ARTEMISIA
He scrunches up his nose, raising his gaze to the door. “It looks like your mate is already waiting for you in front of the door.”
I jerk up, turning towards the door, questioning my senses as I didn’t pick up on that.
‘Sorry, I shielded that one from you because I thought it might make you nervous.’ Cassy says apologetically, making a sense of gratitude waft through me.
“That must be rather tiring, isn’t it?” he asks, and I notice the ambiguous tone in his question which he asked in a joking manner.
Turning back to smile at him, I put up a happy attitude. “To be honest, no. I kind of like the attention. On top of that, I feel so safe as I know that there is always someone around to protect me.”
“This is a nice way to put it,” he states, sitting down in the armchair next to mine, making Cassy growl in my mind. “It takes a lot to handle so many mates, and I was a bit worried as they told me that you were hurt several times.”
My cheeks hurt as I force myself to keep my smile upright, and I fight to not lose my hope, convincing myself that he has to be pragmatic to find out if I’m being manipulated or not. “I’ve never been injured severely, and little fights are normal in a healthy relationship, right? I, myself, have a really bad temper as well if I don’t get my princess treatment.”
He laughs, thanking the she-wolf who brings us another two cups of tea. I lift the cup to my lips, acting as if I was nibbling on it as he continues to talk about relationships philosophically.
I think that I dodge his further attempts to make me say something negative about my relationship with my mates or my pack rather effectively and I’m actually really proud of myself as he ends my informal interrogation, standing up.
He accompanies me to the door, where he sees me off with a smile and I thank him for the nice cup of tea politely in the hopes to cover that I didn’t drink from it.
I’m already out of the door as I turn around, still standing in the frame of it. “Maybe it is difficult to believe, but I’m really looking forward to going home with my mates and being able to finally have my marking ceremony. It’s not only me who loves all this attention. Imagine a child getting so much love, attention and teachings from his fathers. They will never feel alone or unloved for one second.”
“That’s a really lovely way to put it, Luna Blackwood.”
With one last curtsy, I turn around to walk out of the long passage, only to find Fynn already waiting for me in the sterile hall.
Increasing the pace of my steps, I run straight into his arms, and he hugs me tight, lifting me up from the floor slightly.
“Goddess, it took you forever to come out of there,” he whispers into my hair as he twirls me around.
I claw down onto his strong shoulders, giggling. “Please stop, you risk having me cover you in my breakfast.”
“Sorry, princess,” he lets me down gently, and I sway slightly, getting him to catch me with a big smile.
As soon as I have stabilised on my feet, I smile up at him happily. “Did you see them as well?”
“Yes! Yes, I saw them too.” His smile illuminates the entire room as he starts gushing about my ultrasound.
It’s not them who will start it.
If they threaten to take this away from me, it’s going to be me who will start the war.
***
I blow my cheeks as we are standing in the hallway, waiting to be led to the dining hall.
“Are you sure you feel alright? We can gladly go back to our room if you don’t feel like it.” Cayden caresses my hand with his thumb as he looks at me worriedly.
I shake my head, smiling at him but from his expression, I see that I’m not convincing at all. “No, no. I’m fine. And I don’t want to think you are keeping me away from the dinner on purpose.”
“Good point,” he sighs, straightening back up to look at the entrance of the dining hall. “They could move a little bit faster though.”
As if on cue, a waiter walks by and Cayden grabs his arm, making him look at him terrified. “Hey, is there any possibility we can skip this stupid line? We don’t need to be introduced, but my wife is pregnant and needs to sit down.”
“I- I’ll see what I can do, Alpha Bl-Blackwood,” he reacts shook up, and scurries away while Cayden clicks his tongue.
“They are useless even in the Royal Palace.”
I chuckle as I bump into him slightly. “Be nice.”
Sighing, he wraps his arms around me, putting his head on top of mine. “I’m being nice.”
“Sure,” I say mockingly, leaning into him.
The Omega runs back to us, looking at us with big eyes, “Please, Luna Blackwood, your table is ready for you now.”
“Was about time,” Cayden growls while I thank the Omega with a smile.
Passing the crowd standing around to see the Alphas and Lunas walking into the dining hall, before going to dinner by themselves, we step into the large hall, sighing in unison.
We follow the Omega who brings us to our table, and Cayden gestures to him that he can step away before pulling out my chair for me to sit himself.
