Chapter 80 Chapter 80

Chapter 80 Chapter 80
  Tiana
  I barely made it to the bathroom before my stomach emptied itself violently. I knelt on the cold tile, one hand braced against the wall, the other clutching my belly as wave after wave of sickness rolled through me.
  When it finally stopped, I stayed there for a long moment, breathing hard while my forehead stayed pressed against the cool porcelain.
  This was morning sickness. This was what the healer had warned me about though she made it sound manageable.
  It wasn’t manageable.
  I forced myself upright, rinsed my mouth, and caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. 
  I looked pale, holding dark circles under my eyes from a night spent not sleeping.
  But I had duties as a Luna that I could not ignore.
  I managed to go back to the room to dress up, choosing a looser gown that wouldn’t press too tightly against my still-flat stomach. Then, I braided my hair with shaking hands and forced myself out the door.
  The main hall was already bustling with morning activity. 
  I kept my head down and moved toward the administrative wing where I had left the housing reports yesterday when a call was directed at me.
  “Luna.”
  I turned to find two omegas watching me.
  “Yes?” I replied. 
  “Congratulations,” one of them said. “We heard about your pup.”
  Confusion spread across my face, but I relaxed it quickly. “Thank you.”
  They exchanged glances. Then the other one spoke. “My sister had terrible morning sickness with her first. She said ginger helps, as well as keeping crackers by the bed to eat.”
  The kindness in her voice made my throat tight. “I’ll try that. Thank you.”
  They nodded and moved on, but I caught their whispers as they walked away.
  “Poor thing. She looks awful.”
  “Can you imagine? Pregnant with the Alpha’s child and he is not throwing a party.”
  I forced myself to keep moving.
  The administrative wing was blessedly empty. I settled at the desk with the housing reports, trying to focus on allocation numbers and renovation budgets.
  The numbers blurred together. My stomach lurched again, though there was nothing left to bring up.
  I pressed my hand against my mouth, breathing carefully through my nose until the wave passed.
  “Luna Tiana?”
  I looked up to find Gamma Rowan standing in the doorway, concern clear on his face.
  “Is there a problem?” I said automatically.
  “You don’t look fine.” He moved into the room, settling into the chair across from me. “You look like you’re about to be sick.”
  “I’m fine.” I forced a smile.
  He studied me for a moment. “Have you eaten anything?”
  “Not yet.”
  “You need to eat something.” He replied. “For the pup if not for yourself.”
  How did the whole pack know I was pregnant?
  I shook my head. “The healer said small meals are fine too.” I gestured at the reports. “But I have work to finish first.”
  “The work can wait.”
  “It really can’t. The omega housing renovations need to start before winter, and…”
  “Luna.” He leaned forward slightly. “The pack will survive if you take care of yourself for one morning. Let me help. Tell me what needs to be done and I’ll handle it.”
  The offer was so appealing that I almost accepted.
  But I’d learned not to rely too heavily on kindness that might be withdrawn.
  “Thank you,” I said. “But I can manage.”
  He looked like he wanted to argue, but he just nodded. “If you change your mind, I’m available.”
  After he left, I tried to focus on the reports again. I managed it through two pages before my stomach revolted and I had to lean back, breathing carefully until it settled.
  By midday, I had finished the housing reports and moved on to kitchen inventory. The pack had a festival in three weeks, and we needed to order supplies soon if we wanted them delivered in time.
  I was making notes about grain quantities when my wolf flashed an image before me.
  One of a she wolf wrapping her pup in blankets.
  Sadly, I was not going to be doing that for long.
  My hand moved to my stomach anyway, resting there briefly before I forced it back to the desk.
  “Tiana?”
  I looked up to find Zane standing in the doorway.
  He looked uncomfortable and uncertain in a way I had never seen from him. Like he didn’t know what to do with his hands or where to direct his gaze.
  “Alpha,” I said, straightening in my chair.
  “I brought you something.” He moved into the room, and I saw he was carrying a cup. Steam rose from it, carrying the sharp scent of ginger. “The healer said this might help with the sickness.”
  Ginger tea.
  He’d brought me ginger tea.
  I stared at the cup as he set it carefully on the desk in front of me, unsure what to reply.
  “Thank you,” I managed.
  He nodded once, then stood there awkwardly. Like he wanted to say something else but didn’t know how.
  I picked up the cup, letting the warmth seep into my palms. Only now that I had it in front of me did I realize I needed it. 
  “How are you feeling?” he asked finally.
  “Sick and tired.” I took a sip of the tea. It was warm and actually did settle my stomach slightly. “But the healer says that’s normal.”
  He shook his head, his eyes staring into nothing.
  Silence fell between us, not the most comfortable as Zane pulled out the chair Rowan had occupied earlier and sat down. 
  I took another sip of tea, letting the warmth spread through me, occupying even my thoughts.
  I watched him over the rim of my cup. His eyes were focused on the papers spread across the desk, but it did not seem like he was looking at them.
  “Zane—” I began, intending to break the silence.
  “The healer gave me a list,” he said at the same time.
  We both stopped.
  “A list?” I prompted.
  He nodded. “Yes. Of things you’ll need.” He pulled a folded paper from his pocket. “She was very thorough.”
  I set down the cup. “Let me see.”
  Zane stretched out his hands and handed me a list that was neatly folded, and I wondered if he had gone through it at all.
  Carefully opening it, my eyes moved through, reading it slowly and to my surprise, Zane listed out the things in there almost at the same time that I read. A small smile appeared on my lips at the effort, but I did not let it show as I placed the paper at my eye level covering even my face.
  When I was done, I placed it back on the desk, shaking my head slightly. “Thank you for this, this is my first time experiencing this so I’m not sure what to expect.”
  “I know.” Zane softly.
  When he said nothing else, I lowered my face attempting to distract myself.
  “Thank you for doing this for me.” 
  I raised my face, wanting to be sure those words had come from Zane. His eyes were focused on me and since there was no other person in the room, it had come from him.
  I did not say anything, mainly because I should feel excited but still I could not.
  Again and again, the contract felt like a losing game. I was going to be settled financially yes, but I was 6 weeks gone and realizing I did not care much about that settlement. 
  My pup was for Zane. For him to secure his heir and I get to spend the rest of my days like I never had one.
  My eyes became full and forcing myself to hold back, I murmured. “I would like to be alone,” I mentioned, rubbing my eyes.
  “Is there a problem?” He probed immediately. 
  “No.” I shook my head. 
  “Okay,” Zane muttered, and within seconds, he made his way out. While I was left alone, doing everything to distract myself from the anxiety that filled me.