Richard’s POV
The healer’s wing is too quiet.
Mara closes the door softly behind her, chart in hand, expression gentle but unreadable. Emma sits on the edge of the exam table, legs swinging slightly, fingers twisted tight in her lap. She’s trying to look brave. She’s failing.
I stand beside her, one hand on her shoulder, thumb stroking the mating mark like it can shield her from whatever comes next.
Mara doesn’t make us wait.
“I’m sorry,” she says quietly. “The test is negative. No pregnancy this cycle.”
The words hit like a blade.
Emma’s face crumples for half a second; just long enough for me to see the devastation flash through her eyes, before she forces a smile that doesn’t reach them.
“It’s okay,” she whispers, voice cracking. “We knew it might take time.”
But it isn’
