41. Aurelia

Chapter 41

Aurelia

T wo months passed by in a blink. We worked at a frantic pace to get product made, packaged, and sent. Orders were coming in like crazy from our kingdom; people loved the samples and wanted to purchase large quantities. We'd also sent our first shipments abroad, offering products at reduced prices to get people to try them, hoping it would drain away Granny's sales. If it didn't, step two would be to start visiting the possible production spots, looking for increased Everlass elixir sales, and hope one of them panned out.

The fairies and Nyfain still hadn't made any solid progress. Given things were going really well with the pack and my training was going great, Nyfain felt he had plenty of time. He wouldn't settle for less than I deserved.

It didn't feel like I had any time, though. Despite the fact that everything seemed calm and I was the happiest I'd ever been in my life, I couldn't shake the feeling this was all a fleeting moment. Like a deadline was coming up, and all of this was about to be ripped away.

Maybe that was just my uncertainty, my disbelief I could be this blessed in life, because everyone agreed that Weston's defenses were rock solid. The only holes in his defense were by design. Not that it mattered, because Hadriel had chased away anyone that didn't belong in the kingdom, and even some who probably did. I was likely the safest I'd ever been in my life.

For some reason, though, it didn't stop the nagging feeling that I was missing something. That this was not forever.

I took a shaky breath as I braced my hands against the sink in the washroom, feeling a little lightheaded. My face dripped from my having just washed it, and I looked myself over in the mirror. Despite the glowing health of my skin, I looked awfully pale. I was probably doing a bit too much. Training with the pack was great, but it was hard work. I was tired a lot more lately.

I glanced at my body for a moment, lingering on my belly. It looked the same as it ever had.

I straightened up and trailed my fingers across my skin, dragging my lip through my teeth as I donned my work attire—still drab. There was no point in wearing something flashy that was just going to get dirty. This one had a pattern, and hidden within the pattern were dicks with wings. Cecil apparently thought it should be my banner or something. He attributed Weston's sexual prowess and performance at the claiming to the dick sash. He also shook his fist at me whenever he saw me and said, " Yaaaasssss! "

The whole situation was very odd. I chose to ignore it.

Back in the bedroom, I leaned over Weston and kissed his forehead. His eyes drifted open and he reached out for me. I took his hand as I kissed his lips.

"Bye," I whispered. "Come and see me if you're passing by."

"Love you," he murmured.

I kissed him again and said it back before I left. The royals were putting the finishing touches on the new apartment we'd be moving into, so Weston and I still had our separate apartments, though I spent most of my time in his room. Vemar waited for me just outside the back door of the castle these days, sitting on a stone bench and sipping his tea. The agreement was that he'd wait for me long enough to drink his morning tea, and then he would head to the work shed. If I didn't show—usually because Weston had been naughty and banged me, thus locking me in bed with him—I'd meet Vemar there later.

"Hey." I sat next to him so he could finish without being rushed.

"Hello, Captive Lady. How do you feel today?"

I dragged my lip through my teeth again, trying not to feel anything. Trying not to get ahead of myself.

"My boobs are sore."

He tilted the cup back to drain the contents and stood. "Well, that's not good. Did the beta get a little too wild this morning?"

I pulled my lips to the side, trying to squish down the joy. I told myself I'd wait a few days longer. That I wouldn't jump to any conclusions yet. I didn't want to be wrong, and I definitely didn't want to say something, be wrong, and then have Weston disappointed.

But then I just blurted it out anyway.

"My period is almost a week late."

A blast of absolute joy gushed through me. I wrestled with the smile.

Confusion leaked through the bond from Weston, who was surely wondering about the feeling. I tried to calm it all down.

I stood as Vemar set the empty cup on the bench. Someone would come by shortly and collect it. He started walking, looking down at me with his brow furrowed. "Are you insinuating that you are pregnant, Captive Lady?"

"I don't know." There was that joy again. "I didn't tell Weston about my period because I didn't want to get his hopes up. But yesterday my boobs started to feel sensitive, and today they ache when I touch them." I tried to breathe through the threatening excitement. "I think that means something."

"I definitely think that means something. Did you tell Weston about the boob issue?"

"No. You're the first person I've told. I couldn't help it. But I'm trying to stay super chill and not get my hopes up too high. It's only been two months of trying."

He put his hand on his chest. "I am honored you would tell me. In the spirit of the situation, I am also trying to remain chill and not get excited." He stopped. "I think we should go wake the queen and get her to make you that brew that tells you for certain if you are or aren't."

"Gods no." I pulled his arm to get him walking again. "It's the crack of dawn. Very few people like waking up as early as we do. This is not an emergency." I tugged him in the direction of the work shed. "Come on, it can wait."

