Page 45 of The Alpha's Bullied Pregnant Mate

“What does this mean?”

“We need to find her, that’s what it means. The bond mark…” The old woman shivered visibly. “As long as you two remain bonded, the mark is going to cause you both unbelievable pain the longer you stay apart and the farther you go. We need to find her, Fannar. We need to find her and then break your bond. Like this… She could kill you both.”

Fannar grew red with anger. “You still don’t get it, do you? I told you from the start that I had no interest in breaking this bond. I made that clear. It’s your fault she’s run away. You and every other wolf in Frost Peak that has treated her so poorly these last few years.”

His rage burned inside him and the heat from it poured out of him, rolling over his mother who stumbled backwards. “Fannar, please…”

“No! We must find her. But I’m not breaking this bond mark. I love her and she’s my mate. She’s the Luna of this pack. I don’t intend on taking anyone else. Plus, she’s carrying my child. Do you understand? We will look for her as a pack. And you will put the word out, or trust me, no wolf in Frost Peak will escape my wrath.”

His mom leaned on a wall, whimpering. Fannar looked through a red haze, his chest rising and falling quickly. He had been shouting, he realized. He looked up and saw all the servants watching him with terrified eyes. They were all as subdued as his mother.

“And that goes for the rest of you as well. Isla Moon is our Luna, and she’s gone missing. Until she’s found, nothing else matters. Absolutely nothing. Put out the word. Now. I want her found before sunset.”

He had barely stopped speaking when the wolves scattered to do his bidding, all except his mother who felt the influence of his rage more strongly. He glared at her whimpering form for a moment, then walked away without another word. When he was halfway up the stairs, he heard a sigh of relief. He was past the point of caring.

***

Fannar spent the rest of the day in the study, listening to hundreds of reports concerning the search for Isla. Sunset was less than an hour away, and no one had given him any concrete information yet as to where Isla could have gone.

His anger had slowly turned into frustration, and now, he was consumed by a heavy sadness. He kept questing, but he was yet to find even a hint of her presence anywhere.

He knew she was alive, he could feel it somehow, but he just couldn’t sense where she was, no matter how hard he tried. He was yet to see his mother since the previous night, and it was for the better. He was still furiously angry with her.

A soft knock sounded on the study door and a second later, his mother poked her head into the study. She opened the door wider and Fannar saw she had a second woman with her. He watched the two women with tired eyes, and then waved them in.

His mom stepped in cautiously, her eyes filled with fear for his rage. “Fannar, you may not recognize this woman, but she’s Isla’s mother. She just brought me some… disturbing news that I think you need to hear.”

Fannar turned to look at the woman. The resemblance with Isla was uncanny. Whatever she wanted to say, he was sure it wasn’t going to bode anything good for him. He nodded.

Mrs. Moon glanced at his mother and she nodded encouragingly. Mrs. Moon drew in a deep breath. “This is all my fault, Alpha Fannar. I helped her. I saw her the night she ran away and she told me everything. I didn’t know how leaving threatened her life and yours as well. I don’t think she knew either.

“When she begged for my help, I… I was moved. I gave her a barrier ring I’d gotten from a powerful witch. This ring would make it impossible for any of us to find her, and when I found out the whole truth, I knew I had to come clean. Please forgive me.”

The woman startled Fannar by breaking down into tears. Fannar couldn’t bring himself to feel sympathy for her, though. He leaned forward. “This witch… What’s her name?”

“Juniper. She’s married to the alpha of another pack.”

Fannar slumped in his seat, overwhelmed with grief. If Juniper had made the barrier ring, there was no chance of ever finding Isla, and the further she ran, the more she suffered the effect of the half mark for being away from him.

He knew what he had to do, even though the thought of it left a taste as sour as vinegar in his mouth. From the look in his mother’s eyes, he could tell she had come to the same conclusion. He took a steadying breath and his eyes hardened. “Break it.”

His mother shook her head. “Fannar, it could kill you—”

“She has my child, mom,” he said quietly. “Do you think, for one moment, that I won’t gladly sacrifice my life for theirs? I will. I don’t care if I die, but I can’t afford the thought of Isla suffering somewhere. No. Break the bond. This was what she wanted, right?”

His mother stepped forward with tears in her eyes. “You’re the only one that can break it, Fannar. To set her free, you have to reject her as your mate unilaterally. I don’t know how, but you’d feel it. Fannar, please…”

He turned around and walked to the window. He closed his eyes, canceling out the whole world. I’m sorry, Isla. I have to let you go. I’m sorry I didn’t do enough. I love you.

It was as easy as his mother had said it would be. He wasn’t sure what he did, but he felt the bond snap. The strain was immense, and it was like his wolf had just been shot in the heart.

He gasped. He could feel the strength seeping from him like a bowl with a hole in the bottom. The pain was slow but immense and it caught him by surprise. He fell to his knees, his vision blurred, and in seconds, darkness swallowed him.

Chapter 19 - Isla

Isla shifted uncomfortably in the backseat of the cab. She was convinced the baby inside her was as big as a full grown human, and the scans she did at the hospital confirmed it as well. Her child was going to be a giant like its father.

Her doctor’s appointment had run a little later than usual, keeping her out after dark, something she wasn’t comfortable doing anymore since she moved to New York. These days, she enjoyed quiet evenings in front of the television, her legs propped up on a stool and a bowl of snacks within easy reach.

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