Page 37 of The Alpha's Rejected Arranged Mate

“I’m the one that did this to you!”

“Finn, stop.” Elin took his hand and kissed his palm. She held his hand to her chest, clutched in both hands. “Stop. You didn’t do anything to me. It’s just circumstances and biology. I’m sorry that I’m putting you through this. But you aren’t responsible for my choices. The pregnancy might be accidental, but my decision to keep it and see it through isn’t.”

It took Finn a moment to understand what she was saying. She was telling him not to blame himself when she had the opportunity to make a different choice. He found himself wondering why she would do it. How could she feel so strongly about something that wasn’t real that she’d risk her life? She didn’t have a baby in her arms. She might never have because of this pregnancy.

“Elin—”

“It’s my choice,” she whispered.

Finn leaned back. It was. And as much as he wished she would make another choice, he couldn’t order her. He couldn’t take that decision away from her. That’s what demons did. He passed a hand over his eyes, breathing deeply. His wolf was quiet in his chest, torn between wanting to celebrate their mate's pregnancy and fearing what that pregnancy meant.

Traitor,Finn growled to his wolf.How can you be excited about a pregnancy at all?

Elin reached for his other hand, holding both of them in hers. “I’m sorry that I’m hurting you.”

It was ironic that she was the one comforting him in this situation. Finn let out a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. His body was still tense, but he wasn’t going to let himself dwell in the panic. If Elin wasn’t going to change her mind, what could they do?

“I’m going to find a way to help you,” he promised, squeezing her hands.

“Finn, I don’t want—”

He touched her lips, cutting her off. “There has to be some sort of ritual we can do to slow the progression of the pregnancy. Right now, that’s our biggest concern. Reducing the physical toll this will have on your body. Maybe more talismans…”

Elin’s eyebrows pinched together. “Is there a demon influence around me?”

Finn narrowed his eyes as he studied her. “No,” he admitted. “But the talismans are worth a try.”

“You’re right,” Elin agreed. “And I’ll ask Mica if there’s anything in the ancient texts related to our situation. There’s got to be a reason why these pregnancies go so much faster thannormal. Maybe there’s… I don’t know, prenatal vitamins that will help?”

“Christine might be able to give you an IV to keep up your nutrients,” Finn said, thinking about saline and morphine. “Are you in any pain?”

Elin shook her head. “Just hungry.”

Finn laughed at the unexpected, sheepish way she said it. He squeezed her hands, fighting the urge to kiss her. It was especially important now that he stuck to their boundaries and didn’t give her false hope that he was changing his mind.

“Thank you.”

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Elin wrapped her arms around him, tugging him into a firm hug. Finn hugged her back, quiet. His wolf wagged its tail, enjoying the feel of her body so close to his. Great. Even though it was the worst possible scenario they found themselves in, his wolf was still horny as fuck. Was that something about the demon side of him? Or was it the wolf’s instinct? Sometimes, he had a hard time knowing.

“Thank you for what?” he asked, a bit rougher than intended.

Elin released him. “For respecting my choice.”

Finn looked away. “Just because I’m not fighting you doesn’t mean I accept it.”

“I know. And that’s okay. But I want you to know that I understand that you made the choice not to be a father. That doesn’t have to change.” Her voice grew softer until it was little more than a whisper.

“What do you mean?” Finn asked. Though his heart thudded again, and he wanted to lash out with his words, they came out nothing more than a whisper.

Elin bit her lip and looked away, then seemed to scold herself. She met his eyes again, her clear brown eyes steady. “You don’t have to be part of our lives. You won’t have responsibilities as far as the baby and I are concerned. Once they’re born, I’ll move back to Bluebell Valley. I won’t force fatherhood on you.”

“It’ll still be my baby. My blood,” Finn said. His blood seemed to gush in his ears. “I can’t in good conscience not be a part of supporting you. Or leaving it to grow up figuring out all the demon stuff on its own.”

“They’ll have me, Mica, Tess, and the rest of the pack. You can decide how… involved you want to be.” Elin let out a shuddering breath. “But I won’t raise my baby with someone who didn’t want to be a father. I don’t want you to resent us.”

Finn couldn’t answer that. If he was honest, it was probably the best thing for both Elin and the baby. He didn’t know how to be a father. He’d probably mess the whole thing up. Having a distant father who was little more than a sperm donor was better than having a father who hated you. Right?

But what if she dies?A small voice at the back of his mind asked.What if I lose her?

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