Chapter 247

Ava

As the week passed, I found myself feeling worse with each passing day. The mornings were especially rough, a constant battle against waves of nausea and fatigue that seemed to worsen as the days went by.

I tried to push through it, attributing the symptoms to stress and lack of sleep, but deep down, I knew something wasn’t right.

Eventually, the morning before Olivia’s ‘welcome party’ arrived. I woke bright and early with Chris, our entire day scheduled down to the hour: pack our things, say our goodbyes, take Ophelia and go to the docks. There, we would get on a private boat to the human world.

But we wouldn’t be going to the human world. Once we were halfway across the strait, Chris would turn the boat east and travel around the coast, making our way to the other side of Moonstone. There, we would reconvene with Leonard and Patrick, and wait until it was time.

“Eat up,” Chris said, scooping a large helping of eggs onto my plate. “You need to get your strength up.”

“Thanks. These look—”

Oh, no.

The smell of the eggs set my stomach churning in an instant. Suddenly, I was bolting to the bathroom, barely making it in time before emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet.

As I knelt there, gasping and shaking, I heard Chris’s concerned voice from the other side of the door—which I had thankfully locked in my haste. “Ava? Are you alright?”

I quickly flushed the toilet and stumbled to the sink, splashing cold water on my face and rinsing my mouth. “I’m fine,” I called out, my voice hoarse. “Just freshening up.”

When I emerged from the bathroom, Chris was waiting, spatula still in hand and his brow furrowed with concern. “Are you sure you’re okay? I thought I heard you throwing up.”

I forced a smile, not wanting to worry him. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just felt a little queasy, that’s all. Probably just nervous about tomorrow.”

Chris didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he didn’t push the issue. Instead, he leaned in and kissed me softly on the cheek. “If you’re sure,” he said. “I need to head to the Packhouse to finalize some things. Will you be alright here?”

I nodded, trying to look more confident than I felt. “Of course. I’ll start packing up later today.”

“Remember to open the curtains and windows while you’re at it,” he said as he took off his apron and hung it on the hook inside the kitchen. “Remember, we need to—”

“Make it seem like we’re really preparing to leave,” I interrupted, nodding. “I know. Don’t worry about me. I’ve got it under control.”

Chris hesitated for a moment, then pulled me into a tight hug. “I know you do,” he murmured into my hair. “You always do. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Ava.”

I melted into his arms, breathing in his comforting scent. For a moment, I considered telling him about how I had been feeling, but I couldn’t bring myself to add to his worries. Not now, not when we were so close to the end of this ordeal.

“Alright. I’ll be back soon,” Chris said as he pulled away. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

I nodded and watched as he headed down the path toward town. As soon as he was out of sight, I closed the door and leaned against it, clutching my roiling stomach. The nausea had subsided for the most part, but a gnawing worry had taken its place.

Could I be ill like Leonard? The thought sent a chill down my spine. Or could it be something else entirely?

I tried to push the thoughts aside as I went about my tasks for the day. I opened curtains and windows, letting the crisp morning air fill the cottage. I pulled out suitcases and began to half-heartedly fill them with clothes and personal items, all the while keeping an eye out for any sign of Elise or her spies.

Later in the afternoon, I made my way down to the cellar to administer Leonard’s medication. As I prepared the syringe, my hands shook; I hadn’t managed to eat yet. Every time I tried, my stomach would churn and ruin my appetite entirely.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Leonard,” I began hesitantly, “when you first started feeling ill, what were your symptoms like?”

Leonard jerked his head up, worry in his eyes. “Well, it started with shortness of breath, mostly. Why do you ask?”

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant as I wiped the injection site with alcohol. “Just curious. Did you ever experience any nausea or vomiting, or…?”

He shook his head. “No, nothing like that. My symptoms were all breathing-related at first. Never had any stomach issues.”

“Oh,” I said, the tightness in my chest loosening ever so slightly. “Nevermind, then.”

Leonard’s eyes narrowed as he studied my face. “Why? Have you been throwing up?”

I hesitated, wondering how much to tell him, but then decided there was no point in lying. “Don’t tell Chris, but… I threw up this morning,” I admitted. Then quickly added: “But it’s probably nothing. Just a touch of food poisoning or nerves or something.”

Leonard’s gaze dropped to my belly, and I felt my face pale. There was a long, uncomfortable silence before he spoke again.

“Ava,” he said carefully, “have you been taking the contraceptive tonic that the women in the pack use?”

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. “I... well, I haven’t been very good about taking it regularly lately,” I confessed. “With everything going on, I’ve been falling behind on that sort of thing.”

Leonard nodded, his expression unreadable. “I see,” was all he said before turning away.

As I finished administering his medication, the silence between us felt almost deafening. I could tell Leonard wanted to say more, but he was holding back, not wanting to overstep.

“Thanks, Leonard,” I said as I packed up the medical supplies. “I should get back upstairs. Chris will be home soon.”

Leonard nodded. “Of course. And Ava?” he called as I reached the stairs, and I turned to see a concerned look in those gray eyes of his. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

I managed a small smile. “I will. Thanks, Leonard.”

As I made my way back up to the main floor of the cottage, my mind was racing. Should I take a pregnancy test? The possibility that I could be pregnant both thrilled and terrified me. Chris and I had talked about having children someday, but now? In the midst of all this chaos?

I found myself pacing the living room while I waited for Chris to come home, my mind whirling.

On one hand, the timing couldn’t be worse. We were on the brink of a confrontation that could determine the fate of our entire pack. The last thing we needed was another complication, something else to protect.

But on the other hand, if I was pregnant...

No. I didn’t want to consider that possibility. One step at a time. I couldn’t handle the thought of another life being in our hands.

I walked over to the window, gazing out at the village. Moonstone looked so peaceful from here, the late afternoon sun casting a golden glow over the little clusters of vibrantly-painted cottages. The bioluminescent plants were beginning their nightly show, oblivious to what was about to happen in the coming hours.

Slowly, my hand fluttered down toward my belly, resting there. I didn’t even mean to do it; it just… happened. And despite everything, a tiny smile tugged at my lips.

Maybe having another life in my hands was just the push I’d need to ensure that tomorrow went according to plan.

I was so lost in thought that I almost didn’t hear the front door open.

“Ava?” Chris called out. “I’m home.”