Rejected By My Mate, Claimed By The Enemy Alpha

Chapter3

SELMA's POV

I wasn't even a little bit surprised when the next words came out of Lilith's mouth, a confirmation of my worst fears.

"I'm sorry I lied, Frederick. I really wanted to tell you but when I came in and found that you had moved on I thought it best to keep the news. At least for now."

"Are you saying...?" Frederick's voice trailed off and his eyes shone with unshed tears and a million emotions.

Lilith nodded vehemently, a lone tear already moving down her face in rapid torrents. "Yes. He's yours."

The ringing sound within my ears became even louder, and my heart constricted within my ribcage. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to drag in a single puff of air, my lungs felt too tight, too heavy. Like one more inhalation and they would explode into an array of meat and blood.

"Why?" Frederick asked, his voice small and shaky.

"I was scared. I didn't know how to handle the whole commitment of leading a pack and raising its heir." She sniffled and wiped at the tears that swam down her face.

Verlyn intervened finally, casting one pleased look in my direction before she got up and spoke. "Come here, little one. Let's give the adults some time to talk."

The child chose that exact moment to speak up. "Mommy? Is this my daddy?" His eyes stared up at Frederick with tears swimming in their depths.

"Darling, go with grandma." Lilith smiled at the little boy. "I need to have a word with Daddy."

The smile that lit up the boy's face was enough to completely snuff the life out of me. I know exactly what this meant. My time within the mansion, and as Luna of the pack was over.

Of course, Lilith would make an announcement like that right now. Way to cement her place within the pack.

"You were carrying my child and you left me? Why would you do that?" Frederick spoke up. It was like he hadn't heard any of the other things that were said here.

His mother makes quick work of dragging the little bundle of cuteness out of the room and shutting the door in her wake. I couldn't get up. I just sat there, glued to the seat as I listened to the prattle of Lilith's.

"I'm so sorry. I regret leaving you more than anything else in this life, Fred. I was so young and so unsure of what to do. That much responsibility would have killed me, so I did the only thing that I could think of and I fled."

"By the time I was one month gone, I missed you like hell, but then I didn't think you would forgive me so I stayed away. Not long after, u heard you were engaged to someone else and it just broke my heart so I decided to give all of that love to our son."

"Our son." Frederick spoke like he was tasting the words, trying to know how they felt on his tongue. "I have a son."

"Yes. We do." Lilith concurred. "We have living proof of the love that we shared years ago."

"Love? If you loved me, then why didn't you stay?"

"Because I was a coward. I love you more than anything else in this world."

Wow. That's rich, coming from a mother.

"Have you thought of running a DNA test to prove that the child is indeed yours?" I spoke up for the first time since the drama unfolded and both pairs of eyes spun around to face me immediately.

"You think I would lie over something like that?" Lilith looked affronted.

"I don't know you well enough to make that call, but I know Frederick and that child looks nothing like him."

Frederick's next words broke my heart to shreds. "Leave, Selma. This conversation does not concern you."

"Of course it does, Frederick. You're my mate, husband and Alpha. I can't just sit by and not care about something that's bound to change the course of your life. Our lives."

"As your Alpha, I'm asking you to leave."

I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off again, his tone harsher this time.

"Now, Selma."

"What did you think you were going to achieve by talking down on Lilith, you wench?" Verlyn walked into the garden that evening, obviously in the mood for a fight.

"I wasn't trying to achieve anything. I was just looking out for Frederick."

She laughed, a mocking sound. "Were you looking out for Frederick or for yourself?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, confusion present in my tone.

"You're the one who's been unable to give Frederick an heir ever since you both got mated years ago. Now you want him to deny his heir. How are you looking out for him?"

Her words stung, leaving behind a burning sensation in my chest. I already knew, hell I have always known, that she hated me, but this?

"I'm not asking him to deny anybody. All I'm asking is that he gets a test done to confirm that he is indeed the father of that child. I would totally help him raise his child if the tests come out positive."

This time her laughter is laced with venom. "You want what? To help him raise his child? Oh please. If Frederick has a child then you have to go back to being the maid that you were before Lilith left."

"Excuse me?"

"There's nothing to excuse asides your existence, Selma. Lilith is a modest girl from a noble home, there's no way she would be sleeping around." She paused to take a deep breath. "That boy is exactly five years old, and considering the timeframe between when she left this pack and now, the age is accurate."

"That's not an excuse to kick me out of this pack." I challenged, fear already making rounds in the pit of my stomach.

"I'm not kicking you out, just returning you to the level you belong."

"Mother, I would like to have a word with Selma alone." Frederick's voice interrupted the conversation between his mother and me.

She looked pointedly at me and then smiled as she stood up. "You'd thank me for this later."

I watched after her as she walked out of the garden and Frederick came to take a seat where his mother just exited.

My eyes turned to look at him. "Tell me you'd at least consider taking the test."

"There's no need for all of that. Mom is right, the age matches the timeframe."

"You can't be serious." I threw my hands up in exasperation. "You're the Alpha of a pack, Frederick. You can't be so careless with something like this."

He shook his head from side to side. "I've thought this through, and I think it would be best if we got a divorce."

"What?"

"The pack can't have two Lunas, Selma. And since Lilith has my heir it's only right that I marry her and give her the respect that she deserves."

"She left you for years and you're going to cast me aside for her?" Tears streamed down my cheeks. "Why?"

He held my gaze as he gave me a response. "Because she's the woman I've always loved."