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111
Emma 

I move my toes under the cozy blanket while forcing my gaze to stay glued to the TV. My fingers are clasped around a cup of tea, the warmth seeping into my hands and streaming up my arms. I sigh, causing Chloe to lift her head, which she had leaned onto the backrest of the couch. 

“That was one hella of a deep sigh.” 

Scrunching up my nose, I shake my head. “My chest just keeps squeezing, and I can’t even tell you why I keep having those mini panic attacks.” I take a deep breath, laying a hand on my chest. “I don’t think that this is healthy for the pup.” 

Chloe’s hands shoot forward, pulling me closer to hug me as she spots the tears welling up in my eyes. “Babes, everything is going to be alright.” 

Exhaling and inhaling slowly, I lower my gaze. “He has to go through so much because of me.” 

“Oh, honey. Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s your first baby, and you are doing just fine.” She rubs my arm, encouraging me. “I bet that he is in there feeling the best while thinking about you being his mom.” 

I smile, my heart feeling slightly lighter. “Thank you,” I whisper, and she hugs me tighter.  

“Don’t worry. You are and will be rocking it.” As she lets go of me, she holds the side of my arms, glaring at me with a strangely serious expression. “And also, Kai is being an asshole. I knew your firstborn should have been Ace’s.” 

I gasp while she starts laughing, holding her fingers to her lips. “Are you out of your mind? Don’t say such a thing.” I get infected by her laugh, and hit her with a pillow. “You are impossible.” 

“What’s up with him anyway? Did you get to talk about those pills again?” she asks, inhaling to calm herself down. 

I shake my head, pursing my lips. “We didn’t have the chance to. It was a mess with all those guards in the pack house.” 

“Yeah,” she scrunches up her nose, wrapping a strand of her hair around her finger. “Mom has been bugging me for days because she isn’t allowed to see her bestie. So annoying.” 

Rolling her eyes, she redirects them to the flat screen, the flicker mirroring in her irises. 

“Don’t be mean,” I joke, repositioning myself to snuggle deeper into the fluffy cushions. “You would miss me a lot, too.” 

“Of course,” she confesses in a soft tone, without tearing her eyes from the TV, a smile tugging at her lips. “I was going insane while waiting for you to come back from the witchy realm. And oh, my goddess, the tea was definitely worth it.” 

We giggle, and she pinches me playfully just as her mother barges into the room. “Don’t hurt her,” she tsks, and I can see what Chloe was trying to tell me as she looks irritated. “Did you forget that the future Luna is pregnant?” 

I have never seen her like that, and also, I have never heard her talking to her daughter in such a voice. My aunty Ramona would have never said something as spiteful as this, as she knows exactly how we are together and that Chloe would never hurt me. 

And address me as future Luna. I really hate this. 

Hugging myself, I catch Chloe's ‘do-you-see-what-I-mean’ gaze just in time before she hides it from her mother, who steps up to the couch with crossed arms. “I need you in the kitchen,” she states coldly to Chloe before she turns to me with a smile. “Kai is here to pick you up, dear. Don’t make him wait too long.” 

“Of course not, aunty,” I answer, mirroring her gentle expression. 

I slip out of the warm blankets, suppressing a groan, and get enveloped in a hug. Closing my eyes, I hold her tighter, drinking in her words of encouragement before my best friend lets go of me to leave the room. 

With a smile, I turn around to say goodbye to the Beta Female as I halt in my movements. She is holding the clothing that I found in the hut, studying it with an unsettling expression. 

“Argh, sorry. I took that with me without thinking. I found it in the woods,” I lie, taking a few steps to reach her. “I’ll throw it out.” 

Ramona jerks up, holding the blouse to her chest, and watches me with big eyes. “No, don’t worry. It just looked awfully familiar for a second. You can leave it here. I’ll throw it away.” 

“Oh, okay.” Forcing up a smile, I take a step back. “Thank you. I will be going then.” 

She nods while I gesture with my hands ineptly, our interaction unnecessarily awkward. “Uh-huh. Have a safe trip.” 

“Thank you,” I repeat, and before I can even realize it, I am standing on the front porch, the door slamming closed behind me. 

I can’t anymore with this world. 

Inhaling deeply, I try to calm down my nerves that are wreaking havoc while already struggling because of all the hormones having a rave in my body, and I open my eyes, finding Kai right in front of me. 

I mirror his smile automatically, his scent enveloping me and depleting the pressure in my chest. “Hello, my beautiful mate,” he greets me, his happy expression growing as I greet him back with a laugh. 

“Hey, my gorgeous Alpha.” 

He crosses his hands behind his back, lifting his chin with a smug face. “Ready to meet the royals?” 

“The royals?” I ask, squinting my eyes. 

His grin grows wider. “Yes, we didn’t announce ourselves as the new future leaders properly, I’m afraid.” 

“That’s not good,” I shake my head, struggling to keep myself from cracking up. “They will be missing out on our wedding gift if we don’t provide to that right away.” 

He feigns indignation, before wrapping his arm around me, pulling me flush against his frame. “That would be the worst.” 

I lay my hands onto his chest, his excitement wafting over me, sparks exploding on my skin. “Do you already have a plan on how we will get your father home?” I ask in a whisper, and he nods, pressing a kiss on my cheek. 

“Yes. Ace has been asked to report back to the castle as he is the only survivor, and we will lie about the fact that he killed the judge. I will act as the scapegoat, and we have a few special things planned on top of that,” he explains proudly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “And on the way home, I will be finally able to tell you everything.” 

Lighting up, my heart flips in my chest, and I feel my son move, making me sigh in relief. “Can’t wait.”