Chapter Fourteen
Raina POV
"I think we need to sit down for this conversation," Mirelle says, voice tight, as she gestures to one of the guest chairs.
I walk over, spine straight, stomach twisting, and take a seat opposite her. The room feels much larger than before, and colder.
She rests her forearms on her thighs, leaning forward. Her expression has shifted—no longer smug, no longer amused. Just serious.
"What did you say?" she asks again, more carefully this time.
"I'm pregnant," I repeat, more firmly. It feels heavier spoken aloud. Like a weight that won't lift.
Her brow furrows slightly. "Yeah, I heard you. Are you sure—"
I shoot her a glare sharp enough to cut mana stone.
She wisely abandons the question halfway.
"Okay. And since you're asking to marry me… I'm assuming you're keeping the child?"
"Yes."
The word is a lie I've trained myself to say. I'm terrified. I don't want a child. I'm not ready. But I need security—for the baby, for my siblings, for what's left of my life. And if Mirelle says no, there's always the nuclear option: reach out to the man who raised her. Her omega father is shrouded in mystery , but one thing known is his obsession with family.
Her eyes narrow.
"Surely… there are other options. Besides marriage."
I sit straighter.
"I refuse to raise my child outside of a stable home. And don't think about trying anything behind my back. I know how to contact your father."
The look she gives me could kill.
"I'm not your uncle," she snaps.
The words hit harder than she intends. I flinch. My hands curl into fists against my knees.
She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. The tension in the room feels like a drawn bowstring.
"Look," she says, tone softening by a fraction, "you just dropped this piece of information on me. I haven't had time to process it."
---
Mirelle POV
I stand up and pour myself a drink.
I need it.
"Drink?" I ask.
Raina merely looks at me.
We stare at each other.
"…"
"Oh. Right, sorry," I say, realizing why she declined. The whole big elephant in the room. I gulp the drink down.
Today was supposed to be normal—morning reports, maybe lunch with the team, a few flirtatious texts. Then she walked in and detonated my day.
Little Miss Association herself.
And now? She's carrying my child.
It was one night. Neither of us drunk. Just angry. Tired. Reckless. She said she was on the pill. I believed her.
"You said you were on birth control," I snap.
"I was! Guess otherworlder swimmers are something else," she fires back.
Bitch.
This is how we talk. Always combative. The only time she wasn't snapping at me was when her mouth was otherwise occupied. She looked good there.
I take a breath. Focus.
Time to think rationally.
I sit down across from her again.
"So why marriage?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"And don't say it's just for the child."
She exhales, and for the first time, I see it—true vulnerability.
"I need protection," she says.
"You're the niece of the Hunter Association president. What could you possibly need protection from?"
She doesn't look at me when she answers.
"From my uncle. There's no place on this planet where I'm safe from him."
There's a pause.
"Except Alden," I finish for her.
She nods.
"Actually," she murmurs, "I know it's selfish, but… I'm glad to have this child. Because it gave me a way out."
I lean back in my chair, watching her.
"But still. Marriage—"
"Just a contract marriage, really," she blurts out quickly. "Separate beds, no expectations. You can keep seeing others—"
"Stop."
She blinks.
"Marriage is a big deal to me. To my family. It's not a formality. It's sacred. If we do this, we do it for real—same bed, no cheating, full commitment. Everything expected of a married couple."
She stares at me.
"Can you handle that?"
She opens her mouth.
"No negotiations," I cut in.
A pause.
"May I use the bathroom?" she asks, voice tight.
"Sure," I say, standing and motioning to the private corner door leading to the ensuite.
She walks toward it without another word.
And I drain the rest of my drink.
***
Raina POV
I wash my hands, taking a breath. I did need to use the bathroom—but mostly, I needed a second alone.
I stare into the mirror. Real marriage, I whisper to myself. I can do that. There's already a child on the way. And sex? That won't be a problem. I mean... I have no idea how many times we went at it that night.
I can handle this.
I step out into the room again to find Mirelle tapping on her phone.
"Okay," I say.
She glances up, one brow raised.
"I'll do it," I say again, stronger this time.
She exhales. "My dad is going to kill me."
I hesitate. "One more thing."
She waits.
"I need to bring my mother and two siblings with me," I say, voice quieter than I meant.
She watches me for a beat. No judgment. No pressing questions.
"Okay," she says.
And just like that, a door I thought was closed forever... opens.