Page 20 of Rejected Pregnant Mate

Kiera reached for me, grabbing my hand in hers and squeezing it tightly. "I know how you feel about the magic you have," she said quietly. "But you can share this with me."

I shook my head. "I know it sounds silly, but I've been doing this for myself. Not because I think it's wrong or anything,but because I've only ever been an outsider. With my magic, it's the one thing that's only mine. And I like that."

She nodded. "I get it. It's a big part of who you are, and no one can take that away from you."

"I hope you're right," I whispered.

Kiera exhaled softly. "It's weird, isn't it?"

I glanced over at her. "What is?"

"The shift in roles. I was the outcast in the Saltfang pack not too long ago, and you were my safe space, my first friend here..." she trailed off. "Now I'm married to Samson and you're the one stranded in a pack that doesn't get you."

That hit too close to the truth, and I took a drink of my coffee to hide how sad it all made me. I'd barely fit in within the Saltfang pack, and now I had to start all over again with Scott's wolves. "Yeah. It's surreal. I sort of hate it."

Kiera laughed. "You're still our Nayeli. Pack lines don't change that."

"It's only temporary," I pointed out, but Kiera just hummed, like she wasn't so sure.

We drank our coffee and listened to the bird song for a while, and then Kiera bumped her knee into mine. "Do you ever think about just quitting?"

I blinked at her. "Quitting what?"

"Being Samson's assistant," she clarified. "At least for now. It would give you some extra time to settle into your new pack without having any tethers still attaching you here."

I chewed my lip in thought. I'd definitely considered taking an extended leave of absence, but what if Samson neededme? "I'm not sure, Kiera. If I do that, it feels like cutting the last string."

"That might be a good thing. Maybe it's time for a clean break." Her voice was gentle. "You're already going through so much, Nayeli."

My next words were so hard to say that I had to force them out past a lump in my throat. "I don't know who I am without my job, this pack. You. Kit. Everything here."

Kiera placed her hand over mine. "This is your chance to find out. Who is Nayeli away from Samson and his pack? I bet she's brilliant."

I reached over and hugged her, trying not to cry. "Thank you, Kiera. For everything."

She rubbed my back and smiled. "Always. We're family."

After a few more tearful seconds, I sat back in my chair and wiped my eyes. "So... who’s going to take on all of Samson's chaos once I'm gone?"

Kiera sighed, shoulders sagging. "I guess that would be me, huh?"

"He's going to drive you insane."

She laughed. "That's okay. He already does. And what are you going to do with all your extra time?"

I scowled. "I have no idea. Maybe a part-time job?"

"A new coffee shop is opening on the other side of town. I bet they're hiring."

"A barista?" I considered it, looking at the tree line. "It would be...different."

"You need something low-key. Something you can do part-time until you figure out what you want to do," Kierapointed out. "Besides, it would give you a chance to meet people outside the pack."

I opened my mouth to protest but then...stopped. She wasn't wrong. The idea of the simple job, without the pressure of the pack finances on my back, was oddly appealing.

"Okay. I'll do it."

"I knew you would," she said, standing up and holding out her hand. "I'm a witch, you remember? We know things."

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