The Wolf’s Pregnant Rejected Mate (Bluebell Valley Wolves #2)

Chapter 15 - Tess

Tess backed away from her parents, her wolf cowering. Her leg throbbed, and her crutches came off balance. She tilted but managed to stay upright. Her parents glared between her and Ryder as Ryder got to his feet, rubbing his jaw.

“You’ll take her as a mate since you made her a slut,” Lenard yelled even louder. He was trying to get as many people’s attention as possible to force the mating.

“Stop it,” she tried to yell, but her voice only came out as a squeak. Her heart hammered, and a sick feeling crawled up her throat. How did they even find out? This was meant to be something secret and sacred between her and Ryder!

Elin—it had to be Elin. Finn and Blayke wouldn’t gossip about what they found in that cabin. But Elin? She sure as hell would.

Heat crept into her cheeks as Ryder stood there, not answering back. She wished he would say something. Demand that Lenard not call her a slut. She hated that word! Always had. Echo was a slut for having a son without a mate, but the man who fathered Ryder wasn’t a slut. All the blame was on the she-wolves in this pack. And she hated it.

“Aren’t you going to say anything, boy?” Lenard roared. “After you defiled my daughter?”

“I’m not your daughter. You said so yourself,” Tess managed. Her voice was little more than a mumble. If they heard her, they ignored her.

Footsteps approached, and Tess peered over her shoulder. Relief flooded through her as Mica and Hayden came toward them. They’d put an end to this. Mica’s sea-green eyes were steely as she marched up next to Tess and put an arm around her.

“What is going on here?” Hayden asked, his voice even. “Lenard, what is this shouting about?”

Hilda lowered her head toward the Alpha, but Lenard did not.

“Your Beta slept with my daughter,” Lenard said, still far too loudly. “She’s ruined to be mated by anyone else, so he needs to step up and take responsibility for his actions. What if he’s gotten her pregnant? I refuse to let my grandson grow up raised by a—”

“Choose your words carefully,” Ryder interrupted. His shoulders were back, his head lifted. The glare on his face sent shivers down Tess’s back. “Knowing that you will be talking about your daughter and my mother both.”

The shivers running through Tess’s body intensified and pooled between her legs. Oh, he was so attractive like that, quietly demanding that Lenard be respectful. Tess swallowed hard and leaned a bit more into Mica’s side.

“A… single mother,” Lenard finished, sounding somewhat deflated.

“I will speak with my Beta and Tess about the situation,” Hayden said. “You don’t need to concern yourselves. They’re both adults and will resolve the situation without your interference.”

Tess took a deep breath and blurted, “I won’t force Ryder to be my mate. We agreed beforehand it wasn’t going to happen, and I’m not going back on my word. It’s none of your concern what I did.”

Hilda gave her a nasty look while Lenard growled slightly. Mica rubbed Tess’s back, her expression one of mingled fury and worry. Hopefully, she wouldn’t demand too much information—and hopefully, she’d understand why Tess and Ryder made the agreement they made.

“You can go,” Hayden said in a low growl.

Lenard and Hilda stood their ground for a moment longer, then slunk off. Tess released a breath she’d been holding. The confrontation had left her shaky, her leg hurting even more. Hayden gestured to Ryder to come with him, then turned to Mica and Tess.

“I’m getting the car,” he murmured. “You shouldn’t be walking home anyway.”

“I’m fine,” Tess started, but Mica squeezed her hand.

The men left, and Tess closed her eyes. Everyone in town was going to hear about this. She’d be the subject of rumor and gossip. She could almost hear the nasty comments about her. Not just calling her names for sleeping with Ryder, but there would also be plenty of people wondering how she’d managed to trick him into sleeping with her. She wasn’t a beautiful girl anymore.

“Are you okay?” Mica murmured.

“I’m fine,” Tess lied.

Why was it anyone else’s concern who she slept with? Why did anyone have to have a say in what she decided to do with her own body? Nobody would be insulting Ryder for this. Just her. Because she-wolves were meant to be demure and meant to save themselves for the mating. Men were built differently—at least, that’s what she had always been taught.

She was trembling again, but anger grew in her chest this time. Why hadn’t Ryder said anything? He’d spoken up quickly enough when he thought Echo was about to be insulted. But apparently, she wasn’t enough to worry about.

It’s not his job to take care of me, she told herself crossly. If he did step in, I’d just be angry at him for thinking he needed to protect me.

