MALIA’S POV
I blinked uncomprehendingly at first, not quite sure I had heard her correctly.
She put her hand over her naked belly and I gasped in surprise.
“But how’s that possible? You two just started having sex,” I said.
“I know right? But I’m quite sure of it. I can feel it. I know I’m going to miss my next period. And please stop looking at me like I’ve gone crazy.”
“I don’t think you are crazy. I’m just really surprised. It wasn’t something I was expecting,” I replied.
She gave me a small smile as she got dressed. “Try to be happy for me at least.”
I quickly plastered a wide smile on my face. “I’m happy for you of course. I can not wait to be a godmother to her. Have you told Damien?” I queried.
“Not yet. I don’t want him to think I’m crazy. But I’ll let him know eventually, anyway. I want it to be after I miss my period so that if he asks me how I know it I’m not just going to tell him that it is a mere feeling,” she replied.
I was silent for a full minute because I didn’t know what to think. It was either my best friend was being delusional or maybe detecting pretty early pregnancies was just her gift.
“So you were asking if I had seen someone before I blew your mind away with this news,” she reminded.
“Ah yes. Ryder’s sister,” I replied, thinking that I was no longer excited about talking about her with Penelope.
“What about her? You seemed pretty excited earlier when you asked if I had seen her.”
I inhaled deeply and tried to push the shock of her announcement aside.
“You need to see her to understand my excitement. But unfortunately, I do not know her chambers,” I replied.
“That could easily be known. We could always ask any of the maids,” she said as we walked out of her closet.
“So shall we go now?” I queried, already beginning to feel some of my initial excitement.
She gave me a strange look. “Okay. Let me get my cell phone first.”
I hurried to the door and waited for her there. She smirked when she met me there. “She had better be worth your excitement.”
“Get ready to have your mind blown away,” I replied.
It was my bodyguard I asked first. “You don’t happen to know where Aurora’s chamber is, do you?”
He looked at me blankly and then shook his head.
The three of us proceeded down the hallway and Penelope asked the first servant we encountered. Luckily for us, she knew and led us straight to her door.
“Isn’t she going to find two adults visiting her without prior notice, strange or even rude?” Penelope wondered aloud.
I shrugged. “I’d think of something to say that wouldn’t make her feel that way,” I replied.
“Something like what?” she murmured with her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Do not worry. It’s not something that you are going to disapprove of,” I answered and knocked on the door.
I heard her approaching footsteps and took a deep breath. I still hadn’t thought of what to say.
The door swung open and once again, I was struck by her beauty. I heard Penelope’s sharp intake of breath and I smiled inwardly.
Aurora’s smile was warm and welcoming which was a relief. She curtseyed and asked us to come in, holding the door open and standing aside to let us pass.
“Please sit,” she said, gesturing to a sofa. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” she asked, taking a seat on the smaller sofa beside us.
A maid appeared with two glasses and a carton of orange juice.
“I didn’t know you were coming so I told them not to bother with lunch because I always skip lunch,” she explained.
I smiled at her and lied to her that we had just eaten before we decided to see how she was doing.
“This place could be awfully boring at times, especially for one so young. I could show you some places in this palace that you might find interesting. Have you been to the library?” I queried.
Her eyes lit up. “There is a library? Please show me where it is. I’d love to be there.”
“Of course, we’d love to show you,” I replied and got to my feet.
Penelope stepped hard on my foot and I tried not to wince. I mentally berated myself that I had forgotten to introduce her to Aurora.
“And please pardon my bad manners. This is my best friend, Penelope. She is also the Beta’s mate. Penelope, this is Aurora, Ryder’s sister.”
They both shook hands. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” my best friend said.
“So shall we?” I asked, walking back to the door.
“But what about your drink? You haven’t even touched it. We don’t have to leave right away. It would be rude of me to insist upon that.”
“We can come back for it, Aurora. I’m just so eager to show it to you so let’s go,” I said with an encouraging smile.
She let out a squeal of excitement immediately after we entered the library. She ran over to the bookshelves and ran her fingers lovingly over them.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone this excited about books before,” Penelope whispered to me.
“Isn’t she lovely?” I murmured with my eyes fastened on the teenager who had already grabbed a book and was now sitting cross-legged on the ground, feasting on its pages.
My best friend gave me a strange look. “Yes, she is, Malia. Agreed. But if I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought you had a thing for girls,” she commented.
“She makes me question my sexuality,” I joked and she scoffed. “Perhaps, I should help you tell the Alpha that you are no longer interested in him so that he wouldn’t bother with the coronation ceremony anymore.”
I gave her a grin. “And perhaps, I should help you cut out your tongue so that you wouldn’t be able to say another word,” I returned.
“Hmmm. Feisty. I’m sure the Alpha loves this part of you,” she commented.
“He sure does,” I murmured, wondering if we should leave Aurora alone to her book. She seemed oblivious to our presence.
“We should leave. I am starving,” Penelope whispered.
I nodded in agreement. “But do you think she knows the way back to her chambers?” I wondered.
