Blood Moon (28 page)

“Two weeks without this, Lukas. I’m not sure I can handle that.”

His hands rubbed soothing circles on her back.

Aria smiled when he didn’t reply. “Aw. I’ve worn the poor boy out.”

“Most manly men would object to that. Unfortunately, you’ve wrung me out into a limp noodle. I admit it.”

“We just need to work on your stamina.”

His chuckle caught her by surprise. “Well then, you’d best work on finding out what else Cern is willing to barter for a bit of alone time.”

She pressed a kiss to the skin under her mouth. “I’ll work on it.”

***

It turned out Cern wasn’t as easy to bribe as she’d thought. For nearly a week, he’d managed to thwart every attempt she and Lukas had made to grab a few moments alone. He’d even gone so far as to recruit the teenagers, who enjoyed the opportunity to amuse themselves by spying on their Alpha pair. Aria decided it might have been worth it, because the kids were getting restless, chained as they were to the grounds.

Aria had been working on a plan she was certain would work when Lukas caught her eating lunch with Thaddeus and Aaron. She had formed a tenuous friendship with Aaron since her return from the Meet. She’d never asked why that made the difference; she’d just taken it for what it was and ran with it. Things being what they were, she didn’t need any more enemies.

When Lukas came out of the study with a concerned look, she jumped at the chance to feed him lunch, pity and love taking over her actions. Over the week, she’d learned that he worked hard at keeping the Pack’s finances afloat, and often forgot to eat.

“Sit down. I’ll make you a sandwich.”

When he took a chair without arguing, Aria began to worry. She made a turkey sandwich, asking him what he wanted on it, then slid it onto a plate and placed it in front of him with a drink.

“What’s the matter?” Thaddeus asked. Even he looked concerned at Lukas’ preoccupied manner.

They waited for him to finish chewing. “I’ve had some good news about the permits for starting the eco-tourism company.” His gaze flicked to hers. “But the downside is that I have to leave for a week to address some of the issues in person. I tried to get them to move the deadlines around, but they’ve refused. If I don’t go, we’ll lose the chance, and I’m not sure how many more we’ll get.”

Aria squeezed his hand. “Then you have to go. You’ll be back in time for the Challenge, right?”

“I should be back three days before we have to be there. Wherever that ends up being.”

Aaron pushed his plate away. “I’ll call as soon as we hear anything.”

Rejecting her own sense of impending doom, she smiled brightly. “Then that’s settled. You’ll go take care of that, and then meet us back here.”

Lukas watched her, and she felt him probe her mind. “Are you sure you’re all right with this?”

“Lukas, you have to go. I’m fine with it.” She watched as his expression faltered. “Just promise to take a Pack Guard with you. Please.”

He nodded. “That’s more than a reasonable request. I think Sebastian is the best option.” He exchanged a pointed glance with Aaron. Did they have suspicions similar to hers? Sebastian had been sulking around since they returned and doing only as much as was needed to keep under the radar. She’d tried to bring it up on several occasions, but Lukas had been so preoccupied, she’d abandoned it to her paranoia.

“I think that would be for the best. He can easily be spared,” Aaron confirmed.

Guilt flooded her senses. The Pack Guards had been busy with triple the amount of work, patrol for Haemon, and watch for Council Guards—all on top of their normal duties. No one had complained, and in fact, some had decided it was good to be more useful, but it still bothered her. So much trouble over her.

“When do you leave?” Thaddeus asked.

“This evening.”

Thaddeus nearly spit his drink over the table. “How long have you actually known about this?”

Lukas rubbed the back of his neck. “About three days. Aaron and I have spoken about it already. I was trying to exhaust every other option before taking this one.”

Cern sauntered in, and they shared the information with him. His face grew serious. “You should know that Haemon has scheduled a meeting with Aria tomorrow afternoon.”

Lukas cursed. “Damn it, I can’t put this off. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t leave them alone.”

Cern winked. “Of course. I never allow you and Aria alone time, why would I allow him?”

Lukas’ entire body slumped, relief evident. “Thanks.” He turned to Aria, his hand covering hers on the table. “Be careful. I don’t know what he wants, but it can’t be good.”

