Kyra’s POV
The sweet scent of flowers mixed with leather hit as I pushed Nathan back. I’d seen the shop lady walking our way. My wolf Sylvia whined inside , not understanding why I was pushing our ex-mate away.
"Here you go, miss. These would look great on you," the lady said, holding up two dresses—one white, one pink, sa style.
I just nodded and went to try them on. Once I was alone in the tiny room, I wiped my tears and took deep breaths. I needed to pull myself together. My hand went straight to my belly, to our baby. The baby Nathan didn’t even know was his.
When I ca out, I saw Nathan sitting on a small couch, looking too big for it. He looked up at , and I felt that pull between us hit hard. That mate bond was still there, making my heart ache with mories. He got up and walked toward , and I could sll his mint scent growing stronger.
"Want to check out more stores?" he asked softly, sounding like he hoped I’d say yes.
I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. Nathan took the dress from , his fingers brushing mine. While he paid, I looked at myself in the mirror. Even with all the pain lately, my skin glowed from the pup growing inside .
"Your wife is so pretty. You two look perfect together," the shop lady said.
The word ’wife’ hurt my chest. It reminded of when I was Nathan’s Luna in the pack, the Luna of Nightfall Pack. Then Sophia ca back as Nathan’s true mate, and just like that, our chosen bond broke, and I lost everything.
Even though my feelings for Nathan had co back, we could never return to what we had before.
"Ready to go?" Nathan smiled at the lady before looking at . "Let’s get so food, then buy your vitamins."
I walked behind him quietly, watching his strong alpha back as he carried my bags. He stopped at a nice restaurant and turned to check on .
"Is this place okay?"
"Yeah," I answered quickly, forcing a smile.
The restaurant was nice and peaceful, with soft music playing and warm lights. The booths looked comfy. A waiter took us to a small table and gave us nus. We ordered, and the food ca quickly. We ate quietly until I caught Nathan staring at again and again.
"What?" I finally asked. I didn’t want to talk, but I had to know.
"Nothing," he said, looking away.
My wolf gave the strength to face him. "I’ve got lots of questions, Nathan. If you won’t tell why you’re doing all this, then stop looking at like that. And stop whatever you’re planning if it involves ."
His jaw tightened, like he was holding back words. I could feel his wolf Alaric was restless too, making Nathan’s alpha energy seem unsettled.
We got back at 3 PM sharp. Ho. The word felt strange now. Nathan’s house used to be our ho, but now I just felt like a visitor. I went straight to my room while Nathan followed with my shopping bags.
"What do you want to eat for dinner?" he asked after putting the bags on my bed.
I was glad we could be polite to each other, and that he wasn’t trying to talk about us anymore. I still rembered how he had begged for another chance, told he loved , and promised to take back if Kieran ever hurt . Those mories still hurt.
Ti passed slowly. Days turned to weeks, then months. I spent my ti focusing on my pregnancy while staying angry about my dad’s death and what was stolen from . Nathan stayed close, even though I kept my heart distant. He never stopped taking care of , and our baby seed to know when he was around, kicking more whenever her father was near.
Last week, I found out if my baby was a boy or a girl. Nathan ca with to the doctor, holding tight to the hospital bed during the ultrasound.
"Want to co in?" I asked when I saw him peeking at the screen from outside.
He swallowed hard, looking down at in the wheelchair he made use. "Can I?" He sounded unsure, like a little kid asking permission.
Over these months, he had shown I could trust him a bit more. He never pushed when I was moody or when I needed space.
"Yes," I said, aning it. He was my baby’s father, even if he didn’t know it yet, and he should see this.
I could feel how excited he was standing next to during the checkup. His mouth fell open in wonder when the doctor pointed at the screen.
"There’s your baby," the doctor said, moving the tool across my round belly.
My heart beat fast when I saw my daughter for the first ti. I knew she would be beautiful and perfect.
I heard soone crying softly and looked over to see Nathan trying to hide his tears. Maybe his wolf instincts knew sothing his mind didn’t yet. Seeing him so happy made my heart soften a little.
"Most couples get emotional seeing their baby for the first ti," the doctor said after Nathan left, "but your mate seems really affected."
Before he walked out, I saw so many feelings in Nathan’s eyes. Pain. Guilt. Regret. Sadness. He thought another man’s baby was growing inside , and that thought was killing him. After that day, he started acting differently. All those feelings he’d been holding back started showing.
Should I tell him he’s the father? I asked myself this question every day. But he was with Sophia now, his true mate. I needed to focus on my baby and getting back what belonged to my father. Maybe one day I’d tell him the truth.
"Here, drink this."
I looked up from the couch to see Nathan holding out hot chocolate. I took it, and he sat next to , putting a blanket over my legs.
We were watching a movie in the living room. Christmas was just three days away. It was freezing outside, but sitting next to him kept warm.
"Aren’t you going to your place for Christmas?" I asked, pretending to watch TV.
"This is my place, Kyra."
The way he said it ant more than the words. His feelings were showing more and more lately, though he didn’t seem to notice.
I kept quiet, wanting to ask about Sophia but holding back. I’d heard him fighting with soone on the phone lately, probably her, but he never talked about it.
"The baby’s coming soon," he said quietly. "I want to stay close to you."
I nodded, telling myself I just needed his help when the baby ca. But my heart knew the truth. I was falling for him again. While he took care of , I’d started loving the sa man who broke my heart. Falling hard, even though my head told not to.
"I know it sounds weird," he said softly, "but I want to be the first to see the baby. It would an everything to see such a special little one born in January."
My wolf Sylvia whined, wanting to be close to his wolf Alaric again, to fix what we lost. Our baby kicked, like she knew her daddy was talking, and I touched my belly, wondering how long I could keep this secret.
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