Mated to Her Alpha Instructor Chapter 105

Eileen

I closed my eyes as the carriage swayed beneath us, and immediately the quad flooded back—Celeste's claws raised high, the crowd's ugly chants, Derek's face disappearing into the mass of bodies while they tore into me.

My breath caught.

Then warmth pressed over my hand. I opened my eyes to find Regis's fingers laced through mine, his grip steady and sure. And beneath my other palm, resting on my belly, I felt it—a soft, reassuring flutter.

The baby wasn't afraid. Not anymore.

I exhaled slowly, letting the tension drain from my shoulders. The tightness in my chest eased.

*He's here. We're not alone.*

The market square bustled with crowds. Regis guided me through the stalls with his hand at the small of my back, his presence a shield between me and the world.

At the herbalist's booth, I tried to focus on selecting dried herbs for the journey. My fingers moved automatically, sorting through bundles, but my mind kept drifting.

Then laughter erupted nearby—a group of young wolves, their voices bright and carefree.

My shoulders locked. I glanced over before I could stop myself. They were clustered around a food stall, joking and shoving each other playfully. Normal. Easy.

*Do they know? Has the gossip already spread beyond the Academy?*

Regis shifted closer immediately, his arm sliding around my waist. "They don't matter," he murmured against my temple, low enough that only I could hear. "Only we do."

I nodded and leaned into him, drawing strength from his solid warmth.

He paid for the herbs, then insisted on stopping at another stall for nutrition supplements—iron-rich teas, calcium powders, dried fruits that would keep during travel.

Then he paused at a display of soft baby items, running his fingers over a cream-colored blanket embroidered with tiny silver moons.

I laughed. "Isn't it a little early for this?"

"I want them," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I can't help imagining our pup wearing them already." He added the blanket to our growing basket, along with impossibly small mittens and a knitted cap.

His words carried a quiet joy that resonated through our bond, and I knew that he was dreaming of our child with the same fierce anticipation that filled me.

We were passing a woodcarver's stall when something made me stop. There, among the forest animals and decorative boxes, sat a small wolf cub carved from honey-colored wood. It was caught mid-pounce, all playful energy, its tail curved in pure joy.

I picked it up… and felt a faint stir inside me. My hand went to my belly, a smile tugging at my lips.

Regis noticed and stepped closer, his palm covering mine. "What is it?" he asked quietly.

"I think the baby just moved," I said, still smiling. "They like it too."

His eyes softened, gold flickering in the gray. Without hesitation, he turned to the merchant. "We'll take it."

---

In the carriage home, I cradled the little wolf, running my thumb over its smooth ears and curved tail. The baby stirred again, softer now, as if settling down contentedly.

Joy warmed me from the inside out—and then fractured.

*What if the baby is born wolfless because of me? What if this little carving becomes a painful reminder of everything they can't be, everything they'll never have?*

The warmth drained away, replaced by a familiar cold knot of fear.

"Eileen." Regis's voice was quiet, careful. "What's wrong?"

I couldn't meet his eyes. My thumb kept moving over the wooden wolf, tracing the same path again and again. "What if..." My throat tightened. "What if the baby can't shift? What if it's because of me, and they face the same—" I couldn't finish. Couldn't say *hatred* or *rejection* or *loneliness* out loud.

"Look at me."

I forced myself to meet his gaze.

"Would you love our child any less?" he asked, his voice steady and unflinching. "If they were born without a wolf, would that change how you feel about them?"

"No!" The answer came instantly, fierce. "Of course not. Never."

"Then that's your answer." His hand found mine again, warm and grounding. "That's what matters."

I stared at him, something shifting deep in my chest. And then it clicked—not because of what he said, but because of what I suddenly understood.

"You're right," I whispered. My hand curved protectively over my belly, over the little life growing there. "Even if they're wolfless..." My voice grew stronger as the realization took hold. "They won't be like me. They won't be alone."

