Fated

Chapter Ten: Secrets Upon Secrets

Claire's P.O.V.

Isaac stunk of perfume...

The realisation hits me, my heart tightening in response. 

It's fine... It's fine... Let's think logically about this. I try to soothe myself, taking a deep breath in. 

Isaac's been busy greeting people all night - he's probably hugged a few and maybe their perfume rubbed off on him... Maybe someone sprayed him. It could be anything for all I know.

I shouldn't worry. 

I should trust him.

But my heart still feels tight, a heavy weight in my chest.

I've been a lot more anxious about trusting Isaac recently - something that used to come so naturally to me. 

I am pregnant, and I mean - I've never been pregnant before... Maybe this is just a side effect.

After all, Isaac's never given me a reason not to trust him before. 

I sit up, deciding to send him a message before sleeping - something to soothe me. 

'Hey Isaac - I hope the party is going well! I'm fine now, my stomach has settled. I was wondering if we could meet tomorrow? xx'

Setting my phone on top of the duvet covering me, I turn my attention to the drama on TV while I wait - some show about a woman who marries a man she doesn't know, so she has somewhere to live.

The drama, surprisingly addictive, absorbs all of my attention, and before I know it an hour has passed.

Still, no response from Isaac.

That tightening in my chest presents itself once again - a snake, a boa constrictor, suffocating my heart.

I suppose he's probably still busy with the party... After all, I now realise, my parents still haven't made their way home yet.

The absence of my parents, oddly, puts the constrictor around my heart to rest. Or at least, relaxes it a little.

Knowing that my anxiety will only get worse the longer I lie here awake, I force myself to sleep. 

As I drift off, my thoughts reel around a few subjects - Isaac of course, but I try not to linger on him for too long. Sophia next - is she really okay? I hadn't seen her again after she disappeared to get drinks earlier, and the vibes with her have been so off, so distant...

I shift my thoughts from these, my mind now focusing on the couple from the drama. The couple who married for convenience, falling in love shortly afterward. The idea that you could so easily fall in love with the person you're living with makes sense in one way, I suppose, but wow - it sounds so uncomfortable!

My thoughts of the loved-up couple on TV trail off as I finally drift into a restful sleep, exhausted after such a long, draining day...

--

The late morning sun fills my room with a warm glow, awakening me from my stupor.

Still groggy, my head and eyes heavy with sleep, I slowly sit up and reach for my phone, trying not to move so much so as to disturb my small cub and thus, my stomach.

1 new message. The glare of my phone stings my eyes as I read.

Timestamped at 4:00 am, the message reads:

'Hey Clare, sorry I didn't reply sooner. I'll be over sometime around 4.'

I smile in relief that he had actually messaged me, replying with a quick; '4 sounds good! Love you xx'

Putting my phone down again, I get started with the rest of my day; showering, getting dressed, eating and studying. 

Before I know it, 4pm has already arrived, signalled by the chime of our home's doorbell. 

I run down our dark oak stairway, halfway down before the nausea jolts through me, forcing me to slow my pace.

"Claire, dear are you okay?" My mother had appeared from the hallway connecting the stairs. She changes her path from the doorway, turning towards me on the stairs.

Concern clear on her face, I can feel myself panicking, my words catching in my throat.

"Oh, um yeah, just feeling a bit sick is all," I give her a smile and continue down the stairs, suppressing my nausea, digging my nails into my hand to distract myself.

Her concern visibly grows as she makes her way over to me. "Yes you don't look well at all, your face is so pale," She moves her hand to my forehead to check my temperature.

"Mum don't worry, I'm fine," I nod at her, moving her hand from my now clammy forehead, "I've just been feeling really anxious - exams are coming up soon and I really want to get good grades, you know?"

She grumbles a little, "Don't overdo it Claire, try to relax some more, you're almost done after all." She rakes her hand through her wavy auburn hair, "You've got a bright future within the pack regardless of your grades, you know that much already."

"Thanks mum, but please don't worry. It's only for another couple of months anyway. I'll be fine."

"Well, okay," My mother now turns and walks away from me, allowing me to move towards the door for Isaac.

"But Claire, please be careful. It's not worth damaging your mental health like this."

