THE LUNA QUEEN IS ME

5: You Should Be Stronger

CHAPTER FIVE - NYX

I woke to the soft rustle of fabric, the sound of drawers sliding shut, and the faint scent of Kael’s cologne.

He stood in front of the mirror, already dressed, fingers moving with practiced precision as he tightened the knot of his tie.

“You’re here,” I murmured.

“Mm.” He merely glanced at me through the mirror.

Our bedroom has slowly become nothing more than Kael’s dressing room ever since Zora returned. He only came in to shower and dress for work.

Every night, he slept in her room.

The first night he tried sleeping here after her arrival, Zora had woken the entire house with a nightmare. I still remember the panic in her screams and the way Kael had rushed out of bed without hesitation.

He never came back afterward.

Since then, he has stayed at her side every night, and because of that, I haven’t had the opportunity to tell him the results of the doctor’s appointment.

Maybe now was the time.

I have been rehearsing how to tell him in ways that won’t sound needy or pathetic. It should sound like the good news that it is.

“Kael?”

“Hm?”

“Do you remember the doctor’s appointment I told you about?” I asked him.

His hands slowed for only a second, a slight frown creasing his forehead.

“Doctor’s appointment?”

“Yes,” I responded softly. “I mentioned it about a week ago.”

He looked at me properly then, searching his memory instead of my face. After a moment, he sighed and reached for his watch.

“I don’t remember.”

The words hit so quietly, but something inside me still caved in. For a second, I just stared at him, waiting for the rest of it. An apology. Maybe even a small crack of a smile before telling me he was kidding.

Anything.

But nothing came.

I remembered how carefully I’d chosen my words so I wouldn’t interrupt his work, and how I’d convinced myself his absent nod meant he was actually listening.

And he still didn’t remember any of it.

“You mentioned not feeling well a while ago,” he said after a second, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve. “But you look fine now, so whatever it was must’ve passed.”

I felt my throat tighten so badly it hurt to breathe, and I dropped my gaze quickly before he could see the shine gathering in my eyes.

“Oh,” I whispered, because I didn’t trust myself to say anything else.

“Did the doctor say something serious?” He asked, and my attention piqued immediately, trying to convince myself that the undertone in his voice was interest.

This was it.

“Actually…” I sat up slowly, my heart pounding so hard it almost hurt. “Yes, he did. There’s something I need to tell you—”

His phone rang before I could continue.

Kael glanced at the screen and sighed under his breath before answering.

“What?”

His tone sharpened into a familiar edge. This was his work voice. I stayed silent, watching as his expression shifted into something more serious.

“No, move the meeting to eleven.” A pause. “I said I’m on my way.”

My throat tightened.

He grabbed his coat with one hand while still speaking to whoever was on the other end.

“I’ll handle it when I get there.” Then he pulled the phone away slightly and looked at me. “We’ll talk later, alright?”

Before I could answer, he was already walking out, the door shutting softly behind him. For a long time, I just sat there staring at the empty doorway, staring at the door.

Then laughter floated up from downstairs.

Warm, easy laughter.

Zora’s laugh came first, followed by my mother’s softer one, then my father saying something that made them laugh even harder.

A shaky breath escaped my lips as I looked away from the door.

I really believed this would change something.

Slowly, I reached for my laptop on the nightstand and opened it onto my lap, tapping at the keyboard. In minutes, Baby websites filled the screen.

Tiny socks. Soft cream-colored blankets. Nursery lights shaped like stars.

My chest softened despite everything.

I clicked through nursery decorations first, soft lights, wooden cribs, and wallpaper covered in stars. Then I went to the articles: what to expect during the first trimester and how big your baby is at six weeks.

I rested my hand lightly on my stomach and, for the first time, let myself imagine something beautiful.

Would the baby have Kael’s eyes?

My hair?

Would they smile easily?

A strange warmth spread through me as I imagined holding someone who would reach for me first.

Someone who would know me as home.

****

The evening was awkward from the moment Kael came back from work.

I could tell something was wrong from the tightness in his jaw and the way he loosened his tie like it was choking him.

“What happened at work?” I asked carefully, grabbing his briefcase.

“Nothing.”

And that was it.

I lowered my eyes immediately. Over time, I had learned how to read him the way people read dangerous weather. Sometimes the safest thing to do was to stop talking before the storm fully arrived.

By dinner, it had become unbearable, especially because Zora never stopped probing him.

“Did something happen during the meeting?”

“I said I’m fine.” His tone was gentler than it would have been with me. “I’m just tired,” he added, forcing a small smile.

I lowered my eyes to my plate, knowing that if I had questioned him that much, he would have snapped at me already. But that wasn’t even what bothered me most.

The dining table reeked of pepper and smoked seafood stew, rich enough to turn my stomach. It was Zora’s favorite meal. My mother had proudly reminded everyone twice already.

Normally, I liked it too.

But tonight, the scent turned my stomach violently.

“And tonight,” the news anchor’s voice cut through the silence from the start television, “Alpha Zeus Hawthorne Blackwood officially unveiled his newest housing initiative for low-income werewolves—”

Across from me, I saw Kael’s hand tighten around his glass.

On the screen, Zeus stepped out before a crowd of cheering citizens. Tall. Composed. Untouchable. Cameras flashed endlessly around him while reporters struggled to keep up.

He shook hands with elderly couples, crouched to speak to children, and listened calmly as people thanked him with tears in their eyes.

“Despite losing his mate years ago,” the reporter continued, “Blackwood continues to expand his influence across the continent, something many believed impossible after such a tragedy.”

“He won the bid, didn’t he?” Zora asked carefully.

Kael’s expression darkened. “Yes.”

Wait, what bid? I was confused.

“I’m so sorry, son,” my father said immediately.

“That’s unfortunate,” my mother added sympathetically. “You worked very hard for that contract.”

Kael said nothing, but I could feel the humiliation radiating off him like heat because this clearly wasn’t just about business. Zeus already stood above him in reputation, influence, and public admiration.

And now this too.

“Well,” Zora said softly, resting her hand on Kael’s arm, “it’s strange, isn’t it? Alpha Blackwood has no mate anymore, yet he still outranks you.”

Kael’s jaw tightened.

“Usually, an Alpha becomes stronger with a Luna by his side.” Zora gave a small laugh and continued lightly. “It’s a wonder why Kael still isn't more powerful.”

The room went quiet.

My mother looked down at her plate. My father cleared his throat awkwardly.

Kael said nothing. He just kept staring at the television with cold eyes while the insinuation of Zora’s words settled heavily in my chest.