Chapter 82
Selena's POVIt's been close to a year, which means I'd be expecting my child soon. It was one heck of a ride with both Lily and Reynold.We grew closer with every passing day over the past months and I was never so glad to have such an amazing support system.I miss Axel every single day, that the thought of him seems to bring a terrible physical ache in my chest. But with the anticipation of seeing my child, it lessened the ache considerably.I wondered if someone had been brought as a stand in for Axel's mate.It was only a matter of time before the elders pushed him into marriage or the search for his mate. With my absence, perhaps he wouldn't have any choice but bed another woman who would beat his child.The thought made my lungs feel like it was drained of every iota of oxygen. Axel may just never forgive me for leaving without telling him."I told you to stop eating so much",Chapter 83Axel's POV It's been a year. One whole year without Selena, one year of complete torture. Everyone had pretty much given up on finding Selena. There had been no sightings of her in the past months and slowly, no one cared anymore. But I did. Blake helped too but it was only a matter of time before I would also be forced to give up on finding her. The resources I had poured into her search had made other aspects of keeping the pack safe not quite as effective. The patrol guards were greatly reduced as they had been focused in finding one person, leaving others vulnerable. The attacks on our borders were growing more persistent and as such, it was vital to call off the search and focus on keeping the weak, children and elderly within these walls safe. I was to accept the bitter truth. Selena didn't want to be found. I am certain she is alive out there, else my heart wouldn't still feel her presen
Chapter 84Selena's POV That first cry of a baby must be the most beautiful sound a new mother wishes to hear. Except, I heard two cries from my twin boys. The chaos that ensued in the hospital amongst the doctors made me even more nervous. They believed I was with a child, not two. Lily's eyes revealed just how happy she was, and uncle Reynold was pacing outside the delivery room, his aura exuding pure nervousness. "Congratulations, Miss. You're a mother of two", the doctor smiled down at me, putting my boys on both arms. They looked exactly identical, except the hair color. While one had Axel's midnight black hair, the other had my auburn one. The doctors filed out, leaving a nurse, Lily and Uncle Reynold who barged into the room, shoulders sagged in relief as he spotted me. My babies cooed, both their hands were in a tight fist but I couldn't see their eyes. The nurse took the babie
Chapter 85Axel's POV The attacks on the borders are growing more persistent. It has lasted for a while now, no, two years and counting if no one decides to do something about it. The Alphas of other packs have yielded, hence the reason for the meeting I am to attend. As pack leader, it annoyed me just how all the neighboring packs wasted so much time to stuck in their asses that they didn't think of the consequences for such a time wasted. Night Reapers barely suffered any casualties but others outside the pack house were suffering and I needed to help. As annoying as that is. "You ready?", Blake peeked into my room, just as I zipped up my jacket. I am dressed from head to toe in black and I look about ready to fight with the stern expression on my face. So yes. "Let's go", I commanded, as he collected my bag, passing it to a guard.Asher, as usual, is leaning against a pillar, Cecelia
Chapter 86Selena's POV "That was fun", Lily giggled. "I mean, I could've believed for a second there that those slides were built for me."I laughed along with her. She had been so excited, almost as excited as the kids when her eyes met the waterslide. I didn't do much, only sat aside, watch them play and record a few videos in between, yet there was an exhaustion overwhelming my being until I could only perform the motions, like torture. "You played more than the kids", I stated in a matter of fact tone. Lily laughed aloud, adjusting her hold on Zephyr as we walked out of the park. Orion and Zephyr seem to be in some heated argument about dinosaurs but I tuned them out, facing Lily as we spoke. "What's wrong? You seem really tired lately.""I don't know", I sighed. "I've just been a bit down."Lily looked sympathetically at me. "Do you think it concerns Alpha Axel?", her voice lowered
Chapter 87Selena's POV With every question Axel dished out, the guilt weighed deeper until I could swear I was drowning. My lungs constricted and the painful prickle of incoming tears behind my eyelids was enough evidence to reveal how miserable I feel. "I trust you", I blurted out, not just to stop his questions but because I mean it. Axel didn't look relieved as I expected. He looked even more hurt. "You left, without any notice or reason, you simply just walked away like that. It was so easy for you to leave but did you ever think about me? How did you think I felt when you were suddenly reported missing?", his voice was still eerily calm, his eyes unblinking. "I searched for a letter, a clue, something, anything at all that showed you still thought about me even when you were walking off", he scoffed. "Guess what? I didn't find shit.""I'm sorry", I repeated again, blinking back the tears. "I'm so sorry. I was
Chapter 88Selena POV Reynold looked between me and Axel who had my hand in a death like grip. He has been that way, keeping me so close, like I'd disappear if he spends a single minute looking away. As much as I love it, I also couldn't ignore the glaring fact that it's my fault for leaving him this way. He's bound to be protective. His presence made my blood warm and tingle with an unknown emotion, or maybe it's just the mate bond, tugging us closer. Either way, a considerable burden has been lifted up my shoulders. "Let me get something straight", Reynold adjusted himself, moving closer to the edge of the couch. "So, you just took the kids to an amusement park and you met with Alpha Axel whom you haven't seen for...three years?""Yes", I reply, throwing a quick look to Axel. His eyes scanned the surroundings, clearly uninterested in the ongoing conversation. "What do we call this? Fate or coincidence?",
Chapter 89Axel's POV I woke up to the sunlight streaming directly on my eyes, causing me to squint against it. I brought my hand up, shielding my face from the merciless rays of the morning. My heart stuttered when I felt warm hands encircle my torso, attempting to move closer. Last night felt like a dream. A good dream. And throughout the years of being away from Selena, I had conjured a thousand scenarios of meeting her again. But, out of it all, none prepared me for seeing her near an ice-cream truck. I knew I would do things differently this time. The moment we return to the pack house, I will declare her my mate and I honestly don't mind the consequences. I'll protect my kids, make up for the years I was away from them. There's a relief in my heart, and even now, looking down at a sleeping Selena, it still seemed like a dream. "You're awake? Already?", Selena groaned, snuggling f
Chapter 90Selena's POV The trepidation growing steadily at the pit of my stomach kind of made me regret eating lunch as it threatened to come up. As we moved along the path, I recognized more things than I care to admit which made the glaring fact that we were getting closer to the pack house. The twins sat on Axel's lap, with Orion asking him a million questions and Zephyr attempting to punch Axel repeatedly for no reason and failing every time. I had snapped at the kids twice in the last thirty minutes from my anxiety and annoyance at their ignorance which made Axel keep a steady hand over mine in comfort.The car slowed considerably and the moment I looked up, my heart lurched again, hitting mercilessly against my ribcage. I was going into full on panic mode and if there was space to bolt, I'd gladly do it. Except I'm in a moving car with acres of a forest stretching on for miles. So, staying still was a safer option.