I looked up at Regis, feeling tears prick my eyes—but they weren't tears of fear this time. "Because they'll have two people who love them unconditionally from the moment they're born. No matter what. That's what they'll grow up knowing."

Through the bond, I felt it—a wave of emotion so powerful it nearly stole my breath. Not pity. Something deeper, rawer. Awe, almost, mixed with fierce pride.

He cupped my face with both hands, his touch achingly gentle. When he spoke, his voice was rough with feeling. "You're already everything this child needs." His thumbs brushed away the tears on my cheeks. "And far more than I ever deserved."

I kissed him then, trying to pour everything I couldn't articulate into that contact.

His arms came around me, solid and safe, and for the rest of the ride home I let myself be held.

---

Regis

She fell asleep almost immediately once we got home, curling onto her side with the wooden wolf clutched against her chest like a talisman. I pulled the blanket over her shoulders and sat on the edge of the bed, watching until her breathing deepened and evened out.

Then I allowed myself to leave, heading down to my study and closing the door quietly behind me.

*Kieran,* I reached out through the mind link.

His response came immediately. *About time. I've been waiting to hear from you.*

*Report.*

*Got to the quad right after you left with Eileen. Took Derek and Celeste into custody—they're in separate holding rooms now, pending disciplinary review.* A note of satisfaction colored his mental voice. *Ward's gathering witness statements. Mira's been... extremely thorough. That girl doesn't hold back.*

*Good.* I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temple where a headache was starting to build. *What's your assessment?*

*Honestly? Expulsion would be the cleanest solution. But you know Derek's father won't take that quietly.* He paused. *And Cornelius will definitely use this as ammunition. He passed the reform evaluation, but he's been circling like a vulture ever since. This gives him the opening he's been waiting for—'the young Alpha acts on emotion, punishes students to protect his inappropriate relationship.'*

The memory slammed into me unbidden: Eileen's white, terrified face in that crowd. The way she'd curled around our child, silent and shaking, while they hurled insults and accusations. The bond had *screamed* her fear through me, sharp as broken glass.

*I don't care.*

*Regis—*

*They cornered and threatened my pregnant mate in front of half the Academy.* My hand clenched on the desk, claws threatening to break through. *I will not—I cannot—allow them anywhere near her again. Political consequences be damned.*

Silence stretched through the link. Then: *So what's your decision?*

*They're barred from participating in the Eastern Border training program. Effective immediately.* It meant they'd have to wait a full year for the next cycle, delaying their graduation and leaving a permanent mark on their Academy records. *If they want to appeal, they can do it in front of the full Council. Where I will happily detail in explicit terms exactly what they did and why they're lucky I'm only ruining their academic careers.*

Another pause. Then Kieran's voice came through, carefully measured: *You really are going full protective-Alpha-from-hell on this, aren't you?*

*Yes.*

*...Well.* His tone shifted, warming slightly. *Can't say I blame you. She's pack now. And pack comes first.* A theatrical sigh echoed through the link. *Though I have to say, look at you—the devoted mate, ready to burn down the political establishment for her. Meanwhile, where's my mate? Still out there somewhere, apparently avoiding my devastating charm.*

Despite everything, I felt my lips twitch. *Your mate is probably wisely staying far away from your endless dramatics.*

*Rude. And here I am, supporting your political suicide out of the goodness of my heart.*

But genuine warmth came through the bond between us—approval, support, solidarity. It steadied something in my chest that had been precarious since the quad.

*Tomorrow's Council meeting is going to be ugly,* Kieran added, serious again.

*Let it be.* I straightened in my chair. *Prepare the formal documentation. Make sure every witness statement is recorded and verified. And Kieran—* I paused. *Thank you.*

*Always, brother.* The link faded to a background hum.

I sat in the darkening study, shadows lengthening across the floor.

Let them come. Let Cornelius scheme and plot. Let Derek's father rage and threaten. Let the Council object and obstruct.

I would weather every storm, face every consequence, before I'd let anyone hurt my family again.