Page 41 of Rejected Pregnant Mate

"I used to help design video games," she said finally. "Before...you know."

I tilted my head. "I didn't know that. What was the last game you made?"

"Well, made is a strong word. I was an intern. It was the latest entry in a racing game series," she said, her voice growing soft. "I worked with a small team and helped out with the storyboards, but I wasn't a huge part of the project. Still, I was proud of it."

"Was?"

She smiled, and it didn't reach her eyes. "It's not a thing anymore."

I didn't ask. Instead, I just leaned forward. "Tell me more."

"About the game? It was an open-world type. The player could customize their car and their avatar, and there were different areas where you could do street races, but there was also an official circuit..."

I listened, fascinated. Those years of Nayeli's life were a mystery to me, and from the way she spoke about them, she was a totally different person before her parents died. Well...maybe not different, but more free. They supported her to be her authentic self, and the awkwardness she was known for in the pack now wasn't a concern. She didn't care what others thought. But after she was orphaned and had to move in with Samson, she hadn't had that support system anymore, and she changed because of it. Insecurities popped up, and the plans she'd had for her future vanished.

She had so many dreams and was willing to chase them, but they were crushed by the weight of life. She was lost, at least for a while. With her cousin's help, she'd started to find herself again...and then she'd bonded with me, and I took her away from her support system. Again.

Fuck.

I wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, how amazing and strong, but I held back. It wasn't the right time, not yet, and besides, my approval wouldn't mean much to her. So instead, I let her keep talking, telling me stories of her early 20s.

"And then, Kiera showed up," she said, chuckling. "Up until that point, I'd idolized Samson, but seeing how twisted up she made him caused me to realize that he was just as messed up as I was. Seeing how he changed everything for Kiera and Kit, including the pack itself, was inspiring. It made me think that...you know..." she tapped her glass with her nails, "That I'd find a connection like that too one day."

The rest of that statement went unsaid. We both knew that she'd found her mate, only to be rejected by him. By me. I shot the rest of my whiskey back and tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Samson really did burn it all down to build it back up for Kiera, didn't he?"

Nayeli shook her head, smiling fondly. "He did. He really did. It was amazing. He's still a bit of an asshole sometimes, but the change is clear. With the new pack structure, we've got women outranking men for the first time, and the she-wolves don't have to rely on their mates for status."

"Is it going well?"

"Really well, actually. There was a lot of grumbling at first, but after a while, they realized that if they kept complaining, Samson would demote them. So, the women have more say and their opinions are considered, and the men are...well, they're men, but it's a start."

I grinned at her subtle little barb. "Who would have guessed Samson would end up being the most progressive Alpha in the alliance?"

"You're getting there," Nayeli paused. "But you and Joe have a long way to go. Both packs are still very, very male-dominated. That stuff with Rhie earlier today proves it. You can't keep letting wolves like Mike get away with harassing women like that."

"I know, and I don't," I said, leaning back. "But Samson's pack is the youngest by far. I know my old wolves would push back hard if I tried to mess with pack dynamics like that. It would cause a lot of friction."

Nayeli sighed, but she didn't look surprised. "I get it. But at the very least, you should stop rewarding your pack for misogynistic behavior. It's the one thing I really don't like about the Shadowbay pack. You're such a good Alpha, I just don't get why you don't want all your wolves, male or female, to feel equal."

"It's not that, it's just...you have to understand how we've lived our entire lives. How I grew up."

"Then enlighten me." She leaned forward.

I swallowed. "My mother was a human woman. She was an artist, and my father fell in love with her on a trip to California, when she was painting a mural on the side of a building. She was so beautiful, and she didn't even know about our world. She had no idea about what he was, and he couldn't bring himself to tell her."

Nayeli's eyes widened. "Wait, what happened? Did she find out?"

"Yeah. When she gave birth to a shifter," I motioned to myself, feeling sick. How in the hell did we get on this subject? "She ran as soon as she was out of the hospital. My dad returned to the Shadowbay pack, which my grandfather was the Alpha of, and raised me there. I guess...I guess she died when I wasfive. I never knew her. After her, there were no other serious relationships. By the time Dad took over as Alpha, he was so bitter that he let his she-wolves fall to the bottom of the pack, and he died not long after. I've never known any different. So, you see, it's hard for me to just change overnight. And it's been so long, it might be too late."

"It's never too late," she insisted. "If Samson could change his ways, anyone can."

"Yeah, but you don't know what it's like here. How it's been for so long. There are old wolves who've had their entire lives built around the way things are now."

"So?" Nayeli challenged. "They should get the fuck over it."

I almost choked on my drink, not expecting the profanity, but it made me grin. Her honesty was refreshing. I didn't know anyone else like her, and that's why I wanted her. "You're a spitfire," I said, chuckling. "You're more like Samson than you want to admit."

"Bullshit."

---