"But it still matters," she observes, her perception uncomfortably accurate. "The fact that you told me…that matters too. I know what it costs you."
Something shifts between us in that moment, something I'm not ready to name but can no longer deny. She sees me—not just the Shadow Lord, not just the monster of legend, but the man beneath. And despite everything, she's still here, her body entwined with mine, her eyes full of understanding rather than fear.
"I want this to change nothing," I say, more to convince myself than her.
Her smile is knowing, almost sad. "If you say so, my lord." She settles back against my chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns on my skin. "But we both know that's not what you really want."
I don't contradict her. Can't. Because the truth is, everything has already changed, and neither of us knows what happens next.
CHAPTER 29
TWO LINES
SERAPHINA
I STARE AT the ceiling of my chamber, counting the intricate patterns in the obsidian molding for the third time this morning. My stomach churns unpleasantly, a persistent nausea that's plagued me for days now. I attribute it to stress—the prophecy, my growing feelings for Malakai, the constant political machinations surrounding us—but deep down, I suspect it might be something else entirely.
My Omega biology feels different. Off in ways I can't quite articulate.
A flash of silver light announces Ivy's arrival before she fully materializes beside my bed. Her usual dramatic entrance is subdued today, her wings drooping slightly as she notices me lying down.
"Someone looks particularly miserable today," she says, hovering closer. Then she pauses, her nose wrinkling as she sniffs the air. "And someone smells differently, too."
I push myself up on my elbows, alarmed. "Differently, how?"
"Sweet," she says, circling me slowly, her fae senses clearly detecting something I can't. "Richer than usual. Your normal vanilla-light scent but with something else underneath. Like honey and..." She trails off, her eyes widening. "Oh."
"Oh?" I repeat, my heart starting to pound. "What does 'oh' mean?"
She lands on the edge of my bed, studying me with uncharacteristic seriousness. "How long have you been feeling ill?"
"Three days," I admit. "Maybe four. I thought it was something I ate, or stress from?—"
"Your scent has changed," Ivy interrupts. "Sweeter. Richer. With an underlying warmth that wasn't there before." She meets my eyes. "That's Omega pregnancy scent, Sera. Early, subtle, but unmistakable to anyone who knows what to smell for."
My hand instinctively moves to my abdomen.
"Are you certain?" I whisper.
"Fairy noses don't lie about these things," she says softly. "And if I can smell it, an Alpha with a completed mating bond will notice the moment he gets close enough."
Panic flares in my chest. "Malakai. Has he...?"
"You've been keeping your distance from him the last few days, haven't you?" Ivy observes. "That's the only reason he hasn't noticed yet. But Sera, you can't avoid your mated Alpha forever."
I sink back against the pillows, my mind racing. Pregnant.
"I meant to give you something," Ivy says, reaching into a hidden pocket in her flowing silver robes. "I figured you might want this back."
The small crystal vial she produces makes my heart stutter. Inside, iridescent purple liquid shifts with hypnotic patterns—the potion Asher tried to force on me, the one he claimed would break my mating bond with Malakai.
"You kept it?" I whisper. "Why?"
Ivy shrugs, twirling the vial between her delicate fingers. "Call it insurance. Just because you don't want to use it now doesn't mean you won't need it someday."
I reach for the vial hesitantly. "You think I should take it?"
"I think you should have options. Even if you're currently head over heels for Mr. Tall, Dark, and Homicidal Alpha."
