Luna. Chapter 6

(Lyra’s POV)

I woke up on the downstairs couch with a stiff neck and a heavy heart. Through the window, I could see the first hints of dawn over the pack territory. For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine this was all just a bad dream - that I'd wake up to find Kael beside me, excited about our baby, and Seraphina nothing more than a painful memory.

But the sound of footsteps upstairs, followed by Kael's voice asking someone if they'd slept well, brought reality crashing back.

I was making coffee when he came downstairs, looking haggard and uncertain. He stopped when he saw me, opening his mouth as if to speak, then closing it again.

"Good morning," I said quietly, not looking up from my mug.

"Lyra, about last night... I'm sorry. I was shocked, and I said things I didn't mean."

"Did you? Because it sounded like you meant every word."

He moved closer, but I stepped away, maintaining distance between us. "I don't doubt that you're pregnant. And I don't doubt that it's my child. I was just... surprised by the timing."

"Surprised that your wife got pregnant? We haven't exactly been careful."

"No, surprised that you kept it from me for so long." His voice held a note of accusation that made my temper flare again.

"I tried to tell you dozens of times! But every conversation gets interrupted by Seraphina's needs."

"She's been through trauma-"

"Stop. Just stop using that as an excuse for everything." I set down my coffee mug harder than necessary. "Yes, she's been through trauma. That's terrible, and I'm sorry for what happened to her. But that doesn't mean you get to ignore your pregnant wife."

Before Kael could respond, his phone rang. He glanced at it, and I saw his expression change.

"I have to take this," he said, answering. "Adrian? What's wrong?"

I couldn't hear the other side of the conversation, but I watched Kael's face grow increasingly troubled.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. "When did you see her there?"

A long pause.

"No, that's impossible. Lyra wouldn't... yes, I understand. We'll discuss this later."

He hung up and looked at me with an expression I couldn't read.

"What was that about?" I asked, though something in his tone made me dread the answer.

"Adrian says someone saw you at Shadow Den two days ago. The same day you said you had a medical appointment."

My blood ran cold. "What? That's ridiculous. Why would I go to Shadow Den?"

"That's what I'd like to know." His voice was carefully neutral, but I could hear the suspicion underneath.

"Kael, I was at the clinic. I have the appointment confirmation, the ultrasound photos-"

"Photos can be obtained anywhere. And Adrian checked with Dr. Williams. She has no record of seeing you this week."

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. "That's impossible. I was there. She examined me, did an ultrasound, told me everything was progressing normally."

"Then why doesn't she have any record of it?"

I scrambled for my purse, pulling out the appointment card and ultrasound photos. "Look! Here's the proof!"

Kael examined the items with the scrutiny of someone looking for deception. "These could be from any appointment. They're not dated."

"They're dated! Look at the bottom-" But as I looked at the photos, I realized with growing horror that the date stamps were smudged, barely legible.

"Lyra, Shadow Den is where wolves go to get false documentation. False identity papers, false medical records... false pregnancy confirmations."

"Are you insane? Why would I fake being pregnant?"

"I don't know. Maybe to keep me from focusing on Seraphina. Maybe to ensure your position in the pack."

Each word felt like a knife to the heart. "You think I'm lying about carrying your child?"

"I think you've been acting strangely ever since Seraphina returned. Secretive, jealous, desperate for attention."

"Desperate for attention?" I laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I'm desperate for my husband to remember that I exist!"

"This isn't about Seraphina-"

"Everything is about Seraphina! Every conversation, decision, moment of your day revolves around her needs and her recovery and her feelings. And now you're so determined to protect her that you're willing to believe your wife is some kind of manipulative liar!"

"Then prove it," he said quietly. "Call Dr. Williams right now. Ask her to confirm your appointment."

With shaking hands, I dialed the clinic. Dr. Williams answered on the third ring, her voice professional and warm.

"Dr. Williams, this is Lyra Blackwood. I need to confirm my appointment from two days ago-"

"I'm sorry, dear, but I don't show any recent appointments for you. Are you sure you have the right date?"

The phone nearly slipped from my hands. "But I was there. You examined me, did an ultrasound, told me the baby was healthy-"

"Lyra, I haven't seen you for a prenatal visit at all. Are you feeling alright? Perhaps you should come in today, and we can discuss what's been happening."

I hung up without another word, staring at Kael's face as he watched my world collapse around me.

"This is impossible," I whispered. "I remember everything. The waiting room, the examination, the heartbeat on the monitor..."

"Memory can be unreliable when someone is under stress," Kael said, but his voice had gone cold again. "Especially when someone is desperate enough to create false evidence."

I looked down at the ultrasound photos in my hand, and for a terrifying moment, I wondered if I was losing my mind. Had I imagined the whole thing? Had my desperate desire to share good news made me fabricate an entire medical appointment?

But no - I could feel the baby moving inside me. I could feel the changes in my body, the symptoms that couldn't be faked or imagined.

"Someone is messing with us," I said firmly. "Someone deleted my records, someone is trying to make me look like a liar."

"Who would do that? And why?"

"I don't know, but there has to be an explanation." I looked at him pleadingly. "Kael, you know me. You know I would never lie about something like this."