Chapter 43 No Stenuous Activity

(Alexander POV)

"As much as I love the possibility of Hope being pregnant, we are getting ahead of ourselves, Mama. Let's wait for the test results," I tell my mother.

"You are right, Alexander. I'm sorry if I got a little carried away. The possibility of two firstborn daughters of Lupa in my household is so exciting," my mother said, enthusiastically.

"I know, Mama. I'm excited too. Now, go and get some rest. Papa already went up to your room. You too." I give my mother a hug. "Don't worry. I'll take care of Hope."

I tell Oliver and David to have some guards on night duty and to start a rotation if need be. I had the staff prepare a sponge bath and some soup then I sent them home. I carry Hope to our bedroom and lay her on the sofa. I take her clothes off and hide her mother's book and lovingly give her a warm sponge bath to wipe the day off her. Then I put a T shirt of mine on her and some socks. I carry her and gently put her on the bed. I feel her forehead. Seems her fever had gone down. Good. I pull the sheets over her and let her sleep.

I go and take a shower. I let the warm water wash over me, relieved I had given the information to Luciana, worried for Hope and if she is indeed pregnant, complete. I know I sound selfish, but the day I found Hope, I wanted to start a family. She can finish school while being a mother. A different way, yes, but that's Hope's way. Anything and everything about Hope is different. That's her true beauty.

She could have killed Bruno and of course, the whole pack, but she stopped and even had the humility to ask Bruno for forgiveness. In my eyes and the eyes of most wolves, Bruno deserves a traitor's death. If Hope had killed him, I would have just shrugged it off and said that's justice, yet she didn't. That for me is true power. Her display of compassion has gotten her a fan. Mark has now pledged his life for Hope. If she is pregnant, I have a feeling Mark will never let her out of his sight.

I'm sorry, Hope. I pushed you too much. You always want to help other people and you don't mind giving a part of yourself.

While Hope was gone this afternoon, I asked my mother about Adella. Was she as kind as Hope? I was shocked to hear my mother say Hope, though she looked like her mother, is the complete opposite of her. "Adella was my bestfriend, but there were times I wish she treated people better. She was a fierce woman. She had to be. Yes, she was instrumental in the war and many packs pledged homage to her, but she could have been much nicer to...everyone." She took the photo of Adella from our wall. "If she were just as nice as Hope...she wouldn't just be known as "famed", she would have been known as "well-loved". You see the difference, Alexander?" My mother hugged the picture of Adella. "I love her just the same, with her flaws."

I towel myself dry and put on some pajamas. I walk to our bed and was surprised to see Hope's eyes were open. "Hope, my love, you awake?" I asked her.

"The festival of the fourth will erupt in flames. The Dark Witch's laughter will fill the air as she watches all of you burn." She suddenly closes her eyes and goes back to sleep.

My birthday festival? Burn? Dark Witch?

LEIA!

I will deal with you in the morning. For now, I had to get some sleep. I lie down on my side of the bed, pull Hope to me and kiss her forehead. Within minutes, I was asleep.

---

(Hope POV)

I open my eyes and I can see the first light of the morning shining through the balcony doors. I sit bolt upright from the bed. I groan. Did I faint again? I look down. I'm in a big T-shirt and I have...I peek through the sheets, socks on? I look beside me and I see Alexander sprawled face down on the bed with only his pajama bottoms on. What happened after the secret chamber? The last thing I remember was Alexander and Luciana hugging.

I slowly get out of the bed so I wouldn't wake up Alexander and tiptoe to use the bathroom. I brush my teeth and take a quick shower. When I was done, I entered the bedroom to find a stern looking Alexander sitting on the bed.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Using the bathroom. I took a quick shower and brushed my teeth. You know..." I walk into the closet and was about to put on a track suit when Alexander turned me around and put another of his T-shirts over my head. Then he ushered me back to the bed.

"Don't I have training or something like that today?" I asked him.

"No. You have been ordered by the doctor to two days of bed rest. She'll be here to check on you soon. Now in the bed you go." I climb back in bed and he covers me with blankets.

"What?! Two days of bed rest?! The festival starts tomorrow. I promised Henry I'd go." I pout at him.

"Sorry love. Doctor's orders. Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?" Alexander asked me. Yes food!

"Bacon, eggs, pancakes and a cappuccino... and some apple juice please," I answer sweetly.

"Okay. Alicia will bring your food up. Anything else you need?" He hops on the bed, lays on his side, his arm in a crook, and props his head with his hand and gives me that 1000 watt smile. His chest muscles bulge with his movement.

"Since I have to be in bed for two days, let's make the most of it..." I kiss him. He kisses me back, but he doesn't deepen the kiss.

"No strenuous activity either. That includes..." He wiggles his eyebrows.

