Chapter 264. Fever Dream II

Chapter 264: 264. Fever Dream II

Maisie

Frowning, I glanced down at myself.

My belly wasn’t round yet, but I could feel the life growing inside me, could hear the tiny pulse. I was... pregnant. Right. I was.

I pressed a hand to my stomach. It felt new, which was odd, considering, I couldn’t remember the last time I hadn’t been pregnant. Regina and Jenny thought if I didn’t tie my tubes soon, I was going to repopulate the earth with Lycans.

Juliette thought my mates had tricked my body into loving pregnancy, because they were so good at taking care of everything, and more importantly, they were exceptional at taking care of me.

And now, my ovaries were in love with them.

"Do you feel alright, Your Highness?"

My gaze slid back towards Lana, her hands folded primly in front of her and her shoulders curved in as she awaited my response, my orders.

Something about that felt off, too.

No. That wasn’t right.

Lana had been my maid for months, hadn’t she?

The memory came back to me instantly. Her on her knees before me, crying, begging.

"I had no choice, Maisie. She threatened me. I have nothing left. We have nothing left. Please. I’m your sister."

My chest tightened. Then I remembered what had happened before that.

Without Soren’s money or the dead Queen’s funding the Night Shade pack, Alpha Dante could barely keep the pack afloat before plunging into debt.

Alpha Dante had been siphoning money from his pack’s treasury to fund rogue attacks against neighbouring territories, just to retain his political standing and expand his territories.

The moment the truth came out, his own pack turned on him. A meeting with the Council of Wolves resulted in Alpha Dante being stripped of his title, stripped of his authority, and, in an irony so perfect I still occasionally laughed about it, demoted to Omega status.

Last I’d heard, Kaida was responsible for scrubbing the communal bathrooms. She hated me. The girl in me who had suffered at her hands found this deeply healing.

Cole who hadn’t yet come to terms with his new life spent half the time being bullied by his former friends, and the other half gardening and working the barn. No more expensive parties. No more Alpha heir privileges. No more Greymoor.

His family couldn’t afford the Academy anymore, and heavens knew he had never been clever enough to earn a scholarship.

The Braxtons had been stripped of their titles for being accomplices to Tessa’s attempted murder on my life, though, I made sure to plead with Alden to find a way to ensure Regina was unaffected by this.

Lana, who had no one and nothing to fall back on, had come straight to me.

I couldn’t bring myself to execute her for betraying me, so I made her serve me instead. My personal maid. It had a nice ring to it. I thought it was satire.

Of course, Soren did let her know if she acted against me, tried to harm me in anyway, it was the last day she’d breathe.

So far so good, she’d been loyal. But my husbands watched her every move.

I relaxed slightly. Everything was perfect. My life was perfect. I smiled up at Jericho. "No, not hungry--"

Maisie!

My entire body jolted and I spun around, but there was no one there.

The call had been distant and the desperation, the fear in it left a track of goosebumps erupting along my arms. It had sounded like Quinlan.

But that didn’t make any sense because Mercer was huddled over the bed with Quinlan, teaching him how to properly change a diaper. "No, moron. This flap goes over here--"

My son giggled. "Da-da Kwin."

Quinlan immediately softened. "Yes, my little terror?"

A fanged giggle. "Mo-won."

Quinlan looked offended and he glared at Mercer. "Well, I have no idea where he learned that."

"You know, children are a lot more perceptive than you think," Mercer said. "And if Kade thinks you’re a moron, I’d say the shoe fits perfectly--" 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Kade squealed, clapping excitedly. "Kwin! Mo-won!"

The room filled with laughter, and the strange voice was gone. My thumb ran down Lyanna’s back as she chewed on my earlobe, leaving drool on my neck.

Everything was fine, I thought. But goddess, what was this strange feeling? Like I was living in a body that wasn’t mine?

"Is it the speech?" Jericho asked, bringing my gaze back to him. "Still nervous?"

He took Lyanna from my arms and settled her against his shoulder. She immediately grabbed two fistfuls of his hair and used them to steer his head left and right like a vehicle.

Jericho let her, waving Lana away without even looking. "Give us a minute."

She bowed easily and even that startled me. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Speech," I repeated.

Right. My coronation. My first address to my people as a monarch.

The thought sent a bolt of panic through me and I cupped my palm over my forehead as I began pacing. "What if they don’t like me?"

"They love you, malyshka," Jericho said. "You saved their lives. They practically worship you--"

"What if--what if I say something wrong? I can’t seem to get anything right, and the Council already thinks I’m terrible at this, and what if I trip walking out there? Or forget everyone’s names?" I paused, glancing over the room in terror. "What if I get booed at? Or stoned at? Or spat on? Oh gods. Is it just me or the world is spinning?"

"It’s the morning sickness, mon couer," Quinlan said, not abandoning the baby with Mercer. His hands cupped my neck. "Deep breaths."

I sucked in a deep breath and went back to panicking. "Oh, Goddess. I’m going to faint."

Lyanna rose a fist and declared, "Mama big!"

My heart melted and a breathless laugh escaped me. I thought she was trying to say I was strong.

"See?" Jericho murmured, kissing Lyanna’s hand. "Your first official supporter--"

"Maisie!" Something cracked. "Wake the fuck up!"

This time, the voice wasn’t so distant.