Chapter 243 - 0243

Lorelei POV

"I’m sorry."

That sincere apology finally seemed to ground Kaelen completely. He let out a slow, heavy breath before turning his attention back to me, his gaze softening with concern.

"You see why I can’t let you go out so freely without me by your side," he said quietly, reaching across the table to gently brush his fingers against my arm. "We can’t trust anyone right now. Not the Council. Not Jaxen. Not even people who seem friendly. I know it’s hard for you, being stuck here all day, but please understand that I’m only doing this because I want to keep you safe. Once things finally calm down, you can go wherever you want. You can see Emily. You can see Selene. You can do whatever makes you happy."

He didn’t even need to explain it to me. I understood. I really did.

My safety was far more important than my loneliness. After everything I had already survived, the trafficking ring, the curse, the Council, Jaxen, I knew better than to take unnecessary risks.

"I understand," I said softly, forcing a small nod. "I will..."

But the very next second, I gagged.

A sudden, violent wave of nausea hit me so hard and fast that I doubled over, my hand flying to my mouth as my stomach twisted painfully.

"Lorelei?" Kaelen’s voice immediately filled with panic. "What is it? What’s wrong?"

"Nothing, I..." I started, trying to force the words past the lump in my throat. I wanted to tell him that I was just feeling a little nauseous and that it wasn’t serious.

But another brutal cramp twisted through my abdomen, and this time, I couldn’t hold it back.

I pushed myself to my feet, shoving my chair backward with a harsh scrape against the floor before hurrying toward the bathroom.

The dining hall was massive, and the nearest restroom was down a long corridor. I barely made it past the archway near the base of the stairs before my body gave out completely.

I dropped to my knees on the cold marble floor, one trembling hand bracing against the tiles as I leaned forward and threw up.

The sound of my retching echoed harshly through the quiet hallway. My entire body convulsed as another agonizing wave of nausea tore through my stomach, leaving me shaking, breathless, and covered in a cold sweat.

"Lorelei!" Kaelen’s panicked voice rang out right behind me.

I heard the heavy thud of his footsteps against the floor, then felt his frantic hands grip my shoulders, but I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t do anything except heave, tremble, and pray for the pain to stop.

By the time he pulled me against him, my head was spinning. The world tilted dangerously around me, and dark spots started blooming across my blurred vision.

"I’m... I’m fine," I slurred weakly, trying to reassure him, but the words barely made it past my lips.

My body gave out completely. My muscles went limp, and I collapsed backward into his arms, my head falling heavily against his solid chest as darkness swallowed me whole.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying somewhere familiar but still strangely unfamiliar. I blinked a few times, trying to clear the haze from my vision, before slowly realizing I was in the bed of my new room, the chambers that had been prepared for me.

The soft cream sheets were pulled around me, the elegant velvet curtains were drawn low, and the faint scent of lavender lingered in the air, making the room feel strangely peaceful.

"Thank the Moon Goddess you’re finally awake."

Kaelen’s soft voice came from somewhere beside the bed, startling me so badly that I let out a small shriek. A sharp ache immediately throbbed behind my temples, and I groaned, bringing a hand to my forehead.

"I’m sorry," Kaelen apologized immediately. His voice was gentle, still thick with guilt as he shifted closer to me.

He moved carefully, helping me sit up before resting my back against the headboard and adjusting the plush pillows behind me. Every movement was slow and gentle, almost as though he was afraid I might break if he handled me too roughly.

But it was the expression on his face that completely threw me off.

The Kaelen I knew in moments like this should have been falling apart. He should have been pacing around the room, growling at anyone who dared get in his way, demanding answers from the healers, and probably threatening to burn the whole world down if something happened to me.

But this Kaelen was... calm. Almost too calm.

There was still a deep layer of worry in his amber eyes, but it was buried beneath a quiet stillness I wasn’t used to seeing on him.

"How long was I out?" I whispered, leaning my head back as he adjusted the pillow behind me.

"Since you collapsed last night," he answered quietly.

I instinctively glanced toward the window. The heavy curtains were still drawn, but thin rays of morning light slipped through the gaps, casting a faint golden glow across the room.

I had been out for hours.

"The healer came last night," Kaelen continued, his voice steady. "He ran a few tests and took some blood samples."

My heart immediately skipped a beat.

"So what’s wrong with me?" I asked, my mind already spiraling through every terrible possibility. The curse. Jaxen’s poison. Whatever had caused my body to suddenly give out.

But Kaelen slowly shook his head. "The samples had to be sent to a proper lab at the hospital outside the estate, so we don’t have the results yet. We won’t know exactly what’s wrong until they come back, but..."

He suddenly stopped, and a fresh wave of panic rushed through me.

"But what?" I pressed, gripping the bedsheet tighter.

Instead of answering, Kaelen reached for my hand and gently squeezed it. His thumb moved slowly over my knuckles, almost like he was trying to calm me down before he said whatever was on his mind.

Then he looked directly into my eyes, and the question that came next completely caught me off guard.

"When was the last time you had your menstrual cycle?"