But it was all in vain.
She didn’t want him.
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“I will permit you to become a test subject in a bid to cure your zombiism” Althea told her husband, completely out of the blue as she sat down beside him later that evening as he read a parenting book.
“But the compromise is that we shall begin trying for a baby” she added, in a slightly smaller voice. “I would hope that every effort will be made by the pair of you to not endanger your life. Personally, I do not believe you aren’t infertile, grant you it’s not backed by any medical knowledge, but a gut feeling. If you want to test and risk yourself, I think it’s not a bad compromise to at least try and give me a child who might - or might not - have your affliction, especially if you do end up leaving me a widow.”
“Do you disagree, or do you want us to start divorce proceedings?”
Thomas’s brain was taking a while to catch up to what he was hearing. He was mostly in shock, why was the subject of divorce being brought up?!
“Divorce?!” he choked out, freezing in place.
Althea’s voice was strong but he could hear the tremble behind it, which told him she didn’t want to say it anymore than he did. “You have given me an ultimatum, one that I didn’t get any warning about before we exchanged our wedding vows. Like you said earlier, you lied by omission to me. I do not want to have a partner who lies to me about what they want in life.”
Althea tried to swallow the lump of emotion in her throat as she pressed on “I do love you and yet I have been shaken by this lack of openness and trust. I told you of all the pain and hardship I have suffered and yet you didn’t do the same.”
“So put the fucking book away if you want to show your wife that you actually care about what you might be about to lose.”
Thomas hurried to shove the book back haphazardly on the bookshelf before he turned back to Althea, his heart tight and a cold sweat coming over him in his fear.
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Althea felt nervous as she headed into the bathroom upstairs.
She’d been feeling unwell at the conference and she'd had two moments when she’d had to hurry to the toilet to vomit. She’d also been sick a few times in the past couple of days and due to the strain Thomas had been under, she’d not told him about her suspicions yet.
But if the test came back positive, she’d go tell him right now.
The worse part was the five minute wait for the test to develop.
Oh-! Am I-?!
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The few minutes that Ellen had to wait before the result developed felt like an age to her.
Her breathing was shallow and every nerve ending in her body was on edge. Her hand which was clutching the pregnancy test was sweaty and a clammy cold sweat was coming over her forehead.
When it came time to look at the test, she felt her heart drop in her chest and the sobs came far too easily to her.
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After another few minutes of the loudest silence Becky had ever endured, she plucked up the nerve to speak first. “Umm...shall we go outside and get some fresh air..?”
“Why?” Luke asked, voice and expression limp with numbness.
“So we can talk” Becky said, feeling her way through the talking. “About...what just happened.”
“You rejected my marriage proposal because you don’t want me. What more is there to talk about?” Luke asked, still numb.
“I do still want you!” Becky exclaimed, almost shouting the words, so loudly the other patrons looked around to stare at them.
Becky gulped, they were making a scene and Luke seemed like the life had gone out of him.
“Can we go outside?” she asked in a quiet voice. “Please?”
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Luke had followed Becky like a zombie, zoned out and his mind blank with pain and shock. He still couldn’t process why she’d refuse him. She’d said she wasn’t against marriage and yet...she’d said no.
Don’t cry, he hissed mentally at himself. Last thing she wants is a cry baby.
So in a bid to not end up a sobbing mess, he adopted an old coping tactic where he would only speak when spoken to and kept his voice and expression minimal.
“Let’s sit down” Becky said, gesturing to one of the benches behind him.
He sat down.
The silence stretched on for over a minute.
Becky cleared her throat nervously “Soooo, you probably want to know why I said no?”
Luke rose an eyebrow at her and shrugged once before looking away.
He felt indifferent to her now in a way. He still wanted to hold her and never let go, but her rejection told his wolf senses that she wasn't the one for him. For a very long time he’d honestly thought she was. They got on so well together and they were a great match, always laughing and the passion was there.
“You don’t care about the story behind why I said no?” Becky asked, starting to feel a little irritation. The feeling that Luke was being overly dramatic was starting to creep up on her.
“You wanted to come outside to talk” Luke said blankly. “So, talk. I won’t interrupt.”
“Luke seriously, this isn’t the big deal you’re making it out to be!”
He turned towards her and when she met his gaze, she saw how much emotion he was holding back. The guilt came back, she really had hurt him deeply.
