#Chapter 256: Do You Want Kids?

My wolf cowered inside of me, hurt crashing in on all sides. Rejection. It seeped into every pore and every bone. I knew I shouldn’t feel that way. Nicholas was pragmatic and cautious. He wouldn’t want to have a baby out of wedlock with anyone, even me. But my wolf’s reaction is visceral, as if I had been directly rejected by my mate. It took every sliver of willpower I had to keep from whimpering and pulling myself into the fetal position. I bury it all down deep, right there alongside any dream I secretly held of making a family with Nicholas. When he glanced at me again, he found me just as closed off as he was. Slowly, I began to slink out of bed. “Piper? Where are you going?” He sat up in the bed, watching me as I gathered my clothing off the ground and shimmied back into them. “I’m going to head back to my room.” A bit of hurt flashed through his eyes. I tried to ignore it. “You can stay here the night. Sneak back in the morning,” he said. “It’s safer if I go now,” I sa