Chapter 151: I Hope So

Maya and Winnie returned to the main house shortly before lunch. They didn’t spend too long at the beach, as Winnie had mentioned that they would have to return in the evening for the bonfire.

They walked back to the house with sand in their feet, clothes, and hair. The edges of their dresses and their hair were also wet. They had spent the entire time running all over the beach, sitting in the sand, building sandcastles and finding seashells.

"Feeling better?" She asked Winnie, who clung to her as they climbed the stairs to the doors.

"Uh uh," she said with a sigh.

"Will you try again today?"

She turned her head and looked at Maya. "Perhaps at the bonfire. It will be romantic," she announced with a sad laugh.

She pulled away from Maya and swung the doors of the main house wide open. Standing between the open doors, she asked, "You think so too, right?"

Maya returned her smile before going through the open doors. "I agree."

"What about you?" She whispered.

"Tonight, in his bedroom."

"While you take off your clothes?" Winnie asked with a wink.

"Winnie," she scolded, but there was a slight blush on her cheeks.

Winnie chuckled and went up the stairs first, while Maya followed closely behind her.

"There won’t be dinner tonight," she said as they got to the top of the stairs. "At least not as usual. If you want your dinner in the dining room or your bedroom, let the kitchen know but you’ll likely be the only one eating there."

"Why?"

"The bonfire," she said with a grin. "It’s a whole party. The whole town will gather at the beach. There will be more food than you can possibly eat."

"Is it fine if I attend?"

"What are you talking about? Everyone attends."

"Then should we go together?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Winnie pushed her toward the stairs leading to the second floor. "I’ll come get you when it’s time. I need a little rest."

"See you later." She waved as she went up the stairs while Winnie walked toward her room.

She got to her room and the first thing she wanted to do was lie in bed but she couldn’t yet—not until she got out of the wet, sandy clothes. She rested on the door to catch herself. She still felt slightly nauseated and running around the beach didn’t help.

A soft knock made her step away from the door and she opened it. Margaret stood on the other side with a relieved look on her face.

"I heard you’ve returned, my lady."

"Margaret," she said, happy to see her.

She stepped to the side to let the maid walk in. She wondered how Margaret had found out so quickly—they had barely run into any servants. Still, she was glad she had been saved the trouble of sending for her.

"Is that sand?" She asked with horror as she looked at Maya.

She chuckled. "I went to the beach."

"I shall get you out of this state in an instant," Margaret said with a stern look as her eyes roamed Maya.

"I’ll appreciate that," she replied with a smile.

The bath water was warmer than the seawater. She preferred the colder one and had to stop herself multiple times from jumping in to swim. She remembered swimming in the seawater one too many times when she was younger.

After the bath to wash away the sand and a change of dress, Maya ate lunch and took a nap. She was more exhausted than she realized. As soon as her body touched the bed, she was fast asleep and didn’t wake up until Winnie came banging on her door by sunset.

"Are you unwell?" Winnie asked as she stood by the foot of the bed while Maya struggled to sit upright.

"Why?" She asked as she stifled a yawn while rubbing her eyes.

Barely any sunlight trickled in through the parted curtains as the sun gave its last light before dipping behind the mountains. The room reflected the sunset as darkness rose in the corners.

"Well, you’ve been asleep for a long time. I have been here twice," she replied, leaning forward to get a better look at Maya.

"I don’t know," she said and lost the battle to the yawn, yawning loudly.

"Oh," Winnie said with a frown and stepped around the side to sit on the bed.

"I don’t think I am ill, but I do feel a little nauseous."

"Nauseous?" Winnie’s eyes widened and she leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Are you perhaps pregnant?"

"What?" Her voice was mixed with shock and disbelief. "No. No? It’s too early, right?"

Winnie shook her head. "It’s not. The first time is enough to take."

"Wait, wait. I don’t think so. I only started to feel nauseous today," she replied. "I am sure it’s something else."

Winnie shrugged. "It could be," she replied. "But it could also be pregnancy."

Maya covered her face as a huge smile spread across it. "Alpha Keenan’s child?"

"Yes."

"I don’t want to get too excited if it isn’t true."

"I am not saying it is but there is a chance. And if you’re pregnant, you can watch your body better."

"I don’t know the first thing about pregnancy or raising a child."

"What are you talking about? You’re not alone," she said and pulled Maya’s hands from her face. "And nine months is more than enough time to learn everything before your baby arrives."

"Oh, Winnie," she cried as she buried her face in her chest.

"There, there," Winnie said and lightly caressed her back. "Don’t stress. It won’t be good for the baby if you’re pregnant."

Maya pulled away from Winnie and looked at her stomach, earning a laugh from Winnie.

"It’s too soon to tell, Maya."

"I know," she said and placed her hand on her stomach. "But just the idea of our child growing inside me gives me immense joy."

Winnie smiled. "Are you going to tell Alpha Keenan about the chance of you being pregnant when you speak to him tonight?"

Maya shook her head, still cradling her stomach. "I’d like to be sure first. Perhaps I’m worried about how he would take the news."

"Please don’t worry too much," she said and glanced at Maya’s stomach. "I am sure it will be fine."

"I hope so."

"Shall we head out now? The bonfire has long started."

"It has?"

"Of course. The sun is down and any moment now you’ll hear the sound of the drums from the beach."

Maya looked toward her bedroom window, even though it wasn’t in the direction of the beach. The moonlight was out and despite the darkness that covered the town, the dull light of the moon made vision slightly better.

"Let’s go," she replied and threw her legs off the side of the bed.

She stood and Winnie stood next to her. Together they walked out of the room. When they got to the middle of the stairway leading down to the first floor, Keenan appeared.

"Alpha Keenan," Winnie called and rushed down the stairs.

Maya followed, standing behind her as she bowed. Alpha Keenan was dressed in a sleeveless tunic and a pair of pants that stopped just after his knees.

"Winnie," he called as he glanced at them.

"Are you on your way to the beach?" Winnie asked.

"Yes," he said stiffly as his eyes sought Maya, who hid behind Winnie with her head bent.

"Wonderful, would you take Maya, please? I just remembered I have something to do before I leave."

"Winnie," Maya cried in horror as she lifted her head.

"Very well," he said and started down the stairs.

"I’ll see you at the beach, Maya," she tried to rush away but Maya grabbed her. "Go," she scolded, easily pulling her hand from her grip.

Maya sighed and rushed after Keenan, who was already halfway down the stairs and didn’t look back at her. However, when he got to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped walking and didn’t start again until she was next to him.

"Alpha," a few servants bowed as they rushed toward the kitchen.

He acknowledged their greetings with a grunt, heading right for the exit. He pushed open the doors, and she stepped out, awkwardly grabbing her dress as she walked next to him.

The walk away from the main house felt longer than usual. Maya felt heavy as they walked—it also didn’t help that he hadn’t said a single word to her.

"You should know your way to the beach," he suddenly said.

She felt her heart squeeze. Was he asking her to go by herself? "Y-yes. I went with Winnie this morning."

She felt his piercing gaze on the side of her face and she glanced at him instinctively. His face was relaxed as he stared at her.

"Then you know walking there would take a while," he said and turned his gaze to the road.