Page 62 of Luna's New Reign
Mateo pulls me into his side, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Always.”
They continue making their rounds as exhaustion sweeps over me—one of the perks Idon’tlike but I keep it to myself, walking alongside Darius as Mateo pulls ahead. However, that bravado soon works against me.
I drop to the ground without ceremony, exhaling sharply as I lean back on my hands, the weight of my body finally off my feet.Relief.Sweet, fleeting relief. Mateo is a few yards away, talking with one of the Alphas and Darius not far, watching me like a wolf who knows exactly how close he’s allowed to hover before I growl at him.
His laughter comes easy when he sees me sprawled on the ground, knees bent, bump cradled like I’m some fallen goddess refusing to move. “Comfortable down there?” he teases, crouching in front of me with a grin that softens the sharp lines of his face.
I roll my eyes, huffing at him as I wiggle my aching toes. “Oh, I’m justthrilled,Darius. Absolutelythrilledto be lugging around your child, stuck in the most inconvenient body while you all stroll around looking perfect.” I don’t know if it’s Darius’ child or any of my other mates but it doesn’t matter. Our child will grow up knowing each of them as fathers regardless of who is biologically responsible.
“Perfect?” He raises a brow, clearly amused, and then his expression melts into something soft—something I’ve grown to love more than I’ll ever admit. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he peers at me with that lazy grin. “You’re the one who’s perfect, Bambi.”
“Flattery isn’t going to get me off the ground,” I grumble, but I’m already smiling.
Darius doesn’t care. He just leans closer, his rough palms bracketing my cheeks as he presses a kiss to my forehead. Then another on my nose. Then one on my cheek. “You’re beautiful,” he murmurs between kisses, his voice a low rumble of affection. “Exhausted and bossy and probably mad at me for no reason, butbeautiful.”
I laugh, swatting at him half-heartedly as his lips trail over every inch of my face, chasing away my discomfort with the warmth of him. “You’re ridiculous,” I mumble, though I’m smiling so wide it almost hurts.
“That’s why you love me,” he replies smugly, pressing one last kiss to my lips before pulling back just enough to look at me. “You okay? Or do you want me to carry you home?”
“I don’t need to go home,” I say quickly, waving him off as I shift to sit up straighter. “My feet are tired, but that’s nothing new. I’ll survive.”
He looks unconvinced, but he doesn’t argue, settling back on his haunches as he watches me with that quiet protectiveness that’s always there, alwayshim.I take a breath, ready to make another joke about how pregnancy is theworstgift they’ve ever given me—
And then I feel it.
It’s faint at first, like a ripple against my skin—barely noticeable, just a whisper of somethingoff. My brow furrows, my hand unconsciously pressing against my bump as I tilt my head, searching for what it is.
“Nepheline?” Darius’ voice breaks into my thoughts, sharp with concern as he watches my expression shift.
I don’t answer him right away because I can’t. The ripple grows into apulse—dark, cold, unnatural—and the air seems to shiver around me. My magic stirs in response, flickering to life along my fingertips as if it recognizes the disturbance before I do.
And then ithits.
A sharp pang that coils low in my stomach, spreading through me like a warning bell. My breath hitches, my pulse pounding in my ears as realization crashes into me.
The veil.
Darius touches my shoulder, his grip firm but careful. “Neph, what is it? What’s wrong?”
I snap my gaze to his, urgency flooding through me as I force myself to stand, ignoring the ache in my body as I grab his hand. “Help me up.”
He doesn’t hesitate, pulling me to my feet with ease as I steady myself against him, my magic thrumming in my veins now, responding to the shift in the air.
“What is it?” he asks again, his voice low and serious.
I don’t look at him as I search the edge of the packlands, my senses stretching farther than they should—deeper into the magic that flows through this land. I canfeelit now, all of it, humming like a living thing beneath my skin. Mateo told me what little he knew about the legend ofThe Luna, how she was tied to the magic of the earth, how her presence was both a gift and a burden.
I hadn’t believed it then. Not really. But now?
Now, Ifeelit. The way the magic pulls at me. The way it warns me when something’s wrong.
And somethingiswrong.
“Darius,” I whisper, my voice tight, my eyes narrowing on the dark treeline beyond the packlands. “There’s something wrong at the edge of the veil.”
He tenses immediately, his grip on me tightening as his gaze flicks to the same spot. “What do you mean?”
I shake my head, frustration bubbling up inside me because I can’t explain it—I justknow. “I don’t know, but it’s the same darkness. The samevoice. I haven’t heard it in days, but this—this feels likehim.”