Once Rejected, Twice Desired
Chapter 48

I needed to talk to someone, anyone who could help me figure out what I was feeling and what I should do. The first thought that came to mind was Amethyst. We haven’t talked much lately, and I was sure she would have an opinion on all this mess.

Amethyst? I know you know what’s going on. What in the hell do I do?

You already know what you want to do. Why do you deny yourself?

Because it’s wrong, we have a mate. You have Alastair, and I have Xander. Why do I need to add Alexi into the mix?

You keep saying that word: need. This isn’t about needing Alexi. It’s about wanting him, and you do. You always have. The men you love are trying to give you something that’s just for you.

Won’t it affect you as well?

Not at all. Alexi’s wolf is neutralized for now, and you are planning on helping to get rid of him for good. I only connect with the wolf part of the man, so Alastair and I would be mutually exclusive.

But what will people think when they find out? I want to be a Luna my pack can look up to, not one that they whisper about when she leaves the room.

Werewolves are very s****l beings, doll. No one in your pack will judge you for having two s*x gods at your disposal. They’d actually be jealous. I’m somewhat jealous, to be honest.

This is so hard! I would never want Xander to think he’s not enough. He is more than I could ever want or need. But the idea of having them both gives me insane butterflies, and my imagination starts to run wild.

Oh, I know, I share the same mind, remember? I’m impressed by some of these thoughts; I didn’t think you had it in you. It makes me proud.

Hahaha, Amethyst. You’re not helping.

Because you don’t need help, Alaia, get out of your head, literally and figuratively, and just do what feels right for you and only you. Be selfish for once in your life. You deserve this, that’s why they are offering it to you. You won’t lose Xander, we are bound for all eternity, and not even death could break that bond. You will just be gaining Alexi. It’s a pretty great deal if you ask my opinion.

It is a great deal. But is it too great? That’s what worries me.

Only you can decide that, sweetie.

***

I decided to go for a walk in the gardens to clear my mind.

My talk with Amethyst was interesting, to say the least, and it made me think about what I wanted for once. I had never been a person who just lived for what she wanted. What I needed had always been enough. So, to be told to throw need out the window and just be selfish was a foreign concept.

I ended up at the gazebo and stretched out on the bench, letting the sounds of the nearby fountain soothe and relax me. My hand found its way to my bump, and I rubbed circles over it. “Little bean, Momma is in quite a situation here. And as much as I’d like to be selfish, I have you to think about and take care of. My decision will have an impact on you, too, so I’ve really got to think this through.”

I pulled out my phone and shot Jordyn a quick text message.

I hadn’t been able to speak to her as much as I would have liked lately, and I really missed her.

She’d definitely have an opinion on all of this, and she would give it to me straight.

J, are you busy? I really need to talk to you about something major. EXTREMELY MAJOR. Call me when you get a minute. XOXO.

Before I could put the phone away, it was ringing.

“Damn, that was quick. Were you watching your phone waiting for my message or something?”

“Shut up, Alaia. What’s going on? Is my little niece alright?”

“The baby is fine, but how do you know it’s a girl?”

“Wishful thinking. So, what’s up?”

I recounted the conversation I had with the guys to her in record time, then I waited. She was silent on the other end for so long I thought she had hung up on me. “Jordyn? You still there?”

“I’m here, babe. But this is a lot.”

“What do I do? Please tell me.”

“No, Alaia. I’m not making this decision for you. You’ve probably already made it; you’re just afraid to accept it fully.”

“Okay, well, will you just tell me what you think then? Tell me something, anything!”

“I hated Alexi for what he did to you. I really wanted to kill him, but you stopped me. Even after what he did, you still protected him, and you’ve been protecting him ever since. I was there when you used to drool over him, and he would parade his whores around. But still, you couldn’t ever stop that twinkle in your eye every time you saw him. You’ve loved him for as long as I can remember, and even though you have Xander, that doesn’t change your past feelings.”

“So . . . what do I do?”

“I told you I’m not making this decision for you! Do what feels right. You’ll have my support no matter what. You’ll have all our support. You’ve been hit with a lot of s**t the last few months, and you deserve a ton of happiness. So, go do whatever brings you the most happiness, whatever that may be.”

“You’re an excellent Luna; you know that?”

“So are you, babe. So, besides the possible ‘s*x sandwich’ situation, how have things been over there?”

We talked for a while longer, with her filling me in on the gossip from her end and me filling her in on mine. We laughed when we reminisced about the days of being young and stupid, and I decided to go and visit as soon as possible. Or maybe have her come and see me.

When my stomach began to rumble and that all too persistent nausea kicked in, I got up and walked toward the house. “J, I’ll have to talk to you later. I’m starving, and this little one is not happy about it. I’ve got to get some food in me now, or there will be some severe problems.

“Cool, go feed my niece and tell her Auntie loves her. I’ll talk to you soon. Oh, and don’t forget to keep me updated on operation ‘s*x Sandwich!’”

“That is such a stupid name, and you are an i***t. I love you. Bye!”

***

When I walked into the kitchen, I found Geoff preparing dinner for the house.