But she had every right to say no to marriage. It was too familiar, it reminded her too much of-
“If you were meant for me” Luke said, unprompted. “then you’d have said yes, or at least explained why you said no before you told me to get the ring box out of your sight.”
“Luke, I said I was-”
“I know I don’t talk much about my wolf instincts” he continued, talking over her. “But I can’t ignore it, because it’s what I am, what I was born to be. What happened back there is irreversible. I’d already seen you as my mate, and you rejected me when it took a lot of courage on my part to ask for your hand in marriage. It wasn’t the human custom of marriage I was asking you for, but for your inclusive into my pack, my life, my soulmate for want of a better word.”
Becky stared at him, dumbstruck.
“You said no” Luke said, his voice breaking as he looked away. “That is significant to me and it’s something I can’t control. You said no before I could finish explaining what exactly you’d be turning down.”
“What are you saying?” Becky said, a lump in her throat.
“I’m saying that you can try and explain all you like, your reasons if you want me to know, but it won’t change anything.”
He took a deep breath before he said “We’ve already broken up.”
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Having become a doting father to his own offspring, Jasper had been keen to meet his three nieces. Having been busy with his home business and hardware shop planning, he’d only manged to come over and meet all three babies today.
“Aww Phil, these three are so perfect! I cannot wait to see what amazing women they’ll grow up to become.”
Phillip smiled, completing his Parenting course book. “Part of me is terrified to have to deal with three teenager girls in a few years!” he said with a chuckle.
Jasper scooped up Phoebe as Phillip put his book away. “Oh trust me, me and El have three daughters as well, so we’re equally terrified!”
Both brothers chuckled again and Phillip watched his brother holding his youngest carefully, speaking softly to her.
It’s a shame Father can’t be here to meet them, Phillip thought forlornly.
Soon, he vowed to himself.
He still had misgivings on what Sylvie and Jasper’s plan to defeat their mother was but if it was worth the risk for their children to meet their grandfather, then he wouldn’t seek to sabotage it.
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In the past few months, Roselyn had got her studio/art gallery up and running.
Due to Briony’s generous coverage to resident owned business in the Campbell Chronicle, many people had come from around town to come and look at the paintings that Roselyn had painted.
The paintings were also for sale and once a painting had been on display for a set amount of time, Roselyn would offer to sell the painings to those who registered interests in said piece.
Roselyn wasn’t a fan of the till that she’d been gifted and she had to use it.
She knew she’d struggled to work out the automatic admission machine from outside, so setting up a more sophisticated till with contactless payment was another thing entirely.
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“Are you finished?” Zoey asked, arms crossed defensively over her chest.
“Not even close!” Deidre raged, her heart thumping with passionate anger.
Ever since Zoey had shouted at her that morning, Deidre had felt thoughts of resentment growing towards the young woman before her.
Zoey raised an eyebrow, defiant. “Get it all off your chest then. This’ll be your only chance.”
Deidre scowled at her.
“You’re not here enough for Maddie. You just expect me to do it all-”
“I don’t. You just want her all the time. I tell you to take breaks! And also that’s what I pay you for!”
Deidre continued as if Zoey hadn’t spoken. “You’re a workaholic-”
“That’s not a bad thing when I’m setting up the only clinic in this town.”
“-you ignore your daughter-”
“No, I don’t.”
“-your girlfriend is a careless distraction and only wants you for access to your daughter!”
Zoey displayed a look of shock and almost laughed in her face. “Ros isn’t there for access to Maddie, she’s there for me!”
“You’re so blind and naive!” Deidre almost exploded.
“She just wants access to a baby, any baby!”
Zoey cut her straight “You mean like you are, Deidre?”
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“I love how we come to a fancy Italian restaurant and we both order something that’s not pasta or pizza” Emily said with a chuckle.
Phillip looked down at their plates and laughed “True, I didn’t realise that until you pointed it out. It does taste good though, how’s yours?”
“Very good” Emily said, nodding as she took another bite of her salad.
“It’s crazy how I wanted to have some time away from home, from being a mother so we could have a date” Emily said slowly. “But I feel guilty and a little anxious. I’m away from the triplets and it feels...not wrong, but not easy to temporarily ignore the fact I’m a parent now.”
“I know what you mean” Phillip said, smiling in understanding. “I feel like that when I go to work and I get a free minute to myself. My mind always drifts back to you or the girls. Like I’m not supposed to have a life outside of being a father.”
