Chapter 58

“Is there something you want to tell me?” Rowan asked.
We were lounging in the fields three months after I became the Luna of the Highland Pack. I was having the time of my life with my new mate but there was still something missing.
“What is it?” Rowan asked me again.
“My family,” I said softly. “I want to know the origin of my real family.”
“I’ve already told you, Jade. My family is your family now.”
“I know but I still want to know where I come from. Am I truly from the Highland Pack or did the Riverweres just say that to kick me out of their pack?”
“Fine. I’ll tell Tarik to launch an investigation and ask the elders in our pack if they ever knew any Bravehearts from the past.”
I smiled. “Thank you!”
“Does that make you happy?”
“Very much.”
“Good. Now, do you have something else to tell me?”
His suggestive tone made me suspicious. Does he know?
“What else would I have to tell you?” I asked carefully.
He leaned towards me across the grass and cupped my lower belly. Then he looked into my eyes and I knew right then that he had somehow discovered the truth.
“I put my ear on this spot last night while you slept and I could swear that I heard tiny heartbeats,” he said softly.
Tears pooled in my eyes but I said nothing.
He began to stroke my belly tenderly as he spoke again. His eyes were gazing into mine the whole time.
“Why has your perfectly flat belly grown round and sounds like little heartbeats? Why has your skin become so rosy? Why do you skip breakfast these days?”
“You know,” I replied quietly.
“Tell me,” he insisted.
I blinked and the tears rolled down my face. “I don’t want this, Rowan,” I whispered.
To my surprise, he smiled. “I know,” he said. “And I know why.”
“Aren’t you upset about it?”
“No, because I know why you are afraid. Listen, Jade, I will not let anything happen to you or our baby. I promise you that.”
“Please, don’t make promises you may not keep.”
“Have I not kept my promises to you since you came here? Has anyone bothered you since your arrival? Haven’t you been given whatever you asked for? Tell me which of my promises I haven’t kept and I will do it now.”
“You have kept all your promises to me, Rowan.”
“Then why do you doubt me now?”
I sniffled. “Maybe you will indeed love your child when it is born, but…”
“What?”
“I don’t want to lose another child, Rowan. I can’t bear it again!”
I began to weep and he gathered me in his arms, consoling me with soft words.
“Nothing will happen to our child, Jade. I’ll make sure of that.”
“I know it can’t be everyone here that likes me. They may show me respect just because they don’t want to get into trouble with you, but that doesn’t mean they truly like me.”
“Why do you care so much about being liked?”
“My son was poisoned by my cousin who hated me. She did that to hurt me and she got away with it!”
“Nobody would ever dare try such a thing here, whether they like you or not. You are the Luna, you don’t need to be liked. You simply need to be respected and feared. Whoever fears you cannot mess with you.”
A lightbulb literally lit up in my head when he said that. He was right. If everyone feared me the way they did him, they wouldn’t dare try to cross me.
“You’re right but I am not an intimidating person. I wouldn’t even know where to begin if I wanted to scare someone.”
“I’ll give you lessons if you want,” he replied with a laugh.
I chuckled. The tension in me was slowly dissolving because of his reassurances to me.
“Listen, I’m not like those weak bastards who claimed to be your mates. I have sworn to protect you because you are mine and that extends to our child too.”
I believed him without a doubt. I have never felt so protected as I did with Rowan. He always made me feel safe. Now I felt stupid for ever doubting his ability to protect our unborn baby.
“So, when do we announce this good news to the pack?” He asked me.
“Maybe we should wait until it becomes obvious to everyone.”
“That would piss off my mother. She likes to be the first to know about everything.”
“Well, she’s going to have to wait this time. I don’t want to be accidentally punched in the belly by anyone.”
“My mother wouldn’t do such. She’s not that cruel.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized immediately. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“I’m not offended,” he replied with a smile. “My mother is simply protective of me and my siblings. She’s not the best mother in the world but she’s not a bad person either.”
I nodded, accepting his correction graciously. Perhaps it was time to extend an olive branch to Ria. I don’t want to have a tense relationship with her as I did with Gertrude.
“What do you think it is?” He asked me, rubbing my belly again. “A boy or a girl?”
“I think I want a girl this time,” I said with a smile.
“What will we name her?”
“Nyla. That was my mother’s name.”
“I like it.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes.”
I flew into his arms, embracing him tightly. How did I get so lucky?
“Let’s go home,” I whispered in his ear. “I’ve got a treat for you.”
“I like the sound of that,” he replied.
We got on our feet and strolled through the fields hand-in-hand. Two of his Betas had been waiting for us in front. They were sitting under a tree but when they saw us coming, they got on their feet and waited for us to catch up with them.
My new life still felt like a dream to me. It was almost too good to be true. I had a mate that loved me to the moon and back, I was the first lady of the pack and now I am about to become a mother again.
“I should carry you back home,” said Rowan. “I don’t want you to be exhausted.”
“Don’t be silly. Didn’t I walk up here by myself?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure about what I had just confirmed then. But now that I know for sure, I want us to be careful.”
I knew he was speaking in riddles because he didn’t want his Betas to know what we were talking about. It was our little secret for now.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” I said.
“How far along are we?”
“We?”
“Yes, we,” he said and wiggled his eyebrows at me suggestively.
“Maybe four or five months. I’m not sure.”
He sighed happily. “I can’t wait.”
His joy made me happy. He was so excited and looking forward to becoming a father.
“I can already tell that you’ll be a great fa – “
He bent down and kissed me quickly before I could finish the word.
“Oh, dear. I almost forgot!” I laughed. I had nearly spilt our secret in front of the guards.
Once we reached the palace, Tarik met us at the entrance, looking worried.
“My lord, your attention is urgently needed in the prison quarters,” he said.
“Why?” Rowan asked.
Tarik glanced at me and then back at Rowan. “May I speak with you privately?”
“What’s the matter, Tarik? Say what you have to say here.”
He cleared his throat nervously. “Well, there’s been a break-in by a pack of intruders. Our guards successfully overpowered them and took them to the cells.”
“Intruders from where?” Rowan asked icily.
Tarik glanced at me again and back at Rowan. “Come and see for yourself, my lord.”
Something about his mannerism bothered me. Why was he giving me weird looks before responding to Rowan? Who were the intruders? What did they have to do with me?
Rowan seemed to understand what was going on. He nodded at one of the Betas and said, “Escort her upstairs.”
“Who are the intruders?” I asked Tarik before the Beta could lead me away.
“Don’t worry about them, my love. I’ll handle everything,” said Rowan. “You’re safe.”
I didn’t want to be kept out of the loop but I had to trust him. Maybe this new situation had nothing to do with me. Maybe Tarik was just nervous.
As I followed the guard upstairs, I met Ria on the second-floor landing. She was going downstairs.
“I’m sure she can find her way to her room alone,” she said to the guard. “Leave us. I want to have a word with her.”
The guard left immediately.
“Have you told him?” She asked me.
“Told who what?” I replied.
She smiled but it wasn’t a nice smile. “I wasn’t born yesterday, Jade. I know your little secret.”
My spine tingled with dread. I hope she’s not saying what I’m thinking.
“Congratulations, Luna Jade. I am so happy for you,” she said coldly and walked away.