The news of me setting myself on fire spread like wildfire. Every hour of the day, guests trooped into the Alpha Castle to check on me. The visitors were so plenty and so solemn and glum that it felt as if someone in the castle died.“Luna,” Tony called from outside the door as he knocked. “You have a guest.”“Who is it?” I asked to hide my groan. A random woman and her daughters just left after spending an hour looking at me with sad eyes.“It’s your friend Felicity.” I flopped back into bed.Felicity visited me twice now since this incident but at every point, I found a reason not to meet with her. Thankfully, with Cahir around, I didn’t need an excuse to send her away. He sent her away by himself but Cahir had gone to his office today.Tomorrow, we would be leaving for the temple to see the high priestess. I persuaded him to go to the office to get some work done since he’d completely neglected his duties as the Alpha since I fell sick.“Alright. I’ll be right out,” I answered Tony
“I – The what?” I blinked at the girl – woman, rubbing her hand on my stomach with a satisfied grin. “What - What baby?” I pushed her hand off my stomach but she put it back.“Why, the one in the oven.” She grinned at me. Her grin dimmed when she saw I didn’t return it. “Oh, did you not know?” She looked sombre for a second before her face lit up brighter than ten Christmas trees. “Then I will be the first to congratulate you!” She pulled me into a hug. “Congratulations, Luna Sihana!”“I – I am not pregnant.” I pushed her away from me, placing a hand on my stomach.… Yes, I don’t want children.Those words danced through my head with Cahir’s cold voice.“Ah, has Asena not picked up the new presence?” The high priestess took my hands in hers and then grinned. “You have such pure energy, Luna!” She hugged me again, pulling back before I could push her off. “It’s no wonder the goddess favours you.” She continued to smile at me.If the atmosphere in the temple wasn’t calming, I would be s
“You don’t look good,” were the first words Cahir said when I stepped out of the high priestess’ chambers.He’d popped open the first button of his shirt, his hair showed signs of being tugged at a little too much and the rug beneath his feet had footprints that showed he’d been pacing.“I’m fine.” I hoped he didn’t notice my shaky smile. His eyes dropped from my face to my stomach and my heart lurched.“What is it? Does your stomach hurt?” He stepped closer to me and I fought to maintain my stance despite wanting to be far, far away from him at that moment. “Why are you holding your stomach?”I looked down and confirmed I was indeed clutching at my stomach. I snatched my hand away before he got suspicious.‘Are we going to tell him or not?’ Asena asked in a quiet voice, my nervousness leaking into her.‘It’s not something we can hide,’ I replied.Pregnancy wasn’t something I could hide yet my mouth refused to cooperate. I couldn’t open my mouth to tell him what the high priestess tol
It seemed dramatic to sneak out of the house in a disguise but I was sick so there was no way anyone in the Alpha Castle would let me go out on my own. If I insisted, they’d involve Cahir. As for the disguise, well, if anyone saw me buying pregnancy tests, the news of the Luna’s pregnancy would spread within a day.I snuck out to the nearest pharmacy and picked out three pregnancy tests and then I hurried back home. It took me less than an hour to sneak out and sneak back in but unfortunately, when I got back to the castle, the house was in an uproar.“Luna!” Irene looked on the verge of tears when she came into my room after I successfully stuffed the tests far back into my closet. “Where were you?” The girl asked. “We’ve all been searching for you. The Alpha is on his way.”“W – What do you mean?” I said with a fake giggle. “I’ve been here all along,” I said but she shook her head.“No.” She shook her head harder. “You weren’t. Laura said someone had kidnapped you.” I blinked at her
*CAHIR*‘Shouldn’t we give her more time?’ Perseus paced as I stormed into the office. ‘She said she’d tell us when she’s ready.’‘I don’t have that patience.’ Who knew when she would be ready to tell the truth?‘Yeah, but – she seems terrified,’ Perseus muttered.Yes, and that was the reason I had to find the cause of all this as soon as possible. I had to determine the severity of what was happening so I could decide what to do before things got out of hand.I’d never been this stressed out in my life. The first few weeks after I took over the Alpha Blood pack were terrible and I didn’t think I’d ever be that stressed again, but I was wrong. Watching Sihana depreciate before my eyes filled me with a kind of dread that I couldn’t explain. It felt as if she would disappear right before my eyes and I would never be able to find her. Her keeping secrets didn’t help the issue but she almost destroyed my heart when she snuck out of the house. I called my new head of security.“Alpha,” he
The tests confirmed what the high priestess already told me. I was pregnant. With child. Had a bun in the oven. The first thing I did when I saw the tests show I was indeed pregnant was to wrap them up in black plastic, after destroying the packs they came in, and then I buried them deep inside the trash can.Next, I curled up in bed, put the covers around me, and then I cried. I bawled my eyes out like a baby, hiccuping under the duvet as I wept. Once, I heard someone knock on the door so I stopped and pretended to be asleep until the person left, and then I continued to cry. I cried until my weak body had no more tears to produce.“A baby.” I placed a hand on my stomach. “What am I going to do?” I whispered into the room then I sighed, getting out of bed.It didn’t matter what Cahir said, this child was mine. If he didn’t want kids, there was nothing I could do. If he asked me to take the child and leave, I would. It may hurt, but I would. This baby was my responsibility and no matt
