Chapter 162

Kayla

That night, Grace’s words kept swirling through my mind. Was it true? Was Nicholas only with me because he thought I had information on Luporath?

My first instinct was not to believe it, of course. I trusted Nicholas with my entire heart. We’d been through too much together at this point for me to think he had such nefarious intentions, and yet…

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get her warning out of my mind. Even as I fell asleep curled up in Nicholas’s arms, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I’d have to do some of my own digging, I decided. Until I found tangible proof that Nicholas had any bad intentions, I wouldn’t believe it.

In fact, I would refuse to believe it until then.

I woke with a jolt later that night to the sensation of my stomach churning unpleasantly. The digital clock on the nightstand read 3:17 AM. Nicholas was sleeping soundly beside me, his breathing deep and even.

A wave of nausea suddenly hit me, and I carefully slipped out from under his arm, padding quickly to the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before emptying the contents of my stomach.

I knelt there for several minutes, waiting to see if another wave would come. When it seemed like the worst had passed, I flushed the toilet and rinsed my mouth at the sink. My reflection in the mirror looked pale and clammy.

Must have been something I ate at Grace’s, I thought, splashing cold water on my face.

Once I was cleaned up, I crept back to bed, sliding carefully under the covers. Nicholas stirred slightly but didn’t wake. I curled up on my side, placing a hand on my queasy stomach, and eventually drifted back to sleep.

…

“Are you sure you’re feeling up to this?” Nicholas asked the next morning as we drove to Bluemoon pack territory. “You look a little pale.”

I nodded, although the motion of the car wasn’t doing my stomach any favors. I still felt like hell after last night, and had nearly thrown up once already. “I’m fine. Probably just ate something that didn’t agree with me last night.”

Nicholas didn’t look convinced but didn’t push the issue. When we arrived, Ava greeted us warmly at the main house, immediately ushering us into the kitchen where the air smelled like fresh bread and bacon.

“I’m making breakfast,” she announced. “You two sit. You look like you need something to eat, Kayla.”

I opened my mouth to protest that I wasn’t very hungry, but Nicholas was already pulling out a chair for me at the kitchen table. I sat, watching as Ava bustled around, cracking eggs into a pan. Maybe one of Ava’s home-cooked meals would settle my stomach.

But when the eggs began sizzling in the pan, it happened. My stomach lurched, and I clapped a hand over my mouth, jumping to my feet.

I bolted to the bathroom, barely making it in time. After emptying what little remained in my stomach, I sat back against the cool tile wall, breathing deeply. A soft knock came at the door a few moments later.

“Kayla?” It was Ava, not Nicholas. “Can I come in?”

“Yes,” I croaked.

She slipped inside, closing the door behind her. Rather than looking disgusted, her expression was thoughtful as she wet a washcloth and handed it to me.

“When was your last moon cycle?” she asked without preamble.

I blinked at her, the washcloth halfway to my face. “What?”

“Your period,” she repeated. “When was it?”

I thought back, counting the weeks. With everything that had been happening—the wedding, the visit to Grace—I hadn’t even noticed that I was late. Very late, actually.

“Oh,” I breathed, the realization hitting me. My heart began to race.

Ava nodded, reaching into the medicine cabinet for a pregnancy test. Her face was ashen as she handed it to me.

Ten minutes later, I stared at the little plastic stick in my hands, at the two pink lines that had appeared almost instantly.

Pregnant. I was pregnant.

A rush of emotions flooded through me—shock, disbelief, and most of all, overwhelming joy. A baby. Nicholas and I were going to have a baby.

I didn’t hesitate. I burst out of the bathroom, nearly colliding with Ava, who was waiting in the hallway. Her eyes widened when she saw the look on my face and the test in my hands.

“Nicholas!” I called out, rushing back toward the kitchen. “Nicholas!”

He appeared in the hallway. “What is it? Are you okay?”

I held up the test, tears springing to my eyes. “I’m pregnant,” I said. “We’re going to have a baby.”

For a moment, Nicholas stood frozen, staring at the test in my hand. My heart sank; was he upset? Disappointed? But then his face transformed, joy lighting up his features as he closed the distance between us in two long strides. He lifted me off my feet, spinning me in a circle as he laughed. I nearly threw up again.

