Chapter25

#Chapter25

Lily POV

Desperately wanting to take a shower, Amber and I headed upstairs to my room, Aria was happily talking to Natalia in the kitchen. Stripping off my clothes, Amber sits on the edge of the bath talking to me. Nudity wasn’t a big thing between us and I was not shy around her.

When we were kids we even bathed together growing up in Reid’s pack with her, we were completely comfortable around each other. She knew all my secrets. All my faults and I have never felt the need to hide anything from her and she was the same with me.

Stripping my pants off, I turn on the shower and step in.

/"Do you need any help?/" She asked when she noticed the bruises and staples covering most of my body. I wave her off.

/"No, I am good. They look worse than they feel/" I tell her. As soon as I step in the water, I hiss loudly at the burning sensation. /"I take that back, they sting like a bitch/" I hiss. Amber chuckles to herself.

/"So, why haven’t you and the Alpha mated yet?/" She asks, while I try washing the shampoo out of my hair.

/"Because I am not sure I want to be permanently tied to him. I didn’t want the Alpha position, yet he expects me to become his Luna/"

/"Yeah, but he is your mate Lily, you kind of don’t have a choice now. That can’t be the only reason,/" She says.

I sigh before bending down and grabbing the conditioner.

/"It’s not, Damien is having a baby with another woman. She is due in around nine or ten weeks/" I tell her.

/"Wow, how do you feel about that?/" Amber says, shaking her head, her eyebrows raising in shock.

/"Well, not happy obviously. My mate is having a kid with someone else, and he tried to hide it, like I would not find out. Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about it or him, but it is what it is. Nothing I can do about it/"

/"And Damien?/" She asks.

/"Huh yeah he wants to mark me, I just worry when the baby does come, he will throw me away like everyone else does/" I tell her.

/"He loves you Lily, a blind man could see that I don’t think a baby will change that. What about the mother?/"

/"Oh you will love her, grade A bitch, but she found her mate and I don’t know, things feel different now. I don’t hate her, and she apologised, but I don’t know. Hopefully, once the baby comes Damien and her can figure out how to co-parent and leave me out of it/"

/"Yeah, I doubt that will happen. Technically you would be the kids stepmother and what? You are just going to ignore the kid or leave when he has custody. Come on, Lily, I know you. I know you won’t be able to help yourself. You can’t tell me you don’t want to be involved with his kid/" She was right, I love kids. They are the most non judgmental and accepting of me.

Yet I didn’t want to be the horror stepparent my father was to Aria. I was afraid that when the baby came, I would despise it.

/"We will see once it arrives/" Suddenly the doorbell rang and both of us perked up. I heard Natalia answer it before hearing Tabitha’s voice ask if Damien was here.

/"Speak of the devil and she arrives/" I chuckle, stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel. Natalia comes and knocks on the bedroom door.

/"Come in, Natalia/" I tell her.

/"Luna Tabitha is here, she is looking for Alpha . Do you want me to send her away?/"

/"No, tell her I will be down in a minute/" Natalia nods before walking out closing the door.

Amber walks into the closet and starts grabbing some clothes for me and walks out with a pair of tights and shirt.

/"Man is he okay? Like all there in the head? Like seriously who colour coordinates underwear and socks or any clothes for that matter?/" She asks, walking out and handing me the clothes. I chuckle softly.

/"Yeah, I think he has OCD. Makes me feel bad sometimes, because I put my stuff away and I have caught him a few times rearranging them. So I just gave up. He wants it to look a certain way, he can keep it that way. Because I ain’t got the patience. You think that’s bad, you should see the library. Colour coordinated and in alphabetical order. I am too scared to even touch the books in case I forget where it goes/" Amber scrunches up her face before shaking her head.

/"Okay then, you have fun with that. I am glad my mate is normal. Alphas seem so overrated right now/" She says as we walk out the door.

Coming down the stairs, I see Tabitha standing awkwardly near the door. Aria just stares at her like she is a science experiment. I can tell she is intimidated by Aria’s aura as she not once looks up and makes eye contact with her.

Tabitha looks up when she hears me coming down the steps.

/"Luna, sorry to stop by/" I wave her off and stop in front of her.

