Chapter 147 WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME

Chapter 147 WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME
MERRIELYNN.

Two weeks had passed since Cormac killed his father and became King.
Two weeks since I became Luna in some crazy sense.
Two weeks since our entire world had turned completely upside down.
I was sitting in the adjoined parlor off our bedroom with my legs tucked underneath me on the oversized armchair. The room was flooded with afternoon sunlight streaming through the massive windows that overlooked the palace gardens.
Emorie sat across from me on the matching sofa. She had a cup of tea balanced on her knee and this expression on her face like she was still trying to process everything.
We’d talked on the phone multiple times over the past two weeks. Quick conversations where I’d given her pieces of the story bit by bit.
But things had finally calmed down enough for her to actually visit today.
“I still can’t believe all of it,” Emorie said. She shook her head slowly. “Like I knew something insane had happened because the entire realm has been talking about nothing else. The King’s death was everywhere. But hearing the full story from you is just...”
“A lot?” I offered.
“An understatement,” she said. “When you called me that first time and told me you’d gotten your memories back, I thought that was going to be the craziest part. But then you told me about Valtor and Cormac challenging his father and I just...” She trailed off.
“I know,” I said.
“You were best friends with Princess Lorelai,” Emorie continued. She was staring at me like she was seeing me for the first time. “You grew up in this palace. You lived here. With Cormac.”
“Yeah, before the accident.”
“And you were in love with eachother even back then.”
My chest tightened, “Yeah.”
Emorie’s eyes filled with tears. “Mere, I still can’t get over how devastating that is.”
“It was.” I agreed. “For a long time. But we’re okay now. We’re better than okay.”
She wiped at her eyes quickly. “I know. I can see it. You look different now. Happier. Like you finally have all the pieces of yourself back.”
“I do,” I said. And it was true. Despite everything that had happened. Despite all the pain and loss and trauma. I felt whole for the first time in years.
We sat in silence for a moment. Just letting the weight of everything settle.
Then Emorie smiled. “But you’re Luna now. Like actually Luna of the entire werewolf realm. That’s insane.”
I laughed. “I’m still getting used to it.”
“I bet. Is it overwhelming?”
“Completely,” I admitted. “There’s so much to learn. Protocol and traditions and laws that have been in place for centuries. Cormac’s been helping me but it feels like drowning sometimes.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Emorie said. “You’re the strongest person I know.”
“Come on,” I said, standing up. “Let’s go get lunch. I’m starving and we have like five kitchens in this place.”
She laughed and followed me out of the parlor.
We ended up in one of the smaller dining rooms. Not the massive formal one where official state dinners were held, just a cozy space with a table that could seat maybe eight people and windows that looked out over the east gardens.
The kitchen staff had prepared a spread of sandwiches and salads and fresh bread that was still warm. We loaded up our plates and settled into chairs next to each other.
“So what’s Cormac like now?” Emorie asked. “As King?”
“Good,” I said. “Better than I think he realized he would be. He wants to do so much. He already wants education initiatives for the outer territories. He’s working on new laws protecting minors. He’s waiting for things to settle first before he can really sink into it all. But I think he’ll do just fine.”
“That’s incredible,” Emorie said.
“He cares,” I said simply. “He wants to be the kind of King his sister and mother would have been proud of.”
We kept talking while we ate. Emorie told me about her classes and how weird it felt going back to normal new adult problems after everything that had happened.
She’d started seeing someone new. Some wolf from her literature class who made her laugh.
I told her how strange it was to have staff bowing to me. How I still wasn’t used to being called Luna.
We were mid-conversation about her upcoming finals when the door opened.
Cormac walked in looking slightly disheveled. His hair was messy like he’d been running his hands through it repeatedly. He was wearing dark pants and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
He crossed the room and walked straight to me, leaning down to press a kiss to my lips.
“Hi,” he said quietly.
“Hi,” I said back. My heart did this stupid fluttering thing it always did when he was near.
“I have three more meetings this afternoon but I needed to see you first.”
“I’m glad you did.”
He kissed me again, deeper this time. Then he straightened up and finally seemed to remember Emorie was in the room. “Sorry. Hi, Emorie.”
“Don’t apologize,” She said. She was grinning like an idiot. “That was adorable.”
Cormac’s ears turned slightly pink. “Right. Okay. I’ll see you later.”
He kissed me one more time and then disappeared back out the door.
The second he was gone, Emorie turned to me with wide eyes. “Oh my goddess.”
“What?”
“He couldn’t even wait. He just barged in here in the middle of his meetings to kiss you.”
I felt my face heating up. “He does that sometimes.”
“Mere, that boy is so disgustingly in love with you it’s actually insane,” Emorie said. “Like I knew he was obsessed at Pinnthorpe but this is completely different.”
“The bond makes it stronger,” I explained. “Since we completed it. We can feel each other all the time now.”
“That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Emorie sighed. “I want what you guys have.”
“You’ll find it,” I said, meaning it.
We went back to eating and talking. I picked up my sandwich again and took another bite.
A couple bites in, a wave of nausea rolled through me. It was sharp and sudden and completely unwelcome.
I put my sandwich down and pushed my plate away from me.
“You okay?” Emorie asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Just feeling a little off.”
My mouth started watering in that specific way it always does right before I’m about to be sick.
Yeah, I wasn’t touching that sandwich anymore.
We kept talking for a while longer.
Then eventually Emorie suggested we go outside for some fresh air. We went out through the side door that led to the back gardens.
The sun was bright and warm on my face.
Construction was happening in multiple areas across the grounds.
Workers were moving around with materials. The sound of hammering and sawing carried across the distance.
Cormac wanted to change so much. He wanted to renovate spaces that had been neglected under his father’s rule and build new areas that would actually serve the people instead of just looking impressive.
“The changes are really something,” Emorie said. She was standing next to me with her hand shielding her eyes from the sun. “It’s like he’s rebuilding the whole palace.”
I nodded. Then another wave of nausea hit me.
This one was so much worse.
I barely made it to the bushes before I threw up everything I’d just eaten.
Emorie was beside me immediately. She pulled my hair back and rubbed soothing circles on my back while I emptied the contents of my stomach into the landscaping.
When I finally stopped, I straightened up slowly.
My legs felt shaky underneath me.
“Goddess, Mere,” Emorie said. She was still rubbing my back in soothing circles. “Are you okay? What just happened?”
“I don’t know,” I said. My voice came out shaky. “I just suddenly felt so nauseous.”
I straightened, leaning against the all, “I’ve been a little off these last few days. I thought it was stress from everything that went on.” I tried to smile even though I felt awful. “I must have caught a bug or something. I just need to rest.”
Emorie kept staring at me with this strange expression on her face.
I frowned. “What?”
She didn’t say anything.
“Uh? Earth to Emorie?” I waved a hand weakly.
“When was the last time you had your period, Mere?”
What in the…?
The question hit me like a punch to the stomach.
And then I backtracked.
When was the last time I’d had my period?
I tried to think. But my brain felt like it was completely short-circuiting.
My heart seized in my chest.
I looked at Emorie and tried to form words but they came out all stuttered and wrong. “I don’t…I can’t remember exactly when but it was definitely... “ I trailed off, my brows furrowing as I came up completely short. “It had to have been...”
I genuinely couldn’t remember the last time.
“Yeah,” Emorie nodded frantically. She grabbed my hand and started pulling me back toward the doors. “I think you need to check something.”