As soon as I’m sitting comfortably, he leans down to kiss me and walks around to sit in front of me.
But he has barely pulled out his chair as my brother approaches us, making him halt in his movements.
“Blackwood,” he nods towards Cayden, who straightens his spine, grumbling.
“George.”
I roll my eyes at his usual changing-names game and watch my brother crouch down to look up at me. “Hey, how are you doing? You didn’t pick up any of our calls?”
“Oh, really? I must have missed those!” I look at him with a duh expression, making him sulk at me.
“Please, Missy, you know exactly that we just want the best for you. We want you to be safe.”
“Why don’t you leave me alone then? I want to stay with my mates,” I hiss at him. “This is where I’m happy and safe!”
He shakes his head, but before he can say something else. Cayden steps next to him, grabbing his arm to make him stand up again.
“I would appreciate it if you left my mate alone. As if you didn’t cause her and my pups enough distress already,” he growls, making my brother’s eyes widen.
“Pups?” he asks, and I sigh, taking a sip from my water to avoid him.
“Hey! Don’t touch him!” Ricky shouts across the room, making me groan as he runs to his new bestie’s rescue.
Cayden turns towards him, stopping him in his tracks as he looks down at him, nearly touching his forehead with his. “Take your boyfriend away from my mate and he won’t get touched again, Ricky-boy.”
“It’s still Alpha Riccardo for you,” Rick stutters stupidly, making Cayden grin.
“No, it is not.”
My brother separates them with a worried expression, his usual diplomatic behaviour making my guts twist. “Please, gentlemen. We just want Missy to be happy and well. This shouldn’t be the death match everyone wants to see.”
“Withdraw the lawsuit then, Guerrieri!” Cayden snarls, but my brother just shakes his head.
“I don’t think that my sister is safe with you.” He says, pulling at his ear nervously. “We want her to come back and be safe in her home.”
“She belongs to us, our pack is her new home. She is safe, and there is no way she will feel better in her old pack.”
I look around nervously, seeing that all eyes are already set on us, and I push out an exhausted sigh, lowering my gaze.
“Alpha Blackwood, after all she has been through, she needs her family! And her mother to be present for the birth of the pups,” Giorgio argues further, making Cayden growl.
“If she wants your mother present, she can gladly ask me for this, and I’ll happily let the former Luna onto my pack grounds. As for everything else, I think she needs her mates more. Especially the father of the child.”
My brother shakes his head, lowering his voice as he counters, “You don’t even know who the father is, Alpha. What kind of heir is that?”
My silent gasp mixes with the ones of the people around us as my throat tightens with shock.
‘The fucking audacity!’ Cassy growls while I feel like going numb, my stomach churning.
“When do you think your time will come to breed an offspring? Do you think that you will be lucky enough to get the right timely window for her next pregnancy already?” Giorgio provokes further, his words feeling as if he boxed me into my stomach.
Cayden fumes as he balls his hands to fists, growling at him through his teeth, “Move the fuck out of my sight, Georgie, if you don’t want me to start a war right now. And I promise you that it would be one your pack will start without an Alpha.”
Giorgio scoffs, turning towards me to say goodbye, but I snatch my hand out of his grip as he reaches for me, holding it up as if it could shield him from me.
I can sense his sadness as he steps away silently, and Cayden looks after him for a second or two, before sitting down.
“Forgive me,” he finally says, taking my hand into his. “I should have sent him away right away. It wasn’t right for them to insult you like that.”
I squeeze his eyes, forcing up a smile as I blink away my tears. “No, no. It’s alright. He insulted us all. He is just being an asshole.”
Cayden flashes me a crestfallen expression as I pull back my hand at the waiters bringing our food, and I clear my throat. “I’m just looking forward to eating something that I didn’t have to cook myself.”
Finally, I get a genuine smile from him, and he lowers his gaze as he tries to cheer me up. “When we get back home, I’ll cook every meal you want to eat for you.”
“Can’t wait,” I say happily.
I watch him take his first bite as it bubbles out of me.
“Cayden,” I whisper, getting him to look at me. “Promise me that you will do anything to get the pups into your pack once they are born. They have to grow up with you.”
He looks at me with a frown before he distorts his face in disgust. “With you as well. You won’t get back to that pack. I’ll talk to the judge about what he just said.”
“No! It’s not about that now! You have to promise me!” I say agitatedly, and he nods slowly.
“I promise.”