/"Tabitha this is Amber my friend from the Blood Moon Pack and that is Aria my sister, the Lycan queen and Luna of the blood Moon Pack, everyone this is Tabitha/"

/"Aria is your sister?/" She says, her mouth opening and closing like a fish in shock.

/"Yes I am, and I suppose you are the she-wolf the Alpha knocked up/" Aria said, holding her hand out for Tabitha to shake.

Tabitha awkwardly shook her hand, which was visibly trembling as she placed it in Aria’s hand. Aria smiled at her, no anger coming off her, just understanding. Tabitha however looked like she was about to puke.

/"What’s up?/" I ask, and I watch Aria walk down towards the kitchen again and Tabitha takes a deep breath.

/"I was actually going to the clinic today but my car has broken down and my mother refuses to take me. I was hoping Damien or you could run me. It is just an ultrasound/"

/"You walked all the way here?/"

/"Yeah, I actually don’t live that far only on the other side of the park/"

/"Well Damien isn’t here, and I um/"

/"Lily will run you, we will be fine. I can keep Amber entertained. Right Amber?/" Aria says and Amber quickly nods her head.

/"Well, it is settled then, Lily, you can take my car/" She tosses me her keys and I give her a what the fuck look. She raises her perfectly manicured eyebrow daring me to go against her and I sigh before turning around plastering a fake grin on my face.

/"Sure lets go '' I tell her, walking out to Aria’s Black SUV that I also like to call her Mumma Humma as it is the main family car.

/"You will have to show me where it is, I have no idea where to go/" I tell her while hopping in. Tabitha hops in and looks around awkwardly before nodding her head.

/"This isn’t too awkward for you, is it?/" She asks nervously.

/"No, it is fine, we all need to get along for the baby anyway, so might as well start now/" I tell her driving down the driveway.

/"Which direction?/"

/"Left/" She says

/"So how is your mate, how come he isn’t coming?/" I ask.

/"Damien hasn’t let him leave the compound yet, and my mother hates me because I had a child with someone who isn’t my mate, so she refuses to come too/" She tells me rubbing her belly.

I nod in understanding, although I don’t get how her mother could shun her for getting pregnant.

We drove in silence for about half an hour before pulling up at a clinic. I park the car and we both head inside where Tabitha gives the receptionist her name before we sit down. The entire clinic is filled with pregnant she-wolves and I feel their eyes on me. Some smile and some just look, wondering why I am here with Damien’s mistress.

After a few minutes Tabitha’s name is called, she looks up before standing while I remain seated.

/"You can come in/" She says, waiting for me to decide. Everyone’s eyes are on me to see what I decide. Deciding to be supportive, I got up and followed her. They took us into a room with a bed and some computer equipment. Tabitha seemed to know what she was doing as she laid on the ultrasound table and lifted her shirt.

A red-haired lady came in with a gentle smile on her face. /"I was wondering when you would finally come Tabitha/" She says. Tabitha nods her head.

/"Yeah, you know what mums like/" The woman nodded before placing some gel on her belly and moving the ultrasound device over her belly.

/"How far along did you say you are?/" the ultrasound technician asks after a few minutes.

/"I should still have nine weeks and three days left/" Tabitha says, confused.

/"Why is something wrong?/" She asks and I hear her heart rate pick up.

/"Did you get your first scan done in a human facility?/" The technician asks.

Tabitha nods her head. /"There is a reason you can’t do that, and this explains why you're measuring so big already, you only have two weeks left. You can go any day now. Baby is head down and engaged already,/" The woman explains. My heart rate picks up and so does Tabitha’s as a horrified expression takes over her face.

/"That soon/" She whispers, just as shocked as me.

/"Yes, Tabitha. You should have known better than to go to a human facility/"

/"I didn’t want mum to find out. You know what mum’s like Annabelle, if I walked in here she would have found out before she did/" Tabitha whispered.

I looked at the screen; the picture was unbelievably detailed. You could see almost perfectly, could see its eye’s, lips even watch as it moved around, even its fingernails.

/"Do you want to know the gender?/"

Tabitha nodded her head excitedly. I didn’t know what to think. It felt strange looking at my mate’s baby on the screen, and jealousy flared a little.

/"Look here,/" The woman said, pointing to the screen. We both leant in looking. To me, it didn’t look like anything. Tabitha squealed excitedly.