She rolled her eyes. “Malia, almost everyone in the world is road-smart apart from you. I’m very sure she knows the way back and even if she doesn’t, there are guards that she is definitely going to encounter and she seems intelligent enough to know how to ask them for directions. So you have nothing to worry about. Now, let’s leave,” she ordered.
“Alright, fine let’s go,” I said and turned towards the door. I nearly turned back to get Aurora when I remembered that story Ryder had told me about his favourite cousin who had been raped and killed by a guard.
“Stop being so paranoid,” I said to myself and continued down the hallway with my best friend.
Penelope rang the kitchen for lunch immediately after we got back to her chambers and our food arrived almost immediately.
“I’m curious about something,” I began. We were already halfway through our meal.
Penelope looked up from her food and regarded me with a curious expression. “About what?” she queried.
“Do you ever sense animosity from any of the other maids you used to work with because they now have to serve you?” I asked.
She was thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t think I have noticed or maybe my mind is just blocked from sensing those kinds of things. Either way, I do not care. Everyone is entitled to feel how they want to feel. I do not have control over that,” she answered.
I smirked. “Aren’t you such an unbothered queen?” I teased.
She pointedly ignored me and continued with her meal.
We had barely finished with our meal when Damien arrived and I took that as my cue to leave.
I couldn’t help it. I went back to the library to see if Aurora was still there. She wasn’t.
I resisted the urge to go to her chambers to see if she had gotten back alright and made my way to Ryder’s chambers.
He and Lucien were having an animated conversation about the coronation ceremony in the living room.
They stopped talking when they noticed my presence and Lucien stood up to give me a bow.
I thought of all the ways he had dealt with me when he was still my personal trainer and the vengeful part of me wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine.
“You can’t lower yourself to his level. You’re a Luna,” my wolf said.
“Not yet,” I reminded her and wondered why she had to be so reasonable. I remembered that he had been the first one to applaud when Ryder had announced that I was to be his Luna. But I reasoned that it must have been because he was trying to get my favour and make me not think about using my position against him.
I smiled at him. “It’s so good to see you again face-to-face. I have missed our training sessions,” I said and tried not to grimace at how false my words were.
I saw Ryder try to stifle a laugh. He knew I was lying.
“The Alpha here is also a good teacher. Perhaps even better. But I’ll have you know that I was the one who taught him all that he knows,” Lucien said and I couldn’t help but feel that he was boasting and wasn’t at all comfortable with saying the Alpha could be better than him.
Again, I smiled politely at him and nodded. “You are such a great teacher.”
Then I spoke to Ryder. “I’d leave you two now. I have to go take a nap.”
He arched an eyebrow and I knew he was wondering just how many hours I slept in a day.
Well, in my defence, I just got my wolf and my body is constantly losing energy in trying to adjust. And again, despite how tired I had been after training that day, I hadn’t taken a nap but had instead, gone to see Penelope.
I gave them both one last smile before exiting the living room and headed straight for the bedroom.
Ryder trained me harder on the days leading up to my coronation ceremony and at one point, I thought I was suddenly going to drop dead due to sheer exhaustion.
Shifting into my wolf had become as easy as breathing and I had even learnt how to block others from listening to my thoughts when I was in my wolf form.
He allowed me to rest a full day before my coronation and for that, I was thankful.
The morning of the big day finally came and I was a bundle of nerves. I had barely been able to get any sleep the night before. Excitement and anxiety had never been a great combination.
I couldn’t count the number of times I nearly tripped on my way to the throne room where the ceremony was to be held. Penelope couldn’t hide her amusement and I seriously considered knocking her out. It would have been a great way to discharge some of the nervous energy I was feeling.
I took a deep breath before walking down the aisle and promised the Moon Goddess that I’d be an excellent Luna if she kept me from tripping over my legs and falling flat on my face.
To my relief, I got to where the throne was without falling.
Ryder, who was standing opposite me, had amusement dancing in his eyes. I grinned at him and he grinned back at me.
He looked more handsome than ever and I just couldn’t wait for the ceremony to be over so that I’d return to his arms.
An elder read us our vows which we said to each other and a vow which I made to the pack to serve them in honesty and dignity as their Luna.
Finally, I was crowned and led to the throne. I turned to smile at my Alpha who was sitting on his throne next to me and he gave me a wink.
“The crown looks good on you Mrs. Hawkins,” he commented and I couldn’t help but giggle because all I could think of at that moment was how heavy it was and when I was finally going to take it off. I just hoped the responsibility that came with it wasn’t going to be as heavy as it was.
The ceremony finally came to an end and at last, I could take off the crown.
Ryder burst out laughing when I sighed in relief after taking it off.
I scowled at him and massaged my hurting neck.
We were already in our chambers and he was taking off his ceremonial attire.
“Let me help you,” he offered and gently moved my hand from my neck. I sighed in pleasure as his fingers worked magic on my neck.
“Feel free to admit that I have such masterful hands,” he said smugly.
At that point, I would have said anything he wanted me to say. He laughed when I told him that he had masterful hands without any hint of sarcasm.
“Now I know how to make you submit to me,” he murmured.
“Just keep doing that and I’m going to submit to you in ways you’ve never thought possible,” I replied.
His answering growl told me how much pleasure he had in store for me that night and I shivered in anticipation.