Pregnant and Rejected

NICHOLE

“Okay, Nikki, what about a mermaid cut?”.

Becky holds up a strapless bridesmaid dress that’s tight through the hips, then flares at the knees.

I shrug, not really loving the look.

“Not a mermaid fan, got it,” she grumbles, thrusting the dress back on the rack.

I sigh.

We have been at this for three hours and she has yet to find me a dress as her maid of honor as well as bridesmaid dresses for Caitlyn and her other friend, Chloe.

“Sorry, Becky, I just don’t have an eye for this stuff like you do,” I say, picking up a periwinkle dress and showing it to her.

“That’s the wrong shade of blue,” Caitlyn says from across the racks of clothing.

“My bad,” I frown reproachfully at the dress. “I feel outnumbered here, Becky, you and Chloe own a fashion line and meanwhile I’m lucky if my scrubs match.”

Caitlyn snorts, holding an emerald blue dress against her slender body as if to measure its length.

I glance at the store’s entrance where Ben is supposed to be entertaining Hannah while we shop. My daughter has a box of blocks tipped over, showing Ben each one with earnest enthusiasm. Ben’s willing fascination grips my heart with tenderness—he’s so kind with her.

Looks like she’s the one doing the entertaining.

“Becky, I still haven’t seen your wedding gown,” Caitlyn says.

“Only Nikki has seen it,” Becky says from behind a dress rack.

“It’s a little on the princess side…,” I say, not really one for fashion descriptions. “The poofy, ball gown look?”

I’m not into that kind of thing, but Becky looks absolutely fabulous in it.

“Oh, sounds gorgeous,” Caitlyn replies.

“I think I found it, Nikki!” Becky yells excitedly and pulls out a royal blue, floor-length dress.

It’s strapless with a corseted waist and a flowing, floor-length skirt. Its silky fabric shines in the light. Now that’s my kind of dress.

“Go, try it on! Now!” Becky says, pushing me toward the dressing room.

The dress fits my body perfectly and shows off my curves too! It’s a win-win!

When I come out, Becky gasps.

“Don’t you look beautiful? You might just outshine me at my own wedding,” she says, laughing.

“No way!” I chuckle. “You’re the one in white, after all!”

Hannah scampers over from the bench by the doorway.

“Momma, you look beautiful,” she says, tugging on my hand.

I quickly glance around and let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. Chloe and Caitlyn aren’t here. I have yet to figure out how to tell everyone about my daughter without bringing disrespect to my family.

I kneel down in front of Hannah and smile at her.

“Well, we haven’t even gotten your dress, sweetie. Why don’t we go see how you look?” I say.

Excitement blossoms on her face.

“Oh, can we?” she squeals. “Ben! Come on, I get to pick out a dress!”

“Wait up, cupcake!” he hustles after her.

Caitlyn, Chloe, Becky, and I watch Ben trail after Hannah like she’s the pied piper.

“He’s going to be such a good dad someday,” Chloe gushes, and Becky flushes happily.

I smile along with them, but pain blooms in my heart at the sight of Hannah, so readily latched on to a father figure. If only I could give her the dad she wants.

I remember last Christmas.

“Mommy! Mommy! Wake up! It’s Christmas!!” Hannah says, jumping up on my bed.

I laugh and pull her down, snuggling tightly into her.

“Hannah, it’s illegal to be awake at this time of the morning,” I say, and she giggles.

“But the presents, Momma! I saw them! Santa must really love me. Maybe he even brought me what I asked from him!” she says, trying to tug my hand.

What did she ask for?

I follow her out into the living room in our flat in Paris. She goes straight over to the tallest gift she can see. She whispers to it.

My werewolf hearing picks up her tiny voice.

“Please be a daddy, please be a daddy!”

I gasp quietly and a single tear rolls down from my eye as she opens the box and frowns slightly. I kneel down in front of her and pull her into my arms.

“I’m so sorry, I can’t give you a daddy. I want to, but I just can’t,” I say, as tears start falling.

“It’s okay, Mommy. I understand. I’m just glad I have you,” she says, hugging me back.

“Earth to Nikki! Hello, is anyone in there? Hello?” Becky says waving a hand in front of my face.

I wipe my eyes real quick and smile up to her, but she sees through it easily. She gives me a sympathetic look.

