Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 348

Abby

I suddenly jolt up from my seat so abruptly that my chair falls to the floor with a clatter behind me.

The table falls silent. My staff and Damon all blink up at me, each face more confused than the last.

“Abby, are you quite alright?” Damon asks, rising cautiously. “Are you hurt?”

I swallow. A sudden wave of intense nausea is taking over me, and I feel like I might vomit at any moment. “I, um… I need to use the restroom,” I manage as I stoop down to pick up the chair. “Sorry.”

As I’m bending over, Chloe touches my wrist. Her worried gaze meets mine. “You need me to come with you?” she whispers.

But I shake my head and manage a smile. “I’m fine, really. Where’s the nearest restroom?”

“Down the hall and to the left,” Damon says.

No sooner has Damon finished that sentence than I’m bolting out of the room, making a beeline for the bathroom. Once I’m out of eyeshot, I clamp my hand over my mouth and pick up my pace into a run—no, a sprint.

Finally, I burst into the bathroom. I barely make it into the toilet in time before the contents of my stomach empty, leaving me feeling both ten pounds lighter and undeniably dizzy.

When I’m finished retching up what little I managed to eat today, I slump over and rest my head on the wall. Sweat coats my brow, and my chest heaves for air through a sore throat.

“I think you should take a test.”

My wolf’s voice is stern and clear. But I shake my head. “No, it’s not possible. It’s just not…”

“Abby. Don’t be dense.”

Her words make my stomach clench of its own accord, but there’s nothing left to throw up. Slowly, my trembling hand moves over my stomach. My fingers graze my belly, and I almost wince at the thought.

No. It’s not possible.

Or maybe it is.

“Just take a test, just to be sure,” my wolf insists gently. “That way, if you’re not pregnant, maybe you should just go to the doctor. Throwing up for three days consecutively isn’t a good thing.”

I let out a soft sigh. Maybe my wolf is right; maybe it’s a good idea just to be sure. I mean, I’m certain it’s completely impossible for me to be pregnant, but… I should still check.

Just to be safe.

…

My cheeks are rosy from the cold night air as I slip back in through the mansion’s back door with my hood up.

It’s late; everyone else went to bed a long time ago, and I slipped out of our quarters unseen. It’s not that I’d want to hide a pregnancy from them if that were the case—they are my friends, after all—but it’s more so that I don’t need to deal with the gossip in the meantime.

And besides, I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up or anything. Because I’m not pregnant. It’s just not possible.

I think.

Quietly, I slip down the dimly lit hallway toward the wing where my staff and I are staying. God, this mansion seemed huge and maze-like enough during the day, but at night when I’m trying to be quick and quiet, it feels like a damn challenge.

Suddenly, as I round the corner, I bump into a tall and sturdy frame. A gasp escapes my lips, and the paper bag containing my pregnancy test tumbles out of my hands.

“Abby?”

I look up, and it’s then that my heart does another flip in my chest.

“Damon.”

“What are you doing?” he asks, his gaze sweeping over me. “Did you go out?”

“I, uh…” I go to stoop down for my paper bag, but it’s too late; Damon is quick, and he’s already snatched it up. And it’s now that I realized that during our collision, the pregnancy test peeked out of the bag.

Damon’s eyes flicker down to the box in his hand, and recognition flashes across his face. “Oh,” he says softly. “I didn’t know you were… pregnant.”

I swallow, feeling suddenly like my blood is turning to ice. “I’m, uh… I’m not sure,” I finally admit as I realize that there’s no going back now. He’s already seen it. “Just checking, you know?”

“I see.” Damon is still holding the paper bag with the box slid halfway out. He looks down at it for a moment longer before he looks up at me. “Are you seeing someone?”

At his words, I feel my face heat up. This isn’t exactly the discussion I was hoping to have tonight, and the thought of Karl just makes me feel even more weak.

“Yes,” I blurt out, then stop myself. “Er—No, I mean. I was seeing someone, but…”

“Ah.” Damon nods slowly and leans against the nearby wall. “Complicated, then?”

A slight chuckle escapes my lips and I run a hand through my tousled hair. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

There’s a slight silence between us. Damon’s eyes search my face as if he’s looking for something; it’s all I can do to hold his gaze. Chloe was right, though: here, in the lamplight, he does look undeniably handsome.

But he’s not Karl.

“Can I ask you something, if you don’t mind sharing?” he asks.

“Oh, uh… Sure,” I say. “What is it?”

Damon takes a deep breath. “So, if you’re not seeing anyone… and if you are, indeed, pregnant… what would you do with the baby?”

His question leaves me taken aback. “Pardon?”

“Forgive me for asking,” he says softly. “But I only wonder if you would keep the baby, or if the prospect of single motherhood isn’t in the cards for you.”

I blink up at Damon, shocked by his forwardness. Right now, in the dim light of the hallway, I can’t quite decide if it’s off-putting or intriguing. Maybe, as a prince, he’s used to being so forward. I can’t fault that.

“I…” My voice trails off as the words catch in my throat. I don’t know how to say it.

“You can be honest with me, Abby,” Damon says. He reaches out gently and touches my hand. His fingers are warm, and it’s oddly comforting. A tension instantly slips from my shoulders just at the warmth.

“I… I have fertility issues,” I finally admit. My voice trembles a bit as I speak. “So, if I were pregnant, even if it meant being a single mother, I would keep the baby. I wouldn’t even consider aborting.”

Slowly, a soft smile stretches across Damon’s lips. He nods, his voice dropping slightly. “I must admit that’s a bit of a relief.” He laughs and runs a hand through his hair. “Not that I have anything against abortion, per se, but… Can I be honest with you as well?”

“Of course.”

“I also have fertility issues. I cannot conceive a child. Ever.”

My eyes widen. “Really?” I mutter. I’ve only shared this experience of mine with a few people, so to meet someone right off the bat who understands my situation is more comforting than I would have expected.

“Yes, really.” He nods. “I’ve always wanted a child, but alas, it’s just not an option for me. But…” He pauses, and a wistful smile stretches across his lips. “If a child were to be running around these halls, even if they were not my own, I would always dote on them.”

“What are you saying?” I murmur.

Damon lets out a soft sigh. “Well, as you know, my offer still stands,” he says. “And, should you find yourself in the midst of motherhood in this theoretical position, I would do whatever I can to help care for him or her. I would fully support both of you, to the best of my ability.”

“So—”

“In short, the child—and you—would want for nothing.” He pauses, his eyes leveling me with an almost stern, but sincere, gaze. “Nothing.”

I’m left taken aback when he’s finished speaking. I can’t believe it; is this even real? A prince, not only offering me a job in his estate, but also to care for my child if that were a possibility?

“That’s… That’s very generous, Damon.”

He simply shrugs and turns, walking away. “It’s the least I could offer,” he calls over his shoulder. “Keep it in mind as you make your decision this week. And…” He pauses, glancing at me one last time. His gray eyes seem to glint in the dim light. “Good night, Abby.”

“Good night, Damon.”