Three

Chapter Three 

Nia’s POV

Two months had passed since Kadox returned to the Black Moon Pack, and somehow, everything had changed without anyone saying it out loud.

The pack was no longer as peaceful as it had been before his return.

Everywhere I went, I could feel the tension among the wolves, especially whenever KadoxKadox and Azrael were in the same place.

Kadox had returned as the Alpha who had disappeared during the war, the man who had ruled the pack before anyone believed he was dead, and now that he was standing among us again, the council had been forced to question whether Azrael should still be sitting on the throne.

Azrael was not himself anymore.

The confident Alpha I had once known had become restless and suspicious, constantly calling meetings with the council, questioning the warriors, and spending hours in his study because he was terrified that everything he had built over the last three years would be taken from him.

He was afraid of losing his position.

Afraid of losing his pack.

Afraid of losing the throne he had once believed was completely his bt I had my own secret.

I had spent the last two months avoiding Kadox.

Whenever I saw him in the hallway, I turned in another direction.

Whenever he entered a room, I found an excuse to leave.

Whenever our eyes accidentally met, I looked away so quickly that I was sure he could see the guilt written all over my face.

I couldn't face him. How could I?

He was my husband's stepbrother, he was the man who had held me that night.

The man I had kissed, the man I had slept with while believing he was Azrael.

Even though I had not known who he was at the time, the truth did not make me feel any less guilty.

I was still Azrael's wife, I was still his Luna and KadoxKadox was still his brother.

So I stayed away from him.

I told myself that if I never looked at him again, perhaps I could pretend that night had never happened.

Perhaps I could bury it somewhere inside my heart and continue living as though nothing had changed but my body had not allowed me to forget.

For the past few days, I had been feeling strange.

I was tired more often than usual, certain smells made my stomach turn, and sometimes my wolf became unusually restless for no reason.

I had blamed everything on stress.

There was enough of it in the pack already. Azrael was constantly worried about Kadox.

The council was divided, the warriors were choosing sides and Hailey was still around him almost every day, as though she had already decided that I would eventually lose my position as Luna.

I had more than enough reasons to feel sick.

So when the nausea hit me that morning, I didn't think much of it.

I had been walking through the hallway when suddenly my stomach twisted violently, I covered my mouth and hurried toward the nearest bathroom.

The moment I reached it, I pushed the door open and rushed inside.

I barely made it to the sink before I began vomiting.

My eyes filled with tears as I gripped the edge of the basin, trying to steady myself while my stomach continued to empty.

When it finally stopped, I remained there for a few moments, breathing heavily.

I felt weak, I wiped my mouth and reached for the glass beside the sink, but before I could take it, a voice came from behind me.

“Take this instead.”

My entire body froze. I knew that voice.

Slowly, I turned around.

Kadox stood near the bathroom door, holding a bottle of water in his hand.

My heart nearly stopped. “What are you doing here?”

My voice came out shakier than I wanted.

He walked closer and held the water toward me. “You look like you need it.”

I stared at him without taking it.

Fear rushed through me as I looked toward the bathroom door. “What are you doing here, Kadox?”

His expression remained calm. “Have you already forgotten me after one night?”

My eyes widened.

I immediately stepped toward him and placed my hand over his mouth.

“Stop talking,” I whispered, my voice trembling as I looked toward the door. “No one can hear you, and I don't understand what you're talking about.”

He slowly removed my hand from his lips.

His eyes remained fixed on mine. “Do you want me to remind you what happened that night so you can understand?”

“No.” The answer came out immediately.

I shook my head, my heart pounding. “No, Kadox, please don't.” I glanced toward the door again. “I am your brother's wife, and no one can ever know about what happened between us.”

Kadox stared at me for a long moment before giving a small nod. “You can do whatever it takes to keep that cheating man who carries his girlfriend everywhere he goes.”

My eyes narrowed. “Shut up. He is my husband.”

“Your husband indeed.”

The way he said those words made my cheeks burn.

He stepped closer. “Then tell me something, Luna. Why are you vomiting?”

I opened my mouth, but no answer came.

He looked at me carefully. “Are you pregnant?”

My heart stopped.

I stared at him. Pregnant?

The word echoed inside my mind.

I slowly placed a hand over my stomach.

No; It couldn't be, I tried to remember the last time I had seen my period.

My mind went blank.

I frowned and tried again. Last month?

No! 

I had been so busy dealing with everything happening in the pack that I hadn't paid attention.

I thought about the month before that, still nothing.

My heart began pounding harder. “My period…”

Kadox's expression changed when he saw my face.

I swallowed. “My period…” I looked at him in horror. “No.” I shook my head. “It can't be.”

He didn't say anything.

I stepped backward, my hand still pressed against my stomach.

For three years, everyone had called me barren.

For three years, I had prayed for an heir.

For three years, I had watched other women carry their Alpha's pups while I was blamed for the empty nursery that waited inside our home.

And now… No!

It couldn't be, I looked at KadoxKadox.

“Better check,” he said quietly.

I shook my head quickly. “Leave.”

He didn't move. 

“Kadox, please leave. No one can see us together.”

For the first time, something softened in his expression.

He placed the bottle of water on the counter beside me. “Then find out the truth before you start panicking.”

He turned toward the door, I watched him leave.

The moment the door closed behind him, I slowly sank against the wall.

My hand remained over my stomach.

My breathing became uneven.

I tried to convince myself that it was impossible.

Maybe I had simply been stressed, maybe the fertility seed had changed something in my body, .aybe my period was only late, maybe there was another explanation but deep inside me, my wolf had already begun whispering the answer I was terrified to hear.

I closed my eyes, one night, one night with Kadox, the only night I had ever been with another man.

My lips trembled.

For three years, I had prayed for a child, for three years, I had been called barren.

And now, after one forbidden night with the one man I should never have touched, my body might finally be carrying the heir I had always wanted.

My hand trembled against my stomach.

But there was one thing I already knew.

If I was truly pregnant, the child could not be Azrael's.

I closed my eyes as tears slipped down my cheeks because there had only been one man with me that night.

Kadox, my husband's brother ad possibly the father of my unborn child.