When Dr. Brandon announced that I might be pregnant, I was… petrified. I didn’t know how Apollo would take the news. He had had such a dark childhood that I was sure he would ask me to abort the baby. Apart from that I too was extremely anxious. A baby? So early in our relationship? I hadn’t even had enough time with Apollo. There was so much to discover with him. He had said that he had a yacht and another island. I wanted to visit them. I wanted to explore the world, and the baby would simply hamper all that. “Why are you so nervous, Natasha?” asked the doctor as he made me lie on the bed for an ultrasound. “Am I pregnant for sure?” I asked as if doubting his expertise. He let out a soft laugh. “We will have to check it,” he said as he spread the gel over my tummy. I bit my lip and stared at the ceiling. A shaky breath left my lips and I wished that Apollo was here. When I woke up, I was feeling slightly dizzy. Tubes ran out of my fingers and at first, I was panicky when I saw t
I started with the school. I just couldn’t sit at home and watch TV with my feet up at the table 24x7. I really wanted to finish my school. Apollo was extremely worried about it. He growled at me, scolded a bit and then even threatened that he would call my aunt on a permanent basis to chide me if I exerted, but I was adamant. I had to keep myself busy and this was the best engagement. Aunt Paula was at first shocked. “Are you sure you are pregnant, Natasha?” I laughed. “Yes aunty.” Bennett Uncle grabbed the phone from my hand. “Sweetie, if we are to become grandparents, how about you stop going to school? I mean that would be a lot of exertion!” And I knew that he was speaking under Apollo’s influence. My husband must have connived with my aunt and uncle to stop me from attending school. “Why?” I asked, as irritation spiked inside me. “Because you don’t need to finish it,” he replied. “Apollo has enough money to take care of you and a dozen babies and then their children as well
Dread bubbled in my chest as I froze. I stared at Kirill with clenched jaws and wide eyes. My stomach knotted with anxiety. Kirill was wearing a formal white shirt with a narrow collar, the sleeves of which were rolled to his elbows paired with navy-blue pants. Wearing glasses, he looked eerily handsome. His blond hair was neatly combed back. Nicole almost barreled into me from behind. “Natasha!” she cried, but was rooted to the spot when she saw the new English teacher. Her mouth fell to the floor. “Mr. Kirill?” Kirill’s lips curved into a smile. He adjusted his glasses on his nose and said, “How are you, Nicole?” “I am good!” she said excitedly. He glanced at me. “Why don’t you girls sit in your place so that we may start with the class?” My face heated up and I rushed to sit in my place with Nicole following me hurriedly. When we were seated, Kirill looked at me once and then turned to the board. He wrote ‘Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 3.’ “Today we will be studying about the meeting
Luna Mira came inside. I heard Apollo’s grunt of disapproval as my heart lurched in my throat. “Mother,” he said in a low voice as Luna Mira entered our house. It was the first time she had come. A fragrance of roses hit my nostrils. Maybe it was her perfume. I went to sit on the edge of the bed with anxiety. Luna Mira had made it very apparent that she disliked me. Alpha Jacob had come to attend our wedding party, but Luna Mira hadn’t come for that either. “How are you doing, Apollo?” she asked in a tender voice. I could feel that she was missing him. “I am well, Mother,” Apollo replied curtly. “Where is Natasha?” “She is in the bedroom.” “Wouldn’t she meet me?” There was a pause in which I was sure Apollo would have been completely surprised. I rose to my feet wondering if I should go and meet her. I walked to the door and then came back, not sure if I should go and meet her. After a long silence which stretched for eternity, I saw Apollo on the door. I searched for a
Seven months later.I was in the labor room giving birth to our pup. I wasn’t worried about Alpha Jacob who was sipping his fifth coffee calmly in the foyer that led to the labor room or about Luna Mira who was sitting next to him and trying to maintain a façade of serenity, but I was worried about my mate. And his brother. Apollo was pacing the foyer from one end to the other constantly. He couldn’t sit, couldn’t stand, couldn’t eat or talk. Every time I screamed with pain he would stand there shivering as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice over him. He would come near the door, peep inside and then walk away, seeing my condition. As for Artemis, my doctor said that he was sitting on the ground, with a large teddy bear grabbed in his arms, which he intended to present to my baby. Little did the doctor know that Artemis was actually tightly hugging the teddy for comfort the moment I shrieked with pain. I had been in labor for the last four hours and the doctor said that the head
The whole family was rejoicing. Lucas had become an instant hit in the Black Moon pack. Alpha Jacob and Luna Mira had practically stopped going to their home and they stayed with us. Lucan had become an apple of their eye. At first, I thought it was Apollo who was so proud of his son, but I was wrong. It was the Alpha and the Luna and my brother-in-law who were prouder. Alpha Jacob gave a huge party to his people on the birth of his grandson. I think my life had more surprises and happiness that I ever thought I would have. The party was held in the packhouse. The packhouse was tightly packed with people. Everybody wanted to catch a glimpse of the heir of the Black Moon pack—the wolf who would carry the legacy forward. Alpha Jacob was standing on the dais along with Apollo and Luna Mira while I was standing on the side along with Nicole, Aunt and Uncle with Lucas in my arms. And I had no idea why Victoria had dressed him up in a baby lion king outfit with a tail and two cute ears.
Apollo POV How could I do this? How come I never saw this catastrophe coming? I had become so complacent in my world that I had lowered my guards. I was always so cautious that I was usually ten steps ahead in my games and plans. How come I didn’t anticipate this? This was the worst mistake an Alpha could make—to live in his own bubble and ignore the vices of the world that surrounded him. But what could I do? I was so blinded in the love for my wife and son that I had slipped into cozy thoughts, tossing out my logic. I just couldn’t control my feelings for my mate or my child. Could you blame me? Natasha had that power over me. She could make me feel so complacent, so comfortable that when I was near her, all my day’s tension vanished taking away my logic too. Today I wanted her to have the best birthday, because today was the day I had met her for the first time. I had never expected the outer world to ruin my plans. And what occurred right now—I wasn’t prepared for it. Ivan V
Natasha POVThey say that for the world to be flipped upside down, it takes only one second. But my life had many of those seconds. When I was taken into foster care.When my aunt and uncle suppressed my memories with the help of a psychiatrist. When I met Apollo for the first time in the basement.When my mother tried to shoot me.When my father was taken by the authorities.However, this minute took away the prize—when I gazed at my father who was supposed to be dead. All I could do when he walked through that door was stare at him. I was so starved that I didn’t even blink. It was possible that the moment I blinked, he would disappear into thin air and then he would never come back. I snuggled my face into his chest and re-familiarized with his strong spicy, citrusy smell. I cried so much that I wetted his shirt, and I was sure that he too was crying because I could feel his tears on the crown of my head. Moments later, I found myself in our room. I think my father brought me i