Page 13 of Rejected Pregnant Mate

"I sort of get where you're coming from, but don't you dare try and make a spectacle out of me, Scott. You can't just toss out a marriage proposal like it's a bandage."

His eyes flashed, and I felt a spark of satisfaction at getting under his skin. "What would you prefer? To live apart and pretend there's nothing between us? That's not a real solution, Nayeli."

"It's not the worst idea..." Kiera said slowly. "It'd be a scandal if she moved in without getting married, considering how close she is to you, Samson. Scott is your ally, and he'd keep Nayeli safe. It's temporary, but it will give us room to figure this out."

"That's what I'm saying," Scott said, and I noticed he was looking at Samson instead of me. He was being more diplomatic than usual. "A marriage contract would ensure Nayeli's safety and keep this from turning into a shit show. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her or compromise her, and I know you know that."

I snorted, but before I could say anything else, Samson stepped in. "Fine. A temporary contract until this mess is fixed. But if you hurt her in any way, you won't like what happens."

"Wait—" This was suddenly moving way too fast. "Quit talking about me like I'm not in the room."

Samson rubbed his hands over his face. "This is a nightmare, Nayeli, but I don't see any other way to control the situation right now."

I was breathing fast now, eyes flicking between the three of them. "If you try and force me into marrying him, then I'll...I'll go rogue!"

"You do that, and I'll drag you back by the collar." Samson said, unbothered by the threat.

I grit my teeth. "Nice. Really respectful of my autonomy."

"Don't start this again," My cousin scowled. "You used your autonomy to cast a binding spell on another pack's Alpha. Look, you don't have to like it. Hell, I hate this. But you're in pain when he's not around, and he gets...weird when you're gone too long, according to the two of you. This might be the only thing that keeps the situation from spiraling out of control more than it already is."

Dammit. He wasn't wrong, and I hated that more than anything else.

"Fine," I sighed, refusing to look at any of them and focusing on my feet instead. I'd never felt so miserable, or so helpless, before. "Let's get this over with, then. When am I getting married?"

***

When the knock sounded from my front door, I was already neck-deep in work. I had a lot to do if I was going to be caught up before moving in with Scott, and the interruption was just going to put me more behind.

I considered ignoring it, but my bond was tingling in my chest, which meant it could only be one person. Scott.

"Go away!" I yelled.

"Don't make me break this door down, Nayeli. I'm more than happy to pay for the repairs."

I groaned, exiting my office and stomping to the door. I didn't even know how he knew where my apartment was, and I'd been hoping to have a few hours of peace before the pull of the bond got too bad, so I had to seek Scott out to ease the pain.

Instead, I pulled the door open to see his smug, handsome face, but then my attention was caught by the takeout bag and two drinks that he was holding. "I bought lunch."

"Why does this feel like a hostage situation?" I grumbled, taking the bag and walking to the dining room table, Scott hot on my heels.

"You're complaining, but it also looks like you're going to accept my peace offering of food," Scott sounded amused as he took the seat across from me. "I'll take that as a win."

His eyes scanned the apartment, taking everything in. My apartment was small, but I'd decorated it to reflect my personality and interests so much that there was barely a spare inch of space. The walls were painted a muted teal and lined with bookshelves that were packed with books—science fiction, graphic novels, and figurines, and knick-knacks from my favorite fandoms.

There were prints from movies and games on the wall, framed and proudly displayed. I suddenly felt awkward. My home was just another reminder of how far I was from Scott's idea of a perfect mate. He wanted someone classy and put together. I was anything but.

Once he was done looking it over, he grinned at me. "It's very...you in here."

"Wow, great observation." I unwrapped the burger he'd bought me, relieved he seemed to appreciate the apartment more than I anticipated. I was pretty proud of my little space, honestly. It felt like a place I could retreat to when the rest of the world became too much.

I didn't know why I was so worried about Scott's opinion, but it was nice nonetheless.

"So what's this about?" I gestured to the food.

"It's just lunch," he explained, opening his own burger wrapper. "I figured you'd need to see me sometime soon anyway, to, er...touch me for the bond, so I thought it'd do something nice."

I snorted. "That's a first."

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