Hannah is wearing a white dress that stops halfway down her shins. The dress has royal blue edges and a huge bow.

“Mommy! I love it! Can I get it?” she says, running over to me. I pick her up and put her on my hip.

“Well... you got to ask your aunt Becky, sweetie,” I say.

Becky just nods her head eagerly. Hannah squeals and runs off to Ben, showing off her dress.

Caitlyn and Chloe choose matching dresses: the royal blue like mine, but simpler and with a mid-thigh hem.

On the drive back, Becky leans across the seat with a perplexed expression on her face.

“Oh, Nikki, I forgot to tell you. An old friend of yours from college called your house this morning while you were down in the clinic. I completely forgot in all the excitement.”

A strange feeling passes through me. I didn’t have many friends in college, but the one who comes to mind found his mate and left. It couldn’t be him.

“Someone from college?” I ask. “Who? What did he want?”

“I am so sorry... I forgot his name!” She shakes her head.

Annoyance darts through me, but the feeling evaporates when I pull into my driveway to see a black Eclipse parked in the driveway.

When I pull up, a familiar figure gets out of the strange car.

My heart dips into my knees at the sight of him.

The man is tall and well-built, with dirty-blonde hair casually styled in a sexy, bedhead look.

“Josh!” I yell, dashing out of my car and jumping into his arms without a second thought.

Josh laughs, catching me.

Once I let go, I immediately start talking, “What are you doing here? Where’s your mate? Is she okay? How did you find me?”

An emotion flashes through his eyes at the sound of the word ‘mate.’ It’s a feeling I know far too well.

“Josh? What happened?”

He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out.

“Okay, that’s it. You are staying with me, where are your bags? I know you have them with you,” I say, walking over to his car and peering in.

Boxes and bags fill the seats, as if his whole life is packed up.

A surge of emotion wells up in my throat.

Ben and Becky vanish into the house with Hannah, leaving me and Josh sitting on the front porch.

“You know, I never thought my life would turn out the way it did,” Josh says, staring into the distance. “When I met Shannon, I thought everything would always be perfect. But it wasn’t. She rejected me after five years of being together.”

“Oh my god, Josh, I’m so sorry,” I breathe, holding my chest.

“Then when I went back to find her, to get her back, I found out why she had rejected me. She was bitten by a rogue werewolf with a wolfsbane infection not long before, and she knew she was dying.”

I gasp. Wolfsbane is deadly for our kind; it spreads through the blood, killing a werewolf slowly, with excruciating pain.

“By the time I found out, Shannon was gone.”

Josh buries his face in his hands.

“Your heart must be broken, Josh,” I say, recalling that pain of a lost mate.

He nods.

“I lost a piece of myself,” he says. “I don’t even know why I’m here, Nik. You’ve moved on with your life... I just wanted to see the one person that knows me better than anyone, you.”

A tear slips from his eye. I have never seen him shed a tear once in his life. I wrap my arms around him and he leans into me.

“Mommy? Who’s this?” Hannah says. She slips through the front door, approaching cautiously.

I pull her to my side. Josh just looks between us, and a sad expression takes over his face.

“You have a m-mate?” he says, moving away from me.

“No,” I say, trying not to cry at just the thought of my mate. “It’s just me and my daughter. No mate.”

Josh takes me in his arms as if to comfort me, but he stops himself, pulling away and studying Hannah.

“I’m Josh,” he says, a sweet, approachable smile spreading across his face. “Who are you?”

“I’m Hannah. I’ll turn four next month!” she says, her eyes lighting up.

She whispers in his ear, thinking I won’t hear.

“Sorry you’re feeling sad.”

She blinks up at him with her big, soulful eyes.

“I’m okay, kiddo,” Josh says, his lips twisting with emotion.

He flicks a warm glance at me and my heart thuds.

Just like that, Hannah has won him over.

“Momma? How long is Joshy going to be here?” Hannah says.

I smile down at her.

“Well, let’s go get some dinner and talk about it.”

She squeals and pulls Josh up the stairs to the front door, talking the whole way. I watch Josh respond warmly to her, the pain and grief fading from his face.

It’s too soon to imagine, too soon to hope, but Josh and I had feelings for each other once. Now here we are, both without a mate. Maybe, just maybe, Hannah will get the father figure she has been looking for.