“I – What do you mean?” I pressed a hand flat against my stomach and his eyes followed the movement so I let my hand drop. “Right about what?” To draw his attention away from my suspicious movement, I continued to question him.“When you said –“ His words dragged. “When you said I would fall first.” It had been a poorly thought out joke that didn’t even evoke a ghost of a smile on his lips so why was he bringing it up now?“Oh – That. Haha.” My laughter sounded strained in my ears. “That was just –“ I continued to laugh, trying to brush aside the topic but then realization struck me silent. “Ah – I don’t –“ I didn’t know what to say. All I could do was murmur some words as my heart pounded harder and swallowing became difficult.“Are you saying – I was right?” I chanced a glance at his face but went back to staring at the spot beside him, unable to look him in the eye.“It depends,” he said in a soft voice, settling beside me. Suddenly, I became hyperaware of him. I felt his body heat
“It will – It will never come to it,” I muttered. I didn’t fully understand what he meant by choosing me before our child but he seemed to threaten my baby. Would he try something if my symptoms got worse?“I hope it doesn’t,” he responded in a quieter tone with a forlorn expression. “Are you hungry?” He asked and that was the end of the conversation about our unborn child.I wished I could say it didn’t prick me how he dismissed the subject as if it wasn’t something life-changing. I didn’t want to fault him, knowing he had issues of his own he hadn’t dealt with and he may be unwilling to have a child because of said issues, but I was tired, cranky and thus upset. My brain told me he was supposed to be happy and since he wasn’t, I got even crankier.“Is that all you have to say?” I asked with ill-concealed annoyance. “I tell you I am pregnant but you ask if I’m hungry?”“What more am I to say?” He asked with narrowed eyes.“We’ll have a baby soon! What do you mean by what more are you
“You smell fantastic,” Cahir burrowed his nose into my side. “I love this smell.”“You’re saying that because I smell like you.” And I did. He’d thoroughly covered me with his scent and he’d enjoyed every minute of it – I had too, there was no denying it but at this point, I was too tired to speak. My eyes drooped as he kissed my skin, his body heat telling me he wanted to go for a third round. My stamina could never match up with Cahir’s but now, I was heavily pregnant so I didn’t even try. In my second trimester, I’d become a horny wreck but these days, I found myself wanting to do nothing but sleep and sleep and then sleep some more. “I’m so tired,” I mumbled in a sleepy voice. “And my back aches.” “Do you want a massage?” His innocent words were tinged with heat that added an extra layer of meaning to his offer. “No, thank you.” I pushed up in bed. “Uggh, being pregnant is the worst,” I grumbled but then the baby kicked and I winced. “She heard that,” Cahir said with a chuck
We stayed at the hotel for a week while the Alpha Castle was renovated. That week, Cahir did not let me step out of the room. My temperature was high most of the time and we ended up pleading with the priestess to send the holy necklace to us rather than going to pick it up.It took a lot to convince the high priestess to entrust something so valuable to someone other than I, the recipient, but she finally relented and gave it to Laura accompanied by Sebastian. “Just touching this makes me feel so much better.” I sighed, rubbing a hand on the necklace. The other one I used to wear was sent back to the high priestess. “I’m glad,” Cahir said in a tired voice. There was a lot that needed to be done now that the battle was over. The number of casualties on our side was high. Corpses littered the streets, parents crying and mass funerals having to be held. There was also the matter of the sanction for the Greyson family. Their head had sponsored war on the pack so it wasn’t unfair to ha
Melanie led us out of the hideout after the shootout and my fire incident. We’d been discovered so we had to find another shelter. “The Alpha is unreachable. The only hideout similar to this which I know is east so we are going east.” Melanie informed us. “Here,” she threw clothes at me. I gulped when she mentioned Cahir being unreachable even though I didn’t want to think the worst. I changed as fast as possible into the black clothes Melanie handed to me and donned the baseball cap. “What’s the situation?” I asked when we got into the car. “Aristo is still on the loose. Five of the twelve packs under Alpha Blood have betrayed Alpha Cahir but the others have mobilized into action. Two borders have fallen but the Alpha has sent back up and they’ll be strengthened soon,” Melanie spoke in a businesslike tone. “Are you comfortable?” She glanced at my stomach. “Y – Yeah.” My heart pounded nonstop so I knew my blood pressure had risen. Catching on fire left my skin dry but the baby wa
