Page 43 of The Witch's Rite
“And?” I ask softly. “Did the oracle tell you what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’swrong,” Aurora whispers, but the way she says it sounds off, like it’s not quite the truth.
I cross my arms on the edge of the tub and raise my eyebrows at her, waiting for the full explanation. It takes her a moment, but she finally lets out a sigh.
“I’m pregnant. And the child is yours.”
She’s . . . pregnant.
Suddenly, there’s not enough air in the room, and what little airdoesremain is heavy and humid and wraps around my lungs like it’s trying to smother me.
“You’re . . . But . . . How?”
Well, I knowhow. That much is clear. But she told me it was safe.
“The goddess,” she whispers, averting her eyes from mine. “Niamh told me Brigid sometimes plays tricks on Beltane, and it appears she played one on us. I wasn’t in my fertility window, so I thought we were safe, but... here we are.” As her eyes meet mine, they look sad, maybe even a bit scared, and that expression snaps me out of my spiraling.
This beautiful, loving, gentle-hearted woman is pregnant withmychild, and I’m sitting here acting like I just got knocked off my horse in a joust. What’s the matter with me?
Standing from the footstool beside the tub, I pull my tunic over my head, then strip out of my trousers. Aurora blinks up at me, lips parting in surprise as I ease into the tub. Before she can say anything, I pull her body close to mine and wrap my arms around her small frame.
“And what a wonderful trick it is,” I whisper.
She wriggles back to look into my eyes. “Really? You’re not... upset?”
“Upset?” I push a hand through her wet hair and cup the back of her head. “Of course not. Surprised, yes, but not upset.”
Her eyes sparkle with tears, and I press my mouth to hers, tasting roses on her lips. As I pull away, a single tear escapes from Aurora’s eye, and I brush it away with a thumb.
“Are you okay with this?” I ask.
It’s a bit surreal talking to her about this, considering we’ve known each other such a short while. But it feels comfortable, as if she’s been in my life for years rather than months. I’ve neverbeen with a woman who’s made me feel so seen and accepted and wanted. Aurora has a special magic all her own.
“I am,” she whispers, averting her eyes. A small smile plays on her lips. “I can’t say I expected it to happen this way, but...” She sniffles once, then meets my gaze. “It’s wonderful. I was worried you’d be unhappy...”
Once again, I lean forward to press my lips to hers. When I pull away, I rest my forehead against hers and whisper softly, “Sometimes unexpected gifts are the most precious.”
Aurora sniffles again, but her mouth is still curved into a smile.
Then something occurs to me, and I sit up straighter.
“Alden...” I say. “He seemed bothered when I got here.”
Aurora gives a small nod, the joy going from her face again. “He’s...” The sigh that slips from her lips is a delicate thing. “I think he’s surprised, probably doesn’t know what to make of this.” She trails her fingers through the water and leans against my bare chest. “I don’t want to hurt him, Rowan. That’s the last thing I want.”
My hand drifts over her clean wet hair, and my chest rises and falls with a deep breath.
If I were Alden, how would I feel? Unimportant, perhaps. Worried I’d be cast aside. No wonder he was in no mood to speak with me.
The anger I felt at him for not finding me in town dissipates like the soap bubbles popping in the warm sun-streaked air.
“I think you should speak with him,” I say quietly. “Tell him how you feel. You’ll work it out together—I’m certain of it.”
She nods, more tears shining on her cheeks, and I tuck her head against my bare chest, holding her close as I whisper, “Everything is going to be okay.”
Chapter 26
Alden
