Page 55 of Rejected and Pregnant by the Lycan King

“I’m not sure. Shortly before I got here.”

It was difficult to bring up the memories of Maximus. Any time I did, my chest would burn from the severed bond, and tears threatened to spill down my face. It was easier to forget he ever existed, despite the fact that he was the father of my pup. There were times I thought about traveling back to him so he would know he had a pup out there, but it hurt to even think about it. How could I face the man who thought I wasn’t good enough to remain bonded with because I wasn’t as strong as other prospects?

Any time Maximus crossed my mind, I could picture his handsome face like the first time I met him. The way his strong jaw clenched, his blue eyes glowing from knowing I had been locked in a cage, and his sandy-blond hair perfectly set on his head made me think it was a halo. The few times he smiled big enough to create dimples in his cheeks still made me swoon.

Since I needed to know the last time I had been with Maximus, it brought up memories of being in his arms. How I wished for the way he made me feel safe. It didn’t matter how the day had been; it was always better when he held me. The way he would take his time committing every inch of my body to memory with his lips and touch made me wiggle on the couch.

Pain exploded in my chest at the thought of his face and the times I had spent with him. I rubbed the spot with the palm of my hand, but then another ripple of pain started lower in my abdomen, wrapping around to my back. I sucked air through my teeth as I winced from the pain until it subsided. Charlotte looked at me with concern and came to my side.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” she asked as she put a hand over my stomach.

The baby wiggled inside me but didn’t kick like I thought they would. If I remembered correctly, the baby had been in position for the last two weeks. It really could be any day now that I would go into labor, but without knowing the due date, we didn’t have the date pinpointed.

Another ripple of pain rolled through me, staying low in my body and wrapping all the way into my back. I looked up at Charlotte with widened eyes. Was this labor? Lycans were just as unpredictable as humans when it came to childbirth. It could take hours before I would be dilated enough to push, but it would still be a good idea to get to the clinic if I thought the baby would be coming soon. There weren’t many pups born within the pack for me to know what it would look like.

“I had two really weird pains. They start in my lower stomach and then go into my back.”

Charlotte looked at Nathaniel, and he immediately sprang to his feet and ran to the bedroom. There was a bag full of things for me and the baby that they insisted on having before we could get to the clinic. I didn’t like this. When I reached out to my lycan, I could faintly feel her there. Today wasn’t a day when it feltlike she was connected to me strongly enough for me to make it through.

“Let’s go, Kylie. I think we need to get you to the clinic.”

This couldn’t be it, right? I couldn’t be going into labor right now. Had nine months really passed since I ran from the pack? That didn’t seem right. I could be wrong since I couldn’t recall if I had even gone into heat when I was with Max.

It is time,my lycan said to me weakly.

No, that can’t be right. I can’t be having the baby already.

Everything will be fine.

My lycan was doing her best to keep me calm, but my heart rate skyrocketed anyway. She didn’t sound strong enough to help me through this. If she wasn’t strong enough, anything could go wrong.

Charlotte tugged on my arm to help me off the couch, but I wanted to curl up on the couch and wish for this not to happen. Soon, Charlotte put her arms under both of mine and hoisted me to my feet.

I felt my legs become coated in something wet as the room spun. What was happening to me?

“Kylie! We need to go. The baby is coming! Nathaniel! We need to get her to the clinic right now.”

It was as if the world fell away as everything around me became a blur. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but another wave of pain came. This time, it was longer, and I screamed as I triedto breathe through my nose. No one told me it would be like this. Was I bleeding, and was that what I felt on my leg?

Bergamot filled my nose as I felt the warmth of arms under my legs and back. Soon enough, I was pressed against Nathaniel’s chest, and a burst of wind rushed over my skin. It was icy, but it felt amazing against the heat burning through me from the inside out. I couldn’t tell where we were or if I was even awake as my head rolled back. The blue sky appeared to be moving in a circular motion as I stared upward. Another wave of pain rolled through me, and I couldn’t hold back the scream as every muscle in my body tightened.

“It’s just contractions, Kylie! Breathe through them. It’s okay,” I heard Charlotte call out to me.

Contractions? Yeah, that sounded right. I was pregnant, and the baby was coming. That’s what was happening right now. I could do this, right? Absent-mindedly, I reached out for my lycan again, and I could feel the small amount of energy I had from her. It did nothing to push away the pain, but my vision cleared a little just in time for Nathaniel to run through the clinic’s doors.

Everything happened so fast. There were people surrounding me, none of them smelling familiar and sending my lycan on edge. A growl rose in my throat, but then bergamot and honeysuckle wrapped around me. Charlotte and Nathaniel were here somewhere, so I knew I was safe. They wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me.

“Do you know your name?” I heard someone ask. A bright light clicked on in my face, shining directly into my eyes.

My name? No, that wasn’t important right now. I needed to stay awake, though. That was important.

Yet I could see the dark tendrils of shadows creeping in at the sides of my vision. They felt so comforting, taunting me to close my eyes and slip into them. Sleep sounded amazing right now. Every part of my body felt heavy, like I wouldn’t be able to lift it even if I wanted to. My eyelids felt heavier with every second that passed. Something about drifting off to sleep felt so tantalizing that I almost gave in.

Until the pain hit me.

My eyes snapped open as I screamed through the pain again. It seemed like the only response I could muster because everything else felt like too much.

“Breathe through it, Kylie. You are doing great!”

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