Page 35 of Alpha's Redemption

It’s hours later and early morning before I hear the key in the door. I glance at the hall leading to the front door to see Valen quietly walk in before noticing the lamp on beside me. He pauses for a moment, then drops his keys into the bowl on the hall stand.

“How was your day?” I ask him.

“Long,” is all he answers before he heads down the hall, retrieves a towel from the linen closet, and walks into the bathroom. Packing up my laptop, I walk to the bathroom door and grip the door handle, but he locked it. I sigh and knock on the door, yet he ignores me. I know he heard me because I can feel his annoyance.

“I’m having lunch with my father tomorrow and I wanted to take Valarian. Mom and Dad want to see him,” I call out to him through the door. Yet Valen chooses to ignore me and I hear the water shut off.

Sighing, I move back to the couch and wait for him to come out. He does, walking off toward the bedroom before returning with his pillow and blanket.

“Did you hear me?” I ask him, though I know he did because I felt his annoyance earlier.

“Do what you want, you do anyway,” is all he says, tossing his pillow and blanket on the couch.

“Are you seriously just going to keep ignoring me?” I ask him.

“I have nothing to say, Everly. It’s late, I want to go to bed,” he says and I press my lips in a line before getting up.

“Don’t forget, you have the ultrasound tomorrow at 2 p.m.,” he says as I start walking off.

“I’m not sure what time I’m meeting Dad,” I tell him.

“Well, youwon’tbe meeting him at 2 p.m., will you!” he says before shutting the lamp off and sending the living room into total darkness.

“Are you coming to it?” I ask him, wondering if I’m doing this alone. My last experience wasn't the best and I couldn't even afford to go to ultrasound appointments; I had to choose between eating for the next week or not eating and going to the appointment.

The only one I had besides my initial one was at twenty weeks, and the only reason I got to go to that one was that I slipped over at the Chinese restaurant. My boss was worried I would try to sue, so he took me to the hospital and they did one because I started bleeding. That was when I found out Valarian was a boy. They put me on bed rest, like that was actually a possibility. Instead, I was back to scrubbing dishes mere hours later.

I try to remind myself this time is different, but though things may have changed, this one bad experience is enough to ruin this pregnancy for me already.

I dread being pregnant. It terrifies me, and I shudder when I think of giving birth—how the midwives sneered and taunted me while I cried in agony, the hunger from trying to produce milk to breastfeed only for it to dry up quickly from not getting enough food. If it wasn't for Macey, I would have starved those first few days. Who would have thought the offer of a granola bar would start a lifelong friendship.

Yet, the worst was seeing everyone's families come to meet their new family member while not one person from my previous life remembered I existed.

“Yes, Everly, so don’t be late,” Valen says, pulling me from my thoughts. He moves around on the couch trying to make himself comfortable.

“You can sleep in the bed,” I offer suddenly, not wanting to be alone. He says nothing. I want to climb on the couch with him, just so I can shake the dread away. I take a step toward him to see if he’ll let me until he speaks.

“Go to bed, Everly,” he says, and tears prick my eyes as I turn around and head for bed. I don't know what’s worse: being alone or having a mate and feeling alone. Another night of restless sleep and checking the damn locks. Fine. It’s not like I haven’t been on my own before. I’m no stranger to loneliness. Loneliness is something ingrained and woven through me.

Yet, why does it hurt so much more now?

ChapterSeventeen

Valen

I’m woken by noise up the hall. Rolling over on the couch, I rub my eyes and can feel that Everly is awake, hear her at the back of the place, rummaging around and doing something. I try to go back to sleep, but when I hear tiptoed footsteps in the hall, I crack an eye open to see her go to the front door, whispering under her breath to herself. I sit up, wondering where she’s going so late at night. I hear the door unlock, then relock before hearing her footsteps again.

“What are you doing?” I grumble and she jumps, startled.

“Nothing. I was making sure we locked the door,” she answers before padding off back down the hall. Now awake, I go to get a drink, yet she feels off through the bond; it makes me wonder why she feels scared? The scariest thing in this damn place is lying on the couch. Does she really think I would let someone in to get to them?

Lying back down, I try to go back to sleep. Just as I’m in that part of sleep when you’re asleep, yet also not, my ears prick at soft footsteps, only this time checking the balcony doors. What is she expecting? Someone to scale up the side of the hotel? I watch her, trying to ignore the nagging of the bond when she goes to the front door again.

“You already checked it,” I say and she stops. I can just see her from where I’m standing in the hall. She rubs her temples and goes to walk back to our room when she pauses and walks back to the front door.

“Everly I said you already checked it,” I growl at her.

“I just need to be sure,” she mutters, and I listen to her twist the locks and relock them again. I click my tongue and sigh, listening to her walk off again before Marcus tugs on the mind-link.

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