Rejected My Alpha Mate
#Chapter 19 What didn't I give you?

Rachel POV

Outside Camelot Records Auditorium

"Enough is right, Tyler! Stop!"

I tugged as hard as I could against his towing grasp. My heels nearly snapped from the effort tohold me still as he tried to pull me inexorably onward to who-knew-where. I was tired of letting thismale drag me through life.

Tyler could say what he had to say and then let me go.

We both had separate lives to lead. Enough time had been lost by both of us on this misery of amating.

"What do you want from me, Rachel?"

Tyler was nearly shouting in my face. I couldn't get over the level of fury in his voice. How had Iangered him so much? Was it so terrible I'd gotten a job? Should I have talked to him beforesigning the contract with Camelot Records? I couldn't understand why he was acting furious all of asudden.

"What do you want from me, Tyler?"

I clasped my hands in front of my body to keep them from shaking visibly. I wouldn't show anymore weakness than I already had. Tyler was a powerful Alpha to my omega breeding and thedifferences between us had never been so obvious. He towered over me. Come to that, Tyler waseven taller than Nathan who was an Alpha in his own right.

"Are you really this angry about the contract? I didn't use your name. I didn't mention you at all.There's no connection between us on paper or anywhere else I can think of so why?"

"I don't care about your recording contract.”

"Then why are you here? Why are you shouting at me? Dragging me around? What do you wantfrom me?"

Tyler grimaced at me, "You are infuriating. I've taken care of you, haven't I? You've had the best ofeverything. Clothes, shoes, bags. Jewelry! I made sure you had access to an account for thehousehold expenses. Your schooling you wanted was arranged. What didn't I give you?"

"What didn't you---Tyler.”

I was stunned as I realized he really had no idea how isolative the last years had been for me. Iopened and closed my mouth twice before finally realizing I would have to tell him because hewouldn't recognize on his own.

"Tyler, you never loved me.”

Tyler made a rude sound, "Love! I provided for you. That's better than love."

"No, Tyler,” I shook my head sadly, "It really is not. There's no substitute for love. We are better offapart because you can't see that and it's all I can see. Please, Tyler. For your sake. For my sake. Giveme my rejection.”

"Rejection, rejection, rejection! You're trying my patience beyond what any man could stand!”

"Let me go! That's all you have to do! Why can't you just let me go?"

"Fine!" Tyler roared, grabbing me by my arms and shaking me hard enough to rattle my teeth, "I willgive you the rejection you want! Tomorrow at noon! Be at the Goddess shrine or I swear you willregret it, Rachel.”

"I'll be there. I will!"

Tyler let me go as if he couldn't stand to be near me for one more second and I clasped my handsover my stomach instinctively as a roil of nausea reminded me I wasn't alone anymore. My bodyreally needed to adapt to pregnancy faster. I wasn't going to have time to pamper myself with mytour schedule.

I would have to be very, very careful about how I was captured by the media, too. Tyler wasunhappy about letting me go; I couldn't imagine how he would react if he found out I was leavinghim with his potential heir in tow.

Going back into the auditorium, I looked around until I saw my group again.

Charlotte Wright was clinging to Nathan Lewis as if he were her lifesaver and she'd die without him.He was a fine man along with being a fine catch for a mate. She could do a lot worse for HouseWright than snagging the heir of House Lewis.

Howard was smiling his shark's smile which told me he was holding Charlotte back for me. He wasproving to be a wonderful resource. I was grateful he'd signed me to Camelot Records.

Dylan Roberts was having a sidebar conversation with a furious Tyler. I knew Dylan as Tyler's closefriend better than I knew him as the driving force behind Camelot Records. He was far above mystation as the newest hire on the label. I would have to prove myself many times over to warrant histime.

My knees went weak as I saw Bella's anxious face peeking around Howard. I had worried she wasstill trapped out in the lobby! She must have been escorted through by security early.

