Chapter 79

The King of the North has not made a sound for months after his attack and we are all grateful. King Harvey remains at my side, loyal as always, but more silent.

“Elena.” King Harvey starts as I look over the blueprint for an a new building.

Should it be a school, a hospital? A shelter from wars and storms?

In these past months, Emily has married Beta Tom and swiftly got pregnant. I am still waiting for my symptoms of pregnancy. There are none.

I think I know what he wants to tell me.

“Harvey… I am not with child.”

“No, Elena. Not yet.” King Harvey bows his head and turns away to face the window. When I see tears roll down his face, I leap at him, holding him tightly to my chest.

His hand dig into my back desperately.

“Why a false positive?” I ask, trying not to weep openly.

Tears roll down my face too.

“Your luna abilities are so strong, Elena. It seemed and smelled like you were, and I believed it, until now. Doris pointed out that you would be showing by now, for sure…” King Harvey pieces together as he blinks the tears out of his brown eyes.

I sigh to stop myself from crying.

“Oh.” This reply is lack-luster, but something is eating at me, an emptiness. “I wanted a baby…”

Now, my eyes sting as a torrent of tears pours down my face.

King Harvey twists in my grasp and holds me to his chest firmly. “We shall have our own! Now simply is not the time, Elena! That is okay, I promise!”

“That just means we must help others!” I say through my gritted teeth to not weep heavily. “We should make an orphanage!”

“Orphanage,” King Harvey repeats out loud. “Orphanage! What a marvelous idea! We can help the innocent pups!”

“It should be for everyone, however.”

King Harvey pauses. “My love, as you know, not everyone is as kind as you are to me and I to you, Elena. I cannot promise the protection of either party…”

I understand his fears. We still are implementing kindness to both sides, werewolf and human alike. The only way for this to truly work would be one way.

“I will be in charge.” I decide earnestly. “I know how to take care of humans.”

King Harvey’s eyes widen. “Yes,” he agrees patiently. “But… werewolf babies?”

“There will be nurses around, King Harvey.”

King Harvey nods, but hums as he thinks. “Elena. May I join you?”

“Sure! It will be good parenting practice.”

King Harvey marvels at me, a sweet smile reaching his eyes as his face remains stern. “You still take us as parents, Elena?”

“We shall be parents one day, King Harvey. There is no shame in adopting…”

“We will need at least one blood-heir, Elena.” King Harvey cuts in. “If not more, in case.”

“Well, that is something to plan towards, no?”

King Harvey runs his hand through his hair, then mine, making me laugh at the innocent gesture. We sit in silence now, King Harvey sketching what he wishes the orphanage to look like. I want to talk to my artist husband regardless.

“Beta Tom will be a massive help. He was raised in an orphanage…” I say, thinking out loud.

“Until Father took him as a ward and we grew up together, yes.” King Harvey interjects. “It will be a lot of interviewing people.”

I shrug. “Doris and her sister are very maternal; do you think they could help?”

“Why not?” King Harvey asks with a smile. “How…. How do we get the children to be friends?”

“Children are born with no prejudice. As long as we teach both sides not to bite or hit and definitely tell the werewolf kids to behave… they might need special gloves. I don’t want to single them out but talons versus humans is a no.”

King Harvey sighs. “Even together, they might be treated differently…”

“Well, King Harvey werewolves are much stronger than humans, we need to make sure no one gets hurt. We need to be honest and tell them as it is. They will listen. Emily always listened to me.”

King Harvey smirks at me. “She looked up to you so much she married a werewolf just like you.”

I blush. “Yes. Didn’t your parents tell you that you were different to humans?”

“I was better than them…” King Harvey mutters, then laughs. “I know I am stronger, but not better. I suppose that is a fine distinction, Elena. I could teach them that.”

“It would be a perfect life lesson coming from the king!”

King Harvey grins at me lopsidedly like a kid. “Thank you! How many would you like the orphanage to hold?”

“As many as possible without any neglect involved. We will need to be doing donations and raffles and maybe we can raffle off some items…”

“What is that a raffle? That is an odd human term.” King Harvey asks, but he pulls me to sit beside him, thigh to thigh.

He shows me the blue line sketch of the outline of the orphanage, it is a three-story building, and the ages are separated. Babies first, then kids and teens. Two armed guards are at either side of the front door. I hadn’t thought of that.

“Selling off some special items to the highest bidder. Like an old cloak with your signature? That is very smart, King Harvey. Protection.” I tap his sketch of the guards and he grins.

“Oh, I see…Thank you, Elena.”

“Continue sketching, honey. I will go and start to write the rules for the orphanage and contracts for the workers. There must be a clause to not harm the kids.”

King Harvey looks up from his sketch and seriously. “We must seriously pick our employees. If they harm a child, that is death.”

I freeze. The thought of my father beating me awakens a fire of agony and rage, it seers my heart.

Slipping my hand through my husband’s free left hand as I reach over and hold his hand securely. “I agree.”

King Harvey nods at me and then returns to his sketch, showing the inside layout. For the babies, there is a massive hall with a nurse at every crib, lined with blankets. For the children it is a line of beds and the same for the teens.

“Education?” King Harvey asks. “Perhaps we should build a school nearby?”

“Can we attach a school? Or have teachers there?”

King Harvey frowns. “That would be a bit much, nearby is the best option. It might be too much for the kids.”

“Oh, right. Doris!” I call knowing she would hear.

In less than a minute, Doris appears at our doorway with a smile on her face.

“King Harvey and Luna Queen Elena.” She bows respectfully. “How can I help?”

“We are planning an orphanage, we would like to know if you are interested in helping us plan.”

“We will pay you.” King Harvey adds with a soft smile, then promptly starts sketching on a fresh piece of paper.

Doris grins. “Oh, sure, can I help the babies?”

“Do you have anything against human babies?”

“No, no! They are basically the same!” Doris laughs happily and the smile on her glowing face is genuine.

She will be great as a trusted woman to help other nurses get involved with our orphanage.

“Perfect!” I smile. “Let’s get started.”