10.36 D
Hundred and Forty–Four
Isabella’s POV
My thumb hovered over the receiver button of my phone as I stared down at Alexander’s name on the screen. For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to talk to him. Although I didn’t believe a word Antonio had written, it didn’t negate the fact that I had met with him and had not told Alexander up till now.
I was keeping secrets from him, secrets I wouldn’t know how to disclose to him if I wanted to now. Was this the price one paid for keeping secrets from the people they loved? Constantly looking over your shoulder in fear? Feeling like a dishonest piece of shit?
I didn’t like it. The price that came with knowing something Alexander didn’t know made me distrustful not of him but of myself. My phone stopped ringing and I cursed at myself for not having the courage to pick up the phone to talk to my own mate.
It was beyond ridiculous what keeping secrets was doing to me. My phone began to ring again and this time I didn’t let myself think, I immediately picked up the phone “Hey!” I said, my voice a little high pitched than I intended.
“Hey, Did you drop your phone somewhere?” Alexander asked in a worried tone.
“Yeah, I was…I didn’t hear it ring.” Another lie. It just kept piling up.
“Oh. Let me guess, you are not in bed resting like you are meant to,”
“Xander, you know how hard it is for me to stay still. I can’t stay in bed
0.00%
10:36 D
doing nothing all day.” I couldn’t see him but I could tell he was rolling his eyes at me.
“Yes, you can. All you have to do is press the intercom if you need anything and the maids will attend to your needs. It’s really that simple.”
“That sounds like torture, Xander. What about my Luna duties, what about meetings and orphanage visits?”
“What about them?” he asked like they were the most inconsequential things he had ever heard.
“Well, I can’t do them if I’m in bed twenty–four seven like you clearly want.” I retorted.
“Isabella, I’m sure the pack will understand the reason the Luna is absent is due to the fact that she’s carrying my heir.”
“Yeah but-”
“No buts, you’ve had a rough couple of days you need to rest.” If only he knew the half of it.
“I’ll be back soon and if I don’t meet you in bed resting, I’ll tie you to
the bed myself.” His voice was teasing but I didn’t put it past him to try and do so.
“No promises.” I chuckled.
“Isabella.” He warned.
“Fine, I’ll go back to bed but we’ll have to talk about this bed arrest thing when you get back.”
“I love you.” He said as a way of shutting me up.
17.68%%
10:36
“I love you too but I’m not staying all day in bed.”
I hung up after that and left my private room to the room Alexander and I shared taking my purse with me.
***
“Oh my God! I can’t believe you are pregnant!” Chloe screamed into the phone thirty minutes later when I gave her the news.
“Me too!”
“How far along are you?”
“Three weeks,” I said with a smile as I rubbed my stomach. Obviously, I wasn’t showing yet and wouldn’t be for months but it just felt right knowing I was growing life inside me. Now I understand why many pregnant women enjoy rubbing their stomach, it was such a comforting and reassuring gesture.
“Xekey, you are going to have a little brother from your Aunty.” Chloe glanced at her son who was in his crib. We both laughed when Xekey responded with a loud baby–approving noise.
“I’m so happy for you. You know you had me worried sick, I tried coming with you last night but Ryder was not having it and Alexander agreed with him, which was odd. I kept calling Alexander and Caleb, trying to check on you but no answer. Caleb later told me you were alright home before I was able to calm down.”
“I’m so sorry, I should have called immediately I got home but Alexander insisted we stay in the hospital for a while till all the guests were gone and by the time we came back home, I was thoroughly exhausted.”
“I get it.” She said sympathetically.
31.90%
10:36 D
“This is exciting news, Isabella!”
“I know,” I said with a smile.
“I can’t believe, our kids get to be born in the same year!” she squealed
“Me too!”
Chloe and I talked for more than an hour before she hung up to go feed Xekey. I had debated telling her about Antonio but decided against it. Telling her about Antonio would mean I believed what he had written but I didn’t and I figured there was no reason to even think about it this much.
The door to my room creaked open and Lisa walked in with a tray of food and my stomach chose that time to growl out loud like I hadn’t just eaten less than two hours ago.
“How are you feeling?“Lisa asked as she placed the tray of fruit on the bed close to me.
“I’m fine. How are you feeling? Alexander told me you fell ill last night.”
“Just a little fever. I’m better now.” She dismissed my concerns.
“Are you sure? Because I can give you the day off or the whole week,”
“That won’t be necessary Luna, besides, who’s going to attend to your every need now that you are pregnant if I’m gone for a week.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Y’all are acting like I lost my ability to move, I’m only pregnant!”
Lisa chuckled but didn’t say anything more. “Is this enough or do you
49.36%
10:36 D
need anything else?” she asked.
“Anything else? I doubt I’ll be able to finish this. Thank you.”
She nodded and excused herself. Not two minutes after she was gone, Alexander strolled in, holding a wrapped present in his hand and a grocery bag.
“I didn’t think you’d actually obey me, there was no need for the handcuffs then.” He said in greeting.
“Don’t tell me you actually got handcuffs?” I asked, amused but not surprised that he would.
“I did, padded ones but since you are in bed we can use it for other interesting things later.” He winked, making me giggle in response. He came to stand beside me and kissed my forehead.
“For you.” he presented the box he had been holding to me.
“What’s in there?” I asked as he handed me the small box.
“Open it up and find out.” He said as he lowered himself beside me.
I tore out the wrapping paper of the box and found a small green jewelry box within, I opened it and found a gold locket necklace inside. I gasped at how beautiful it looked.
“It’s beautiful,” I said as I brought the necklace out of its box.
“Open it.” Xander encouraged with a tilt of his head.
I opened the heart–shaped locket and I gasped when I saw what Alexander had placed within. It was a picture of my mom and dad made into glass. I rubbed my thumb across the tiny picture that brought back so many memories and bit my lips to stop myself from crying.
64.72%
10:36
“Xander… I don’t know what to say,” I said to him, practically on the brink of tears. It was such a beautiful gesture from him.
“You don’t have to say anything. I wanted you to have something to take with you everywhere you go till we could find your purse.”
“Found it already.” I croaked out as I wiped my tears off. I wasn’t just crying at his sweetness. I was crying at the fact that he had done this, thinking I had been telling him the truth about my purse. I felt terrible and at the same time, I missed my mom and dad.
“That’s great, now you have two.*
“Thank you, Xander,” I said and I began to cry.
Alexander pulled me into his lap and I sobbed against his chest. It was becoming a habit now to cry on top of him. He rubbed my back from top to bottom, letting me cry out the pain I felt.
“How’s
‘s my little girl in there?” Alexander asked thirty minutes later when I had calmed down. He had brought with him chocolates and other junk food he knew I’d like.
“What makes you think it’s a girl?” I asked with a mouthful of peanuts.
“What, you think it’s a boy?” he glanced at me.
“I hope so.”
“Why?”
“Well because of obvious reasons, Xander. I thought you’d want a boy.”
“It honestly doesn’t matter as long as he or she looks like you.”
82.31%
10:36 D
Jeners
“You are so cheesy sometimes, you know that?” I teased him.
He glanced at me with a sheepish smile. “Only for you, my love.”
“It better be!”
288 Vouchers
10:36
98.20%
