Chapter 78
It has been a couple of weeks since King Harvey told me I was pregnant. I feel better, but my luna powers are starting to light my hands when I am asleep. No one knows what it means. Emily is all over me, asking if I am having nightmares or pain. There is nothing bothering me physically. Emotionally, I am very stressed by the thought of being a mother. I am just worried.
Nervous, very, very nervous.
“King Harvey.” I call for my husband in the dark, wondering where he is. His side of the bed is empty.
The front door cracks open slowly, and an orange light bathes my husband from behind. King Harvey shuts the light behind him and walks back to bed silently. He presses a napkin in my hand, and this is when I feel two pieces of toast with butter in my hand.
I can’t help but laugh out loud at the innocence of his act.
“You were saying you were hungry in your sleep, Elena.” King Harvey says between crunches of his own toast. “Would you rather have a sandwich?”
“Thank you, King Harvey. You are a very kind husband…” I breathe, and smell the hot bread that gives me comfort.
“That roast Beta Tom made was delicious. I am very grateful you ate a lot.”
“I did?” I ask, as the warmth of the bread seeps through the napkin.
“Yes, but you hardly have been eating these few days, hormones, Elena.”
I start to eat the toast and find myself smiling, he put honey between the bread for me, like my mom used to. He remembered.
“Can you make a roast?”
“I can try.” King Harvey replies with a soft laugh. “I can’t believe we will have a babe.”
“Oh, fangs! The baby might rip my chest off!” I shudder at the idea of fangs and breastfeeding and King Harvey laughs again.
“Remember, you must pump your breastmilk. Werewolf babies have special bottles anyhow. That is an easy fix.”
“How do you know that?” I run my hand through his hair in the dark and smile at the way he sighs softly.
“Emily has given me ten bottles. I have been looking around for whatever else we need.” King Harvey replies casually. “Do you feel comfortable?”
“Much more comfortable, King Harvey, thank you.”
King Harvey has gone as far as to get a new mattress for us, memory foam. And a new set of pillows that makes me feel like I am floating.
“Would you like to go back to sleep, Elena?”
“Yes, we need to rest.” I finish my toast and wait a moment to lie back down. King Harvey wraps his arms around me and holds me close.
“Goodnight, my wife.” King Harvey whispers in my ear.
“Goodnight, my husband.” I say as I drift off to sleep.
By morning, I feel more rested and stable. King Harvey is reading a book at my side and has my head resting on his chest.
“What are you reading?” I ask gently.
“My aunt sent a book about half-breed children. The more children we have their genetic makeup changes, and some will be half, some a quarter werewolf and one might even be a full breed if their genetic makeup skips.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We should make this required reading.” King Harvey reads a few more pages then points out a diagram of little baby werewolf teeth.
They start the size of an inch, small and razor sharp. The next photo shows a few months later, and the fangs are another inch, by the time the baby is two years old, the fangs are three inches but fall out often.
“Is it painful for the baby?”
“Yes, unfortunately… but we can heal them.”
“Healing doesn’t hurt them?” I ask, suddenly worried about the baby in my stomach.
King Harvey shakes his head. “No, it brings relief.”
“Do, do you think I would be a good mother?” I breathe, my nerves getting to me.
King Harvey looks deep in my eyes. “Elena, you raised Emily. She turned out great.”
“She is human! Our kid will be a half-breed! The world doesn’t want our kid.”
“We want our child, Elena. And you are changing the world, so it is safe for our child. The rest of the kings will follow. It will be fine. You care and worry about our child already, which is a sign of a good mother. Everything will work out. You worry about the human traits; I worry about the werewolf traits. We both will learn about one another as time goes on and we can take care of our child, then children. Okay?” King Harvey says to me calmly.
I sigh. “Why do you make it sound so simple?”
“Because it is, Elena. We love our child; have the resources and I know what is like to be a werewolf. You know what it means to be human. We can do it. I promise. And you are not alone, Elena. I am here, I will be an active father and husband, always.”
Holding his hand tightly, I look into his comforting warm eyes. He is correct, but that also means we need to plan.
“We need to start making a nursery.” Getting out of bed, I slip on a coat, because I have been cold lately.
King Harvey follows my lead with a robe and takes me to the room right beside us to the right. It is a white room with a cream carpet. There is no window in this room, and I wonder if we should put one in. I don’t want the baby jumping out the window.
“The carpet is good, in case the baby falls.” King Harvey says. “The room is nice, don’t you think?”
“Yes. Do we need a window?”
“I suggest not. The baby would be rambunctious and would want to climb out the window.” Doris says from the doorway.
She walks in, pushing a rocking chair. King Harvey picks up the chair for her and puts it in the corner of the room.
“Thank you, Doris.” I say with a smile. “That is a beautiful start.”
“I will help you, Elena. King Harvey, forgive me, you have several meetings to go to today.” Doris guides me to sit in the rocking chair with a maternal smile.
King Harvey runs his hand down his fac and sighs. “I will return, Elena. As quickly as I can. I am sorry I cannot be with you.”
“It will be temporary, King Harvey. I love you, good luck.” Looking up at King Harvey, he bends to kiss me quickly on the lips and is gone in a blur.
Doris smiles gently. “Now, how are you feeling?”
“Better.”
Doris nods. “You will be okay. Be sure to keep crackers, you will need them. What would you like the room to look like?”
“Colorful!”
“That sounds lovely.”
After several hours of prep with Doris about babies and advice, King Harvey returns to me with a smile. In his arms are every pastel color of small blankets and he has a burp clothe on each shoulder.
“We should go shopping, Elena. The baby will need toys!”
“How were your meetings, my love?” I try to stand to greet him, but he steps to greet me and places all the blankets on my lap.
They are soft and warm, which is good for the baby when it is old enough.
“Boring, Elena. I made a list of baby names. Have you thought of any?”
“Anthony if we have a boy…” I tell King Harvey.
I haven’t had any luck with girl names.
King Harvey pulls out a pad and shows me four pages of names.
“I… got carried away. I figured we could do middle names!”
“Oh, good idea!”
Doris laughs. “It’s so good to see you happy, King Harvey!”
King Harvey grins truly. “I cannot wait to be a father!”
“King Harvey!” Beta Tom’s voice suddenly calls from the doorway. “Have you heard the news? The King of the North wants to join the vampires! How can he? They are our enemies!”
He must…wish to kill his old enemy.
My husband.