It was her parents she was furious at—them and Elin. She probably went running to them as soon as they returned to town. She was always that sort of snitch. How many times in school had Elin told the teachers about what the other kids were doing that were harmlessly against the rules? And she’d treated Mica like crap for years. A leopard doesn’t change their spots, as the saying goes.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mica asked.

Tess nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Her thoughts kept piling up. By the time Ryder and Hayden returned with the car, she felt like just shifting to her wolf form and racing back to the cabin. If it weren’t for the demons, she might just do that. Even the talisman in her pocket wouldn’t be full protection against them.

Another thought pushed against her consciousness. She held onto the anger to avoid thinking about it, but when Ryder opened the car door for her, it slipped through the cracks.

They hadn’t used protection.

One time wasn’t enough to get pregnant, right? So it didn’t mean anything that they hadn’t used protection. Her period was wonky, anyway. The first time she’d skipped three months in a row, she’d freaked out. But by this time, it was normal to skip it every now and then. Stress. She suspected she had polycystic ovary syndrome, too, but that hadn’t been confirmed.

No. There wasn’t going to be a baby.

Tess moved both crutches into one hand, fighting back the surge of embarrassment that came with that thought. Or rather, the sliver of hope that made her hyper-aware of her own body.

She stumbled slightly, and Ryder caught her elbow. She pulled away quickly. “I don’t need your help!”

Ryder opened his mouth and closed it again. She got into the car, and he shut the door after her. Then he started to walk away. Mica frowned after him and slid into the seat next to Tess. Hayden began to drive, and they were silent as they drove Tess back to her house.

***

A few days later, Tess had just changed Denzel’s dirty diaper and was rocking him as he drifted to sleep. Mica slipped into the nursery. She’d had a long meeting with Christine and Rachel, the eldest daughter of Monroe’s Beta, about drumming up the finances needed to put Rachel through nursing school.

“Is he sleeping?” Mica whispered.

Tess glanced at the baby. His eyes were firmly shut, but his angelic little face relaxed. He looked like a perfect mix of Hayden and Mica—absolutely adorable.

“I think he’s sleeping,” Tess answered. “Do you want to hold him?”

Mica shook her head. “No, let’s let him sleep. I need to talk with you anyway.”

Tess’s heart dropped, but she nodded. She transferred Denzel to the crib, and then she and Mica crept from the nursery. Mica’s expression was soft as she led Tess down to the parlor, where she did her business. Once inside, she closed the door softly.

“How are you doing?” she asked.

Tess shrugged. “My leg is nearly healed up.”

“That’s not what I’m asking about, and you know it.” Mica brushed her red hair over her shoulder. “I told myself I wouldn’t intervene—”

“Mica, please.”

“But,” Mica continued, “I need to know. Did you ever tell Ryder what was happening when you asked him to be your mate?”

“No. It doesn’t matter,” Tess said, looking away.

Mica’s gaze was steady, but she thankfully didn’t continue that line of questioning. “I’ve been working with Elin to go through the texts. Hayden wants to see if the protections can be used as tattoos,” she said. “We’re not finding anything that indicates one way or another. Will you have time to start going through things as well?”

“Of course,” Tess agreed readily, but her nose twisted. “Just so long as I don’t have to work with Elin.”

Elin hadn’t been staying at the house since they returned from the mountain. No doubt she was worried about what Tess would do after ratting her out. Tess’s hands clenched into fists.

“There will be times when you have to be in the same room,” Mica said slowly.

“Don’t expect me to be friendly. She’s a gossiping little rat. I can’t understand why you tolerate her. If it were me, I’d kick her out of the pack,” Tess snorted. Her wolf growled, tail swishing in agreement.

Mica frowned at her. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not you.”

“After everything she did—”

“Enough, Tess.” Mica held her hand up toward Tess. “I understand that you’re angry and have every reason to be. Elin shouldn’t have told anyone what happened between you and Ryder. And if you need an apology to work civilly with her, then I will make sure that happens. But this pack has a way of turning its women against each other, and that is just as dangerous as the demons.”

“So I should just forgive her?” Tess demanded incredulously.

Mica shook her head. “I didn’t say that. But to treat her like she’s the problem instead of the traditions of the pack isn’t going to help, Tess. I’m just asking that you don’t treat her like an outcast. I don’t want this pack to continue the same toxic behaviors it had under Monroe.”

Tess nodded reluctantly. She understood where Mica was coming from with that… but Mica was also a much more forgiving woman than she was.

“I’ll work with her,” Tess said reluctantly. “For your sake.”

But if she said anything about Tess and Ryder, all bets were off. Especially , Tess thought, if she asks why Ryder hasn’t spoken to me since that confrontation with my parents.