Chapter 111\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2013Justine\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n
The news of Kaia\u2019s pregnancy hit me like a truck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong, I\u2019m happy for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I wish the news were mine to give too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane and I had been trying for a child since we got married.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And now that Kaia is pregnant, it\u2019s a reminder that I failed to give the pack a beta heir.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t want Zane to be a laughingstock, and I\u2019m worried the rumours about me will grow louder now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not to mention our family members\u2019 growing distaste for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I spent the rest of the evening mindlessly at the party hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to fake a smile and not worry Zane, but I couldn\u2019t hide it for long.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When we returned to our room after the party, I got carried away and forgot Zane was with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He saw through me and asked. I tried to lie to him, but I blurted out the truth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw how crushed he was when I called myself barren; he hated that I did, but I couldn\u2019t help it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
64\u00a0<\/p>\n
10 vouche\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t lying; everyone had told me I was barren for not birthing an heir after four years, and I think it shook me deeply when Kaia got pregnant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was reminded of that moment, and it became, somehow, a bitter truth I had to deal with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was vulnerable, and in my desperation, I asked Zane to go to the fertility clinic with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wanted to think it over, but I know he loved me and would do anything to make me happy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He made me go to sleep. My heart was heavy, but I did as told.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I woke up, Zane wasn\u2019t in bed with me; I figured he had work to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I washed up and got ready for the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was heading out of my room when I got a call from a number I dreaded the most.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, Mom?\u201d I answered the phone, and my heart sank.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen are you giving me the good news, Justine?\u201d she asked. I could hear the anger in her voice. \u201cI heard the future luna is already pregnant. What is your excuse?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart sank at her words. I couldn\u2019t blame her, but it was hurtful the way she said it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIm doing everything I can, Mom,\u201d I muttered, trying to hold my tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you\u2019re not doing enough!\u201d she screamed at the top of her voice, and I flinched. \u201cDo you realise my son might lose the beta line if you don\u2019t give him an heir soon?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I breathed, trying to calm myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mon, Jan 26\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 111\u00a0<\/p>\n
64\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been trying to get pregnant, but the goddess has not blessed us yet. There is nothing I can do about it, Mom,\u201d I said,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and she scoffed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, there is something you can do for my son,\u201d she said, and I immediately knew where she was heading. \u201cJust reject my son and let him take a chosen mate who can give him an heir, and I know the right person for this\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart broke when she said this. I always knew that Zane\u2019s mother, Angela Westmore, never liked me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I figured it was because of my background, but I didn\u2019t tell Zane.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ever since Zane and I got together, she has been pestering me and making my life hell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was afraid that if I told Zane, the relationship they have would be severed because of me, and I don\u2019t want that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane loves his mother; she\u2019s the only parent he has left. I don\u2019t want to come between them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Angela doesn\u2019t like me for her son despite knowing that I was his fated, she still looked down on me and hated me with passion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But in front of Zane, she was the most affectionate mother-in-law anyone could ask for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment Zane turned his back, she would become a total bitch and taunt me endlessly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you tell Zane and see what he has to say about this?\u201d I blurted out that I was tired of her insults.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you threatening me?\u201d she asked, scoffing. \u201cDo you really think Zane will take your side over mine?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t want to put Zane in a dilemma, but if it comes to that, I will accept whatever choices he makes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly Zane can decide that, Angela\u201d, I mouthed, calling her by her name for the first time in a while.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When I met her, I tried to suck up to her, hoping I\u2019d melt her cold heart if I tried to cosy up to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Turns out, she would never accept me, no matter how hard I tried.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe I should learn from Kaia and stop forcing relationships that don\u2019t want to be formed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m doing this for your own good, Justine,\u201d Angela said, and I shook my head, who is she fooling? She doesn\u2019t like me enough to do anything for my good. \u201cI suggested you do whatever you must to give the pack a beta heir; it\u2019s for the best\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could say anything, Angela ended the call, leaving me confused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wonder what she was talking about. I\u2019m sure it\u2019s another one of her tricks to scare me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I brushed the call aside and went to have breakfast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Luckily, when I got to the kitchen, I found Kaia stuffing her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHave the pregnancy cravings started already?\u201d I asked as I walked into the kitchen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia got startled and turned to look at me sharply as if I had caught her doing something illegal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know, Justine,\u201d Kaia said while peeling a boiled egg. \u201cI just feel like eating a lot of eggs. Do you want some too?\u201d She offered me one, and I took it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My stomach grumbled, and I realised I had forgotten to eat because of Angela\u2019s call.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was lost in thought, thinking about what Angela said, that I didn\u2019t realise Kaia was staring at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