“Hello. Have you missed out on the last year?” She laughed. “I’ll meet him so he can’t complain to the Council. I don’t have to be nice about it. All I have to do is stand there with him.”

Chapter Twenty-eight

It didn’t turn out to be that easy. After a slightly tearful farewell to Lukas, Aria spent the following day alternating between sadness that her Mate was gone and anger over Haemon’s audacity in forcing a visit.

When Ella came to her room mid-morning and told her Haemon was waiting outside on the steps, Aaron had forbidden him entrance into the Pack house, and all the children had been confined inside for the day. The grounds were disturbingly empty of anything but sharp-eyed Pack Guards.

Aria followed Ella outside, where Aaron waited on the porch with Cern. Haemon stood at the bottom of the front steps, a condescending smile hovering around his lips. She headed towards the steps when Aaron’s arm snaked out and stopped her.

“You don’t have to do this.”

Cern didn’t back down. “Yes, she does. Rules, Aaron.”

Aria patted his hand. “Don’t worry.”

Her stomach sunk a little lower with each of the five steps she took. Haemon caught her hand, and she inhaled sharply, skin crawling with the need to make him release her.

“Why are you insisting on this, Haemon?”

He pulled her around the driveway, chuckling. “It’s lovely to see you as well.” When her lips stayed tightly pressed, he laughed. “While watching you get upset is entertaining, I did it because turnabout is fair play.”

“Since when has fair play ever been important to you?”

He ignored her barb. “The Council is not pleased with Cern at the moment. He found loopholes in their wording and used it. That always gets them hot and bothered.”

Haemon spoke of the Council as if he were discussing a misbehaving child. Her heart sped a little. His hand patted hers where it was tucked against his body. “I can hear that, Aria. Don’t get yourself so worked up over the Council’s opinion. Soon, the only opinion you will worry about is mine.”

“Over my dead body.”

“No. Over Lukas’.”

Aria dug in her heels and stopped. “You’ve outworn your welcome, Haemon.”

She twisted her hand out of his grasp and turned. He caught her sleeve, jerking hard. She twirled, her shirt sliding over one shoulder, the necklace she’d managed to keep hidden for over four years sliding from under the fabric.

Haemon’s eyes went wide and wild. “You have it. Fuck Cern, he gave it to you.”

Her palm slapped over the silver, and she held up a hand. Around them, Pack Guards drew closer, snarling at one another. “My mother gave me this as part of her will.”

Haemon waved a hand. “Then he gave it to her. I want it. Now. You will give it to me.”

“I will give you a swift kick in the ass if you come any closer.”

He snarled, his body morphing to a half-formed werewolf. He was bigger than her, and stronger, but she was quick, and easily ducked a paw of wickedly curved claws. Haemon’s Pack Guards were hard pressed to contain the wolves swarming them, attempting to come to her aid. She allowed her own half-change to come over her. Haemon’s claws tore through her stomach before she could back out of the way, the shallow cuts bleeding sluggishly. She circled, waiting until his hand came toward her again, sliding under his arm and snapping her jaws within inches of his fingers. The necklace at her neck grew warm when Lawrence broke through the edges of the circle, throwing himself at Haemon. He was tossed aside, slamming into the side of a car parked in the gravel with enough force to leave a dent.

Anger blazed brightly, and her power surfaced. The necklace burned against her light fur. Frustration added to the sensations and her resolve turned to steel. Control wrapped around her. Before her escape, her power was hard to command. But now….

As Aaron knocked over two wolves to her left, she bent the massive energy surging through her body to her will, honing it to a fine point with her mind. When Haemon’s claws started towards her again, she released it like an arrow from a bowstring.

Haemon’s form wavered, then shifted until he passed out, bewilderment and madness written on his face. Everything went still, and Aria lost control of her form, slumping naked to the ground. She pulled her legs up, trying to make herself small.

“Remind me never to make you upset,” Aaron commented.

Aaron barked out a command, and Haemon’s Pack Guards dragged his body to their car. They were accompanied to the edge of their land by a pack of wolves.

Ella dropped to the ground next to Aria, draping a sheet over her shoulders.

Aaron held out a hand. “Come on. Alec needs to look at those cuts.”

