The Teased Mate (𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 #1)

Chapter Forty-Nine

How do I come up with a plan without them?  No one else can know, I am doing this. I need to do this.
What kind of plan can I come up with? I need one that will not be risking the lives of others. A spa day sounds nice my feet are killing me. I text Ari quickly from my watch.

Me: The boys owe us (wink face emoji)

She doesn’t respond right away but when she does I laugh.

Ari: Trust me we will get their cards and go. Alpha males are always millionaires. Some are more wealthy than others. Did you know your second chance mate was a model and he made millions just before everything happened?

Me: wait, what all happened?

Ari: The rogues are the reason, Rick's mate is dead. She was killed in a small territory war. He had just found her before she passed.

This breaks my heart, so they never got a chance. He never got to hold or love his mate. I thought I had it bad. Oh god, I am a brat, he is my second chance. But to him, I am his first. The other one was barely a first chance.

Me: Did he know her?

Ari doesn't respond, because my watch dies.
She could have responded though.

I leave my room in search of him. He needs to know, that he is not alone. Even though I don't want to be with him due to the fresh wounds, I am still here. My baby is a top priority now and she always will be. No one will come before her in priority ranks. She is strong. She is mine.

I walk around the mansion holding my small bump as I murmur lyrics to a song my mom used to sing to me. I know the melody but all the words keep changing in my head. I am tired of crying and being sad, I can't live like that. Happiness is earned but at the same time, you have to make it for yourself. I sit on the marble steps and I breathe in and out. Magic isn't what I can become, it's the people in your life. My baby is my magic, I'd give up being a wolf, existing, and my happiness if that meant protecting her.

I find him and hug him tight.

Over the next couple of months, we grew pretty close. He became my guy best friend.

Three months later...

I hold my daughter for the first time, my best friend is expecting a baby girl as well. I look down at my nameless daughter and tears of happiness fall.

"What are you going to name her?" Ari asks playing with her little pink hands.

"She is so little," Ari says leaning in to kiss her forehead.

"I don't know, I thought I would have seen her and known what to call her." I smile wishing her father was here. I gave up on coming up with a plan. Instead, I changed my hair, it's blonde now. I have changed a lot of things.

I begin lessons on how to protect myself when I heal. Hailey Markus comes to mind, as I look at her.

"Hailey Rose Hudson deserves her father's last name. Since he isn't here to see this. To enjoy her presence and be near our little one." I set her back into the crib. I try and mind link and call her father, but again I get nothing.

I grew up without really knowing my father all I got was letters. I will not let her grow up with a poor excuse for a stepdad as well. Rick and I have become very close, he was there the first time she kicked to the moment my water broke.

"Where is Rick?" I ask Ari holding my daughter's small hand. She grabs hold of my pinkie and my heart melts.

The pregnancy went smoother than expected, but I spent the last month on bed rest. I was getting a big belly, but my legs arms, and face stayed the same. The only thing that got bigger was my feet and boobs. Because of the extra weight, I was having really bad back issues. The pack doctor was like no more getting up. Also, she is a kicker, every time I got comfortable she would kick me. Or she would just move around and make me have to pee a lot.

Which is to be expected with a baby. She is my joy. Looking at her now proves how much she is worth it to me. All the heartache and separation anxiety. Every bit of pain leading up to me getting her is way worth it.

She hasn't cried at all or screamed much, but her yawn is way too cute. She also makes sounds like her dad when she is drinking. She has his dark brown almost black hair, she hasn't opened her eyes yet but I bet she has his green-blue ones.

I watched her sleep, I was told to rest but how could I when my perfect little angel was so new to the world? I don't want to miss anything, I fear if I do then, I won't be able to inform her father about everything. When my family is safe that is when it will happen. My mom called on a pay phone and said everyone was safe. She wouldn't tell me anything about Anthony at all. She seemed happy but at the same time lost and tired.

I felt like she had more to say but both of the payphones stopped working. They are not as good as they used to be. I remember using them all the time when I was little. My mom also sometimes opens her mind link for me, so we can talk a bit. It's not much, but it is worth it. I miss my brothers like crazy as well and it breaks my heart I have missed some birthdays. I hope they know, I love them to death or at least to the moon and back.

I wish I had some sort of knowledge of my ex-mate. Sometimes it is like I can feel him close by but then it goes away after a while like goosebumps.

Don't get me started on breast milk and feeding it feels super weird and the stupid pump is loud as hell. Like I had just got her asleep for the first time and I figured hey I need to sleep so maybe, I should pump a bit for her just in case. That thing is the most uncomfortable annoying thing ever and it isn't funny.

Just as I think this Anthony walks in with a tear-stained face. I look at him with pure shock and anger. I grab our little girl and he looks at her without moving out of the doorway.

"Are you going to come in and see her or just stand there?" I whisper a bit too aggressively. He starts to walk over and then I realize the toll everything has taken on him. It pains me to see him like this. All those worries melt away as soon as he sees our daughter's angelic face. He gives my cheek a sloppy kiss and then we both cry together. Tears of complete joy.