“Hi, Geoff. How are you doing? What’s on the menu tonight?” I took a seat at the island.

“I’m good, Ms. Alaia, thank you. And we’re having Mexican tonight. Steak, chicken, and cheese enchiladas, rice and beans, and fresh homemade salsa and guacamole, amongst other things.”

My mouth began to water, thinking of the yumminess he was preparing.

He turned his back for a minute, then came over with a tray holding a B.L.T and some baked potato chips. “I figured you’d be hungry soon, and I know the little ones don’t care for waiting, so I made you a snack. I snuck some spinach in with the lettuce so you can get your vitamins.”

“Geoff, this is perfect. Thank you so much. I was just going to grab some trail mix or something until dinner. This is so much better.”

“Anytime, Ms. Alaia.”

He went back to prepping for dinner as I took a huge bite of my sandwich. It made me think of Jordyn’s stupid name for my situation, and I couldn’t help but giggle. I love that girl so much.

Before I could finish up, Matt walked in to grab a bottle of water.

“Hey, Matt. You just coming back from a run?”

“Yeah, my workout was cut short earlier, so I decided to run a few miles to make up for it.”

“You were at the sparring session with Xander and Alexi?”

Matt tensed up a bit when I said Alexi’s name, waking my curiosity. “Yep, I was there.”

“Cool, so tell me . . . why is Alexi’s nose bruised?”

“s**t, bean. Not again. This is not cool, and not how you treat your friends! All I did is what I was asked to do.”

I laughed at how flustered he got. I loved to mess with him. “I’m just joking, Matt. Take a breath. It looked like he went to get it checked out, so it’s not a big deal. I just wanted to see your reaction to the question.”

“Again, not cool. I think I’ve been harassed enough for the day, so I’m gonna head up for a shower. I’ll see you at dinner.”

He gave me a tight, sweaty hug before laughing and running upstairs.

“Yuck!” I wiped my face.

Geoff handed me a paper towel and laughed. “You two remind me of my children. I have a boy and a girl around your age, and they love to tease each other, too.”

I smiled at him. “My twin brother, Aaron and I, are the same. We love each other endlessly while driving each other insane. Matt and Kade have become my ‘stand-in’ big brothers since I’ve arrived, and I’m really grateful to have them. They made this place feel like home almost instantly.”

“I’m delighted to hear that, Ms. Alaia. You go relax, and I’ll see you at dinner.

***

I decided to head up the stairs to freshen up and change before dinner. I was scrolling through my phone, not paying attention to my surroundings at all, and being the klutz that I am, my foot missed a step, and I fell face-first into the stairs.

Luckily, I was quick enough to protect my belly, but my ankle and wrist were not so lucky.

I tried to push myself up but gave up soon after when the pain started to rage and pulse.

“f*****g great,” I muttered under my breath.

Now I had to ask for help, and I wouldn’t ever hear the end of it.

I figured Matt was in the shower by now, and I had no idea where Xander was. Kade and Alexi had been hanging out more and more lately, so they could possibly be together.

Honestly, I had no clue. So, I linked all of them.

Guys, I tripped on the stairs and hurt my ankle and wrist. Would one of you—

I wasn’t even finished with my thought when I heard feet thundering down the hall then down the stairs toward me. I looked up to see a frantic Kade.

“What the f**k, bean. What happened? Are you and the pup okay? Come on, let’s get you up.” He gently lifted me up and into a bridal carry.

As he was taking his first steps down, I heard more running from up above.

Xander, Alexi, and Matt, who was just wearing a towel around his waist, all shot down the stairs behind us.

Maybe linking all of them wasn’t the best idea I ever had.

“What happened?”

“Did you fall on your stomach?”

“What hurts?”

They were hitting me with questions left and right, and it was making me dizzy trying to keep up. “Calm down, guys! I was walking upstairs and wasn’t paying attention. I was scrolling on my phone and missed the step. I didn’t hit my belly, but I’m pretty sure my wrist and ankle are at the very least sprained. I didn’t know where you all were, so I figured just linking you at once would increase my chances of getting off the damn stairs. Never doing that again.”

I looked over their faces again, then realized something. “Alexi? How come you were upstairs? I thought you would have been back in your room by now.”

He opened his mouth to answer but was cut off my Xander. “Really, Alaia? That’s what matters right now? Why would you take the stairs and not pay attention to your footing? This could have been so much worse, baby. Come on; we’re going to get you checked out.” He gently took me from Kade and began the walk toward the pack hospital.

The other guys were following behind when I stopped them. “Wait!”

“Alaia, you need to be checked out now. This isn’t up for discussion.”

“Xander, I get that, and I’m not trying not to go, but I really think Matt should put on some clothes ASAP. We’ll never get anything accomplished if he goes in there like this.”

They all turned and looked at Matt, who seemed just then to realize what he was wearing.

“Ohh . . . I umm. Yeah. Let me go take care of this. I’ll meet you guys there.”

He then sprinted back upstairs and to his room.

“Alright, let’s get this checkup over with.”

