Chapter 86 86
She cried herself empty in his arms that night, tears soaking into his shirt as he held her close, murmuring steady, reassuring words against her hair. He whispered promises, strength, faith anything to anchor her breaking heart.
And then morning came.
It was time.
Sofía couldn’t pull herself together. The terrifying thought that he might leave and never return clawed at her mind, refusing to loosen its grip.
Fernando lifted his hand and cradled her cheeks in his large palm, his thumb brushing gently beneath her eyes to wipe away her tears. She leaned into his touch instinctively, covering his hand with both of hers as if trying to memorize its warmth. Pressing a soft kiss into his palm, she felt his chest tighten beneath the fragile gesture.
“You have to be strong,” he said quietly.
She nodded, though her voice broke when she answered, “I’m trying.”
He drew her into him and kissed her.
The kiss was everything at once hungry yet tender, deep yet careful. He took his time, savoring her, leaving her breathless as though he were trying to imprint himself into her very soul.
They parted, both breathing heavily. He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead before taking her hand in his and leading her out of the room.
In the lounge, his men stood prepared, armored in readiness.
Across the room, Corinne clung to Ricardo, tears streaking down her face as she said her goodbye. The sight made reality settle like ice in Sofía’s veins.
It was time.
She grabbed Fernando by the collar and pulled him into her, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. For a brief second, he stiffened. He never showed affection before his men truthfully, he rarely showed it at all.
But then, as if something inside him snapped, he stopped caring.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed her soft body against his hard one, inhaling deeply as though drawing her scent into his lungs would sustain him through battle.
She didn’t want to let go.
But she had to.
They slowly pulled apart. He cupped her cheek once more and pressed a final kiss to her forehead before stepping back.
Corinne came to stand beside her, gripping her shoulders as they watched the warriors file out of the mansion with Fernando at their head.
Tears fell freely.
The mansion felt hollow the second the doors closed behind them.
She felt empty.
Sad.
Lonely.
Two weeks passed.
No word.
No sign.
No message from Fernando or any of his men.
Those weeks dragged like a nightmare she couldn’t wake from. The silence reopened old wounds the days she had lost her parents, then her grandfather, each loss leaving her more alone than the last.
She hadn’t felt well since the previous week. A constant heaviness sat in her chest. Nausea greeted her every morning. Fatigue clung to her bones no matter how much she rested. Most days she stayed in their room, curled up on his side of the bed.
She wore his shirts.
Sprayed his cologne on the pillows.
Anything to soften the ache of his absence.
But there was still a missing piece.
To distract herself, Corinne introduced her to the library. Sofía began reading about werewolf history, their traditions, their culture, their laws.
The more she learned, the deeper her understanding grew. She no longer felt like an outsider looking in.
She was one of them.
She studied the lives of past Lunas and slowly realized the magnitude of what was expected of her. The role carried weight responsibility, leadership, compassion. It was no different than being a queen.
And so she decided to act like one.
She began spending time with the pack the Ancient Blood pack. Her pack. She created a small judiciary system, listening to disputes and concerns, offering fair solutions. For a week she worked tirelessly, determined to be worthy of the title she carried.
Corinne watched her with pride.
One afternoon, while standing in the kitchen, a sudden wave of dizziness crashed over her. The room spun violently. Before she could steady herself, she tilted sideways.
Corinne caught her just in time.
“Sofía! Sofía!” she cried, panic rising in her voice as she gently patted her cheeks.
Sofía’s eyes fluttered open sluggishly.
A special guard was summoned. He lifted her effortlessly and carried her to her room, placing her carefully on the bed.
The special guards weren’t human.
They weren’t werewolves either.
They were vampires.
Sofía had nearly fainted the first time she learned vampires existed. But after accepting werewolves as reality, the idea of vampires became easier to swallow. At this point, she believed almost anything.
The vampire guards had been sent by Fernando’s friend a vampire king named Bruno. She had never met him and preferred it that way.
They were stationed there to protect the pack in Fernando’s absence.
Through her reading, she had also discovered the existence of witches. Some had been close friends of Fernando’s late mother. Those witches had woven a powerful protective barrier around the Ancient Blood pack to shield them from enemies.
The pack doctor arrived and began examining her.
“When was your last period?” he asked calmly.
Her cheeks burned as she thought back and then her eyes widened as they locked with Corinne’s.
Jeanne and Claire, standing nearby, gasped.
“I… I was supposed to have them last week,” she murmured. “But I didn’t.”
The doctor nodded and handed her a pregnancy test strip.
Her hands trembled as she accepted it.
He explained the procedure carefully before leaving the room to give them privacy.
Corinne helped her into the restroom.
Once she finished, Sofía opened the door and immediately three girls rushed in behind her. The test strip lay on the edge of the sink.
“How long does it take?” Jeanne asked anxiously.
Claire pulled out her phone and searched for the answer.
“Five minutes,” she said.
“Four now,” Corinne whispered, eyes fixed on the strip as if staring alone could force the result to appear.
Sofía sat quietly on the edge of the bathtub, her heart pounding violently against her ribs.
Deep down, she already knew.
The exhaustion.
The nausea.
The mornings spent throwing up.
It all made sense.
Suddenly
“Ahhhhhh!” Corinne shrieked.
Claire and Jeanne squealed right after her. The three of them began jumping up and down, hugging each other in excitement before spinning toward Sofía.
“YOU’RE PREGNANT!”
Their voices rang in unison.
A sob tore from Sofía’s throat as she covered her mouth, tears spilling freely down her cheeks.
Pregnant.
She was pregnant.
Joy burst inside her chest so brightly it almost hurt.
She was carrying his child.