(Lyra’s POV)
I pressed my hand against my belly, feeling the gentle curve that had become more pronounced over the past four months. My heart raced with excitement as I imagined Kael's face when I told him the news. After all these months of keeping this secret, today felt like the perfect day to share our joy.
The autumn air was crisp as I walked up the stone path to our packhouse. The familiar scent of pine and earth filled my nostrils, but underneath it, I caught something else - a floral perfume that definitely wasn't mine. My wolf, not yet awakened, couldn't help me identify the strange scent, but something about it made my unease.
I pushed open the front door, calling out cheerfully, "Kael? I'm home!"
The sound of footsteps came from the living room, but when Kael appeared, his expression wasn't the warm welcome I'd expected. His dark eyes looked distant, almost cold, and there was a tension in his jaw that I'd never seen before.
"Lyra," he said, his voice strangely formal. "We need to talk."
My hand instinctively moved to my belly again. "Actually, I have something amazing to tell you first-"
"Seraphina is back."
The words hit me like a physical blow. My mouth went dry, and the excited words I'd been preparing died on my lips. "What?"
Kael ran a hand through his dark hair, avoiding my eyes. "She returned this morning. She's... she's been held captive by the Shadow Den pack for three years. She barely escaped with her life."
I felt the room spin slightly. Seraphina - his first mate, the woman he'd loved before me, the one everyone said was dead. "But... but she's been gone for so long. Everyone thought-"
"I thought she was dead too." His voice was flat, emotionless. "But she's here now, and she needs me. She needs our pack's protection."
The word 'our' stung. Our pack. Our home. Our life together. But suddenly it felt like none of it belonged to me anymore.
"Where is she now?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Upstairs. In the guest room. She's weak, traumatized. The things they did to her..." He finally looked at me, and I saw something in his eyes that made my heart crack. Guilt. "Lyra, I need you to understand. She's been through hell. She needs time to recover."
I stared at him, this man I'd married, this man whose child I was carrying, and felt like I was looking at a stranger. "What exactly are you asking me to understand?"
"That things are going to be different for a while. Seraphina needs care, needs someone who understands what she's been through. I have to be there for her."
"And what about me?" The question slipped out before I could stop it, sounding more desperate than I'd intended.
Kael's expression softened slightly, but not in the way I'd hoped. It was the look someone gives a child who's asking for something they can't have. "You'll always be important to me, Lyra. But Seraphina... she was my first mate. Before everything went wrong, before she disappeared, we had something special. I owe it to her to help her heal."
I felt my hands trembling. Four months ago, I'd been the most important person in his life. Four months ago, he'd told me I was his everything. Now, with just a few words, I felt myself becoming secondary, an afterthought in my own marriage.
"I see," I managed to say, though I didn't see anything clearly anymore.
"I knew you'd understand." He stepped closer, but when he reached for my hand, I pulled away. "You've always been so generous, so kind. That's one of the things I love about you."
Love. He said it like it was past tense, like something he used to feel but wasn't sure about anymore.
I wanted to tell him about the baby then. I wanted to place his hand on my belly and see his face light up with joy. I wanted to remind him that we were building something together, creating a life that would bind us forever. But looking at his distant expression, at the way he seemed already halfway up those stairs to where she was waiting, I realized this wasn't the right moment.
Maybe there would never be a right moment again.
"I should let you get back to her," I said quietly.
Relief flickered across his features, confirming what I'd feared. He wanted to be with her, not me. "Thank you for understanding. I'll... we'll talk more later, okay?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice to remain steady. As he turned to go back upstairs, I called out, "Kael?"
He paused, looking back at me hopefully, as if maybe I was going to say something that would make this all easier.
"How long do you think she'll need to stay?"
His pause told me everything. "I don't know. As long as it takes."
After he disappeared upstairs, I stood alone in our living room, surrounded by pictures of our wedding, our travels, our life together. My hand found my belly again, and I whispered to the tiny life growing inside me, "I guess it's just you and me for now, little one."