13:03 Mon, Jan 26\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 111\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is the matter, Justine?\u201d she asked, and I jolted out of my trance. \u201cYou don\u2019t look so good.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
64\u00a0<\/p>\n
10 valit\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was afraid that if I told her the truth, she might tell the alpha, and if the alpha knew, Zane would certainly hear it from\u00a0<\/p>\n
him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I will deal with whatever Angela brings my way, but I won\u2019t interfere in the relationship between her and her son.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled, trying to put on a good look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nothing, Kaia\u201d, I lied. \u201cI think I had too much to eat last night, my stomach is a little upset. I came here to make warm lemon juice to ease the discomfort\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia side-eyed me. She wasn\u2019t convinced, but she didn\u2019t press further.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked away, avoiding her gaze, afraid that she might see how swollen my face was and realised I had been crying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t look too good, and I know it myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know embroidery?\u201d Kaia asked, and I raised my head. \u201cI want to make a piece for the baby, something cute. Would you please help me out?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, you don\u2019t have to beg me to help you. What am I here for?\u201d I said, and we laughed. \u201cCome on, I will go get the material, wait for me at the lounge\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I quickly made breakfast for myself and a little something for Kaia in case she got hungry while we worked on the embroidery pieces.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After eating, we settled at the Alpha Wing\u2019s lounge, and I helped Kaia embroider something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t it too early though?\u201d I asked after a while. \u201cI mean, your baby is still about seven months away; you can still knit something better later if you want\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, darling\u201d, Kaia said, snacking on chips. \u201cI just needed an excuse to spend some time with you. Theo had gone out early, and I didn\u2019t want to be alone, so I thought, why not spend it with you instead?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head. She looked adorable, confessing, I couldn\u2019t get mad at her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not do something fun instead?\u201d I suggested, and Kaia\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cWe can play card games, the winner gets treated to the club\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d Kaia exclaimed. \u201cIve never been to the club and I don\u2019t think Theo would let us go either\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d I frowned because I knew that before Zane and I met, he and Theo clubbed a lot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Recently we\u2019ve been cooking up work, so they haven\u2019t done much outing, but I\u2019m sure if we asked them, they could take us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know, I haven\u2019t asked Theo before, and now,\u201d she looked at her flat belly and sighed. \u201cNevermind, let\u2019s play the game, I\u2019m going to beat your arse, Justine\u201d, she threatened, laughing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s see how good you are at card games because everyone says I\u2019m a master of the game.\u201d I boasted and took out the card.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We played for hours and lost track of time. By the time I declared myself the winner, it was later in the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, Zane had also returned. He was spying on Kaia and me as we argued about the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kaia caught him, and he came to greet us, then asked for Kaia\u2019s permission to steal me away for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When we got to our room, he gave me a bouquet he\u2019d bought for me, and before we knew it, we were already making love.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mon,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter III\u00a0<\/p>\n
We fell on the bed after over an hour, trying to catch our breath after the delicious orgasms left our bodies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane looked at me. He cupped my face and kissed my lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go to the fertility specialist like you wanted,\u201d he said, and my head snapped to him, surprised.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cReally?\u201d I leapt and hugged him. \u201cI love you, my big bad boy, thank you!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tears stained my face, and he wiped them, pulling me close to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We spent the rest of the day in our room, making love and eating delicious food.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane took the next day off, and we went to see the specialist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After consultation and tests, she certified that both of us were fine and suggested that we spend some more time together and reduce whatever stress I was under.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t under any stress, but I became more worried now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is nothing wrong with the two of you,\u201d the doctor said, and I nodded, but my heart was breaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zane tried to cheer me up after we left the clinic, but nothing he did could get me out of my foul mood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt horrible that my mood was ruining his plans to spend the day with me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
64\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t mind and took me on a fast-food date. We ate a lot and took something home for Kaia and the girls in the pack.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was tired after the long day we had.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Immediately upon entering our room, I went to take a shower, and Zane came after me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We soaked in the bubble bath, and he washed my back. He shifted my hair aside and kissed my neck, making me moan softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI love you, Justine,\u201d Zane said, nibbling my mark. \u201cYou and only you mean the world to me. I don\u2019t want you to think you are not enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A tear fell from my eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, I love you too, Zane\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
Comment\u00a0<\/p>\n
Send gift\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shadows Follow Lonely Minds \u2014 Christopher Harris 111 Chapter 111\u00a0 \u2013Justine\u2013\u00a0 The news of Kaia\u2019s pregnancy hit me like a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-nightshade-heir-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27356\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}