Not Your Mate Anymore

Chapter 21

"Did you hear what I said Sabrina?" He says to me.

I look at him. dumbfounded by his confession and appearance in my room. I just gave birth to Max's child.

"Who do you think you are? What made you think it would be appropriate to do this right now?" I ask him.

He was crazy to come here. Crazy to think he can utter such words at me after everything.

Am I still angry at him? No. I forgave him a long time ago but I didn't forget. He hurt me. The old me, the Sabrina that was his mate is not me anymore. I used think mates were the goal at life, the ultimate goal.

Now? I don't even think I'm deserving of one. Maybe I wronged the moon in my previous life. Maybe I didn't respect sacred law and I'm being punished for it. Maybe my parents angered the moon and she's taking it out on me with the one thing I was raised to live for. I felt empty right now but full at the same time.

I was full of so much hurt.

"I know I messed up Sabrina but we are destined mates. I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you." Percy said to me.

Oh how I would've loved to hear him say those words when I was in my room back at Blue Moon crying out for him.

"You're late. You're too late." I say to him. I meant every word. Right now, only Max can say those words and it would turn my head. Yes it tugged at my soul when Percy said those words. Faint tingles inside me remind me he's my one true mate but I'm all cried out on Percy.

"My heart belongs to another Percy. Even if I could take this pain away and forget about Max, I could never be with you. Not after everything." I say in an exasperated tone.

I was tired. Drained.

I did not have the energy to deal with Percy right now.

"I'll give you some time to heal but I'm not giving up. My wolf and I are willing to love you and your son. We will love him like our own." He said.

"I wrote you a few letters after I was banished. I knew I wouldn't be able to say the words out loud but yeah just read them when you feel like it." He says scratching the back of his head. He sheepishly walked to me and placed the letters in my hands and walked out.

I put the letters on my bedside. I had no energy to deal with Percy right now. What he said was touching but I just have other matters to deal with.

My father walked in with a duffel bag that looked heavy and full. He let's it fall to the floor with a loud thud.

"Going somewhere?" I ask him and he shook his head no.

"It's from Max. He dropped this off a few minutes ago." He says to me.

"What's inside? My clothes? That's not enough." I say and he bends down to pick up the duffel bag and place it on one of my couches.

"It's money for the baby. He said he will be dropping off money every 3 months so his baby has his needs met." Father said to me.

"The one thing I don't need from him..." I say in a whisper but I know my dad heard me.

"That's what I told him but he insisted. So here, you can start a different trust for him with this. I guess one can never have too much money." He says.

This guy comes into my life as my hero and I fall for him. He's my weakness. My strength. My whole life and all the planets in the universe. Then he shatters everything and leaves me to pick up the pieces by myself and now this?

"I don't understand.." I say to my dad and he shrugs. My dad leaves me to my thoughts as he closes my bedroom door.

It doesn't make sense. Not too long ago he was calling our son names and now he wants to make sure we don't run out of baby formula?

Was he trying to stop me from approaching the council about his heir? Is this his hush money?

My heart broke at the thought. I'm not his first mate. I can't be bought and even if I didn't have my trust fund, I couldn't care for his money. How could he be this cruel? To try hush me or confuse me so it allows him time to change his pack laws so my son doesn't become heir to the throne. He didn't want his first born son to be alpha of his pack. He didn't want the child we created when we made love, a time when we both loved each other, to be his successor.

He was punishing my child. Our child.

I never thought Max could be this heartless. My child deserved that throne. My child deserved to take up after his father. It was his birthright! He can have a million children after that but it won't change the fact that our son was the next in line. They can challenge him for it, granted but he's doing this because he knows the child will have my strength mixed with his, he will be gifted too which would make him powerful. Who could defeat him? Not a child born from him and his new and weak lycan mate that's for sure.

I won't let him do this. I will fight this! I couldn't care about his money or his new mate.

This was a new low and nobody rips the carpet from underneath my son. I am here to protect him and I will start by making sure his future is secured.

Yes, Arianna and her sisters think he will be king but he is Green Forrest's alpha before anything else.

I switch on the baby monitor and camcorder connected to my phone before grabbing my phone and running out of my room looking for dad to tell him what I wanted to do

I found him sitting with Cj in the living room as they both enjoyed a glass of fine whiskey.

"He wants to change pack laws. He wants to make sure my son doesn't become alpha and this is his hush money until the law changes are approved by the council " I say to my dad.

Cj places his glass down on the side table and faces me.

"I called the council when the baby was born. They are aware that your child is Max's first born." He says to me. I sigh in relief.

"However, they need a name so it can go on record Sabrina." Cj says to me and I start to panic. I don't know what to call him.

'But I...." I couldn't even form the words. How do I tell my family I'm unable to name my first child?

"We know Sabrina but you'll have to act fast if you don't want Max to have his application for his new pack laws approved." My father said. I nodded my head in understanding.

They were right. My son deserved a name anyway. I have to get out of my misery and name my son.

