The Lunar Destiny Series

Chapter 30

I wasn’t sure how long my stay at Lio’s house had been, but I was sure it had been more than just a few days. Officer Rollards may not have the proof he needs to keep Lio locked up for good along with the wereleopard, but I was still feeling uneasy about him showing up at my house. There’s no telling what he could walk in on next time.

My stomach was growling so loud I was fully confident that the entire house could hear it. I’d just taken a shower and put on a solid blue nightgown. All I wanted now was a snack. I went upstairs to the kitchen and searched through the fridge for something that would quiet the monster in my stomach. There was a lot to choose from but not much I wouldn’t have to cook, and I wanted something quick.

While I made my decision, I heard someone walk into the kitchen and sit at the large wooden table. I leaned back from behind the fridge door to see who it was, and Lisette sat there looking at me with her usual smug smile. I tried not to hate her but she kept making me have to try harder. I finally just grabbed a pudding cup and closed the refrigerator door.

“Pudding before bed? You like to live dangerously don’t you?” She said.

I went to the silverware drawer and took out a spoon, doing my best to ignore her. Nothing good ever came from me trying to have a civil conversation with her.

“I used to be able to eat sweets before bed without getting an upset stomach, now I can’t because of the baby…” She said with a sigh.

I turned around with a suspicious glare, her hideous grin got even wider.

“Baby? You’re pregnant? How is that possible?”

I was in such a state of shock that I’d asked a stupid question. Lisette stretched her arms above her head and sighed.

“I found out I was pregnant one moon ago, the next one isn’t for a couple of weeks. I’ll miscarry anyway after the next time I shift. I’m sure you’ve been told of our little problem.” She said.

Well this was a conversation I never thought I’d have with her, but here we were.

“Yeah, I heard about it…”

I decided to not be rude and just try to talk to her. I opened my pudding cup while I concentrated on not walking out of the room while she was in mid sentence.

“I’m surprised Lio hasn’t told you, seeing as he’s the father…” She said proudly.

My eyes widened for about half a second and I almost dropped my snack. The spoon fell with an annoying clank instead.

“That’s not true! You’re lying!” I said a little too loud.

“Quiet, you’ll wake everyone in the house. Why don’t you ask him yourself if you don’t believe me? In fact, you could ask anyone here. They all know. They just didn’t want you to get all emotional like you always do, more so than me in my delicate condition.” She said in a very condescending tone.

Our, or rather my loud mouth must’ve caught the ears of the man in question because he walked into the kitchen. He was wearing a blood red tank top and black boxers.

“What are you two fighting about now?” He asked, coming further into the kitchen.

I put my now unwanted pudding cup on the counter and gave him the darkest glare.

“Lio, I think you forgot to tell me Lisette is pregnant with your baby when you proposed to me.”

Lio’s eyes went wide before he looked over at Lisette. He suddenly went into a fit of rage.

If I hadn’t been looking right at him, I’d have missed the moment he picked her up by her throat and slammed her against the wall. Lisette held onto his arm but it did her no good.

“You spiteful b***h! Telling her won’t change anything! On the next full moon it will die!”

He yelled at her in a voice that was half growling.

“IT is still…Yours!” Lisette managed to get out.

I couldn’t believe he would treat her this way knowing she was pregnant. I started to wonder, was he really like this deep down inside?

“Lio enough! Stop it!”

I yelled at him, but he only continued to hold her against the wall harder. Kyra and Baltasar came running into the kitchen to intervene.

“Vasilios let her go now, please. What’s done is done.”

Baltasar was speaking to him like you would talk someone away from a ledge.

“Vasilios she can’t breathe! Have mercy!” Kyra pleaded.

Lio finally let her go and she fell to the kitchen floor with a thump, gasping for air. Kyra knelt down next to Lisette, but she was looking up at me. They all were. I shook my head slowly, not knowing what to do. Lio slowly turned to face me. Before he could say anything I put my hand up to stop him.

“Spare me. You couldn’t possibly have an explanation for this. How could you?” I said.

“I didn’t betray you. I found out Lisette was pregnant a week prior to the night I met you. The longest a werewolf has been able to carry a child is three and a half months. That’s why I said on the next full moon she’ll miscarry. The babies only seem to be able to handle two to three shifts, after the third they usually die in utero. It’s a miracle that they even survive the first time.”

As he explained all of that, I could hear the sadness in his voice. He longed for a child of his own, even if Lisette was the mother.

I can be understanding up to a point, this was that point.

“Look, I’m sorry that your people have problems with fertility. I really am. But it doesn’t excuse any of you from keeping this pregnancy a secret from me. All of you knew and didn’t tell me. I was walking around here like an i***t! A whole fool!”

I felt the tears coming and I didn’t care. Just like they didn’t care about this secret hurting me.

