Selena’s POV

I stared in shock at the picture on my phone. My mate, Alpha Zane, was kneeling on the ground, kissing Linda’s baby bump affectionately. The caption was: ~He is going to be a good father.~

I didn’t even know why I was shocked; from the recent happenings, this wasn’t supposed to surprise me. I replied to the status with a ‘thumbs up’ emoji..

I opened the next picture. Zane stood behind her, wrapping his hand around her swollen belly with a large grin on his face, looking so happy and content..

I glanced at the pregnancy report that lay on the bed beside me. I had gone to the pack clinic for a test when I started feeling odd, and it was confirmed that I was pregnant. After several years of trying, of being childless, I was finally pregnant. I had been so excited to share the news with Zane. I kept calling his number, and it kept ringing, but he wasn’t picking. So I decided to wait for him to get back.

I was not a social media person; I hardly opened my WhatsApp or Facebook. However, as I waited for Zane, I absentmindedly opened WhatsApp and mindlessly scrolled around. I furrowed my eyebrows in curiosity and I clicked on Linda’s WhatsApp status to get a very big shock.

Immediately Linda saw my reply on the status, she panicked and called me. It was a well known fact that I never opened my WhatsApp, so my reply was totally unexpected.

“Hello Luna Selena, I’m very sorry about the picture. It meant nothing, I was just–” She started, but Zane interrupted, taking the phone from her hands.

“What are you apologizing for? Did you do anything wrong? It’s just a picture. Stop paying attention to her jealousy. She can’t get pregnant, so she’s just getting insecure” He said to Linda, not minding that I was on the phone, and that I could hear him. I hadn’t even said anything to Linda, she was the one who called.

“Stop blowing my phone up with calls, I’ll be back tonight.” He spat at me, and disconnected the call abruptly before I could say anything.

I stared at the phone in my hand dumbfounded.. This was getting out of hand.

A year ago, Linda came to me, crying and pleading for help. She had just lost her parents and now she had no one to help her. My heart had melted in sympathy, and I supported her by giving her a place to stay, food and other necessary things she would need.

Zane had been preoccupied with pack matters that time,, but Linda’s presence had attracted his attention. He had taken interest in her recovery, always checking on her, and always making sure she had anything she needed.

At first, I had assumed that it was because of his role as Alpha to protect all pack members, but it kept getting worse. Zane constantly blew me off to spend time with her, claiming that he was trying to be there for her.

I opened her status again to see that she had added more pictures of the two of them together. In one of the pictures, Zane was carrying Linda in his arms with a broad smile that I hadn’t seen in years. The caption read: ~My Alpha, my hero [heart emoji].~

Determination settled in my mind as I switched off my phone. I threw away all the potions and herbs that the pack healers had given us when I couldn't get pregnant. Then I headed back to the pack clinic to get an abortion.

~

~

Zane didn't come back that night. He entered the next morning with a hint of guilt on his face. I greeted him, and turned my focus back to the book I was reading.

Selena’s POV

I could sense his confusion. He was confused because I didn’t start complaining that he didn’t come back last night, for spending the night at Linda's place. That was how it had always been in the past.

“Sorry I couldn't make it last night.” He said awkwardly.

I shrugged nonchalantly, “It's okay, you must have been busy.”

Zane furrowed his eyebrows at me, wondering why I wasn't reacting like I normally did.

“Are you mad at me?” He couldn't help but ask.

“No, I'm not.” I replied with another shrug.

“Really?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at me in disbelief.

I nodded. “Yeah,”

“Then what is this?” He asked, pulling out a vial of potion from the trash bin.

“I'm not angry,” I repeated with yet another shrug. I wasn't going to explain anything to him.

Zane gave me a patronizing look. “Of course, you’re not mad. How petty can you be, Selena? You threw away the potions and the herbs over something so trivial.”

I was about to show him the pregnancy report when he shrugged. “Whatever. Besides, you’re the one who has been worried and troubled about having a child, not me.”

I gaped at him in disbelief as I processed his words. How could he say something like that?

I swallowed back my words, as I shifted the pregnancy report away. Zane must have seen the look on my face because he released a small sigh and sat on the bed beside me.

“Here,” Zane said, handing me a slightly worn-out jewelry box, “I got you this. Linda kept freaking out, saying that she had upset you. She begged me to get you something on my way back” He said, opening the box.

I looked at the necklace inside with a blank stare. I recognized the necklace immediately. It was an old gold necklace. The tear-shaped pendant in the center had faint scratches on it. It wasn’t new, it wasn’t bought with any thought or care. It belonged to Linda.