"Hmmm do you know how long I have? What are his new laws?" I ask the both of them..

"He wants to be the one to choose the next alpha. He also wants the council to approve his application that you were banished from the pack and you gave birth to him on human land so no your son can't be the next alpha in line if he wasn't born on packlands." My brother says to me.

What an ass. How was I going to give birth on packlands if the pack doctor refused to attend to me? He had this all planned out

"At most Sabrina, you have a week." My father says to me. Being a beta comes with experience as he was the one to deal with council laws before it got to the alpha so he knew the process.

"Thank you." I say as I stood up and decided to walk back to my room.

I bumped into Arianna who was making her way to my room too.

I motioned for her to come in and she did then closed my door. I checked on my son before sitting on my bed waiting to hear what Arianna had to say.

"I know there's nothing I can say that will make you feel better but I have a way I can ease the pain." She says to me.

"I'm listening..." I say to her.

"I can have your mark removed. It's a painful process but it will break the connection and ease your hurt. Your soul will still be tied to his until you get marked." She says to me and I don't even care about that at the moment.

The mere mention of easing my pain trumps over anything at this moment.

"Do it." I say to her and she raises her eyebrows at me asking if I'm sure and I nod my head.

She placed her one hand on my chest where my heart is and one on my mark.

"I will be removing his essence from you and sending it back to him which will also have your essence removed from him and back to you. He marked another while he had your mark and essence so his newly marked mate will also experience pain due to the fact that your essence flows through her and that is why you are connected to her." She says to me.

It all makes sense as how I was able to see her memories and all.

"She is weaker than you and Max so this will take a toll on her. It might even kill her." Arianna warns me but before I could stop her as I didn't want to kill anyone else she sent an electrical surge through me and I felt pain like no other.

I fell back on my bed as I scratched on my mark that was burning me. It felt like someone had placed a fireball on the inside and I had to get it out.

She removed her hands from me. I felt a rush of sadness and guilt as it wrapped around my heart. These were Max's emotions taking over me. I was feeling his heart break in to pieces as he watched his new mate fall to the ground clutching her mark in pain. His memories swimming in my head of us together.

One memory that kept replaying in his head was of him kissing my belly one night when I was asleep and he was talking to my son. Excitedly so.

He was telling our boy how he loved him already and that he was going to be a better father than his ever was. Well he turned out worse than uncle Deacon.

He fell to his knees clutching his heart as he most probably felt my sadness and my memories played in his head of my love for him. He was having a fight of dominance with his wolf as his eyes shifted between him and the wolf.

I could hear people around him shouting at him but he wouldn't listen. Tears fell on his face and he shifted into his wolf and I broke out of that trans knowing he's on his way here.

The pain was still there but I decided to let it fester on. It would be the last time I would feel a connection to Max, which made me feel alive because I knew I'd feel dead once I was healed. I touched my neck where my mark used to be and there was nothing. As if it was never there

I ran to my bathroom and looked at myself through the mirror. My neck didn't even have a scar, there was no trace of him on me. My scent was mine again making it final. It was over now.

I walked out to see Arianna standing with Cj speaking in hushed voices.

"You both know if I wanted to listen in I could right?" I say to the both of them.

"Max is here and he would like to talk to you Sab." Cj said to me.

Straight to it.

I walked out of my room and searched for his scent until it led me to the living room where Josey was throwing daggers at him. She felt my presence and walked out to give us privacy.

"Max..." I say to him so he can say what he wanted to say and be gone.

"Sabrina what did you do?" He says looking at my neck. A flash of hurt crossed his eyes but just like that, it was gone.

"I did what I needed to do." I say to him.

The fuck did he think he was right now!?

"My wolf is not happy with you right now Kimberley." Max said. I scoffed in annoyance and he growled at my disrespect.

"You think I care what your wolf thinks? You think I care about you and your happiness after what I went through?" I say to him. He walked up to me seething in anger.

"She's dead now. Are you happy?" He says to me. I knew this would happen but I wasn't prepared for the guilt that took over me for that tramp.

"I was tired. Every time you had sex with her, I felt it." I said and I could feel the sobs coming.

" Every damn time. How do you think I went into early labor? If I didn't have healing powers, our baby would've died!" I say and he looks away from me.

"But that was your plan wasn't it? You give me hush money so you can change pack laws and take my son's birthright right from under him? I won't let that happen." I say and he looks at me.

"Sabrina haven't you done enough? Don't you think you've caused enough heartache in the pack that welcomed you with open arms and accepted a Luna that isn't a lycan?" He says to me.

There he goes again blaming me for everything.

"You saw my memories, you felt my sadness and hurting. I don't have to explain my reasons as to why I did what I did. You can leave now." I said to him and turned around to walk away but he grabbed my waist and my back hit his body.

I didn't like what being so close to him was doing to me.

"I will mark you again Kimberley. You carried my only child and with that alone, I can't have another man touching what is mine." He says to me through gritted teeth.