“You proposed to me, and let me fall in love with you! This entire time Lisette was pregnant with your child!? That…Is unforgivable!” I yelled at him. I could yell at him until I was hoarse but it wouldn’t change the truth.

The best thing to do was go away, out of his presence. I headed out of the kitchen and he didn’t try to stop me. I went all the way outside and then kept walking until I was in the innermost part of the forest. The night air was perfect, only slightly cool to balance the July heat. While I walked, I thought about everything that’s happened up until tonight. It was like I’d been living in a dream world, everything was surrounding a painful secret. I felt like none of what Lio and I shared was real. In my heart I knew that couldn’t be true but…Considering what I had just learned, I had no choice but to question it.

I ended up walking all the way to the sacred mating site and took a seat where I had earlier. Looking up at the sky through the trees, the stars were like diamonds. The silence of the forest helped me calm down so that I could think more clearly. Could I leave him for good after everything I knew? After what we’d been through together? It seemed like such a waste the more I thought about it. By breaking up with him I would be sending him back to his dark side full speed. I was so upset I didn’t want to hear his side of the story.

Could he blame me though?

“…I didn’t think I would find you here of all places.”

I turned my body enough to look over my shoulder. Lio came over and sat next to me. I couldn’t look him in the eyes.

“I know you’re pissed off at me right now and I can only blame myself. Just let me explain some things to you. If you don’t want to forgive me now, I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me in the future.” He said.

I didn’t say anything because there was nothing I wanted to say, so he continued to speak.

“Remember when I told you that I never brought another woman to my bed the night after we met?” He asked.

“Yes, which is why this doesn’t make any sense. Lisette said she’s been pregnant since last month.” I said.

“She lied to you, Astraia. The last time we were together was a week before I met you. Almost two weeks had passed when I found out she was pregnant. I didn’t tell you because the baby wouldn’t survive anyway, it would have just complicated things further. When I realized that you were my Teman Sejiwa, I couldn’t lose you. So I hid this from you, and I made the others keep quiet as well. The risk was too high, don’t you understand?”

I should have known she was twisting the truth to tear us apart. It seemed Lisette’s tricks never would end.

I allowed myself to look at him and it wasn’t as painful now. His eyes were no longer filled with anger. He looked just as upset as I felt.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but now you know why. It’s not an excuse, I promise. Lisette is trying to make a last ditch attempt to come between us. She’ll keep trying until she thinks we’ve given up on each other. She’s desperate. Lisette did the same thing when I was with Lolita, but worse.” He said looking up at the sky.

“Worse?” I said, he nodded.

“She fought her nearly to the death at one point. I stopped them but Lisette almost died. Lisette was not Lolita’s equal in battle. I’m worried that she’ll try the same thing with you. That’s why you need to be more careful around her. Next time she’s alone with you, come to me, call me, I don’t care what. You are merely human Astraia. She could kill you in one movement.”

I appreciated the warning, but it was something I knew already.

My eyes wandered over to the ceremonial stone and Naremi’s lessons came flooding through my mind. Naremi...I thought she would have at least told me about Lisette’s pregnancy.

“Are you scared when you think of the ritual?” He asked.

“Yeah…Knowing what I have to do makes me nervous. Plus, Naremi didn’t really explain the ritual to me in detail. She was worried I’d back out.” I said looking over at him.

He scooted closer to me and our thighs touched, giving me chills. Lio looked me in the eyes, focused on me completely.

“Tell me what you want to know and I’ll tell you in detail.” He said, sounding a little more cheerful.

I took a deep breath and then sighed. Lio wasn’t going to hesitate with me; he’d tell me everything now that we really were going to get married. After what just transpired, he was choosing full transparency. That made me happy knowing that he had confidence in me. In us.

“Naremi said that you’ll place your mark on me. How will you do that? What does the mark do?” I asked. Lio nodded before he spoke.

“I understand why she left that part out…If you are still sure you want to be my wife, that means you will do whatever is necessary to see that it happens. Do you agree?” I looked at him for a moment before I nodded.

“I won’t run away, even though I’m afraid of what’s to come.”

That made him smile.

“Alright, the mark. When you reach the peak of pleasure, I’ll bite the nape of your neck so that my fangs leave a scar. Once the mark has been made, everything I possess in my power you will feel. We’ll be bound together tighter than anything in this world, Astraia.”

He said, reaching up and cupping my cheek. I touched my neck without thinking and he sighed.

“Don’t think about the pain too much, it doesn’t last. Your human body may react differently but I’ll be taking care of you every moment.” He said, pulling me into the circle of his arms.

The thought of his fangs piercing me gave me chills.

Pain for love, or love for pain? Sometimes pain is love. In my life there has been enough pain. Maybe this time I was hoping that pain would lead me to love and happiness. I didn’t forget about what he’d done, what they’d all done. This whole ordeal was setting me back even further from our wedding day. I wasn’t sure when I’d be ready to begin with.