“Nicholas—I’m gonna—” I clamped my hand over my mouth, willing it not to come.

“Shit. sorry,” he said, setting me down gently. “But… are you sure? A baby? You’re pregnant?”

“The test doesn’t lie,” I said, breathless. “And neither does my stomach.”

Nicholas beamed, running both hands through his hair, mussing it, before he cupped my face and kissed me. It was deep, passionate, loving, and fully erased all of the fears that Grace’s words had settled in my mind.

“A baby,” he murmured when we pulled apart for air, pressing his forehead to mine. “We’re having a baby.”

I nodded, laughing through my tears. In that moment, everything else fell away. Nothing mattered except the miracle growing inside of me.

When Nicholas finally released me, I turned to find Ava, who was watching us. But unlike Nicholas and me, her expression wasn’t purely joyful. There was worry there, a tightness around her eyes that made my stomach clench with something other than morning sickness.

“We should call the doctor,” she said. “Right away.”

Nicholas’s smile faltered slightly. “Why so soon? Is something wrong?”

Ava hesitated, glancing between us. “I just think it’s best that Kayla gets checked out as soon as possible. First pregnancies are always… delicate.”

The way she said that word—delicate—sent a chill through me, but I nodded. “Of course. That makes sense.”

The family doctor arrived within the hour. He was a middle-aged man with kind eyes but a serious demeanor, and he examined me with professional efficiency. When he was done, he confirmed what the home test had already told us—I was pregnant, likely about six weeks along.

But instead of offering congratulations, he sat down across from Nicholas and me, his expression grave.

“Mrs. Reynolds,” he began, and my heart sank at his tone, “I need to discuss some concerns with you about this pregnancy.”

“What concerns?” I asked, my mouth suddenly dry.

The doctor took a deep breath. “Carrying a werewolf child—especially an Alpha’s child—puts tremendous strain on both the baby and the mother’s body. Especially when the mother doesn’t have a wolf.”

Nicholas stiffened beside me. My free hand instinctively went to my stomach. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that without a wolf of your own to help support the pregnancy, your body may not be capable of carrying this child to term.” He hesitated, glancing up at Nicholas. “And attempting to do so could pose serious risks to your health.”

“Are you suggesting—” Nicholas started.

“I’m suggesting that termination might be the safest option,” the doctor said gently.

Hearing him say those words felt like a knife twisting in my gut over and over again. I shook my head, unable to form words for a moment.

“No,” I finally managed. “No, I won’t—I can’t just give up without trying. There must be something we can do.”

The doctor sighed. “There are some medications, some treatments we could try. But I want to be very clear—this will be extremely difficult, and there are no guarantees. The risks to you and the baby are significant.”

I looked at Nicholas, seeking support, but his face had gone pale. He looked stunned, lost in thought.

The doctor prescribed some prenatal vitamins specially formulated for wolfless mothers and promised to return in a few days with more information about potential treatments. After he left, I retreated to my childhood bedroom, not having the energy to do much else.

Nicholas didn’t blame me for any of this, of course, but he needed some air, so he went outside for a brief walk. I couldn’t blame him for that, either. It was a lot to process.

I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, one hand resting on my stomach. Inside me was a tiny life, half me and half Nicholas. A miracle. And now I’d been told that my own body might reject it, might not be strong enough to nurture it.

The thought of losing this baby before I’d even had a chance to know them was unbearable. Tears slid down my temples, soaking into the pillow beneath my head.

Hours passed. I must have dozed off eventually because I woke to the sound of voices outside. Pushing myself up, I moved to the window. Below, in the garden, stood Nicholas. He wasn’t alone—Anna was with him, her son cradled in her arms.

As I watched, she said something that made Nicholas smile, then handed him the baby. Nicholas took the child, holding him up in the air and making the baby giggle. The look on his face made my heart ache.

Would he ever get to hold our child like that? Or would my wolfless body fail all three of us?

I turned away from the window, unable to watch anymore. Climbing back into bed, I pulled out my phone, needing a distraction. I opened my social media, scrolling mindlessly through updates from pack members and acquaintances.

And then I froze, my thumb hovering over the screen as a headline caught my eye. It had been posted just twenty minutes ago on one of the unofficial pack news accounts:

“Luna Kayla, the Wolfless Luna, is Pregnant; But for How Long?”