30: Darius's POV

Aidan, Beta to the Midnight Pack and friend to Ada, entered our dining area right on time. Nikolai had called for this meal so that Aidan would have an opportunity to discuss with all of us what, exactly, was going on within his home pack. Most of what he’d said had aligned with what Nik’s spy network reported, but there were a few details that needed ironing out. However, upon his arrival, my brothers and I exchanged looks.

The Beta was pale, his body rigid and as straight as a rod. His hands were shaking as they ran through his hair. The young man’s eyes darted between my brothers and I, as if he couldn’t determine which one of us he should address. After about thirty seconds of watching him stare each of us down while opening and closing his mouth repeatedly like a fish out of water, I cleared my throat.

Aidan’s eyes shot to mine and the words came spilling out of his mouth, “Ada’s in the infirmary and thinks she might be pregnant.”

It was like the air had been sucked from the room itself. I watched as Phoenix’s eyes flickered to mine, face blank as they moved over to Nik. Our middle brother had gone shockingly pale, as if that tight mask he managed to keep around himself all the time had faltered with that one statement. I swallowed and inclined my head to Aidan. For a split second, I thought he wouldn’t grasp the dismissal.

But without one more word, the beta turned on his heel and left. Whatever conversation we needed to have about the Midnight Pack could clearly wait. Nik clucked his tongue, his voice merely a whisper, “Is it even possible for her to be pregnant so soon?”

Before I could answer, Phoenix questioned, “How do we know whose child it is?” he cocked his head to the side, untethered fiery hair spilling over his shoulder, “What does it mean if the child is Nik’s or mine? Would you still take the throne?”

How none of us had bothered to ask those questions before, I didn’t know. All the women we’d shared before didn't matter. We were careful, and if anything had happened with them, it would have been dealt with discreetly. There was no possible impact for our futures. But with Ada… who knew what a pregnancy could change. How *would* our father handle it if a child was born with bright red hair or black as night eyes? Would it displace me from the precarious throne I’d somehow won?

I shoved back from the table and shook my head, “We will have to get answers to those questions later. I’ll be back.”

If I was confused and conflicted, if Phoenix and Nik were as well, I could only imagine what Ada was feeling. And if it was half as bad as the pit in my stomach, she shouldn’t be alone. I let my feet whisk me down the winding hallways until I was at Ada’s door. As I reached up to knock, my heartrate quickened. If she wasn’t in there, I’d simply head to my office and continue on my day. But if she was… Could I resist touching her, being close to her?

As the door swung open and I saw her, I knew I could. Her wide hazel eyes were swollen and rimmed with red. Her cheeks were flushed. She was in loose pajama pants and an oversized plain black t-shirt, with fuzzy socks on. The hair I was so used to seeing pulled up and tucked away so neatly was loose and messy around her shoulders.

She sniffled, quickly wiping her hand over her cheek, “What’s up Darius?”

It was as if she forgot I could smell the salty tears she was trying to hide from me. The only question in my mind was if she was crying because she was pregnant… or because she wasn’t. I stood there, somehow unable to produce any words at the moment. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I could produce words. It’s just all of them were *I love you, Ada.*

When I didn’t respond, she simply stepped away and left the door open. I walked into her room, shutting the door quietly behind me. She sat on the couch, blowing out a puff of air, “I’m not pregnant, if that’s why you’re here.”

Relief or anguish– I couldn’t tell which of those either of us were feeling. Ada pulled herself into a ball, tucking her feet beneath her body and wrapping her arms around herself. I stepped over to the seating area, watching as she cast her eyes down on the ground. Aside from her pink cheeks, her face was pale. I reached up and scratched the back of my neck, the sound of my nails against my skin nearly echoing against the walls of the room.

“Are you okay?” I finally asked, voice soft.

She shot me a look that would have made even Nik wither away from her. Her eyes narrowed and she let out a snort, “Oh, I’m just peachy, Darius,” she jutted her chin toward the door, “Now if you don’t have any other ridiculous questions for me, please see yourself out.”

I had to fight my lips from twitching up at the corners into a smile. Despite her melancholy demeanor, this *was* the most outspoken I’d seen her be– particularly with me or one of my brothers. There was no way I would be leaving her while she was so tense but open.

Her hand was working in circles over her neck and shoulder blade mindlessly. I motioned at her, “Could you use a massage? I’d be happy to work out some knots and talk for a while,” she dropped her hand from her neck, managing a curt nod.

I moved quickly, stepping behind her on the couch. My hands tingled as they touched the skin of her neck, kneading at a large knot that I found resting beneath the surface. She practically moaned, her body slackening and her head dropping forward. My slacks tightened at the sound and I shifted with a sigh. There were dark circles surrounding the red circles of her eyes, and a loud grumble resounded through the air.

“I’ll order some food for you,” I whispered, bringing my thumbs down her spine, “What’s your favorite?”

“I really enjoy the roast beef and mashed potatoes Gwyn brings me sometimes,” she smacked her lips, swallowing, “But if it’s too much trouble–”

“It isn’t,” I continued to rub her shoulders, “Why don’t you tell me a little bit about you growing up?” her upper body tensed slightly as I mindlinked the castle’s head chef *I need roast beef and mashed potatoes to Lady Lennox’s room urgently.* My voice was tight, “If you’re comfortable of course.”

There was some silence before Ada took a sharp, deep breath, “I don’t remember much from before my mom died…”

I listened as she told me every little detail she could remember about her mother and how her father had been. Then she went over her mother’s death, and began speaking of Francine. She tried not to spend too much time on it, and instead discussed her time on the farm. There were a few names that seemed to give her life, making her smile and speak with so much fervor that the happiness was contagious – Lilith of the Alpenglow and Aidan.

There was a pang of jealousy in my gut when she spoke of him with such fondness and familiarity. They’d grown up together, with him being about five years older than her. His father had been beta when she was sent to the place that she referred to as ‘the farm.’ Aidan had spent the following years sneaking her food and soaps and anything he could to take care of her. He’d defended her when her father and Francine were scheming to send her to Oberon Castle against her will. He’d shown up here to warn her and to warn us of her own father’s plot to overthrow our bloodline from the throne of the Kingdom of the Moonglade.

In other words, the prick was absolutely perfect.

She clammed up when she started talking about the walk through the garden with him, and I didn’t want to push her on it. So instead I let her move on to talking about the few times she’d had moments alone while on the farm. She talked about the woods and the creatures she spent company with. Her smile was vivacious as she described the colors and sounds. Before I knew it, I was sitting on the couch with her, enjoying a plate of the food that was brought to us and simply existing with her.

And the moment that I found myself thinking that maybe marrying her, being with her, would be better than any throne I could gain… I nearly choked on my food.