Once Rejected, Twice Desired
Chapter 39

For the last three weeks or so, I’d been floating in nothingness. I knew that my body was in a vegetative state and that I lost the ability to talk and mindlink, but the fact that I was in an indefinite limbo confused me. Was I dead? I remembered being poisoned and looking up into Alaia’s tear-stained face before she was taken. But I didn’t remember anything after that.

I haven’t been able to communicate with Alastair, either. So, I must be dead.

But since when was the afterlife just a void?

Question after question passed through my mind, but I had answers to none of them.

I knew that Alaia would get past this, that she was strong and capable. And she had Kade and Matt to help her lead. My pack would be okay. I’d never see her again, run my fingers through her long curly hair, or feel her tiny body underneath mine. That thought sent a shock of pain right through to my chest. She had become my entire universe, and not seeing her again shattered me.

I felt the shock hit me again, and again, and again.

It was like my body was suddenly realizing the finality of my situation, and it was giving up the fight. My heart began beating out of control, then it stopped, and everything went silent.

It was all over, and I could move on. I prayed that I would be able to see Alaia once I left this place. I just wanted one last picture of her smiling face. I relaxed and held on to that hope. I’d find a way to see her again.

Then I let go, as the sweet smell of caramel filled my senses.

***

Matt POV

I stood back and watched as Alaia sobbed over Xander’s still body.

I couldn’t believe we hadn’t been able to save him. I couldn’t believe it was over. It had been a little more than a minute since his heart monitor had flatlined. The sound was driving me crazy, so I walked over to turn it off. Alaia deserved a few final minutes of peace with him.

When I stopped beside her, Alaia slowly lifted herself off Xander’s chest and placed her forehead against his. She reached out and grabbed my hand and held it tight.

Kade went to her other side, and she reached out for him as well.

She began to hum her song. She has just lost her mate, but she was trying to offer us comfort. She was thinking of us when she had just lost one half of her soul.

She was truly amazing.

Beep . . .

I closed my eyes as a tear fell, and I felt the burden of grief peeling back.

Beep . . .

He would never meet his child; he would have been an amazing father.

Beep . . . Beep . . . Beep . . .

I opened my eyes and looked at the heart monitor I had forgotten to turn off.

It was showing peaks and valleys—Xander’s heart was beating.

I clamped onto Alaia’s hand. “Bean, look,” I whispered to her.

“I can’t right now, Matt. Just give me a minute, please.”

I frantically mindlinked Kade. Kade! The heart monitor. Look at it!

What’s the poi— Oh, shit.

I think she did it, man. He’s still alive.

“Luna?” Hearing Kade address her formally made Alaia sit up and look at him, confused. “Listen.”

Beep . . . Beep . . . Beep . . .

When she finally registered what she was hearing, she gasped and jumped back. “He’s alive?”

“He’s alive, Bean,” I added.

She let go of our hands and reached down to lightly touch Xander’s cheek. As soon as her fingers made contact with him, I saw his eyelids flutter. That was the most movement we had seen in three weeks, and I almost jumped for joy. She then leaned down and planted soft k****s all over his face and ended at his fresh mark.

When the beeping of his monitor sped up, I was afraid that we were losing him again. Was it just false hope?

My question was answered when his eyelids fluttered again, before opening completely.

He was finally awake.

***

Alaia POV

I felt like I was drowning: my ears were ringing, my lungs were burning, and my heart was pounding. What was I going to do? How would I do this without him?

I felt Matt squeeze my hand, a small offering of support during the worst time of my life.

“Bean, look,” I heard him say.

“I can’t right now, Matt. Just give me a minute, please.”

I didn’t want to move. It would make it all too real. Maybe if I just stayed here with my head rested against his, everything would be okay.

“Luna?”

Why are they using my title at a time like this? I picked up my head and looked at Kade.

“Listen.”

Beep . . . Beep . . . Beep . . .

Wait, that beeping. His heart is beating. He’s not gone! I jumped up in shock. Had I done it? I just had to touch him, so I traced my fingertips over his cheek and felt that all too familiar spark, as strong as it used to be. My love. He was alive. I kissed all over his perfect face and felt him twitch against my lips. Tears ran down my face as I placed a long k**s on his mark—my mark.

I felt his pulse speed up, and the feeling was so incredible I didn’t want to move. I wanted to feel this forever. But then I felt something far better. He lifted his hand and rested it on the back of my head.

I bawled my eyes out. I thought I’d never feel Xander’s touch again, and now his hand was rested on my head.

“Hey, little one. Did you miss me?”

I went into a full-blown ugly cry this time. I wrapped my arms as tightly as I could around him and let all my emotions out. The hormones from being pregnant didn’t help the situation either.

“Shh, baby. It’s okay. I’m here now.”

I leaned back and looked into his crystal blue eyes, eyes I thought I’d never see again. I placed my hands on his cheeks and crashed my lips down on his. Never had I needed to k**s him more than I did at that moment.

Xander wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me down on top of him. My chest was pressed against his until there was no space left between us.

Warm sparks covered my entire body, and I felt fully alive for the first time in weeks. And to further remind me of just how alive I was, the baby let off a few powerful kicks, making me jump. “Oww, s**t!”

“Are you okay, Little One? Did I hurt you?”

He didn’t know about the baby yet. I was actually going to get to share this moment with him.

“Yes, you did hurt me. But just a bit.”

Xander’s eyes widened as he sat up and started to look me over.

“Where, baby? Show me . . .”

