Page 60 of Rejected Pregnant Mate

I must be missing,I thought distantly.He's looking for me, I'm sure.

Then the panic went from his side of the bond and into mine. What was happening? I clutched my head, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to figure out what was wrong, but then something moved in the hallway. I snapped upright and stared at the door. Shaking, I reached inside for my magic, but it felt muted. Weaker. So instead, I reached for my wolf, and she rose like the sun, warm and ever-present, to pace close beneath my skin, giving me the bravery that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Keeping my shift just a breath away, I stood and made my way back into the hallway, searching for whatever had moved. It was all so familiar, but somehow muffled, like I was underwater. I reached the kitchen, and there they stood.

My mother. My father. Both of them stood by the stove shoulder to shoulder just like they used to do in the morning. Their backs were turned, but I'd know their postures anywhere. The pain in my chest twisted sharply, cutting through my fear for an impossible second.

"Mom?" I croaked, even as my mind screamed that they weren't real. That it was a trap. "Dad?"

They turned and showed me what I already knew. Of course, it wasn't them. Their faces were wrong, too smooth, too pale, and their eyes endless black voids. My stomach dropped, and I stumbled backwards, mouth open in a silent scream. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I could do was stare at what the dark magic had conjured up, unable to run or defend myself.

The creature wearing my father's face smiled. "Welcome home, Nayeli."

"I'm not—you're not—"

"You let us go," the other creature said, stepping closer, "You pushed us out. You didn't want us anymore."

"You're not them!" I finally managed to scream. The darkness in their eyes, slowly covering their entire forms, was all too familiar, and suddenly, I knew what was happening. "You're the darkness, aren't you? I felt you when I reversed the bond..."

The darkness took my mother and father over completely, and I watched as they split open to reveal nothing but pure blackness. It coalesced into one entity, huge and towering over me, reaching out a hand that became more claw than anything. I could see through it, like a cloud of smoke, but I knew if it touched me, it'd feel solid.

"You banished me, Nayeli. Why? I was with you from the beginning, the seed of your grief and your insecurity that you fed with your magic. You started using your power without direction, too much, too fast, but I helped you. When you tried to drive away all of the sadness, all of the wanting, you braided it in with your magic instead. It took me from being a shadow in the corner of your mind to becoming so much more. We're almost the same now."

"You're not me!" I screamed. "I don't want this!"

"What do you want, then?"

I thought of Scott, the baby in my belly, and the slow, steady acceptance of my new pack. "I want to be free."

"You tore me out before I was ready, forced me out and into the earth, and it left you torn up inside. Just let me back in, and I can fix all those tattered edges, Nayeli. We're so much stronger together."

I took a deep breath. "No."

It roared, and the shadows whipped around us like a tornado. I covered my head with my arms, but my strength was waning with each minute I was in the thing's presence. I sank to the ground, closing my eyes, and tried to remember why I was fighting. I thought of Kit, and Kiera, and Gwen, and I tried to find my strength. I thought of Scott, his touch, the way he made me feel when we were together, and the warmth of his presence in my mind through our bond.

It was almost like he was there with me.

"Nayeli," Scott breathed, and I could feel his arms around me. "Nayeli, come back to me. I love you."

Mustering every last ounce of my power, I forced myself back onto my feet and visualized the pack bond. I was filled withhis strength and love the second I brushed across Scott's thread. I focused on that and pulled myself free of the darkness's hold.

The darkness screamed, and I felt it reaching out to me, but I was out of its grasp.

I opened my eyes to see that I really was in Scott's arms. He was on the floor of my parents' living room, just like I'd been when I woke into the dream, the crack on the ceiling staring down at me. The relief in his expression almost broke my heart, but there was a wildness there too, like he thought I might disappear into thin air if he blinked.

"Scott," I breathed, and he hugged me so tightly I couldn't breathe. His scent washed over me, and I started crying. "You found me."

"Of course, I found you, Nayeli."

"We all found you," Another voice, much angrier, added. "And now I'd like to know what the hell you did to my wolf?"

I peeked out over Scott's shoulder and saw Jayce, his arms crossed, looking uneasy. I couldn't blame him; the room reeked of dark magic. "Your wolf...you mean Aaron? I didn't do anything to him. I just saw him in the library parking lot."

"That's not what he says happened." Jayce's voice was tense. He was trying so hard not to lose his cool that he was shaking. I'd never seen him like this before.

"He said something dragged him into the woods." Scott's voice was equally tense, but I saw how he angled his shoulders to protect me from Jayce. "Something that came out of you and knocked him out."

I wanted to tell him he was being ridiculous, but it was the truth. My heart dropped, and I swallowed thickly, looking at Jayce with wide eyes. "I don't know what happened," I toldhim, "But I swear it wasn't me. I wouldn't hurt one of your packmates."

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