Page 13 of Wanted By the Cartel

"The magical community will go crazy when they find out," I said, voicing one of my deeper fears. "Two perfectly balanced children, born to a moon-blessed omega... People will want to know. People will want to see me, and I don't want the attention."

"Which is exactly why you need to tell Zoren," Mae insisted. "The Nightshade Wolves have the resources and power to protect you and these little ones. But more than that, he deserves to know he's going to be a father. He can keep you hidden from everyone."

I closed my eyes, letting my magic reach inward. Now that I knew what to look for, I could feel them—two tiny sparks of life, already burning bright with potential. One cool and silvery like moonlight, the other warm and solid like earth itself. My children. Our children.

Thinking about that brought tears to my eyes. It was such a wonderful feeling. I had always known I wanted to be a father, but I never imagined it would bring me so much joy.

"How far along?" I asked, opening my eyes to find Mae smiling softly at me.

I knew that was a question I should know the answer to, but I still wanted to know what she thought.

"About six weeks, by my reckoning. Still early, but with supernatural pregnancies, especially ones this powerful, the signs show up sooner." She squeezed my hand. "You need to start taking care of yourself properly. No more skipping meals, no more hiding symptoms. Those little ones are already drawing on your magic—you need to stay strong for them."

Otherwise, something bad could happen, and I didn’t even want to think about it. I really had to be strong for the little ones.

The reality of it all was starting to sink in. I was going to be a parent. Zoren and I had created two new lives, two beings that would need us, depend on us, and change our world completely.

"I don't know how to tell him," I admitted.

I had already decided that I was going to tell him, but I had no idea how to approach the subject. It was going to be complicated, no matter what I tried.

Mae's eyes twinkled. "Sometimes the simplest way is the best way. But do it soon, dear. He's not stupid—he's probably already noticed changes in your scent and your magic. Alphas can be quite perceptive about these things, especially with their mates. You should already know that."

She was right. Zoren had been watching me more closely lately, concern evident in his eyes whenever I turned down food or tired too easily. How long before he figured it out on his own?

Perhaps he already knew. Like me, he might be struggling to figure out how to broach the subject.

"Tonight," I decided, standing up. "I'll tell him tonight."

Mae pulled me into another hug. "Come see me tomorrow. We'll start proper prenatal care—the magical kind. Those little ones are going to need special attention."

And I knew she could provide something better than what the hospitals could. And the best thing about it was that I wasn't going to have to pay anything.

As I left the Howling Pine, my hand rested on my still-flat stomach. Two lives growing inside me, already so full of potential, already so precious. The terror wasn't gone, but now it was mixed with something else—a fierce determination to protect these children, to give them the safety and love I'd lost so young.

This entire time, it turned out that everything I needed was to talk with someone I trusted. Mae was that person.

I might not have chosen this timing, might not have planned for this to happen so soon, but as I felt my magic curl protectively around those tiny sparks of life, I knew one thing for certain: I would do anything to keep them safe.

The walk home was a blur of emotions and planning. How would I tell him? What words could possibly convey the magnitude of this news? And how would we protect our children from those who would seek to use their power?

I didn't have to worry too much about the last thing. I knew that Zoren was going to figure something out. He always did.

As I entered the elevator to our penthouse, I placed both hands on my stomach and whispered, "Don't worry, little ones. Your father is going to love you so much. He's going to protect us all."

Chapter 8

Zoren

Something was wrong with my mate. I'd known it for weeks, felt it in the subtle changes of his scent, the way his magic flickered uncertainly when he thought I wasn't watching. Part of me wanted to demand answers, but I knew Lyrian well enough now to understand that pushing him would only make him retreat, and I couldn't afford that. I wanted him to keep trusting me.

Still, when he came home that evening smelling of anxiety and Mae's herbs, my wolf nearly clawed through my skin with the need to comfort him, to fix whatever was causing him distress. And this time, he was going to tell me the truth.

I found him on our balcony, staring at the moon. His platinum hair gleamed in the silvery light, and his magic seemed to pulse in time with the celestial body above. Beautiful. Terrified. All mine.

"Lyrian," I whispered, approaching him slowly despite my instincts screaming to rush forward. "Talk to me, little moon. I know something has been happening to you lately, something that has you concerned, and I want to help."

He turned to me, and the look in his eyes made my heart stutter. Fear, yes, but also something else—something that made his magic sing with an entirely new frequency. I was beginning to understand what was going on with him.

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