I was clearly having an effect on him with the hardness pressing into my back but I wasn't going to let that affect me too. He was a beast. What I did to him was purely sexual and my defiance wasn't exactly helping.

I pulled away from his embrace and turned to face him. I had to muster up the strength and courage to say the next few words.

"If you want to mark me, you'll have to die trying. Now if you ever touch me again, I will break your arm. Your alpha tone won't work on me as I am not your mate nor your pack member any longer. Do well to remember that." I say to him as I turn and walk away. This time, he lets me.

I stop right at the exit and turn to face him. He was frozen in place at the sheer force of my power. I hadn't realized I had released my power on him.

"Our son will take his rightful place as alpha when he comes of age and your pack members can challenge him if they want. He is a lycan as much as they are thanks to you and he will rule over them. Let that sink in." I say and then walk away linking my father to let Max out.

I walked calmly to my room to find Josey placing my son in his bassinet. My brave little warrior. My survivor. He survived so many near death experiences with Max sleeping with the she wolf.

Adrastos.

My littles Adrastos Marcel Forrest.

"Adrastos..." I said in a whisper and Josey looked up to me and she smiled.

"It's fitting with what you have both been through." She says to me before looking back at my son and leaning in to give him a kiss on the forehead.

"He is a brave little one isn't he?" She says to me and I nod. He finally had a name. Adrastos meant brave and that's exactly what my son was.

"So is he a Trent or?" Josey asks me and I smile. That would be ideal but for him to be the rightful heir to Green Forrest pack, he had to carry Max's last name.

"Adrastos Marcel Forrest." I say and Josey nods.

"Why Forrest?" Josey asks but I don't get a chance to answer as I'm pushed against a wall and a hand wrapped around my neck.

Josey screams as all of this happens waking Adrastos in the process who cries his lungs out. Max throws my body towards his bassinet but Josey acts quickly and moves me out of the way. My back hits a wall and I hear a crack. Josey gasps at me.

"That child will not be a Forrest! I forbid it." Max lashes out. I try to stand as my father and Cj run into the room, taking in what just transpired.

Cj let out a feral growl before he shifted into his wolf, his clothes shredded mid change as he runs to protect my son.

"I don't think you can make that call. Only the council will decide on that. You should be ashamed of yourself for trying to kill a defenseless pup." My father says to Max.

"I don't care about that child. I disown him and I will never let him rule. He will have to kill me first." He spits out.

I release my power, all of it.

It was stronger now with the extra strength to protect my child. Everyone took a step back from me as I stand straight and I snap a broken bone on my arm in to place.

"He will be your undoing. I will personally see to it that he challenges you before he even comes of age and humiliates you in front of your pack. We all know his strength will be immeasurable and since you can't even defeat me, what chance do you have with a lycan that is gifted?" I say to him.

I walk to my son who was being rocked by Josey. I take him from her.

"You think I'll let him live long enough to challenge me?" He says to me and grabs the coffee table by the couches as Cj intercepts his next move and runs to attack him but he's too late as the table is in the air heading straight for me and my son

A blue orb surrounds me and the table falls to the floor. Everyone looks at me but I'm looking at Adrastos as he looks up at me. My son did that, I could feel his power. He protected us as he sensed my fear.

I looked up at Max and smirked. His eyes were bulged out as his head began to register what just happened.

He tried to speak but the words wouldn't come out.

"You need to leave. You now know what you're up against." I said to him and then I looked at my father then Cj, without having to say anything they got my message as they pushed Max out of my room.

The blue orb disappeared the minute I was calm as I sensed Max wasn't in the house. Josey walked in from standing on the balcony to also confirm that Max was indeed gone.

"You need to pack and leave this place. I will arrange a pilot so we take the jet out. You're not safe here. Take what you can carry, let's go." My grandfather says before giving me a second to respond as he walks out of my room.

I looked at Josey but before she could say anything my grandfather shouted through the link that we had to go. I just had Josey grab my son's hospital bag that I never got to unpack and ran out of the room with Adrastos in my arms.

We got in to my grandfather's SUV and he sped off to the airport. My dad, Cj and Josey's mates followed us in a different car. Arianna stayed behind to perform a spell on masking our lingering scents and create a protection spell on the boy and I. We arrived at the airport and I hugged my family goodbye as Adrastos,my grandfather and I boarded the plane. He was coming with to make sure I got settled.

My father said he will call in some favors from packs to allow me and the baby in for safety. We will have to change our identities so Max can't find us. This was all too much but my grandfather said I should always be willing to drop everything for my child's safety. I had to forget about my love for Max and think about the boy now. He was more important.

My heartbreak had to take a backseat. My son needed me and I had to be there. I have to protect him for the rest of my life.

It felt like I was being reprimanded but I needed it. It snapped me out of my head as I was so absorbed in my own misery that I was unable to name my son up until a few hours ago. I needed to do better.

'We will do better' Athena said to me. She finally snapped out of her sad slumber to also take responsibility. We decided to forget Max and focus on Adrastos. He was the important one now