Watching. Waiting.
Knowing.
Astra bursts inside without waiting for permission, dragging me behind her. My heart is still hammering from what I saw—or think I saw—in the gardens, but her excitement is infectious enough to push back the fear momentarily.
Lucian and Seth both look up from where they’re having what appears to be a serious discussion, their expressions grave. The instant their eyes land on us, both men move.
Seth reaches me first, his hands settling on my shoulders with that careful intensity that makes my skin warm. “What’s wrong?” His green eyes scan my face, tracking every detail. “You look pale.”
“I’m fine,” I say automatically, but my voice wavers.
Lucian has already crossed the room to Astra, his hands now framing her face. “What are you doing here? I thought you were resting in your chambers.”
“I had to tell you.” Her grin is incandescent. She grabs his hands, pressing them to her stomach. “Lucian, I’m pregnant.”
The entire study goes completely still. Then, Lucian’s eyes widen, his mouth opening and closing without sound. For a man who commands armies and rules a kingdom, he looks utterly lost.
“You’re—” He stops. Swallows hard. “What?”
“Pregnant,” Astra repeats, grinning madly. “Selene just figured it out. We’re having a baby!”
Seth’s hands tighten on my shoulders. I glance up to find him staring at me with an expression I can’t quite read—pride mixed with something hotter, something that makes heat pool low in my belly despite everything that is going on here and in my head.
“You confirmed it?” Seth’s voice drops, intimate even in thecrowded room.
I nod, trying to ignore how close he is, how his scent wraps around me. “I felt the heartbeat.”
Lucian sways slightly, and Astra has to steady him. The sight of the powerful king wobbling on his feet would be alarming if it weren’t so endearing.
“A baby,” he breathes. Then louder, turning toward the door: “Guards! Summon the senior healers. All of them. Now.”
“Lucian, I’m fine—”
“You need to sit down.” He’s already guiding her toward the nearest chair, despite her protests. “No more running through the palace.”
“You’re being dramatic,” Astra laughs, letting him fuss over her.
Seth pulls me to his chest, and I feel his heart thundering. “You did good, little wolf,” he murmurs into my hair.
The approval in his voice shouldn’t affect me this much. It makes my wolf preen.
I watch Lucian fuss over Astra, adjusting cushions behind her back, calling for water, his hands trembling slightly as they hover over her stomach. The love between them is palpable—so pure and uncomplicated that it makes my chest ache.
That’s when the image comes crashing back. Zane in the gardens. Those cold eyes. That calculating smile.
I see you.
Did I see him, though? My hands start to shake. What if I imagined it? What if the stress and fear have finally broken something in my mind?
I pull back from Seth, tugging on his sleeve to get his attention. He looks down immediately, concern crossing his features.
“Can you find out if Zane was in the gardens?” I whisper as I glance at Lucian, keeping my voice low enough that he won’t hear. “Just now, or in the last few minutes?”
Seth’s entire body goes rigid. His hand comes up to grip my chin, turning my face back toward his. “Why?”
I hesitate, the words sticking in my throat. “I think I saw him. When I was coming here with Astra.” My voice drops even lower. “Hewas looking at me. Just…staring. But then he disappeared and I—I’m not sure if it was real.”
The temperature in the room seems to drop. Seth’s eyes darken, and without a word, he stalks over to the door and yanks it open.
