Chapter 67 THE CONCERNED MATE
Raphael's Pov
I woke up and reached for Medea but her side of the bed was cold. She wasn't there and that was weird because she usually slept late now that she was pregnant.
I sat up and looked around the room but I didn't see her anywhere. I got out of bed and checked the bathroom but she wasn't in there either.
I walked to the door and opened it and saw one of the servants walking by.
"Have you seen Luna Medea?" I asked.
“Yes, Alpha. She went for an early morning walk,” the servant said respectfully, keeping her head lowered. “She mentioned needing fresh air and a bit of exercise for the baby.” There was a brief hesitation before she continued, as if weighing whether to add more. “She didn’t say how long she would be gone.” The words sounded innocent enough, but something about the timing lingered in the air, carrying an unease that suggested the walk might have been about more than just health or routine.
That didn't sound right to me. The Elders told her she needed to rest and take it easy because the pregnancy was troubled. Why would she be out walking?
"How long ago did she leave?" I asked.
"About an hour ago I think," the servant said.
I told the servant to let me know when Medea got back and then I went to take a shower. I was worried about her being out there alone but I tried to tell myself she was fine. She was probably just feeling restless.
But the whole time I was in the shower I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
When I got out and got dressed I went downstairs to have breakfast and that's when I saw Medea come in through the back door. She looked terrible. Her face was really pale and she had dark circles under her eyes and her hands were shaking.
"Medea? Are you okay?" I asked and I walked over to her fast.
"I'm fine," Medea said but her voice sounded weird.
"You don't look fine. You look sick," I said.
"I just felt nauseous. I needed some air," Medea said.
"The Elders said you need to rest. You shouldn't be walking around like that," I said.
"I know but I couldn't sleep. I felt trapped in the room," Medea said.
I touched her forehead to see if she had a fever but her skin felt normal.
"Your hands are shaking," I said and I grabbed her hands to hold them still.
"It's just the cold. I was outside for a while," Medea said and she pulled her hands away from me.
"Come sit down. Let me get you some tea or something," I said.
"I don't want tea," Medea said.
"Then what do you want?" I asked.
"I just want to go back to bed," Medea said.
But something about the way she said it made my instincts prickle. Her voice was steady, too steady, like she had rehearsed the words before speaking them. She didn’t look tired the way someone would after an early walk; she looked tense, eyes darting briefly before settling back on me. Scared, maybe. Or guilty. I couldn’t tell which, only that she was hiding something. The feeling settled deep in my gut, heavy and unsettling, telling me this wasn’t just a harmless explanation—and that whatever the truth was, it mattered far more than she wanted me to believe.
"I think you should see Dr. Lake. Just to make sure everything is okay with the baby," I said.
"No. I'm fine. I don't need to see the doctor," Medea said really fast.
"Medea you were just outside walking around when you're supposed to be resting. And now you look like you're about to pass out. I think we should at least have Dr Lake check on you," I said.
"Raphael I said I'm fine," Medea said and her voice got loud.
I was surprised because she never yelled at me like that. Something was definitely wrong.
“Okay. Okay. You don’t have to see the doctor if you don’t want to,” I said quickly, softening my voice when I saw the panic flicker across her face. “But please, just sit down and rest.” I reached out, not touching her, but close enough to offer support if she needed it. She looked fragile, like she was holding herself together by sheer will. Whatever she wasn’t saying was weighing on her, and I could feel the urgency of it pressing into the silence between us.
Medea sat down on the couch and I sat next to her. She was staring straight ahead and not looking at me.
"Did something happen? While you were out walking I mean," I asked.
"No. Nothing happened," Medea said.
"Then why do you seem so upset?" I asked.
"I'm not upset. I'm just tired and I don't feel good," Medea said.
I put my hand on her knee and she flinched like I hurt her or something.
"Medea what's going on?" I asked.
"Nothing is going on. Why do you keep asking me that?" Medea said.
“Because you’re acting strange,” I said, the worry finally breaking through my restraint. “You went for a walk when you’re supposed to be resting. You came back looking sick. Your hands won’t stop shaking, and now you’re snapping at me.” My voice wasn’t raised, but it trembled anyway. I searched her face for some sign of honesty, some reassurance that I was wrong. “I’m not trying to control you,” I added more quietly. “I’m scared something’s wrong, and you won’t let me help.”
"I'm not snapping at you," Medea said but she totally was.
"Yes, you are. And I'm just trying to help," I said.
Medea finally looked at me and I saw tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. You're right. I'm not feeling well and I think it's making me emotional," Medea said.
"It's okay. Pregnancy hormones can do that. My mom told me she cried all the time when she was pregnant with me," I said and I tried to make her smile but she didn't.
"Can I please just go lie down?" Medea asked.
"Of course. Do you want me to come with you?" I asked.
"No. I just need to sleep alone for a while," Medea said.
That hurt my feelings a little bit but I didn't say anything. I figured she just needed space.
"Okay. I'll check on you later," I said.
Medea got up and walked toward the stairs, but something was off immediately. Her steps were uneven, hesitant, like her legs didn’t quite want to cooperate. She reached for the banister, fingers tightening as if she needed the support more than she wanted to admit. Each movement looked forced, careful, and wrong. My chest tightened as I watched her go, a sick feeling settling in my gut. Whatever she was pushing through, it wasn’t just exhaustion—and pretending not to notice suddenly felt impossible.
"Medea?" I called after her.
"What?" she asked and she didn't turn around.
"I love you," I said.
She stopped walking for a second and then she said "I love you too" but it sounded wrong. Like she was reading from a script or something.
Then she went upstairs and I just stood there feeling confused about what just happened.
I decided maybe I should call Dr Lake anyway just to ask if this was normal. Maybe all pregnant women acted like this and I just didn't know.
I went to my office and called Dr Lake and told her what happened.
“It could just be pregnancy hormones,” Dr. Lake said carefully, his tone calm but firm, “but given that the pregnancy is already considered troubled, I think it would be best if I examined her—just to be safe.” He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing in thought. “Even small changes in her vitals or behavior could signal something serious. I’d rather be thorough now than risk missing an early warning sign that could escalate later.” His gaze shifted to me, quietly urging action, reminding me that caution was the only responsible choice.
"She doesn't want to see you. She got really defensive when I suggested it," I said.
"That's concerning. Luna Medea has always been cooperative with medical care before, something might be wrong," Dr. Lake said.
"What should I do?" I asked.
"Give her a few hours to rest. Then insist that I come check on her. If she refuses I'll have to make it a medical order," Dr. Lake said.