Chapter 55 Elara's POV
The pregnancy symptoms were getting worse.
I stood in front of the mirror in my bathroom, looking at the small bump that had finally appeared. Still subtle enough that loose clothing could hide it, but visible enough when I was alone like this.
My hand rested on the curve, feeling the life growing inside me. My baby, Kaden's baby. A child blessed by the heavens with a lunar pulse.
And right now, that child was making me miserable.
The nausea had evolved. It wasn't just morning sickness anymore, it was all-day sickness. The smell of meat made me gag. The taste of anything too sweet made me want to cry even though water sometimes felt wrong in my stomach.
And the exhaustion I had never been so tired in my life. I could sleep twelve hours and wake up feeling like I hadn't rested at all.
"This is normal," Damian kept assuring me during his daily check-ups.
"Your body is working hard to support the baby's growth. The lunar pulse makes it even more demanding."
"How much worse can it get?"
"Well, you are entering the second trimester soon. Some women feel better than others..." He trailed off.
"Others what?"
"Others have a harder time especially with blessed children. The heavens power is a gift, but it comes with a cost."
Tonight was one of the harder nights.
I had been trying to sleep for hours, tossing and turning, unable to find a comfortable position. The baby seemed restless too, shifting and moving inside me in ways that sent uncomfortable pressure through my abdomen.
I finally gave up around one in the morning and went to sit by the window, hoping fresh air might help settle my stomach.
The moon was full tonight bright and massive, hanging low in the sky like a silver coin. Beautiful.
I opened the window wider, letting the cool night air wash over my face. It felt good. Soothing.
Then I noticed something strange.
The moonlight streaming through my window felt different than normal light warmer somehow more alive.
I held my hand up in the beam of light, watching it illuminate my skin.
And my skin began to glow.
Not dramatically. Just a faint, silvery shimmer that seemed to pulse in rhythm with my heartbeat.
"What..." I whispered, pulling my hand back.
The glow faded immediately when I moved out of the direct moonlight.
I looked down at my stomach at the small bump visible through my thin nightgown. Slowly, carefully, I stood directly in the patch of moonlight on the floor.
The effect was immediate and overwhelming.
My entire body began to tingle. Not painfully, but intensely. Like every nerve ending was suddenly awake and singing the glow spread across my skin, arms, legs, face everything the moonlight touched seemed to come alive with that silvery shimmer.
And the baby. Oh God, the baby.
I felt movement was a strong, purposeful movement. The baby was responding to the moonlight too.
Then the pain hit.
Sharp, sudden like someone had stabbed me in the stomach.
I gasped and doubled over, my hands clutching my abdomen. The room spun. My vision blurred.
"No," I whimpered.
"Please, not the baby. Please."
Another wave of pain crashed through me. Stronger this time. I tried to move out of the moonlight but my legs wouldn't cooperate. I sank to my knees, gasping.
The door burst open.
"Elara!"
Kaden was there, his hair disheveled, wearing only sleep pants, looking absolutely terrified.
"I felt it through the bond," He said, dropping to his knees beside me.
"I felt your pain. What's wrong? What happened?"
"I don't know," I gasped.
"The moonlight…..something's wrong….the baby-"
"Damian!" Kaden shouted toward the hallway. "Get Damian here now!"
He tried to help me stand but another wave of pain made me cry out. Kaden scooped me up in his arms instead, carrying me to the bed and gently laying me down.
"Stay with me," He said, his voice rough with emotion. "Just stay with me, Elara."
Within minutes, the room was crowded. Damian rushed in with his medical bag. Ethan appeared in the doorway, concern etched on his face. Kara pushed past him, her eyes wide with fear.
"Everyone back," Damian ordered, moving to my bedside. "Give me space to work."
He pressed his hands against my stomach, his eyes closed in concentration. Checking for something I couldn't understand.
"The baby's heartbeat is strong," he said after what felt like an eternity. "No signs of distress. But something triggered a uterine contraction. Elara, what happened? What were you doing?"
I looked at Kaden, then at the others crowding my room. I couldn't tell them about the moonlight. Couldn't explain what I'd felt without sounding insane.
"I was just sitting by the window," I said. "Getting some air then the pain started."
Damian's eyes narrowed slightly, like he knew I wasn't telling him everything. But he didn't push.
"I'm going to give you something to stop the contractions," He said, pulling a syringe from his bag. "It's safe for the baby, it will help your body relax."
He administered the injection gently almost immediately, I felt the pain begin to ease. The cramping stopped and my breathing became easier.
"Better?" Damian asked.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
"Good now I want you to rest no more getting up. No more walking around, just sleeping."
"I can't sleep, I've been trying for hours."
"Then I will give you something mild to help." He prepared another injection.
"This will make you drowsy. Don't fight it. Your body needs rest."
Before he could administer it, I heard a voice from the doorway.
"My, my. What a dramatic scene the entire household rushing to save the poor omega."
Selena stood there in a silk robe, her hair perfect despite the late hour, a cruel smile on her face.