The Alpha’s Bullied Mate (Bluebell Valley Wolves #1)

Chapter 23 - Mica

Mica didn’t know how she did it, but Tess managed to smuggle in a pregnancy test. Now, Mica sat in the bathroom, staring at the positive result. Her stomach was queasy, and now that she thought about it, she’d been feeling that quite a lot lately. Her body hurt, she always felt tired, and she had chalked it all up to stress.

Pregnant.

Even though she and Hayden had been having a lot of sex, and she had made the deliberate choice not to use condoms, she still could hardly believe it. Her period had always been all over the place. It wasn’t unusual for her to skip three or four months. She’d always been told it would make getting pregnant more difficult.

Counting back, it had been, what, five months? Time passed so quickly that she hadn’t bothered to think about her last period. Before Hayden and the special ops team had returned to the Bluebell Valley pack, at least. So what did that mean? How far along was she?

She peeled up her shirt and studied her stomach, looking at it from all angles. It was soft and round like usual. There was no indication of whether it was just her normal weight or if a baby bump was starting to appear.

Just how could this happen so quickly?

It was supposed to be difficult to get pregnant, especially for her. Especially since she was under so much stress. And yet here she was, with the proof that she was expecting.

Mica sat on the toilet, hiding her face in her hands. This was supposed to be joyous news. Something that she could tell her mother, brother, and mate about, and they’d all celebrate with her. But her mother was in a coma, barely breathing. Her brother was lying in a recovery bed with his neck checked every hour to make sure he hadn’t started bleeding again. He might never fully recover from that injury.

And her mate?

Tess knocked on the door. “Mica? Do you have an answer yet?”

Mica winced. She grabbed the test and twisted it as hard as she could. The plastic snapped in her hands. She threw it to the floor and stomped it beneath her heel until she could get out the little strip showing double lines. This, she tossed into the toilet and put the rest of it in the bathroom.

Then, she washed her hands and put on her best disappointed look. When she stepped from the bathroom, Tess gave her a hopeful look.

“Negative.”

Tess’s shoulders slumped. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m not pregnant. So it’s a good thing we kept this a secret,” Mica added.

“You’re right.” Tess nodded sadly. “This is a disappointment, though. If you were pregnant, you’d bring even more of the pack to Hayden’s side. There’s nothing like an Alpha’s first child to solidify his claim.”

Mica nodded, fighting not to wince.

Oh, yes, the pack would have a lot of big reactions to know she was pregnant. Many of them would see it as a sign of celebration. And yes, some of the wolves still stood behind Monroe and would switch sides without question, should it be known.

And that was precisely why Mica would continue to keep this pregnancy a secret. With everything else happening, the last thing she wanted was for Monroe and his followers to know she was pregnant. It wasn’t just that she was still early in the pregnancy, but because, as Hayden’s mate, she was a target.

Knowing she was pregnant would only make that target on her back even bigger.

Tess frowned at her. “Are you okay?”

Mica struggled to reign in the anxiety that was no doubt leaking into her expression. “Disappointed. A baby would be a welcome beacon of light in these dark times.”

She hoped the strange lilt to her voice could be mistaken for sadness. She didn’t have the mental energy to explain everything to Tess, nor did she want to. Not only were these raging emotions making her feel hollowed out inside, but Tess shouldn’t be the first one to find out. Hayden should.

Once Hayden knew and they had a plan for moving forward, she could tell Tess the truth. Hopefully, she’d understand.

Right now, though, there was so much tension in the splintered pack that if it was known she was pregnant, it might push the pack to no longer wait for the challenge… which was meant to be tomorrow afternoon.

“I’m going to rest,” Mica told Tess, managing a small smile. “And you should as well. We’ve been through a lot. Please check on Elin and make sure that she got medical treatment for those cuts on her hands.”

Tess nodded. “Of course, Mica—or, rather, Luna.”

Mica winced. “Call me by my name.”

“We need to start addressing you as Luna in front of the rest of the pack, though. You are our Luna and should be addressed as such,” Tess said softly.

“We’re not in front of the pack. So call me by my name.”

Tess kissed her cheek. “Of course. Get your rest, Mica.”

She slipped from the room. Mica dropped onto the bed, letting her mask melt away. Both of her hands went to her stomach, kneading into the softness there. What would it feel like as her baby grew?

As she lay there, the thought hit her like a train. This wasn’t just her baby. It was Hayden’s baby. More, in fact, especially if it was a boy. The pack wouldn’t see Mica’s child; they’d see the Alpha’s son or daughter. Wasn’t that the reason why she, Ryder, and Echo were looked down on? Because they weren’t connected to one of the men in the pack?

Humans might be able to leave their partners, but as soon as a baby was in the mix, they were bound together. And now here she was. Bound to Hayden, regardless of her humanity.

Now that she stopped to think about everything, it seemed impossible. What was she still doing here? Why was she putting in so much effort and care for a pack that tormented her? Why was she letting herself fall so deeply intertwined with Hayden? The callous look on his face when he’d declared that she was nothing and he’d never take her as a mate made her stomach hurt.

And tomorrow was the day when he’d face Monroe. If he was defeated, would Monroe make good on this threat to take her as his mate? She couldn’t see a way to escape him if she was still here when that happened.

If Hayden died… she knew what that meant, not only for her but for her baby.

Mica closed her eyes, fighting a rising panic that bubbled through her. The demon in Echo had known she was pregnant. Who was to say that the demon in Monroe didn’t already know as well? It wasn’t just cruel Monroe she had to contend with. It was a literal demon!

If Hayden was defeated, then the demon would kill her baby. Maybe she’d find some mercy and learn that the demon would kill her, too.

Laying there with nothing but thoughts and fears to keep her company was too much. Mica bolted from the bed and hurried out of the room. Her breath came in quick gasps, but she wiped all emotion from her face when she emerged downstairs.

Rachel and Derek loitered in the hallway at the base of the stairs. They both turned to her, frowning.

“Are you okay?” Derek asked. “Were you hurt when—”

Mica forced a smile on her face and waved her hand. “I’m fine. Where’s Hayden?”

“He’s in the back, training.”

Mica nodded, heading through the house. The wolves were murmuring to each other, but they stopped when they noted her. A few of them bowed their heads toward her, while others gave her distrustful looks. Just how much about the events with Echo and Ryder did they know?

As she struggled to keep the emotion from her face, her chest grew tighter.

This wasn’t what she signed up for.

She never asked to be part of a wolf pack. She never asked to be kept here, even when it became apparent that she would never belong. She hadn’t asked to be Hayden’s mate. Being Luna? She had never wanted that. Even if it had been offered, she would have turned it down. Being on the outside looking in was bad enough, but being on the outside while having to take care of the inside? It was even worse.

She wouldn't have to deal with this if she had been raised by a human family.

She could have married a human man. She could have had a happy life, where learning she was pregnant would only be met with joy. What had she done to deserve this life, when she felt like a helpless pawn in her own body?

The sun burned overhead as she stepped outside. The wolves were all in their wolf form, sparring with each other. Mica’s eyes were drawn to the massive form of Hayden’s wolf. His coat was jet black except for his front paws, which were a dusty grey. Even without that distinction, she would have been able to pick him out. He was the biggest wolf on the property.

He glanced over at her but quickly looked away. Would he come if she called out to him?

Mica wrapped her arms around herself. He was busy. He was teaching the pack how to survive against the demons. She couldn’t call him away—besides, he was probably still mad at her. Which meant she was in this on her own.