Nina's POV
I pushed through into my room, closing the door hard behind me. My chest tightened and I struggled to breathe, as if all the air had been sucked from my body. You are giving your thoughts a lot of processing power.
Dwayne. And that woman.
The image played in my head like an endless loop, no matter how hard I tried to put it behind me. Her hand on his arm. The way she leaned in close to him, the way their lips mingled. Dwayne didn't stopped her. He didnt pull away.
I leaned against the door and ran a hand through my hair, my knees threatening to buckle. I'd never considered that Dwayne was the type to mess around. To sleep with random women.
But what if I was wrong? What if I was just another girl he had charmed for a fleeting moment of pleasure?
Even if I was, things have changed now. I was his wife. It hasn't even been a week since we got married and he was already smooching with another woman.
My stomach churned at the thought, and I pressed a hand to my belly. I had planned to tell Dwayne about the baby tonight.
Now… now I didn't know if I could tell him at all.
The baby deserved better than this. I deserved better than this.
I pushed away from the door, shaking my head. I wouldn't let this break me. I had to be strong if I wanted to secure a future for my child.
I sat down at my desk, the laptop screen lighting up as a notification pinged in the corner, breaking through my jumbled thoughts. I clicked on it, and my stomach dropped when I saw the name of the sender.
Richard.
I froze, my hand hovering over the touchpad. I thought I had blocked him everywhere—my phone, my social media accounts, every possible way he could reach me. Apparently, I had forgotten about email.
I opened the message, my lips curling into a bitter sneer as I read his words.
'Nina, I know I'm the last person you want to hear from, but I can't stop thinking about you. I miss you. Please, just give me a chance to explain. I'll do anything.'
I didn't even hesitate. I deleted the email and shut the laptop. It didn't matter what Richard wanted. I have long closed the chapter of my life where he had existed and there was no room for him again in this new chapter of my life.
I stood up to go get some much needed rest but the laptop chimed again. Another email.
With a sigh, I opened it. Reading the message made my heart skip a beat.
'I'm at the Great Black pack gate. If you don't get out in ten minutes, I'm going to make a scene. '
Sweat ran down my spine; my blood ran cold. Richard wasn't bluffing. I knew him too well to know that he was not. He was impulsive and reckless, and if he didn't get what he wanted, he didn't give a damn who got hurt.
I wasn't going to allow him to cause a disturbance here. The pack already dislikes me for being a werewolf, If Richard stirred up some trouble here it would only make things worse for me.
I quickly typed out a response, my fingers gliding over the keyboard.
'Don't move. Stay where you are. I'm coming.'
I shut the laptop and rose, reaching for my jacket on the back of the chair. I didn't want to see Richard, but I didn't have a choice. I'm going to put an end to this once and for all. I put on a face cap to not be recognized.
As soon as I stepped outside, the cold night air bit my skin even though I wore a thick jacket. The packhouse was silent behind me, it was nights out already and I was glad no one could see me.
"Richard," I called softly, not wanting to draw attention.
No response.
I took another step forward, my unease growing with every second. Something didn't feel right. It felt like someone was watching me.
Suddenly, a hand covered over my mouth, and began dragging me into a nearby bush that surrounded the pack house.
My heart pounded wildly as I thrashed against the force, kicking the air and clawing at the hand that dragged me deeper into the bush. My screams were muffled and I felt panic rise deep within me.
After what felt like an eternity we stopped and the hand released my mouth. I quickly spun around to see who dared do such a thing to me and I was met with Richard's blank face.
"Calm down," he said in a silent whisper. "It's just me." He then tried to hug me but I pushed him and gave him a resounding slap across his cheek.
His head bent to the side, and for a moment, his expression twisted with anger. But then he forced a smile, his jaw tightening as he rubbed the imprint my hand left on his cheek.
"Okay," he said, his voice tight. "I deserved that."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I spat, my voice shaking. "Dragging me out here in the middle of the night? Grabbing me like that? Are you insane?"
"I needed to see you," he said desperately. "I had to. Me and my wolf—we can't take this anymore, Nina. We miss you. We need you."
I let out a bitter laugh. "You don't get to say that to me, Richard. Not after everything you've done. We're not mates anymore. I rejected you remember."
His jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought he might snap. But then his shoulders slumped, and he looked at me with an almost childlike sadness.
"You can't reject me," he said quietly. "What we had, it doesn't just go away. I know you still feel it. The bond is still there. Please, Nina. Come with me. We can leave all of this behind. The bond… it'll heal. We'll heal."
"You're delusional," I replied, shaking my head.
He was desperate now, frantic, and he took my hand. "I'm not! I love you, Nina. I've always loved you. Just give me an opportunity to show you. Let's start again, just you and me. You'll see."
My anger flared up, and I glared at him. I couldn't do this anymore.
The words c
ame out before I could hold them back and soon I had regretted it.
"I'm pregnant, Richard."