Heart of a rogue

Chapter 40

Declan's pov

She was off to the spirit realm, searching for answers with Leo, her spirit bond, to find out if there was anything left between them. I'd done my best to send her off with strength, holding my head high, but the moment she vanished, something broke inside me. Letting her go was like tearing away a part of myself, leaving a hollow space that even the brisk chill couldn't fill. I hadn't heard from her since she left. Was she okay? Did she miss me? 

Maybe we could make it work, even if lately everything seemed against us. 

I turned, shoving away the thoughts threatening to drag me under, only to see Abel waiting for me a few feet back, his face unusually tense.

"Declan," he said, his voice grave, "I need to speak with you."

I inclined my head, urging him to continue.

"It's Nova." He shifted uncomfortably. "She's again claiming she's pregnant, by uhm.. you."

The words hit like a boulder, and I found myself silent, rooted to the spot. The encounter between Nova and I had been brief, a strange longing from my wolf, the urge to procreate and conceive an heir had been too strong. Still, I felt an immediate skepticism gnawing at me. Could that small moment have led to this? I've tried so hard with Lucille and yet, a short encounter with Nova worked? I glanced sharply at Abel. "Bring her here," I ordered.

Joshua joined Abel at my side as Nova was guided into the pack house. As my closest men, they needed to be here. To ground me for this.

She walked with careful, calculated steps, her gaze darting around as though searching for an escape. Her hands fidgeted, picking at her sleeves, and when her eyes finally met mine, they were wide and anxious. I sniffed the air, searching for any sign of the change in her scent that might hint at pregnancy, but it was faint, almost nonexistent.

"Are you certain?" I asked, more to the room than to her. Abel nodded, his eyes cautious.

Without another word, I summoned the pack doctor, who arrived promptly and performed a quick examination. A few tense minutes passed as I paced the room, keeping Nova in my peripheral vision. She barely moved, her shoulders hunched under the weight of the silence.

"It's true," the doctor confirmed. "She's indeed pregnant, though it's very recent."

I stilled, a chill settling over me. "If it's recent, then it isn't mine."

Nova's eyes widened, and her voice was barely a whisper. "It is yours, Declan. Your heir."

But I saw it, the quiver in her voice, the way her eyes darted nervously. She was lying. My eyes narrowed, my tone sharp. "You will tell me the truth, Nova, and you will tell me now."

Her face drained of color. She hesitated, eyes flitting around the room as if searching for a way out. Finally, the silence cracked, and her words spilled out in a breathless rush. "I... I've been with other wolves. Recently. It could be anyone's."

Fury surged through me like wildfire, and it took every ounce of restraint to keep from tearing into the walls around me. She had tried to pin this child on me, knowing what an heir meant to me. She had known exactly how to pull at my vulnerabilities, using them like a weapon against me.

"Enough," I growled, my voice cold and final. "If this is how you play your games, then here's mine: find yourself another pack, or stay out of my sight for good. You will never step foot in this town again while I am here. Do you understand?"

Nova's mouth opened as if to protest, but the look on my face must have stilled her tongue. Without another word, she turned and walked away, shoulders slumped in defeat. The door closed behind her, and the silence that followed felt like a weight finally lifted.