Alpha's Private Plaything (Elsa and Drake Stone) novel Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Not here. Not now. Please, body, don’t betray me again. Haven’t I been humiliated enough tonight?

Vera chose that moment to lean closer to Drake, her voice sickeningly sweet. “Darling, I’ve finally secured the venue for our mating ceremony. Saturday is the only day they had available-do you think you could spare some time to look at it with me?”

The word “mating” hit me like a physical blow, punching straight through my chest and shredding what remained of my heart. My stomach heaved, and I knew I was seconds away from disaster.

“Stop the car,” I gasped, frantically pressing the window button. “I’m going to be sick. Now!”

The driver pulled over immediately. I barely got the door open before I was doubling over on the sidewalk, violently emptying the contents of my stomach. The cool night air did nothing to ease the burning in my throat or the humiliation of puking my guts out in front of Drake and his future mate.

I felt a presence behind me, and then a handkerchief appeared in my peripheral vision. Drake stood there, his face contorted

in disgust.

“Disgusting,” he muttered, though I caught the flicker of concern in his eyes before he masked it.

I snatched the handkerchief from his hand, wiping my mouth with as much dignity as I could muster, which wasn’t much considering I was kneeling on a public sidewalk with vomit on my shoes.

Behind us, I heard Sophia say to Vera, loud enough for everyone to hear: “Even the most powerful men can’t just throw away ten years of habits. Some things become part of your life whether you want them to or not.”

Vera’s scent spiked with rage, acrid and sharp in the night air.

I straightened up, my legs shaky but my pride intact-or what tatters remained of it. “I won’t be troubling you further,” I said, meeting Drake’s eyes directly. “Our contract will be over soon enough anyway.”

Drake’s face hardened. “What contract? Besides work, what else is there between us, Elsa?”

“Nothing,” I replied, the lie bitter on my tongue. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Get back in the car,” he ordered, his Alpha voice making my knees weak despite my resolve.

I shook my head. “I’m not getting back in. I’ll call another Uber. I’d rather walk home in the fucking rain than spend another minute in that car with you and your-” I bit off the word replacement before it could escape.

Chapter

Drake’s eyes flashed with anger, but before he could respond, a strange sensation washed over me. My legs suddenly felt like they were made of water, and a sharp, twisting pain gripped my lower abdomen. I gasped, bending forward and crouching down as the pain intensified.

What the hell is happening to me?

“Elsa? Drake’s voice seemed distant through the roaring in my ears.

ror to see a dark stain spreading across the front of my light-colored pants. Oh god. Oh fuck. This isn’t

Sophia’s panicked voice cut through the fog in my brain. “She’s bleeding!”

I tried to stand, to insist I was fine, but my body betrayed me. The world tilted sideways as my consciousness began to fade. The last thing I registered was Drake’s face, twisted with genuine fear as he lunged toward me.

I felt myself being lifted, cradled against a hard chest. The familiar scent of sandalwood and rain enveloped me as Drake carried me back toward the car. Despite everything, my wolf sighed with contentment at being in his arms again. Pathetic. Even now, even like this…

“It’s probably just her period,” Vera’s dismissive voice floated from somewhere nearby. “You’re overreacting.”

“Look at how much blood there is,” Sophia snapped. “That’s not normal. She’s been so stressed lately, and with all the drinking tonight… I think she might be… she might be having a miscarriage.”

Miscarriage? The word echoed strangely in my fading consciousness. That’s not possible… we haven’t been together in weeks..

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