Page 47 of Pregnant Rejected Mate

“Ah, right, of course,” I say, glancing at the screen behind me. Clearing my throat, I say, “I’ll meet you in the arena in five minutes.”

Thinking Aragon will leave me in peace, I’m surprised when he steps forward and places a hand on my shoulder.

“Brother, you can’t go on like this,” he says as he shakes his head, worry flashing in his eyes. “I refuse to watch you wither away in front of that screen.”

I chuckle nervously, trying to hide the shame I suddenly feel. “I’m not withering away. You know Diego is still a threat to us. One wrong move and I—”

“You’ll what?” he quizzes with a raised brow. “Bring Sierra back to the island? You should have just kept her here in the first place.”

“You know I couldn’t force her,” I remind him. “She asked to go back home, and I did as she wanted.”

“Are you sure that’s what she wanted?” he asks.

I frown at him as he asks his best friend to leave the room. When it’s just the two of us, Aragon leans against the desk and crosses his arms.

“I overheard Kairo and Yazmine speaking,” he continues when another realization hits me.

“Fuck! How did I forget?” I slap my forehead regretfully. “How is Yazmine doing?”

“She’s fine, and the baby is healthy.” Aragon’s brows furrow.

“Forgive me, Aragon,” I sigh as I hang my head bashfully. Aragon’s mate, Yazmine, had given birth to a healthy baby boy three nights ago. I haven’t been to see them yet, and I’ve hardly congratulated Aragon on becoming a father.

“There’s nothing to forgive, Fel,” he assures me. “You’re… going through something. I’ve been in your place, so I understand.”

“I’m not going through anything,” I defend with a chuckle. “I’m just performing my duties, ensuring the safety of the island.”

“Cut the crap, Brother,” he clicks his tongue dismissively. “You’ve spent all your time in this room, watching Sierra. You didn’t even attend last night’s meeting.”

“There was—” I gulp, remembering that there was, in fact, a Council meeting last night. “Right, of course. I—”

“Save it,” he says as he lifts a dismissive hand in the air. “I don’t need your excuses. I just want my brother back.”

My shoulders drop when I feel defeated by his words. “A part of him is no longer here,” I admit, pointing at the screen behind me. “I left a piece of me in Charlottesville.”

“Then go get it back,” he suggests.

“I can’t,” I admit with a frown. “She doesn’t love me.”

Aragon nods slowly, watching me intently. “Going back to what I overheard the ladies speaking about…” he continues. “...I think this is a classic case of miscommunication.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sierra told Kairo she’s still very much in love with you.”

“She did?” I ask in surprise, hope washing over me in waves.

He nods. “On her last night on the island, she admitted that to our sister. She wasn’t sure if she could trust you, because you’d hurt her before.”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” I frown. “She’s the one who asked to go back.”

Aragon chuckles. “Yeah, human women are quite complicated. Apparently, she thought you’d fight her that night. When you didn’t, she just accepted her fate.”

“I did too…” I lament, realizing what a grave mistake I’ve made. If only I fought harder, Sierra would still be here with me.

I just didn’t think that she’d appreciate me fighting at all. It didn’t work when I tried the first time.

I didn’t try hard enough.

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