Page 37 of Pregnant Rejected Mate

A shiver courses down my spine as I realize I’m finally giving up hope for the second chance I’d been given. It turned out to be a bust, and I can’t hold on any longer.

“Don’t worry about Diego,” Draco assures. “We will meet with the Council to discuss our next steps.” He leans forward, steepling his fingers in front of him as he stares at me intently. “The only thing you should concern yourself with is what happens to you. What of needing to produce children for the clan?”

I take a deep breath, strengthening my resolve as I make the most selfless yet selfish decision. Selfless because I’ve realized that Sierra cannot love me and needs to be free to pursue happiness. I’ve done it before—left her so that she could have a chance at a proper life. I can do it again.

It’s only selfish because the human mating process was meant to save the dragon race from extinction.

“When I heard about the human mate process…” I begin sullenly. “... I was eager for my turn, hoping to take Sierra as my mate. If I can’t have her, I’ll accept that I’m not one of the Vulkans who salvages the dragon shifter race.”

“Can you live with that?” he asks.

I nod slowly. I’ll have to live with knowing that my legacy stops with me. Forcing Sierra to be with me when she doesn’t love me is something I can’t live with. “The twins are next in line,” I remind him. “And you and Aragon already have children. The Aurora Dragons will be fine.”

“Alright,” Draco sighs. “If that’s your choice, I’ll respect that.”

“Thank you, Brother,” I say, though deep down, my heart continues to break into tiny fragments of anguish. I wish things could have been different. Perhaps the second chance was only to find closure at last.

Chapter 16 - Sierra

I can feel his dragon eyes boring into the back of my head, waiting for something I’m unwilling to give right now.

He’s torn—it was plain to see how the color drained from his face when I couldn’t tell him that I loved him back. This time, I’m the one hiding something from him. It’s only to protect myself.

When I hear the whoosh of wind beneath his webbed wings in the air outside, I know he’s left the vicinity of the balcony. Relief washes over me then, permitting me to turn around and gaze at the afternoon sky forlornly. Sighing, I finally allow the tears I’d been stifling to fall from my eyes, falling in a heap on the floor simultaneously.

I can’t afford to be broken again, but right now, I’m breaking to pieces, sobbing uncontrollably into my hands that feel tingly. My body feels tingly from our passionate tryst on the mountain.

It’s everything I could have dreamt of and more. Yet, I remember how hard it’d been to navigate the trials of heartbreak. Deep down, I don’t think he’d hurt me again. I just can’t drop the walls that had been built so gallantly just to risk being hurt a second time.

***

Seven Years Ago

Time doesn’t feel the same anymore. The construct of time itself has become foreign to me. Dragging my feet down the hall toward my class, I barely pay attention to those around me.

I haven’t even been able to make friends in college. I couldn't care less about the usual frivolities of college life. I’m only attending because Felix has paid my entire tuition upfront. It was pointless staying at home and wallowing in my sorrows, allowing them to consume me whole.

It’s not like it’s any different right now, maneuvering the daily routine just to get by. I can barely pay attention to my classes, grasping little of what I should be learning while my mind runs a mile a minute, suffering through the memories of the months when Felix was still around.

I don’t care about what happens to me. I’d even considered going back to Louisa, going back to my dad’s home to suffer the torment he offers. Just so that I don’t have to be alone anymore.

I hate being alone because it means Felix isn’t with me anymore. Wherever he is, I can only hope that he’s happy. Though happiness is a far stretch for me.

Navigating the hallway, I round the corner leading to my class without really seeing in front of me.

Crash!

Warmth spreads over the front of my t-shirt when I collide with a disposable coffee cup that lands on the floor. I’m prompted to look up into the wide eyes of a stranger.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize with little emotion. I’m the one that has coffee spilled over my chest, the woman in front of me getting away without a drop spilled on her clipboard.

“Don’t apologize, honey,” she says sweetly, reaching for the now-empty cup on the floor. When she straightens up, she winces at the sight of me standing there unabashedly in ruined clothes. “We should probably get you cleaned up.”

I look down at myself and sigh. “Maybe it’s my sign to skip classes for the day,” I shrug.

“Who do you have this morning?”

“Erm—” I sift through my thoughts, searching for the timetable I’d memorized. “Mr. Hawkins, I think?”

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