"What's that?" I wiggle my eyebrows. I laugh. He's so cute.

"Ask the doctor. She's the one who started the.." He wiggles his eyebrows again.

"Stop it! You're so funny." Someone suddenly knocks on our bedroom. Alexander yells for the person to come in and Alicia opens the door with my breakfast on a tray. "Alicia, good morning." I look at the food. "Where's yours and yours?" I look at the both of them.

"I'm going to have breakfast at the Home, Luna." Alicia said. "I just really wanted to see if you were okay." She smiled.

"I'm stuck in bed until the doc says otherwise. Go have breakfast and I'll see you later," I tell her with my mouth full of bacon.

"I'll bring down your laundry for you Luna, Alpha, since it's on the way." Alicia starts picking up after us and gets a laundry bag and puts all our dirty clothing and towels. "I'll come to get your dirty dishes later, Luna." She waves and leaves.

"Alexander, honey, what happened last night after the secret chamber?" I ask him, downing my bacon with the cappuccino. Hot, hot! I fan my tongue. Alexander chuckled.

"You collapsed on the floor. Alicia was able to get to your head before it hit the floor," he answered.

"My bad. I forgot to tell all of you that might happen if it's your first time conjuring a secret chamber. The book has a part about conjuring temporary living quarters. Can you believe that? I can go anywhere in the world and conjure living quarters. It doesn't matter if I'm in the middle of the desert or on a mountain. That I want to learn to do."

"Hope, easy. The doctor was really angry at me for letting you overdo it. No more read all this and you need to do all that. You choose one book of spells or potions and you are given a week to master it. So, what book do you want to master?" He asked me.

"My mother's book. Does she have anymore books lying around? Oh, I know who to ask. Aunt Cecilia!"

Alexander goes to the dresser near the sofa and gets my mother's book. "You have one week to master this tiny book." I try to reach for it. " After the doc says it's okay." He puts down the book on the nightstand beside me.

"Awww. No fair." I pout.

"I mean it, Hope. You need to rest. You have dark circles around your eyes. You look tired. Still very beautiful though. Now, eat. I have some things I have to take care of today before the start of the festival." He goes to the bathroom and I hear the shower.

I will be all alone in this ginormous room. I sigh. I better listen to the Doc then and rest. I finish my breakfast and put the tray on the table. I open my mother's book and read about conjuring temporary living quarters. I will never need to pitch a tent when camping ever again!

Alexander was already dressed in a button down blue polo shirt and slacks when the doctor arrived.

"Luna Hope, I finally have the privilege to meet you. Conscious that is. I am Dr. Frances Williams, the pack doctor." She bows.

"Dr. Williams, pleasure to meet you too." I smile at her.

"So, let's get down to business before Alpha leaves. First of all, you are healthy as a horse. I got the test results back. Second, I need to put you on vitamins to fight fatigue amongst other things. Luna, I know you're young and you feel invincible but, you can't do everything all at once...most especially magic. Magic uses a lot of your body's energy. You have to listen to your body."

"There. The Moon Goddess keeps reminding me to do that. Listen to my body," I sheepishly tell the doctor. Alexander nodded his head in agreement to the statement.

"And she's right. I'll give you an example. Yesterday morning you learned to control the elements. You may not have noticed it, but that activity alone ate up most of your body's energy. Then, come evening, you conjured a secret chamber which not only needs your body's energy, but your mind's energy as well. Since you already spent some of your body's energy playing with the elements, you did not have enough for the secret chamber. At the end, you collapsed. Magic is a transferring of energy. Your energy. Remember physics. There's a science behind the magic." The doctor gave me "you know better than this" kind of look.  She continues on with my medical evaluation.

"Lastly, I did suspect pregnancy last night, however the blood samples came out negative." I saw Alexander's face drop. "Good news is if both of you are trying to conceive, Luna, you will be in heat soon. Based on the hormonal levels detected from your sample, if my calculations are correct, in 10 days. Give or take." Alexander's face lit up again.

"If it is not your plan to conceive, the Former Luna has an elixir to keep the heat at bay until such a time both of you decide the timing is right. Well, I believe if the Moon Goddess blesses you with a pup, it is always the perfect time." She pats me on the leg and takes a sheet of paper from her bag and hands it to Alexander.

"So, Luna, bed rest for you today. I gave Alpha the activities and the schedule of activities you can do in a weekly basis. If you do magic today, skip a day to recharge, then you may do magic again the next. This is my recommendation for the time being."

"Doc, can I go to the opening of the festival tomorrow?" I ask, hopeful.

"I don't see a problem with that. Just take it easy for today. No magic. Doctor's orders." She smiled.

"AND Alpha, no strenuous activity for today." She reminds Alexander and she bows and waves good-bye.

"No..." He wiggles his eyebrows.

I laugh.