Ava's pov
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the Blackthorn castle, warm and golden as it spilled across the newly polished floors. I stood at the balcony just outside the council chamber, my eyes tracing the distant tree lines. Smoke no longer rose from the hills. Screams no longer echoed through the valley.
Peace.
It was strange how something we fought so long and hard for could feel so… quiet.
I placed a hand over my stomach. That now familiar queasiness cane again, subtle but persistent. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, grounding myself the way I’d been practicing since taking on the Luna title. Calm. Poise. Grace.
“Luna Ava?” A voice called gently from behind. One of the omegas.
“Yes?”
“Lady Vanessa and the others are waiting in the courtyard. You said you wanted to walk with them today?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I smiled and nodded, but the moment I turned my back, the nausea returned—like it never left. I gritted my teeth and blinked back the faint dizziness. I've been