"Howard," I asked, touching his arm to get his attention, "I'm feeling terrible. Is it possible for me toskip out early on this mixer? I promise I'll double up on interviews or speak in private with people oreven do lunch dates? Dinner dates? I just need---I need to get home tonight. Is that at all possible?”Howard's eyes swept over my face and he must have found what he was looking for because henodded, "Of course. I'll make excuses tonight and we can pass it off as being overwhelming for yourfirst night in the spotlight. Good deal?"

Stage fright was a foreign concept to me. I had been performing before an audience all my life inone way or another, but I nodded eagerly.

I would take any escape Howard could offer me. The very last thing I wanted was to be ill in front ofreporters and potentially Tyler as well.

"Thank you, Howard. You're a lifesaver!"

"Let's get out of here," Bella agreed, wrapping her slim arm around my waist so we could slidethrough the crowd together more easily.

I let her lead me out, waving a few times when it seemed as if someone wanted to come over. Ihoped I wasn't being taken as rude, but it was a risk I was willing to use as a trade off to get out ofthe mixer. How was I going to hide a pregnancy as I got further along? I wasn't even visiblypregnant yet I felt as if the world could tell already.

When we reached the sidewalk, Bella waved down a cab and I directed, "We need to go to thehospital please. Right now."

Bella looked at me with alarm and I sighed.

I wasn't feeling very enthusiastic about explaining myself to my best friend.

"Have you made a decision? You know you can wait until tomorrow. Sleep on it."

I shook my head, "No. I've decided. I just need to get through this before I lose my nerve.”

Bella took my hand in hers and I held on gratefully. I could use someone to be my anchor in thestorm. We were in this together even if I had never wanted to make my problems into Bella's or tointerfere with her life as much as I had over the years.

We unloaded at the hospital where I went into the ER to register. I wasn't making the choice Bellaimagined. I was so nauseated though---something would have to be done if I was going to surviveany more public appearances.

An attendant took me back quickly after replaceing out I was pregnant. I was grateful for their haste.They had me strip myself into a gown before taking me for an ultrasound. I didn't think it wasnecessary, but I was excited by the prospect of seeing my baby on the screen.

"There they are! All safe. See, Mama? Your little one is growing right along."

"Can you tell if they're healthy?"

"Absolutely," the technician said, moving the wand and pointing on the screen to various parts ofthe anatomy, "Arms and legs are forming. You can see the flutter of the heart. Too early for a genderright now, but it won't be long. The first one is always the most magical, I think."

I had wanted a large family. The reality was this might be my only child since I had rejected mymate. There was no guarantee the Moon Goddess would grant me a second chance mate and, evenif she did, another child wasn't a certainty. Werewolf families were choosing to be more particular intheir breeding habits.

Tyler had never wanted children because he only saw them as being used for bargaining chips inAlpha households.

I waited until I was dressed again to ask about something I would be able to take for nausea whilemoving through the early stages of pregnancy.

No matter what decision I might have considered before seeing my baby on the monitor: I was notgiving up my child now.

The baby in my belly had gone from a problem I needed to solve to being a person whose existenceI would do everything in my power to protect. No one would take my child from me. He or shewould be loved. They would have their needs met. I wouldn't be able to give them a traditionalfamily upbringing, but I was confident I could raise a child with enough love for two parents."Alright, lady," I said, tugging Bella up from her seat in the lobby, "Let's get us home. We're having ababy and we need our rest."

"You're serious this time, then? You're keeping it?"

"I'm keeping it," I agreed.

"We're gonna be great!" Bella crowed, spinning me around before hugging me hard, "Oh, I'm sorry!You're not going to be sick are you?"

"No. I'm good for now. They gave me some medication for nausea. Well, medication andrecommendations for ginger ale and crackers.”

I gave Bella a wry grin as we made our way out to head home again. I had a feeling we were goingto be buying stock in ginger ale and crackers if my little one had anything to say about it!