I give her a big smile, my fingernails digging deeper into my hand now, repressing the nausea washing over me, "Okay mum, I'll be careful."

She smiles before turning to head back into the living room. 

I know my mother would support me through anything, but this, this pregnancy.... I don't know. Something inside me just wants to hide this for a little while longer. I'm not ready for anyone else to know just yet - maybe not until Isaac reveals me as his mate.

Turning away from where my mother was and back to the front door, I finally open it for my boyfriend, who has been patiently waiting for me during this, in the cold March air.

"Isaac," I move to hug him, warmth radiating off of him in the cool breeze.

He stiffens a little in response to my touch, shocked, "Hey, Claire..."

"Mm," I sigh, before moving back, away from his large body, "Let's go upstairs?" 

"Yeah, sounds good," Isaac nods, his voice expressionless, stiff.

The hard oak creaks under each step as we move through the house, neither of us saying anything. Me; too tired and nauseated to bother speaking, and Isaac; too tense from what I can sense.

I take a seat on my unmade bed, motioning for Isaac to join me as he closes the heavy door behind him.

A moment of silence passes between us as I wait for him to speak, move, or, well, anything really.

But nothing.

I sigh, "So, Isaac, is um, is everything okay?"

"Hmm?" He notes, "Oh, yeah, yeah everything is fine!" His eyes shift around the room, his body tense.

"Are you sure? You seem... Tense."

He lets out a deep breath. "Yeah, maybe I am a little tense." He stretches his arms above his head and lies down, an attempt to relax, I presume.

Lying down on his side now, facing me, he asks, "So, was there something you wanted to talk about or was there a reason you wanted me to come over?" His face lacks his signature kindness and warmth that I had grown so used to.

His question takes me by surprise a little - did I need a specific reason to want to hang out with my boyfriend - no, my mate? I look down at my lap, my confidence fading, "Not really I guess, I just wanted to hang out..." 

I glance back up at him, waiting for him to speak. He shifts his body upward, seated once again now, turning to face me.

"Well, we should probably talk about this pregnancy - our cub, anyway," He decides, his voice tight, stern almost.

"O-Okay," I reply, wondering what there is to really talk about.

He nods his head, his expression still stern, his nod so tight and robotic it's almost comical.

"I was thinking - we should keep your pregnancy a secret," He glances at me quickly before continuing, "If anyone finds out that you're pregnant, they'll know that we're... mates," He says through gritted teeth, breathing out before continuing once again. "And if anyone finds that out now, it's gonna spread to all the packs, and everyone will look down on us again."

He finally stops talking, and just stares at me, with that same stern, robotic expression. His lips are too tight on his face - I reflexively pout mine in response, feeling the tightness radiating from his own.

I let out a defeated sigh.

He's right. As much as I hate it, he's right. If anyone finds out that I'm pregnant, they'll just spread crazier rumours and Curadh's reputation will be destroyed.

I give him a small, pouty glare, "Fine. I can hide it... But can I tell my parents at leas-"

"No," He cuts me off, looking directly into my eyes, almost as if trying to intimidate me.

"I-What?" I stammer, "Why not? They won't tell anyone."

"They might - please, Claire, for Curadh, please just don't tell anyone else, okay?"

"I...' The tears begin forming in my eyes, a deep, fiery frustration building in my gut. 

"Claire - please," Isaac's eyes now bore into me, and I instinctively lean away from him.

"F-Fine," I stammer out.

"Thank you, Claire," Isaac's face and body relax now, his warmth beginning to return, little by little. He drags me close to him, resting my head on his shoulder.

We sit like that for a moment, Isaac rubbing my arm as I calm down, my tears slowing to a halt.

Isaac moves his lips to my forehead, planting a small kiss there. 

Whether caused by the pregnancy hormones, or my own s****l frustration, I can feel my body beginning to heat up.

I look up at Isaac now, meeting his gaze. Instinctively, my mouth moves to his, and we kiss. A deep, heated kiss, full of longing and... something else. Some other emotions that I hadn't quite dealt with were exploding from their cells, pouring themselves into this kiss.

It has been a while, after all...

After a moment of this, the kiss becomes more and more heated and soon Isaac has me pinned on the bed, his arms either side of me...