Rejected and Pregnant: Claimed By The Dark Alpha Prince-Chapter 698: Wiggling up and down
Gabriel rhythmically patted Noah’s back. He paced the length of the room, rocking the pup with a gentle sway until a tiny burp finally signaled success. Smiling to himself, Gabriel crossed back to the bed and carefully settled Noah in the middle of the mattress.
Free from the constraints of being held, Noah immediately propped himself up on his chubby elbows. With a determined wiggle, he began a slow, wobbling crawl toward the mountain of pillows at the edge of the bed. Gabriel stretched out beside him.
"Noah, don’t go too far," Gabriel murmured. He reached out a lazy hand to brush against the pup’s side, his eyelids growing heavier by the second until the world around him began to blur into a soft, peaceful haze.
Just as Gabriel began to drift into a much-needed slumber. Noah had successfully scaled his father’s torso, perching himself there and bringing his tiny, restless hands directly to Gabriel’s face.
"Boy, let me sleep for a while, huh? I didn’t get a wink of rest last night," Gabriel murmured with exhaustion as he kept his eyes squeezed shut, hoping the pup would take the hint.
"Papa!" Noah chirped, his voice bright and mischievous. Before Gabriel could respond, the toddler’s tiny fingers clamped firmly onto Gabriel’s ears and gave them a sharp yank.
"Ahhh!" Gabriel yelped in pain, his eyes flying open as he bolted upright.
Noah burst into a fit of giggles, delighted by the dramatic reaction he had provoked. Gabriel looked at the laughing child, his indignation melting into a weary smile as he let out a long, defeated sigh. "I can’t even find it in me to scold you," he said, gently bopping the pup’s nose. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
Moments later, Gabriel groaned and rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in the cool comfort of the pillow. Noah immediately scrambled onto his back, wiggling up and down as if trying to find the perfect perch before his tiny fingers found their target: Gabriel’s hair.
Before he could give another painful yank, Amelie’s hands swept in and lifted him into the air.
"No, baby. Don’t trouble your father," she whispered firmly. Noah’s face scrunched in protest, his small arms stretching back toward Gabriel with a desperate grab, but Amelie was undeterred. She gently pulled the duvet up over Gabriel’s shoulders, tucking him in, and quietly carried the fussing pup out of the room.
"You kept crying the whole night, which kept your father awake. Now he needs to rest, so don’t act like this," she scolded gently as she settled onto the sofa in the drawing room. Noah pouted, his lower lip trembling as he looked back at the closed bedroom door.
"Noah, look what I’ve brought for you!" Idris called out, practically skidding into the room with a brightly wrapped box in his hand.
The pout vanished from Noah’s face as his eyes sparkled at the sight of the shimmering golden gift paper. Idris perched on the edge of the sofa beside Amelie, and Noah wasted no time, his tiny fingers digging into the edges of the box. Within seconds, the floor was littered with scraps of gold as he tore through the wrapping with primal determination.
"Look, Brother Idris brought you a toy car!" Amelie exclaimed, helping Noah pull the miniature car from its packaging.
Noah’s tiny hands gripped the toy, his face lighting up with a wide, toothless grin as he forgot all about his previous protest. Idris laughed, watching the pup eagerly inspect the wheels.
"Did you like it, Noah? It’s a new model that just hit the market," Idris said, leaning in to watch the pup’s reaction.
"Aa!" Noah chirped, his focus entirely captured by the toy as he ran his tiny fingers over the spinning wheels.
"I think he means yes," Amelie said with a laugh. She nudged the pup gently. "Say thank you to your brother, baby." Noah, however, completely ignored her, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tested the car’s suspension against the sofa cushion.
"I didn’t realize little pups were quite this eager about everything," Idris noted, watching the toddler’s intense fascination.
"They are eager about everything, Idris. They’re curious about every sound and movement," Amelie stated, her eyes softening as she watched Noah.
~~~~~
Jeniva finished her bread with berry jam lingering as she stole a final glance at Dominick, whose gaze was focused on the tablet in his hand while he was taking slow sips of the coffee.
As she cleared her throat. Dominick immediately set the tablet aside, his focus shifting entirely to her.
"Uh... I have decided," Jeniva began, her voice gaining strength as she met his gaze. "I will date you, Prince Dominick. However, I have a condition."
Dominick lowered his cup in the saucer as he gave her his undivided attention. "What is it?" he asked, his eyes tracking her every move.
"I will treat you as my equal, and you must do the same for me. You know how most Alphas look down on me because of my rank," Jeniva stated, her voice steady despite the flutter in her chest. "You’ve done it yourself in the past. I want to see if you can truly become the man I deserve."
"I will try my best. I am truly sorry for the hurt I’ve caused you, Jeniva," Dominick replied, his apology carrying a sincerity that surprised her.
"Anything else?" he asked, leaning back slightly.
Jeniva shook her head, her fingers twisting a napkin. "I don’t have any dating experience. And... I think we should keep this a secret from the others for now. Especially Evan and Kavin," she added pointedly.
"As you wish," Dominick replied, a smile playing on his lips as he accepted her terms.
"You were saying a few days ago that you don’t trust love," Jeniva said, "since your ex-mate didn’t respect your feelings."
"Hmm. I made a mistake first, which I admitted before her. But she wanted me to look for the throne; she hid the truth about her life from me. But the Moon Goddess has different plans for me, and I think I shall accept it as a part of my fate," Dominick asserted.