He grudgingly started moving. "Let's at least poke our heads into the other work sheds and see if anyone knows the recipe."

"No one starts work this early, Vemar, you know that."

He sucked his teeth, looking back toward the castle. "I really don't think the queen would mind..."

"Would you come on?" I laughed and pulled him along.

Near the work sheds, though, he pushed me toward the first one. "Come on, let's just check."

As I'd expected, no one was at work yet. He'd have to be content with waiting until the others came in, and I was content to push it out of my mind for now. It was still early. It could mean absolutely nothing. There was no sense in getting worked up when the whole thing was one big unknown.

It was Hannon who walked in first, his hair a mess and his eyes a little puffy. He was going to see if he could impart his magic onto the Moonfire Lily today.

"Late night?" I asked him with a smirk.

"Who cares if it was a late night, man, where is your sister ?" Vemar yelled at him. He then put up his hands. "That was a little overboard, I admit. I got a little too worked up with that question."

"What's going on?" Hannon studied Vemar for a moment and then looked at me.

"Nothing." I shook my head, going back to my work. "Don't mind him."

"I do not understand the calm rationality of alpha wolves," Vemar muttered. "I really do not."

Hannon was still studying me when Finley walked in. Hope nearly choked me until I worried I actually wasn't pregnant, maybe couldn't be, and then the uncertainty rushed back in. This was why I hadn't wanted to think about it or even tell Weston: I didn't need more pressure to add to my already turbulent emotions.

"Something is going on," Hannon told Finley.

"Yes, something is going on ," Vemar shouted, and then put up his hands again. "Overboard. That's on me."

"Um..." I cleared my throat, thankful to Vemar because I actually did want a woman's opinion. "It's just that I'm six days late and my boobs are sore. But I know it's still early, so I haven't said anything to anyone. Except Vemar just now. Who is making a big deal about it, obviously, so now you both know. But I just want to keep things quiet until I'm sure before I tell Weston."

"I'm confused. Late for what?" Hannon asked.

Finley rolled her eyes at him, then asked me, "Did you even go into your heat?"

I shook my head. "No, not yet."

"Fucking wolves," Finley said with a cockeyed grin. "You sneeze at each other and you get pregnant."

Dawning crossed Hannon's face and he smiled. "Congratulations, Aurelia! That's so great!"

Vemar put up his hand. "We are staying chill, brother. We have not confirmed. We're waiting patiently for Finley to move her fucking ass to see if we should be fucking thrilled. Let's all calm the fuck down!"

Finley laughed. "Dragons view children as precious miracles. They get very excited about pregnancies." She moved around the room. "Let's find out for certain, shall we? Then we can see about telling Daddy Wolf."

"Yes." Vemar inclined his head. "Yes we shall. Does anyone else want to be there when she tells the beta? I really do. That wolf is going to lose his shit."

Uncertainty washed over me again.

"What's the matter?" Hannon asked.

"Nothing." I calmly tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Nothing, it's just..." I let go a shaky breath. "If I am, and the child doesn't have magic... What if the different bloodlines cancel out the magic, like in my mom?"

"Hey, whoa." Finley turned from the pot she was working in front of. "Hey, don't worry about that, okay? First, based on the things you've said, it sounds like your mom did have some sort of magic. She was probably an Emoter, like you. She was knocking on the wrong doors and asking the wrong questions about her magic. Second, it doesn't matter if your child doesn't have one drop of magic. They won't be any less welcome here. They will not be treated like you were, Aurelia. They will have a lot of dragon aunties and uncles that will ensure that fact, regardless of what kingdom they go to. Okay? Don't worry. We protect our own. You're one of us now. We'll protect your child, no matter what."

Tears pooled in my eyes as my heart filled with gratitude. To know that my child would never suffer as I had suffered, no matter their magical status, cracked open my heart and warmed my whole body. That a queen would promise me my children would be safe when safety had always been so precious...

It was a gift unlike any I had ever received. One I would covet forever.

My tears overflowed. "Thank you," I whispered with a tightened throat.

Arleth and Delaney came in as Finley was finishing the elixir.

"What are you—" Arleth cut herself off and turned, looking at me with wide, delighted eyes. "Is that for you?"

"Congratulations," Delaney said, offering one of her rare work-shed smiles.

"I mean, I'm not sure?—"

"We're not fucking sure, man! Stay fucking calm!" Vemar shouted. He threw up his hands. "Overboard." And walked out of the shed.

"I love when that dragon gets his scales ruffled." Finley grinned, setting a bowl of elixir onto the floor. "Okay, we just need a pee sample."

" What? " I sputtered. "You mean right here?" I grimaced.

