Page 55 of Bullied Pregnant Mate

“Come in,” Bae says, gesturing to the end of the table. “Sit down, Jenks. Good morning, Alisa.”

“Good morning,” she replies a bit shyly.

I don’t blame her—she’s the only woman here. This meeting is more formal than I realized.

I’m glad to have her by my side, though, and squeeze her hand a little as we sit down. She squeezes back right away, and this gives me some confidence, even though my anxiety doesn’t fade.

Even choosing a seat feels difficult. If we sit down at the end of the table, it puts distance between us and the others. It also feels wrong to sit closer, though. Even with my friends and family, I’ve always felt like an outsider.

Mom isolated me, it’s true. But even though Carla made every attempt to include me, Bae never did. I was always on the edges of the pack. No one cared enough to invite me to family gatherings or pack events.

At the other end of the table, Bae is talking with Carson, too quietly for us to hear. Across the table, Jack and Rider get into a conversation.

“Have you seen anything over at New Hope?” Jack asks.

Rider shakes his head. “All quiet over there. Jen is really spooked about the Ancient Ones. She spends a lot of time out on the ridge, just staring into the mountains.”

“Is she okay? Like, I know you have a lot of respect for her, but she is old. And sometimes she acts kind of… cracked.”

Rider chuckles. “I agree. She is getting on, and neglecting herself, as old wolves tend to do. If she decides to wander off into the wilderness for her final days, it’s not like we could stop her.”

“That’s true,” Jack sighs. “It would be nice if she told us a bit about the Ancient Ones before she did that, though.”

The door bangs open, cutting off the conversation. Peter, Body, and Kyle all walk through the door. I feel sweat break out down my sides.

The gang’s all here. Jesus fuck.

Just when I think it can’t get any worse, Nate and the younger girl, Driss, hurry in right on Kyle’s heels. My guts twist as I start to think about the ground that must be covered by our patrols and how obvious it must be that there is a breach.

I’m fucked! I’m totally fucked!

“Hey, Nate,” Jack says, gesturing to a seat next to him. “Have you got any news?”

Nate sighs, shaking his head as he sits down. “We’ve got a den set up in an old mine connected to a cave system. You know the other wild wolves in my faction won’t move into town. They need to live rough.”

“Crazy, but okay,” Jack says with a shrug.

“Suit yourself,” Driss says curtly.

Nate nudges her. “Easy, Driss. You’re here to learn diplomacy, because we’re becoming an official faction now. I need others who can coordinate.”

As the others ramble on about seemingly unimportant topics, my mind starts to drift. Alisa gives my hand another squeeze and smiles. I smile back, but my thoughts are a million miles away.

My anxiety over being blamed for the breach to our defenses is strong, but it’s matched by an overwhelming desire for family connection. It’s not just that I want to believe Brad—no matter how many times I examine it, his words ring true. Beneath my yearning, a red-hot, glowing fury is beginning to burn, streaking through my blood and clouding my thoughts.

How could my mother have hidden my father from me?

Okay, so he’s from Decker. Back then, we were at war, which was exactly why Bae attempted to make peace with Jack’s marriage to Lena. Obviously, my mom had an affair, and she didn’t want anyone to find out about it.

And she didn’t want my father finding out aboutme, in case he came for me.

As much sense as this makes, I can’t forgive her for it. The fury in me is born of pain, longing, and desperate loss. Because of her, I never felt loved.

Even if I can understand her reasons for not telling me about my father, why did she close herself off from me?

I always blamed her witch side for how erratic she was, but now that doesn’t make any sense. I’ve gotten to know the witches. None of them are anything like her.

And this marriage brought me into the pack. It made me feel like a part of things for the first time in my life. No longer the party guy, the joker, the clown. I finally feel like somebody important.

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