“I think maybe it’s an innate feeling” Emily said after a beat. “It’s so we know, innately to look after our young. But we still need time together, I don’t want to lose the intimacy of my marriage.”
“Got something on your mind?” Phillip said with a suggestive wink.
Emily burst out laughing and blushed the colour of beetroot. “I’m not used to this, I feel old!”
Phillip grinned “Get used to it Bumblebee, I don’t ever intend to make you feel anything less than the most loved and desired woman to me.”
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Deidre could hear Zoey’s daughter gurgling on her playmat behind her in the nursery and her heart hardened a little. How much she wished she hadn’t done what she did.
Althea had her arms folded across her chest and she glanced at Zoey before she spoke to Deidre “Have a seat Deidre.”
Deidre refused “I’d rather stand.”
“I-I...I need to tell you both something.”
Althea turned her entire body towards Deidre.
Whilst she was irritated with the elder woman, she felt a prickle of concern towards her. Deidre looked like she regretted everything she had said and done, and yet Althea felt a swoop in her stomach, as if a massive bombshell was about to be dropped in their midst.
Deidre really didn’t want to say what she needed to say. She was terrified and didn’t want to see what reaction she knew was coming.
With a heavy sigh and with tears falling from her eyes she said the unforgivable words “I...I took Maddie last night.”
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“Everything ok, darling?” Thomas asked as his wife walked into their bedroom.
Althea paused before she spoke. She doubted he would be upset at the news, but why was it so daunting to say the words aloud?
“Umm, the past few days I’ve been feeling a little under the weather-”
“-but according to the test I just took, it means I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby!”
“You’re pregnant?!” Thomas asked, almost shouting the question. In an instant he’d scooped her up in his arms and was kissing her cheek.
Althea smiled “Yes, I’m pregnant.”
“This is amazing news!” Thomas said, delighted. “What a day I’ve had, cured and now finding out we’re going to become parents at last!”
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Nearly two hours later, Roselyn had competed Althea’s hair and makeup.
Althea wasn’t disappointed. She gazed at her appearance for so long it was almost as if she’d turned into a statue, so much that she dazzled by her own stunning refection.
I’ve not even put the dress on yet, but I’m so beautiful.
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“I’m more than happy to work a few more hours for it-” Janet started to say but Emily interrupted.
“Janet, do you mind me asking you a personal question?”
Janet hesitated, looking up at her employer, a woman she highly respected. Emily had always been kind and took time (like most founding residents) to ask how she was each day. She’d noted how both she and Phillip had paid more attention to her answers than her partner did.
“Umm, depends what it is” she said after a pause.
“You don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to” Emily said kindly, in a tone that remined Janet of her late mother. She tried not to tear up at that thought.
Janet nodded slowly and part of her knew that Emily was going to ask her something she’d been trying not to think of.
“How long have you known you were pregnant?”
“I’m not pregnant!” Janet said, trying (and failing) to sound causal. She could feel her heartrate accelerating.
Emily smiled kindly at her and didn’t say anything, she just watched Janet’s expression.
“Frank...Frank doesn’t want kids!” Janet said, feeling her voice break as she said it. “I mean I didn’t want them right now, but I...I...”
“Have you made an appointment with Zoey?”
“Dr Cooper?” Janet said, trying not to bawl her eyes out. She was mostly relieved that she had an outlet to the internal panic she’d been feeling of late. “No...no I haven’t.”
Emily’s smile became more maternal “Did you want me to book one for you? That way you don’t have to use your name if you didn’t want to.”
“Emily” Janet said, feeling the barriers finally break. “The baby isn’t Frank’s.”
Emily kept her expression neutral so her shock didn’t show. “How can you be so sure?”
“It’s a feeling, I have...and the timing of it all.”
“Did you and Frank break up?”
“No” Janet said, voice wobbling.
“Did you have a falling out?”
Janet gulped “Yeah, and I went out and got drunk. Too drunk. The next morning I wake up in this block of flats, y’know, the ones near the Quay-”
Oh please don’t tell me that Tony is the father, Emily thought.
“-and then I managed to get home before the guy woke up, and then as I came back, Frank apologised and kissed me and then we were in bed to make up-”
“Are you certain you’re pregnant?”
Janet shrugged “The test was positive! How could I not be?”
“Well I would suggest getting Zoey to confirm it, just in case it’s a false positive reading.”
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