Page 72 of Rejected and Pregnant by the Alpha (Forbidden Alpha Kings #52)
Hannah
Climbing up the steps to the mansion Aileen’s coven brought us to, I look around and wonder just how the fuck she managed to get this place bought and running within six hours.
I get it; being alive for five hundred years brings wealth and power, but to such an extent is just mind-blowing.
Aileen did all of this because of what they found in the basement of the Hunters Association that they raided: pups.
Innocent pups that were meant to be sold as slaves, like the pups before them.
The only question now is, where are their parents?
Or more importantly, who are their parents?
“Hannah, you made it.” The door opens, and Aileen stands there, her usual smile gone and a weariness lingering in her eyes. She told me the basics of what was going on and asked me to come as soon as possible, as what she had to say could only be said in person.
“Oh, you brought Saben?” she says, slightly surprised.
I sigh, looking at my sleeping son in my arms. He was adamant that I let him come with me if it meant he would get to see his papa, and I couldn’t say no to him because I wanted to see Julian just as badly.
“He was going to go on a rampage if I didn’t say yes.
Since finding out he is the alpha prince, the power in his blood has been growing,” I answer, gently rubbing Saben’s back.
He stirs for a moment, a little whimper escaping his lips, but in the end, he stays asleep, and I smile.
“Let me get him settled into bed before you tell me what you guys found. The Haven Trail wolves are already at the warehouse with Aidan leading them, so whatever cleanup you’re doing will be finished faster now,” I add, walking into the mansion and allowing Aileen to lead the way to our rooms. Sniffing the air as we climb the steps, I notice the many scents of pups in the mansion.
They must have been brought here first from the warehouse.
Aileen leads me into a room that smells like Julian.
Upon closer inspection, I see that his luggage is already here.
Saben seems to stir at the scent of his father, and I chuckle, carefully placing him on the bed before rummaging through Julian’s luggage and placing a T-shirt with his scent beside my pup.
Within seconds, Saben is fast asleep, clutching the shirt with a soft smile on his face.
“Where is Julian?” I ask, looking at Aileen, who has a complicated look in her eyes.
“Come, I will take you to him,” Aileen says, motioning for me to follow.
With one last look at Saben, I follow my friend further down the hall, Julian’s scent mixed with that of multiple pups growing stronger the closer I get.
She pauses in front of an open door, and I stop, worried about what I will see inside, as this room has only two scents: Julian’s and a pup whose scent is not quite wolf but is wolf nonetheless.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly walk inside to find Julian in a rocking chair, gently rocking with a baby in his arms. My heart skips a beat for a moment as I take in this scene and wonder if this is what I missed when raising Saben on my own.
He is focused on the sleeping pup, his eyes soft as he takes a deep breath. Then the rocking stops, and his head snaps up. Our eyes meet, his widening in shock before softening with happiness. I smile, walking further into the room and to his side.
“She is beautiful,” I whisper, not wanting to wake the sleeping pup. Goddess knows I spent many sleepless nights with Saben as a newborn, all because he would wake suddenly in the middle of the night and would not fall back to sleep.
“She is also clingy,” Julian says with a soft chuckle, looking down at the pup. “Other than Aileen, Fabian, and me, this little girl screams her head off if anyone else touches her.”
I chuckle at this, wanting nothing more than to hold this pup in my arms and comfort her.
“Was Saben this small when he was a pup?” Julian asks, his words laced with sadness.
“Goddess, no.” I laugh, sitting on the ottoman by the rocking chair and smiling.
“Because of his royal blood, Saben was a big baby. He was clingy, too. Only Jiya, Aileen, and I could hold him,” I answer, reaching out and running my finger along the pup’s soft cheek.
Her little face scrunches up before relaxing, and my smile grows.
“How cute. I think she accepts me,” I state, getting a nod from Julian.
“She likes you,” he agrees.
“Why is she here alone, away from the other pups?” I find myself asking, looking at Julian.
He frowns as he leans his head back against the rocking chair, the dark circles under his eyes prominent in the dim lighting of the room. I feel the mate bond shiver while Julian thinks about what to tell me, and I wait patiently. I know in the end, Julian will tell me everything.
“It seems the hunters here captured a wolf with witch heritage. Their goal was to breed their own witch. We are still going through the files we got from them to find out why, but they succeeded in the end, as this little pup is half witch, half werewolf,” Julian says after a moment, shifting slightly to reposition the pup.
Without thinking, I carefully lift her into my arms, cradling her against my chest. She doesn’t protest; instead, her little fists clench my shirt, and she settles against me.
“Thanks. I haven’t slept in two days, and I’m scared I might drop her by accident,” Julian yawns.
“No problem. Saben is in your room sleeping. I can keep an eye on this little one for now.” I shrug, breathing in the scent of moonflowers coming from this pup. How relaxing.
“Maybe in a bit. I still haven’t told you the worst part.” Julian dismisses my suggestion, leaning forward with his forearms resting against his thighs. “You see, this little girl is a descendant of Aileen’s sister. She thinks it’s her missing niece’s descendant, and Aileen wants us to raise her.”
Silence follows this revelation as I try to wrap my head around who this little girl is. I have met Aileen’s great-great-nieces—witches born from her sister’s bloodline. From what she told us, one of her nieces fell in love with a man over four hundred years ago and was never seen again.
Now, looking at this pup, I can only assume the man this niece fell in love with was a werewolf, and a strong one at that, as I can sense the alpha blood flowing inside this pup.
“I mean, Saben does want a sister,” I say finally, feeling Julian’s gaze on me. Looking up, I find him watching me, amazement in his eyes, and I giggle.
“So, we are raising her?” he asks in a whisper.
“We are raising her,” I answer, watching Julian’s lips spread into a wide grin.
“Good. Now all we need to do is come up with a name for this little one,” he states, standing and pulling me into his arms.
I relish his touch, taking in his familiar mango scent and resting my head against his shoulder. His heartbeat is steady, and for a moment, everything feels right in the world.