155. Good news
155. Good news
AEMON
The wedding reception for Devon and Matt is in full swing, with lanterns glowing like stars strung across the floral arches, the scent of jasmine and sweet wine filling the air, and the sound of violins blending with the lively chatter and laughter of my people. Lycans dance enthusiastically with Matt’s human guests, and even Kenny’s in the middle of the dance floor, twirling some girl I don’t recognize, his drunken grin lighting up the night.
But my focus keeps drifting to Alice. My little firecracker, my queen, radiant in her emerald-green dress, laughing with Matt as they return from the room he dragged her off to. Devon pulls Matt into a clumsy dance, and the sight makes me smile, but I can’t shake my concern. Alice has been pale for days, and the nausea she’s been fighting hasn’t gone unnoticed. I suspect my queen might be carrying our heir, but I don’t want to say anything until we’re sure.
Alaester’s across the garden, talking with some lycan elders, but his eyes flick to her every few seconds. We’ve always been in sync, but since the blood bond in the limbo, it’s like I can feel every beat of her heart. And now, something feels… different.
The party’s at its peak when an Aladian messenger, a wiry guy with a scar across his face, approaches me. He’s holding a parchment sealed with Aládia’s crest, a falcon with wings of flame. “King Aemon,” he says with a respect I didn’t expect, “a message from the Aladian king.”
I take the parchment and nod dismissively. Breaking the seal, I read, and my chest tightens. Aládia is proposing a truce, not peace, not yet, but they want to talk, to sit at the table and discuss terms to end the war for good.
I tell the messenger to wait and signal for Alaester and Alice. The crowd parts as they make their way to me, with Matt and Devon trailing close behind, since Devon’s Alaester’s beta.
“What is it, brother?” Alaester asks, his deep voice edged with suspicion, his silver-blue eyes narrowing at the messenger.
“The king of Aládia wants to negotiate,” I say, handing him the parchment. “A truce. They’re willing to discuss a treaty with us.”
Alice lets out a soft gasp, and when I look at her, I see something in her green eyes, relief, maybe hope. “That’s… incredible,” she murmurs, her hand brushing Alaester’s arm, then mine. “A truce would be perfect right now.”
Matt, still holding Devon’s hand, grins. “Finally, something worth celebrating, huh?” He claps Devon on the shoulder, who nods but raises an eyebrow at Alice, like he’s picking up on something unspoken.
“There’s more, isn’t there, my love?” I ask.
She bites her lip, and the way she looks at me, then at Alaester, makes my heart race.
“There is,” she says, her voice trembling as a shy smile starts to form. “I… haven’t been feeling great lately. You might’ve noticed. Well… I took a test Matt gave me this morning.” She pauses, taking a deep breath, and her words hit like thunder. “You’re going to be dads.”
The world stops. I swear the sounds of the party fade, the lanterns, the crowd, everything vanishes. There’s only Alice, with that smile that’s half fear, half joy. Pregnant. My firecracker is carrying our child. Mine. Alaester’s. Ours.
“Holy shit, Alice!” Alaester roars, pulling her into a hug so tight she laughs, the sound muffled against his chest as he spins her around the hall. He’s laughing, but his eyes glisten with tears, and I know he’s feeling the same thing I am, a love so vast it barely fits in my chest.
I step closer, cupping her face, and kiss her, slow and deep, tasting the sweetness of her lips mixed with the salt of my tears. “You’re pregnant,” I murmured against her mouth, still in disbelief. “Our queen, our child.”
Matt and Devon are clapping, and Matt, the sap, is crying, wiping tears with his suit sleeve. “I knew it!” he shouts, laughing. “I’m so damn happy for you guys!”
Kenny, who appeared out of nowhere, lets out a whoop of excitement. “An heir to the throne!” he hollers, raising his wine glass, and the crowd around us starts to catch on, their murmurs turning into cheers.
Alice is flushed, laughing but with tears in her eyes. “A truce with Aládia… and now this,” she says, her hand resting on her stomach, still flat but full of promise. “I think it’s fate telling us we’re on the right path.”
I wrap an arm around her waist as Alaester takes her hand on the other side. “It’s more than fate, my queen,” I say. “It’s us building something new. For Pamyel. For our child.”
The news of Alice’s pregnancy spreads like wildfire, and the crowd is now celebrating not just the wedding but the promise of a future. Devon and Matt head back to the dance floor, hand in hand, while Kenny’s telling everyone he “always knew” Alice was special. Alaester and I stay with Alice, the three of us holding hands, the blood bond pulsing with a strength I never imagined.
A truce with Aládia. A child. A kingdom to rebuild. It’s a lot for one day, but with Alice and Alaester by my side, I know we can face anything. Because we’re one. And now, we’re more than that, we’re a family.