Finley braced a hand on her hip. "Lady, we watched you fuck for, like, three hours. Pee in that motherfucking bowl. Time to find out if we're going to have a very proud papa on our hands."

"I agree with Vemar—I want to be there when she tells him." Hannon turned his back so I'd have a little privacy to pee into the bowl. I could only hope I wouldn't miss and get it all over the floor. "I want to feel his reactions."

"We're not going to invade their private moment." Finley started cleaning up her supplies. "Though yes, I also wish I could be there."

After I'd finished, we waited. Vemar peeked in every so often. I worked on my product to keep myself calm and tried not to think about it. I didn't dare to hope lest I be wrong, but I was unable to stop the excitement all the same.

It felt like an eternity, but in reality, it wasn't long before the color changed and everyone's faces lit up.

"Congratulations!" They cheered and hugged me, and my world exploded in color. I let my excitement shine through, reaching through the bond to Weston for closeness. My wolf did the same to his. His confusion amplified as he wondered what had happened, and soon I felt him coming my way.

"Now listen to me." Arleth sat me down with a stern expression. "Wolves aren't as hardy with their young as dragons. You can still do most things, though what Weston will allow you to do is a totally different situation?—"

"Very protective fathers can be suffocating," Finley said. "Wonderful, but a lot ."

"You will need to listen to your body," Arleth said. "You can't keep these long hours. You're going to need plenty of rest. You can shift until the final stages, and you can train, but you'll need to be mindful when you fight. A dragon can march into battle, but not so much a wolf. Your human form is more fragile as well. As you get further along, you'll need to let your wolf do any running or strenuous activity. You'll need plenty of nutrition. No more refraining from eating to ensure everyone else has enough. I know you still do it. You'll need to eat your fill on every occasion."

"True mate alpha wolves and already a continuation of the bloodline." Finley beamed at me. "Suck on that, fairies!"

Vemar walked back into the work shed with a big smile. He enveloped me in a hug. "Congratulations, Captive Lady. Hadriel is going to be so pissed that I knew first."

I felt Weston coming as Arleth continued to lecture me. When he was near, I turned toward the door. I wanted to share my excitement, my dream come true. A miracle, if you'd asked me just a year ago.

He knocked softly on the frame, drawing Finley's attention. He leaned in a bit to peer around at me but froze, his gaze on the bowl. Shock waves of emotions lit up the bond, and Hannon smiled.

"Congratulations, Daddy," Finley told Weston. "You're going to be a legend around these parts. A three-hour-and-fifteen-minute hold, and now a baby on the way within a few months."

"He's got a magical cock," Vemar said, laughing, clapping him on the back.

Weston stepped in, looking at me, his smile bigger than the whole world. He opened his arms, and I rushed to fill them. He hugged me close, his embrace tight.

"I love you," he said, rocking me. "I love you so much."

He scooped me up into his arms and walked me out of the work shed.

I laughed, arms around his neck. "What are we doing?"

"We're taking the day off."

He walked me across the grass and into the castle. We met Nyfain in the hallway. The king's step was graceful but determined. He slowed as he caught sight of us, his brows drawing together.

"What happened? Is she okay?" he asked Weston.

"She's with child. We just found out." Another explosion of emotion tumbled through the bond: love and devotion and excitement and anticipation.

Nyfain's eyes sparkled, and a grin pulled at his lips. "Fucking wolves," he muttered, winking at me.

Weston turned as the king passed by. "What was that about?"

"Finley said the same thing. They are jealous that we procreate so easily."

"Ah." Smug pride leaked through the bond. "As well they should be."

He took me to his apartment and marched me straight into the bedroom. Leala and Niles looked at us in confusion as we entered, then straightened up as we passed.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, peeking her head into the bedroom as Weston put me down and dropped to his knees in front of me.

He held my sides and gently put his lips to my stomach.

"I'm pregnant," I told her. "We're taking the day off."

She beamed at me. "Oh, that's wonderful! Yes, relax, enjoy the moment. Let me know if you need anything."

She shut the door behind her, and Weston slowly removed my clothes. He kissed me reverently before taking his off and then guiding me into bed. Once there, he gathered me into his arms, caressing my stomach.

"Are you happy?" he asked, his jaw against my forehead.

"You can feel that I am, and I can feel that you are."

"I'm beyond happy. I'm..." He shook his head, releasing me so that he could kiss down my body and linger on my stomach. "There are no words." He laid his head on my belly. "No words. I don't have the language to express how grateful I am to have found you. How grateful I am that you forgave me for how we first met, and you are now going to make me the proudest daddy in the world. Gods, I love you, Aurelia. My heart is so full."

He slipped further down, and then I sucked in a breath.