when we were together, I could have just exiled him, but you kept calling out his name and whining about your dead pup, I'm your Alpha! No one should be more important to you than me!"
"I hate you!"
He came towards me and I flinched, waiting for him to attack me, but instead he lifted my chin; forcing me to look into his eyes, which were watching me calmly.
"I'll let it go this time, I mean I expected you to be upset, but if you ever say you hate me again, I just might have to beat you or take away your food or water as a punishment."
I jerked away from him, knowing it would make him angry, but not caring . . . he'd already stolen everything from me.
"How did you find him?"
"That was thanks to you. If you hadn't said his name, I would have never been able to find him. You led me right to him Jesse and when I saw him I knew he had to die. Don't worry as he was taking his last breaths I made sure to tell him what I'd done to you and your baby.
He paused to laugh at the pain my mate had suffered before continuing his torture.
"He's so pathetic . . . he didn't even blame me, he blamed himself for asking you to meet him and get this he . . . he actually asked me to take care of you . . . he practically gave you to me."
I let out a quiet whimper, as more tears freed themselves to roll down my cheeks. I didn't even think about Chris dying, I was so focused on our baby that I didn't think about how I'd react if I lost anyone else.
"If its any comfort, he went quickly. The cyanide, silver and wolfsbane I put into the drink I gave him made sure he didn't have a chance. Now all we have to do is wait until I become Alpha and then I'll bring you out and introduce you to the pack as my mistress."
I didn't reply, but then I don't think he expected me to, because he quickly made his way up the stairs, leaving me alone. I collapsed onto the cot, my body unable to handle the strain it was under.
"I'm sorry Chris, you saved me and gave me a new life and more love than I deserved and I cost you your life."
My stomach fluttered for the second time that day and I broke down again because I knew I could no longer deny the truth, the man that had taken everything from me, the man I hated more than anything in this world had somehow gone against impossible odds to give me the thing Chris and I had wanted the most . . . I was pregnant with Alpha Kyle's pup.