Page 60 of Rejected and Pregnant By the Alpha
“You’re right,” I agree, leaning down to press a kiss to her temple, hearing Saben shift between us. “I need sleep for tomorrow,” I say, lying back onto the bed and taking her hand in mine. Our joined hands rest over Saben, his little chest rising and falling as he sleeps. “Go to bed. I’ll be here when you wake up,” I reassure Hannah, watching her body relax into the pillow.
“Good night, Jules,” she mumbles, my heart skipping a beat. She hasn’t called me Jules in seven years—not since I started distancing myself from her. Smiling, I close my eyes and listen to Hannah and Saben breathing, letting them be the lullaby that lulls me to sleep.
***
The smell of pancakes and bacon wakes me from my sleep. Instinctively, I reach out to grab Hannah’s hand, only to find the bed empty. Bolting awake, I look around the room to find Hannah and Saben gone. My heart pounds in my chest as I fumble out of the bed, throwing open the door. It doesn’t take me long to hear the sounds of cartoons playing in the background and to hear Hannah singing along to a song playing softly in the kitchen. I let out the breath I didn’t know I washolding and rest my head against the doorframe, trying to calm my frantically beating heart.
“Good morning,” Saben calls out, noticing me first.
“Good morning,” I reply, moving to where my son sits and ruffling his hair. I see the hesitation in his eyes as he sizes me up, remembering that just yesterday he was telling me he hated me. He knows that I hurt his mama, but he also knows that I regret it and am going to do my best to prove to her that I will change to be the mate she deserves.
“What are you watching?” I ask, turning to look at the television.
“Pokémon,” he mutters, looking away from me.
I sigh, slowly moving to sit beside Saben on the carpet and look at the toys strewn around the room. “I’m not mad at you for saying you hate me,” I say, playfully nudging my arm into his. “I would have said the same thing if I met my father for the first time and only knew he hurt my mother.” I can feel Hannah’s gaze on me as I try to have a heart-to-heart with my son. Saben is silent, but I notice him pursing his lips as he fiddles with his fingers. It seems he got this little habit from Hannah.
“I still don’t like you,” Saben says, looking up at me from under his lashes. “But I will give you a chance because you’re my dad. You didn’t know about me, and that’s not your fault.”
A grin spreads across my face, and I can’t help but wrap my arms around Saben, pulling him in for a hug. “I will make sure that no matter what, I will always be the dad you deserve, Saben,” I promise him, feeling his tiny arms wrap around my waist.
“Thanks, Papa,” Saben whispers, breathing in my scent.
Papa.He called mePapa. Looking up, I find Hannah wiping away tears before they can spill. A loving smile is on her lips as she watches me with our son, and for a moment, I wonder if she will come home with me to the royal palace, and we can spend our mornings like this as a family. But I know this is a conversation that will have to happen later.
“I made pancakes,” Hannah calls from her spot, and Saben wiggles out of my grip.
“With chocolate chips?” he asks her, running over to her side.
Hannah smiles, cupping his little face with her hands before nodding. “Lots of chocolate chips,” she answers, bending down to kiss his head. “Now, go wash your hands so we can eat.”
Saben wastes no time rushing to the bathroom, the sound of rushing water following soon after.
“You go wash up, too,” Hannah orders me, and I happily oblige, climbing to my feet and slowly making my way toward the bathroom where Saben disappeared.
“You got sent here, too?” Saben asks, rinsing the suds off his hands.
“I did,” I answer with a sigh, getting a giggle from him. “Your mama has the same strict hand-washing manners as her mama did. Your grandma would have skinned us if we went to her dining table with unwashed hands before a meal,” I whisper, looking around as if scared to let this little tidbit be known. Saben’s eyes widen at this, and I can’t help but grin.
“Will you tell me more about my grandparents?” he asks as I turn off the tap, the request surprising me, but I agree without hesitation, deciding that I will share stories that involve both mine and Hannah’s parents over our breakfast.
59
Hannah
Looking at the wolves chosen for this operation in the training facility, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Aileen is pacing beside me, waiting for her coven to arrive while the rest of our forty-man army goes over strategy and entry points with Sabrina, who, thankfully, finally got her hands on a map of the hunters’ headquarters.
“Miella should have been here by now with the others,” Aileen mutters, worry in her voice. “Something must have happened,” she states, stopping dead in her tracks.
Sensing the anxiety seeping off her, I reach out and take her hand, feeling Aileen jump. As much as she portrays herself as a fun-loving, ditzy blonde, I know Aileen sees her coven as her family. Each vampire was sired either by her or by the first four vampires she turned.
“Miella is smart. They will be here soon,” I reassure my friend, opening my eyes to stare at her.
She takes a deep breath, her red eyes slowly returning to normal. After a few more deep breaths, she lets go of my hand and gives me a grateful smile.
“Thank you, Hannah,” she says, turning back to look at the small beaten path leading away from the training facility and toward the pack house.
“No problem, Aileen. I will always be here to help keep you grounded,” I reply.