I picked up one of his hands and lightly placed it on my stomach.

Feeling its daddy’s presence, the little bean kicked again, just a bit harder.

Xander looked confused for a second before realization crossed his face. His eyes filled with tears when he finally asked, “Was that what I hope it was? Did we actually do it?”

“I think it’s more accurate to say that you did it. You were determined to put a pup in me, and you succeeded.”

“We’re having a pup? How far along?”

“Almost eight weeks, so three months left to go.”

Xander grabbed me again and crushed me in a hug, careful to avoid my stomach. He then pulled back and cupped my face. “I never thought I could be any more in love with you until now. You’re giving me a child; I can’t ever thank you enough for that.”

“The feeling is mutual, handsome.”

I heard Kade clear his throat behind me, causing me to remember he and Matt were still in the room. I had completely forgotten about them. “Xander, you have no idea how good it is to see you awake. As soon as you’re released, I will gladly give you your job and office back. I’d much rather be a lazy, but good looking Beta.”

The guys laughed at that; it was music to my ears. These three meant so much to me, and seeing them smile again was everything.

“Well, the first thing on my to-do list once I get out of here is to find whoever is responsible for all this and rip them apart.” Xander’s eyes flashed black, and I could tell there was a storm brewing inside of him.

Kade, Matt, and I exchanged a few nervous glances, which made Xander curious.

He raised an eyebrow before asking, “Do you three have anything you’d like to share with me?”

“Well . . . a lot has happened since the ceremony,” I started.

“Luckily, we’ve got plenty of time, and I’m all ears, so let’s have it.”

Kade, being the Beta, took the lead. He was in charge while Xander was sick, so it was now his job to debrief him on all that had happened.

“So, let’s start at the beginning . . .”

***

Xander POV

It was f*****g Alexi the whole time, and now they had him sitting in my house, eating my food, breathing my f*****g air? I didn’t buy any of the ‘it wasn’t me, it was my wolf bullshit.’ He knew what he was doing from the very start, from rejection to the challenge to the kidnapping.

And then he banded the rogues together—no one had ever done some s**t like that—and they wanted me to show him mercy.

I took a deep breath before I addressed the room. “Do the three of you understand that because of Alexi, I almost lost the chance to meet my child? I would have never gotten the opportunity to marry the love of my life. All because of s**t he set into motion. And now you want me to forgive and forget?”

“It wasn’t the three of us, Xander; it was me who made this decision. You don’t know him the way I do, the way Aaron does. Alexi would never do something like this. Not when he’s in his right mind. He deserves—”

“He deserves for me to break every bone in his f*****g body!” I roared.

Alaia jumped back at my outburst, causing Kade and Matt to step in front of her protectively.

On the one hand, I respected and appreciated their instinct to shield their Luna, but on the other hand, they felt the need to shield her from me.

“Do you two really think I’d ever do anything to hurt her? Seriously?” I growled.

“Xander, calm down, man. You’re understandably pissed off, but you need to chill the f**k out,” Kade said.

How dare he tell me what I needed to do. I saw red. “Kade, don’t forget your place or who you are talking to!”

He gave a small nod of submission, but never removed himself from between Alaia and my fury.

“Xander, please. Just relax a bit. Neither you nor Alaia should be stressing like this right now. This isn’t good for the pup,” Matt soothed.

My pup. I had to calm down. It would kill me if my anger caused my child or my mate any harm. “You’re right, Matt. I apologize.”

Kade and Matt relaxed a bit but didn’t completely let go of the protective stance they held in front of Alaia.

“You know, if you’d allow me my mate, I’m sure I’d calm right down,” I said with a smirk.

That was all they needed to hear to let down their guard. The guys stepped aside, and Alaia took a few timid steps toward me.

Seeing her, even the slightest bit afraid of me, crushed me. I would never do anything to hurt her. I took her hand and gently pulled her into my lap. She snuggled into my chest, and I buried my face in her hair. “I’m so sorry, little one. Please forgive me, baby,” I pleaded.

“Of course I forgive you, Xander. I know you’d never hurt me. I guess the last few weeks has made me a bit skittish.”

I rubbed my hand over her bump to clear the seething hate I felt for Alexi and his wolf. They held Alaia hostage, under conditions that were so poor she could have had a miscarriage. And I couldn’t protect her. I think that’s what angered me the most. “You’ll have to give me time, little one. Alexi and I haven’t had the best relationship. From the start, he was trying to take you from me, and he almost succeeded this time. Just give me time to digest it all, okay?”

“Well, I’ve got one more bit of info to share that may help take your mind off Alexi for a while,” Kade said.

He had his ‘I’ve got something that I know you want to hear’ look on his face, and it made me want to punch him.

“Cut the s**t, Kade. What is it?”

“Maximus had an accomplice. Two, actually, a pair of sisters.”

“And?”

“Alexi was only coherent for a short period, but while he was, he saw someone he described as ‘a fake a*s blonde, with the body of a brick wall.’”

I was getting annoyed with Kade’s games, and I could see my annoyance was just pumping him up. “Who. Was. It?”

“Fran-f*****g-cesca.”

Alaia shot up at hearing the name and pasted a scowl on her adorable face.

“Francesca? Really? Did she really hate me that much?”

“I guess we will just have to wait and see. It looks like Alexi has gotten himself a stay of execution for the time being. I have got other matters to attend to. Matt, use that pretty boy charm of yours and get Francesca to the packhouse tomorrow. Let’s see if we can get her to talk.”