Page 81 of Rejected and Pregnant by the Lycan King

Maximus pushed me back just enough so I could see his face. “There is nothing in this world more important than you and Titan. I will do whatever it takes for you to see that.”

That sentence alone meant the world to me. For him to say he would give up everything for me wasn’t what I wanted. I just wanted him to put me and Titan above everyone else. That’s what it meant to be a mate; they were supposed to be the main priority in their lives. I put Maximus ahead of myself, and all I wanted was to make him happy. That’s not how I should have viewed things. He was my priority, but I also needed to take care of myself.

That’s why I ran.

It was a way for me to learn the difference between being a mate and a doormat. I was tired of being a doormat.

Maximus changed, and so have I. We were becoming the people we were meant to be. It felt great to know I could do that with him now. He would do what it took to strengthen our bond and take care of his pup.

I heard someone clear their throat, and Maximus pushed me behind him as the new person approached. When I looked around him, I saw a man with the same wrinkles of age as Nathaniel looking at us. He had brown hair and brown eyes and wore the white coat of a doctor. I shook my head at Maximus for shielding me from someone who wouldn’t hurt me. He’s a doctor; the man spent his life saving people.

But that means nothing to overprotective mates.

“Kylie, we have some information for you on Titan.”

Maximus relaxed, and I moved to his side. When he put his arm around my shoulders, I knew he was doing this to show the doctor I was his and that no one should even try to take me from him. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I should know by now how mates act in front of other males, but this would always be hard to get used to.

“Please, tell us what’s going on. Is he okay? Can we see him?” I rattled off all the questions in rapid succession.

He smiled. “He’s fine. It looks like he got a little dehydrated from vomiting so much. He’s responding well to the fluids, and all his vitals are stable. It’s as if nothing happened tonight.”

I choked on a sob bubbling to the surface. The relief I felt hearing those words sent me to my knees. Titan being okay was everything I needed to hear. First, Maximus said he would give up everything to be with me, and now this? Was the Moon Goddess hearing my pleas that everything would be alright?

Maximus knelt beside me and gathered me into his lap. I could hear his soft sobs, too.

Was it a coincidence that things turned out this way after Maximus’s confession? It couldn’t be, right? Was Zephyrine here, and had she removed the curse after seeing him like this with his mate?

I looked around but didn’t see her anywhere. This could just be a coincidence, but I had a feeling it wasn’t.

Then, another thought dawned on me.

What if the curse had spread through the bond and infected me? Everything got worse after the rejection when I wasn’t close to Maximus. That could have traveled through him, into me, and made my lycan weaker. That seemed plausible since we had no idea how far the curse could go. It had infected Titan while he was in my womb, which meant I was pregnant before the rejection. Zephyrine had ensured that Maximus would suffer for what he had done, making him see the ramifications of not giving someone your entire heart and soul. Zephyrine might not have been his soulmate, but she wanted him to understand what it meant to be a mate anyway.

Maximus had learned the lesson the hard way. It took almost losing me and Titan all over again for him to understand its significance. But now that he knew—he had to put us first and trust his own heart instead of listening to everyone else. The curse was broken. Titan getting better proved it, and so was the fact that Maximus hadn’t left my side since this all began. I couldn’t believe I allowed anything to come between us, but I was sure Maximus felt the same way.

“When can we see him?” Maximus urged.

The doctor smiled at us and nodded. “As soon as we move him to a room, it won’t be long now. Please let me know if this happens again. If anything out of the ordinary occurs, bring him right here. We still aren’t sure of the cause, but there’s no reason to monitor him anymore. He’s been here for hours now.”

This was true. I had lost track as my mind unraveled over his condition.

“Wait, you aren’t sure of the cause?” Maximus asked. “So we don’t know how to stop it from happening again?”

I nudged him with my elbow. We knew the cause, but this doctor didn’t need us to unpack all that. Titan was safe and no longer sick. That’s all that mattered.

“Continue to burp him after every feeding. That will help prevent him from vomiting after he eats. Make sure you are moving his legs to ensure the food is traveling through his system properly. The only thing I can think of is that he had too much air in his stomach, which caused all the discomfort and led to the vomiting.”

I nodded and recalled everything I had to run through with the nurses and doctor before I took Titan home.

“Other than that, good thinking on bringing him in. We are going to move him to a room, and then we will come get you to see him.”

“Thank you,” we both said to him.

I could collapse with relief upon hearing those words. Everything was going to be okay. Everything was going to fall into place.

38

Maximus

---