/"It’s a girl,/" She said.

/"That’s correct you’re having a little girl/" I smiled happily for her but was also numb. Knowing the gender kind of made it feel more real.

After the scan, we waited in the waiting room for some prints. The technician printed two lots, one for Tabitha and one for the Alpha. Hopping in the car, I placed the scans on the back seat and started the car.

/"Thanks for coming,/" She said, and I nodded.

/"I suppose I will have to prepare now that she is coming sooner rather than later/" She stated. My stomach felt like it was in knots and Layla has said nothing the entire time I have been with her. I felt like she was blocking me out. If our roles were reversed, I probably would have blocked myself out too.

/"Have you got everything you need?/" I ask.

/"Yes, I have the basics, I am just hoping Trey is let out so he can help me. He said he would/"

/"You have had no problems with him, he isn’t mad?/" I ask curiously.

/"No, he has accepted it. It will excite him to know he can mark me earlier than planned/" I nod.

/"I will speak to Damien and see if we can hurry along with him being released/" Tabitha looked at me hopefully.

She showed me where she lived and I dropped her off, her house was almost directly across from us.

/"You want to come in?/" She asks.

/"Maybe next time, I have to go back to see my sister and friend/" I tell her and she nods before waving. I feel Layla come forward now that she is gone.

/"Finally, you’re back/"

/"I couldn’t handle it, I’m sorry Lily/"

/"It’s fine, but either way we are going to have to deal with it/" I tell her, and she whines loudly.

Pulling up at the Pack house, Damien’s car is in the driveway. Before I even open the car door, he is beside the car. I grab the ultrasounds and the small picture of the 3d scan. Damien opens the door and I step out of the car before locking it.

/"Aria rang me,/" I nodded.

/"You didn’t have to go, I wouldn’t have been angry/"

/"It’s fine, here. Congrats you’re having a little girl/" I tell him, passing him the small image. He looks down at it and I can feel his excitement before he masks it.

I walk off, not because he is excited he is having a girl but because it hurt to see him excited over having a baby with someone that’s not me.

/"Lily, wait. Can we talk about this/"

/"Nothing to talk about Damien/" I tell him walking toward the door. I hear him swear to himself. Opening the front door, Aria is waiting for me.

/"You threw me under the bus, you knew I didn’t want to go/" I tell her walking toward the kitchen. Amber appears on the stairs and I hear Damien come in the front door.

/"Let her cool off,/" I hear Aria tell him. Amber follows me to the kitchen.

/"Hey Natalia/" I say walking toward the fridge. She nods and goes about making lunch.

Opening the fridge, I grab a beer out and pop the cap. Argh just what I needed, I think to myself, chugging the bottle and grabbing another. I offer one to Amber, but she shakes her head and I shrug before opening the next bottle.

/"Little early, don’t you think?/" She asks.

/"You didn’t have to sit through your mate's mistress' ultrasound. I did, so cheers,/" I say sipping the bottle before sitting on the stool on the bench.

Damien and Aria walk out, followed by my father. Damien groans before walking over and taking the bottle from me.

/"You aren’t drinking,/" I glared at him.

/"Fine, come on Amber/" I tell her and she looks to Aria who nods her head before following me.

/"I know you’re upset, but maybe chat with him/" Amber suggests making me scoff.

Going to my bedroom I lay on the bed, Amber lays next to me. We lay talking for a few hours when Aria appears in the doorway.

/"Lily, can I talk to you please?/" She asks.

/"Do I have a choice?/" I ask.

/"Yes, you always have choice but I would like it if we could talk while no one but us girls are here/"

/"Where’s Dad?/" I ask, sitting up on my elbows looking at her.

/"Went with the Alpha to discuss a few things/"

/"Okay/" I pat the bed beside me, when her phone rings downstairs.

/"I will get that and be back up/" She says quickly leaving.

/"I wonder how long Damien and your Dad will be,/" asks Amber.

I shrug my shoulders, not really caring if Damien doesn’t return tonight.

/"After the chat with ya sis, what do you want to do, we can’t just hide out up here/" She says.

I smile when an Idea hits me. /"Wanna sneak out?/" her eyes light up and she nods her head. A few seconds later Aria walks in on the phone and sits next to me on the bed.