Zane hadn’t gotten this for me. He hadn’t gone out of his way. He had simply just picked it from Linda, something she clearly didn’t need any more.

I scoffed in disgust and rolled my eyes as I turned back to the book I was reading. Last night, Linda had posted the picture of the new necklace that Zane had gotten her. It had a gold chain, and the pendant was a shining sapphire. The caption was: ~An Alpha like no other! Thank you for always putting me first.~

Zane glared at me when he saw my reaction. “Why are you so petty and ungrateful? What’s your problem?”

He shot to his feet, flinging the jewelry box with the necklace inside and stormed to the bathroom in anger. Pain settled in my chest as I watched him walk away. Zane was taking me for a fool. I thought to myself bitterly.

Few minutes later, Zane came back to the bed in a better mood.

“Hey, I just remembered that today is your ovulation day. We can try and see if it works this time.” He said, lifting an eyebrow at me with a small suggestive smile. I was about to refuse when his phone rang from the table beside him. I recognized the cute ringing tone he had assigned to Linda’s contact. I craned my neck to confirm that she was the one calling, and sure enough, the caller ID that showed was Cupcake with a lot of heart emojis.

Selena’s POV

“Zane!” Linda cried the moment Zane picked the call. Zane tensed immediately and shot to his feet in alarm.

“What’s going on, Lin? Are you okay?” He asked frantically.

Linda sobbed harder, refusing to say anything. Zane was getting more panicked.

“Tell me, Lin! What’s going on? Is it the baby?” He asked, seriously worried.

She sniffed. “I don’t know, but I feel so dizzy, and my head hurts so much, Zane.”

“Hold on, I’m coming to get you.” He announced, rushing to grab one of his coats.

“No! You can’t come yet, today is Linda’s ovulation. You need to stay and try for a–”

Zane snorted “Oh please, it’s not like she’s going to get pregnant miraculously this one time.” He mocked. “You’re the one pregnant, and you need to be taken care of. That’s all that matters.”

When the call was disconnected, Zane turned to me with a glare. “Can you see how Linda is concerned about you? She was ready to risk her life and the life of her baby just for you. Stop being so insecure and jealous.” He scolded with a frown on his face.

“I’m going over to her place to make sure she's fine and take her to the pack clinic if the needs arise.

He walked to the door, about leaving when I called him back with a sigh

“Zane, hold on.”

He whirled around, his eyes blazing with anger. “Selena, what is it?! I am tired of your constant jealousy and pettiness! I have somewhere important to be” He snapped

I didn’t react to his harsh words. Instead, I pointed to one of his coats that hung on the clothes rack. “Your car key is still in that coat.” I informed him.

Zane blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting it. Then he nodded and walked to the coat to take the key from it. “Thank you, Selena,” he finally said with a small smile. I didn’t respond.

“I love you, and I’ll see you later, Selena,” Zane said softly, walking back to place a soft kiss on my forehead.

“I won’t take long, I promise.” He swore, looking sincere.

Immediately Zane left, several thoughts raced through my mind. I was fed up, and I was done enduring it. But I knew that I couldn’t rush into any decision too quickly, I had to put things in place first.

I began making calls. First, I called a friend of mine in the Healer’s Circle, Jason.

“Hey Jason,” I greeted with a small smile.

I could hear the smile in his voice as he replied. “Selena, what a pleasant surprise!” he exclaimed.

After all the pleasantries, I went straight to the point. “I accept your offer to work at the Healer’s Circle.”

He inhaled sharply in disbelief. The Healer’s Circle was the largest institution of Healers in the supernatural world. They had approached me several times because of my skill in herbal medicine, but Zane had refused me from joining because he had wanted me to focus on giving him a child. But now, I needed to make sure I wasn’t completely helpless. This was just the first step, I had other preparations to make.

By the time I finished with the preparations, it was already midnight. Yet, Zane hadn’t come back from Linda’s place. I opened Linda’s status, she had added another picture.

It was a picture of a shirtless Zane asleep on her bed, with his mouth slightly opened, and his chest completely bare. The caption this time was: ‘Have you seen a hot Alpha like this? And he’s all mine!’

I replied to her status with a ‘thumbs up’ emoji again, and immediately, she deleted the image.

When I saw that she was about to reply, probably to tell me another crap, I quickly blocked her. I was done with both of them. I had a future to plan for.