*CAHIR*I was leaving my mate behind for the second time since this ordeal started. Unease pricked my skin and my wolf paced restlessly, more concerned for the safety of our mate than the safety of the millions of wolves in Alpha Blood. 'Are you sure she'll be fine?' Perseus asked, continuing to pace. 'Aristo, that bastard, you're sure he doesn't know that particular hideout?' 'I'm about sixty percent sure,' I responded truthfully, aggravating my wolf. 'He is the beta of this pack and he grew up roaming these grounds so there's every possibility that he knows the grounds better than me.' There was no shame in admitting that my beta was more familiar with my lands than I was – it was his duty to survey the pack and report to me, after all. 'Will Sihana be safe?' Perseus wanted reassurance but it was something I couldn't give him because I too had my doubts. It did not show on my face but I was terrified of leaving Sihana and the baby for a second, knowing my beta could find them and
“What’s happening?” I asked, twiddling my thumbs as I heard the stampede getting louder and louder. “Alpha, the dungeons have been opened!” Someone opened a mind link and forgot to channel it to only the Alpha so the whole pack heard it. “We’re going into lockdown,” Cahir said. His eyes unfocused for a minute as he mind linked the heads of various brigades. “Let’s go, Sia.” He outstretched his hand to me and I took it with a puzzled expression.“Where are we going?” I asked. “You’re going to join them in the hideout closest to us. I’m sending you with a couple of warriors so don’t be scared.”“Oh.” I swallowed. Unlike him, I was already scared, terrified out of my mind. “You’re crushing my hand,” he muttered and I got back to my senses. “Sorry,” I muttered with a blush. “I’m just a bit nervous.” As if my body wanted to show just how nervous, flames rose on my hand and then flickered out. “This happens when I’m nervous.” I giggled in a high-pitched tone. “Don’t be nervous.” Cahir
“What the –“ I gasped as the place went up in flames. “He’s quite meticulous,” Cahir said with a laugh, starting up his car. He had a carefree expression on his face, not like someone who just heard his best friend betrayed him and his pack would soon be under siege from more traitors. “You’re taking this rather well,” I commented. “It’s a bit funny. I never thought Aristo would betray me so I’m pleasantly surprised.” He chuckled. “And Alpha Blood which will go to shit without me yet they want to go against me,” he snorted. “It’s a funny scenario.” No, it wasn’t but I didn’t say anything. I fell asleep sometime during the long ride back to the pack and woke up once to drink water, my throat parched and aching. When we got to the Alpha Castle, Cahir was bundling me into his arms when I woke up. “Sleep. I’ve got you.” I snuggled up into his chest and went back to sleep. I didn’t wake up till late afternoon the next day and it was Cahir that woke me up, “We have to find a time to t
“Cahir.” I touched his arm when he got closer, my lips trembling. He wouldn’t hurt me – I tried to convince myself of that but it didn’t stop my heart from shaking when he got closer with a weird look in his golden eyes. I wanted to look away but I forced myself to maintain eye contact. Beneath this wolf coated with blood and with feral eyes was my mate, the love of my life and the father of my child. “Cahir – do you –“ I wanted to ask if he recognized me but I couldn’t. What was I doing talking to a wolf that was stalking me? What was I doing reaching out to a feral wolf? But that feral wolf was my mate and I couldn’t let him go. Never. How many people had he killed for his fur to be coated in so much blood? What had he done before he entered this room? Could I still get my mate back from the abyss of bloodlust that seemed to have wrapped vice-like grips around him? The wolf got to me and buried its cold snot into my neck. I went as stiff as a board. There was no single scent of
*CAHIR*“I don’t feel good about this,” Perseus mumbled after we bid our mate goodbye. Not only did I not feel good about sending my mate away when I wanted to have her in my sight every second of every day, I actually felt terrible. …I hate you! Those words she screamed at me haunted me till now. I knew she didn’t mean them, that she had uttered them in the heat of the moment, feeling hurt and betrayed that I went behind her back to plan this after I promised to never hide things from her. I knew all this but the words still stung. ‘Cahir, are you sure this is the best choice?’ Perseus asked, a gloomy cloud hanging around him as our mate went away. ‘It would be unwise to keep her shackled to our side at this point.’ I mumbled. ‘Greyson will attack in a few days and it's best she isn’t caught in the crossfire because I selfishly held on to her.’ It would be good to get things done and over with as soon as possible so I could have a peaceful life with my mate and baby. I had to e
“You’re not going to get away with this,” I added to my vow.“That’s a bit cliché, don’t you think?” Aristo chuckled. “You don’t love me yet but you like me so I can make you love me.” He sounded so confident, so assured that I would come to love a person like him. I went over our past conversations to see if I had somehow led him on, if I’d ever behaved as if I saw him as more than a friend and my mate’s best friend. I knew I’d never flirted with him so I didn’t need to think hard. Then why was he so delusional? “I’ll dress her. Leave.” He barked at Sebastian. The other man looked at me for a brief second before he nodded and left the room. “So many disgusting men coveting what’s mine,” he hissed, shaking his head. It was easy to reconcile the present Aristo with the Aristo I knew. I thought it was difficult, felt it was difficult at first, but it actually wasn’t. He behaved the same but what I had chalked off as overt friendliness and disrespect that stemmed from his overfamiliar