Aria struggled with unbidden tears. Her emotions were a storm she couldn’t quite get under control. She put a hand in Aaron’s, allowing him to help her up and wrapping the sheet around her body with the other one.

Her fingers tightened on his. “Lukas can’t know about this, Aaron.”

“Aria—”

“He’ll come straight back if he finds out. We need this to work. He doesn’t have to know until he comes back.”

Aaron sighed, pulling her towards the house. “I’ll do what I can. But I don’t like not telling him.”

Aria managed a shaky laugh. “You don’t like it? Think about it this way—when he gets back, I’m the one who’s going to get their ears blistered.”

Alec was waiting for them when they got inside, drawing Aria into the study. Ella started forward, but Aria waved her off. “They’re already healing. Don’t worry so much.”

Ella frowned. “I’ll wait right outside the door if you need anything.”

Alec closed the door softly behind Ella while Aria collapsed against a leather desk chair. He moved across the room and waited until Aria blinked through the tears that wouldn’t stop forming.

“I’m sorry, Alec. I haven’t been so emotional in forever.”

He bunched the sheet in her lap while she held the top over her breasts. Nudity had never been something she’d been particularly conscious about before, but lately it made her cringe to think anyone else would see her naked.

“Don’t worry about it, Aria. It’s to be expected.”

She didn’t know what to make of that cryptic statement. Did he think she was some kind of weakling? He opened the door, sending Ella for a washcloth and bowl of warm water. Lounging against the doorframe, he tried to make small talk.

“You really need to get more sleep, you know.”

Aria ignored him, already aware of the bags under her eyes.

Ella returned, thrust a bowl of water and several washcloths through the doorway, and Alec took them, closing the door with one foot.

“Now, let’s see how bad the damage is.” He wrung out a towel, gently wiping at the blood. The places that had not finished knitting stung a little, but the cuts were already closing, forming into light pink gashes across her stomach.

“It’s good you got out of the way when you did. If he’d landed that blow where he wanted, you would both have been in serious trouble.”

Aria’s brow furrowed. “Both?”

He leaned back on his heels. “You and the baby.”

“Baby?” She froze. Her fingers slid over the damp flesh around her navel. “What are you talking about?”

Alec uttered a curse under his breath. “I thought you knew. You’re pregnant, Aria.”

Her world grew dark around the edges. She couldn’t think.

Alec straightened. “Head between your knees. If you faint, Ella will bring the house down around our ears.”

Folding forward, she stared at the floor, dumbstruck. Pregnant? Wouldn’t she have noticed? Thinking back, it started to make a little more sense. She’d been unusually tired lately, but she’d attributed it to stress. Her breasts were a little tender, but again, she’d assumed that was because her period was due. Her period. She counted back to the last one and realized she was very overdue.

Joy blossomed in her chest, and she slowly sat back up, catching Alec’s hand in hers. Tears made the room hard to see. “How did you know, Alec?”

He shrugged. “I’m a doctor and a healer. When Haemon cut you, I could smell it in your blood.”

“Can anyone else smell it?”

He thought for a moment. “You’re not far enough along for the change in your scent to be noticeable. So probably not.”

“Then we have to keep it that way.” Her mind worked overtime. She should be panicked, but instead, warmth spread through her. This child was a new beginning. But if Haemon caught wind of it—she pushed the thought away. He wouldn’t. She’d make certain of it.

“What?”

She shook her head, taking a deep, shaky breath. “Go and get Aaron please. And Cern. Please don’t say anything to anyone else.” The less people who knew, the less chance there was of something happening. Lukas didn’t need to know until after the Challenge. She didn’t want anything to distract him. Haemon would truly go mad if he found out. But she wasn’t an idiot. She needed help to keep this secret, and to keep the child safe.

Alec straightened to his feet. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

A wet laugh escaped. “I’m feeling pretty amazing right now, Alec.”

He chuckled, leaving the room. She heard Ella’s frantic voice, and his deeper one reassuring her. She crept to the door, cracking it open.

“Ella?”

The other’s woman’s worried face appeared in the crack. “Are you all right?”

“Nothing a little rest won’t fix. But I was wondering if I could ask a big favor?”

“Anything.”

“I was hoping I could borrow some of that rose bubble bath you swear by. I’m planning on taking a very long soak this afternoon.”