***

I’m sure the scene marching down the hospital halls was insane. Xander looked like a steam roller, pushing everything and everyone out of his way. I was cradled tightly in his arms, clutching my sore wrist while my severely swollen and throbbing ankle dangled in front of him. Then you’ve got Alexi and Kade right behind us, like two clearly unnecessary bodyguards.

Ridiculous.

We stopped in front of the reception desk and a very stunned-looking nurse.

“We need to see Dr. Bennett immediately. Where can I find her?” Xander asked abruptly.

“She’s in with a patient at the moment, Alpha. But please take the Luna to room 122, and I’ll make sure Dr. Bennett comes as soon as she’s free.”

“She has five minutes.”

Xander turned toward the room we were assigned and walked away without saying another word.

“Thank you!” I yelled over his shoulder at the nurse.

She offered a small smile in return.

We got to the room, and I was gently placed in the bed.

I was a fair-sized room, but when you added three huge men, space got eaten up pretty quickly.

“Xander, you shouldn’t treat the pack that way. Dr. Bennett has to look after a lot of wolves; she can’t just wait around for a clumsy Luna to fall down the stairs.”

“I’m the Alpha. If I can’t pull rank to get my Luna seen first by the doctor, then when can I?” he asked with a smirk.

I shook my head at his reasoning. “Just apologize to the nurse before we leave, please.”

The door to the room burst open, and I expected to see Dr. Bennett, but instead, it was Matt.

“Is everything okay? What did I miss?”

“Nothing but Xander being an a*s to some poor nurse. We’re waiting for the doctor now,” I said.

A couple of minutes later, a petite redhead with beautiful green eyes and ivory skin came in. She had a blinding white smile that immediately made me comfortable around her.

“Good evening, Alpha and Luna. Oh, and Beta, Gamma, and friend. What brings you all in tonight?”

All the guys started talking at once, and I knew if I didn’t stop them, it would become a madhouse really, really soon. “Stop! Kade, Matt, and Alexi get out.”

They looked at me, shocked, then saddened that they had been kicked out.

“You three are my guys, you know you are, but this room is way too small to hold four grown men, two women, and the equipment. Dr. Bennett needs space to work and move around. Just wait outside the door. Please?”

“I need an update in five minutes, or I’m coming back in here, bean,” Matt said before they headed out.

“Sorry about that, they’re a little overwhelming and a lot overprotective.”

“You’re their Luna, and very much loved by your pack. It’s understandable. So, can you tell me what happened?”

I recounted my accident on the stairs and the areas I had pain.

After checking my wrists and ankle, it was confirmed they were just sprained and would need to be wrapped for a couple of days. I probably could have just healed myself, but I didn’t want to use my powers frivolously.

Once I was all wrapped up, Dr. Bennett stood and walked over to an ultrasound machine.

“You haven’t had a check-up since we confirmed your pregnancy. I’d like to do a quick ultrasound to make sure the little one wasn’t hurt in the fall if that’s okay.”

I wasn’t expecting to fall down the stairs today, but I was now so happy that I had. I was going to see my baby!

“Yes, please. We’d love that,” I said, gripping Xander’s hand.

Xander moved to the opposite side of the bed, facing the screen and giving Dr. Bennett room to work.

She squirted the cold gel on my belly, then began to move the wand around through it.

The screen just looked to show black and white static for a few seconds before I saw it.

“There it is. Here is the head, the spine.” She pointed to the screen as she showed us the perfect, tiny little parts of our pup.

“And one, two, huh . . .”

She stopped mid-sentence

“Dr. Bennett? Is there something wrong?” Xander asked.

I could feel he was getting nervous, and so was I. I held my breath and waited.

“I’m sorry, just let me get a better angle.” She readjusted the wand a bit, and I stared at the screen, trying to understand what I was seeing. “You were hiding in there, weren’t you sweetie?” we heard her coo at the screen. “Alpha, Luna. I’m sorry if I worried you, your babies are perfect.”

Wait. Babies? Meaning more than one? “When you say babies, how many exactly?” I asked.

“Oh, just two. You’re having twins.”

At that very moment, the guys burst back into the room for their update.

The look on their faces would have been comical if I wasn’t so stunned.

“It’s twins?” one of them whispered from their post at the door.

I was too engrossed at the tiny feet on the screen to decipher which one it was.

“It’s f*****g twins!” They were in the hallway, yelling and celebrating the fact that I now had two babies to push out of my honeypot.

“Well, it looks like you’ve got some proud uncles out there. I’ll print out a few pictures and get you out of here,” Dr. Bennett stated.

I just nodded at her; I had no words at the moment.

Xander tightened his hold on my hand and brought it up to his lips for a k**s. “We’re having twins, little one.” Tears shone in his eyes, and he looked so thrilled. The moment was perfect.

Then, just like that, the special moment was gone. “We’re! Having! Twins!” He, too, shot out the door to join the obnoxiously loud celebration in the hall.

I hoped and prayed that these babies were girls. I had more than enough men in my life to last me a lifetime.

“I don’t know how you do it, Luna.” Dr. Bennett laughed while passing me the pictures and looking toward the chaos in the hall.

“Neither do I, doctor. Neither do I.”