Page 13 of Bullied Pregnant Mate

"We got that," Ayden said. "But why were you with her? I thought you weren't dating."

I tried to think of how to explain it simply, but it wasn't simple. The guys knew I had been looking for my mate, but they didn't know I was also trying to avoid her.

"She's my mate," I said.

Ayden and Owen's eyebrows went up, and they looked shocked. "Damn, about time. You've only gone through half the pack to find her."

I scowled. "That's not true."

"Oh, it is," Owen said with a smirk. "But she isn't from here, is she?"

"She's from my hometown. She's actually the sister of an old friend."

"Wow, you must be excited."

I took another sip of my coffee. "I knew years ago. I was hoping I would be lucky to have found someone else."

"Wait," Owen shook his head, confused. “You said you were still looking for your mate. That's why you've been dating, but you knew she was your mate? I don't understand."

"Gina is the weakest wolf in our pack," I state. "I rejected her years ago. I have been hoping my wolf would just accept another woman, but he won't."

Ayden looked confused. "I didn't know you cared about statues that much."

I shrugged. "Everyone wants their offspring to be the strongest. Only the strong survive." It was a simple sentence that I'd heard over a thousand times.

Owen frowned. "Yeah, but you should know not all strength comes from muscle."

"And what if she is more of a liability than a blessing?" I asked. "I rejected her because she was small and weak."

Ayden shook his head. "You know you can't rationally think about relationships like that, Lucas. Mates and bonds don't come from the mind. They come from emotions, which brings up another question. If you aren't sure she's a blessing, why did you agree to marry her?"

Owen's eyes widened. "You what?"

"Yeah, you what?" We all turned to see Miles and Cayden coming up the stairs. I sighed, not in the mood to be bombarded with questions.

"It's fake," I grumble. “It's only on paperwork so she can get the house. Her family will say she couldn't unless she was married."

"Hold up," Mile said, dropping his bags on the ground. "You're telling me, Mr. cold-too-good-for-everyone is getting married? Did you drug her?"

I narrowed my eyes on Miles. "Hey, pretty boy, butt out."

"Children," Ayden grumbled. "Stop. I get enough bickering at my house. I don't need it here." Ayden turned to me. "What do you mean fake?"

I shrugged. "She needs to be married to get the house, so I agreed. It's only legal on paper. The rest is fake."

Cayden even looked stunned and shook his head. "You just agreed? Like that?"

"I'm going to need more information on this," Owen said, placing his hands down. "I can see anyone else agreeing, but you…you calculate everything and just agreed like that? Did you think of the aftermath? Did you think of what could happen during all this? And the fact she's your mate, doesn't that muddy the water?"

I could hear heels clicking on the floor, and my eyes flicked away from them towards the stairs. Gina was walking up to them, and my heart skipped a beat.

Gina's hair fell freely today and shone under the fire station lights. A few braided strands fell freely on each side. She was wearing jeans that hugged her body and a knitted shirt that hung a little low, showing her breasts. She was still breathtaking.

My wolf growled with need, and I bit hard on my cheek. My mind went foggy seeing her, throwing all rational thinking out the window.

Gina paused, spotting us, and swallowed nervously. I knew why. She never had a great relationship with our pack, and unlike Ayden, they ruled with a bloody iron fist.

"You're early," I said, pushing off the counter. "I wasn't expecting you until noon."

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