The Secrets Between Us | ✓

|27|

The Bluemoon pack was farther than Anaya thought. Well, it wasn't like she knew where they were going, but she assumed it was somewhere they could travel by car. She was thoroughly surprised when they boarded a four hours flight, followed by an hour on a boat. Her body hummed with excitement the entire time because she had never been out of the city, given she didn't have enough money.

Back on land, the pack Beta greeted them and gestured towards the carriage, making Anaya blink in amazement. The two white horses with black manes and tails were stunning and very similar to the ones she'd seen on the national geographic channel on television. 

As they made their way through the narrowed street, she couldn't tear her gaze away from the tall brick buildings on either side. They looked old but had an authentic feel to them. Railing pots and hanging baskets were attached to the walls in a zigzag manner,  roses and dandelions growing in them. She also noticed tiny decorative plants right outside several doors. Werewolves bowed and moved out of their way to give them space, and all Anaya could do was be in awe of everything.

"Is every guest treated this way?"

Icarus shook his head. "Only the members of the Royal family. No matter what pack we visit, a carriage will always be awaiting us."

Anaya nodded and once again let her eyes drift outside. She saw a three-tier marble fountain situated in front of a Victorian-style house and she knew they'd reached their destination. She took Icarus' hand and stepped down, looking towards the door. She recognized Chloe with her protruding belly and it was obvious that the man beside her was her mate, Alpha Evan. He had a protective hold around her waist. They nodded and smiled in greeting at one another.

Icarus entwined his fingers with hers, leading her inside the house along with everyone. Chloe wrapped Zarina in a hug, taking the goodies when they pulled back. She then turned to Anaya and gave a warm smile. "Anaya, I'm so sorry I couldn't be there to welcome you."

"No worries." Anaya smiled back, squeezing her hand. "I understand how strenuous it can be to travel during pregnancy."

"Yeah, so how is it going with the pack?" 

"Good so far. Icarus has been very supportive in everything," she said and found her eyes involuntarily trail towards the man in question.

As if on cue, he stopped his conversation with Alpha Evan and turned in her direction. It was wondrous how in tune he was with her, for the second time at that. He patted the space beside him on the couch and she looked at Chloe hesitantly, who nodded with a reassuring smile. "Go ahead. I'll be there in a moment after greeting Immanuel."

Anaya felt a lot calmer in his presence once she was seated beside him. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a chaste kiss on the side of her head. "Are you okay?"

"A little overwhelmed," she answered honestly and leaned further against him, watching his interaction with Alpha Evan. They were discussing a charity gala that was to happen next week in the pack house, but she had no idea about it. She wasn't sure why Icarus hid it from her, maybe he forgot to inform or thought she wasn't made for such a glamorous event. She frowned to herself and looked away from them, feeling her throat close. Luckily Chloe appeared with a tray of appetizers, saving her from overthinking.

"Let someone else do it, baby. We don't want to harm our child," Alpha Evan grumbled, affectionately running a hand down her face. 

Chloe stuffed a cheese ball into his mouth and smiled. "I don't mind! The healer said I can continue exercising until my delivery next week."

"Next week? You are six months pregnant, aren't you?" Anaya asked, her eyebrows pinched together.

"Yeah. For werewolves, the gestation period is only 6 months." Chloe rubbed her belly, staring down at it with a smile. "I can't wait for the little munchkin to come out. I want to go back to having a slim figure."

"Oh! What about me?" Her eyes widened and she sputtered to correct herself. "Um...I mean if a werewolf is mated to a human." Her cheeks were as red as a beet and she avoided looking at Icarus. She wasn't ready to be a wife or mother just yet but the knowledge was good, right?

"About that, it depends on the genetic makeup. If the human gene is dominant, it will be a period of nine months while if the werewolf gene is dominant, it will be six months. But the survival rate of the mother or the pup is low in such cases because it's very challenging for the body."

Anaya went pale, her mind reeling with the newfound information. She straightened from Icarus, feeling a little nauseous.

"Hush, Chloe,"  Zarina scolded softly before looking at Anaya. "Don't listen to her, dear. Gina's brother is mated to a human, and they have a three-year-old son, werewolf and healthy, right Gina?" 

The Beta, Gina, nodded silently. Anaya tilted her head towards the woman in acknowledgment, only then noticing her gaze trained on Icarus. They hadn't been introduced at all, not even when she had come to pick them up. Icarus had exchanged a few words with her, but Anaya being so occupied with the scenery had overlooked it until now. Being a woman herself, she could read Gina's face clearly. She liked Icarus but there was more to it. Anaya didn't want to imagine the possibility of it but she did and for a moment, she couldn't think straight. Something within her shifted and jealousy burned deep within her. With a calmness she did not feel, she met Zarina's concerned stare. "It's okay. Chloe didn't do anything wrong by telling the truth."

"Lunch is here!" Immanuel announced and in a few long strides, he was there in the dining hall inches away from the table. 

Anaya knew he did that only to break the growing tension which made her smile. She stood up and followed Zarina and Chloe who were yelling at Immanuel to not touch the food yet.

"Anaya," Icarus whispered in a gentle tone, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to turn her towards him. "Past shouldn't affect our present."

"I don't understand." She knew he was right, but that didn't mean the revelation didn't hurt. Now whenever she'd see Icarus and Gina in the same room, it would remind her of the time they were into each other. The thought itself felt suffocating and to top it all, Gina was again looking at them from across the room.

"You think I didn't notice?"

"So I'm not wrong, am I?" She didn't wait for his response. What was there left to say? She took the chair on the far corner, hoping Icarus wouldn't follow but she felt his presence when he took the one next to hers. They didn't talk and every time Icarus tried to hold her hand under the table, she pulled away. The tension was palpable which made everyone awkward. They tried to hold conversations but eventually went silent. 

"Thank you for coming, Anaya. I would love to meet you again. How about some spa time with the girls?"

"I'd like that," Anaya said and hugged Chloe, feeling emotional for some unknown reason. When she pulled back, she looked down at her stomach earnestly. "Can I?" 

Chloe nodded.

Anaya's palm flattened against Chloe's round belly and a warm sensation flooded through her, like honey being poured over her unborn pup. "He is going to be beautiful and strong."

Chloe gasped when the pup kicked in response to her words.

Only after they left did Chloe realize she hadn't told the baby's gender to Anaya, and as she stood there puzzled, her uterine muscles contracted and she doubled over in pain. Her water broke and she screamed for Evan who rushed them to the hospital and into the delivery room.

Alpha Evan mind-linked Icarus, 'Your mate is no ordinary human.'

A/N
Another update!💗 Who do you think Anaya is? Is she a human or some other creature? Tell me your thoughts in the comment section below and let's see who gets it right!