A Luna for the Lycan King

I sank into the steaming bath, my skin prickling with the sudden heat as the water enveloped me like a liquid embrace. Darren and I had been wrapped in each other's arms for hours. He drew the bath for us and carried me to the tub. I could tell there was something on his mind, but I was waiting for him to tell me. I could feel his emotions more now, and I knew at times he could feel mine as well. It was as if the connection between us was continuing to grow. I talked to him about us being twin flames and soulmates. He was intrigued by the idea, but in the end, he agreed with me. He didn't need a name to call us. As long as we were together, that was all that mattered.

The water rippled as Darren slipped into the tub behind me. His chest pressed against my back as his arms encircled me. His hands found their way to my swollen belly, slowly rubbing over the skin in circular motions.

I felt the brush of his lips against my neck, feather-light at first, then more insistent as he traced a path from my shoulder to my

ear.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, his breath hot against my wet

skin.

I melted into him, my body recognizing its mate eve.. s my mind registered the tension in his muscles. There was something in the way he held me like I might dissolve into the bathwater if he loosened his grip even slightly.

His fingers brushed over the taut skin of my belly, and I felt our child stir within, responding to its father's touch. It was the first time I'd really felt the baby move. "Dare!" I looked at him with excitement. His eyes were warm, with a small smile. He was happy but also sad. I could feel his conflicting emotions as he lightly kissed my lips.

"Looks like our pup knows who their daddy is."

"That is the first time I've felt it move." I leaned my head back against his chest.

"I want to hold all of this in my heart," Darren murmured, his voice low and measured, vibrating through my back where we touched. His hand moved from my belly to my side, tracing the curve of my hip with deliberate slowness This moment. You. Our child."

The water rippled around us as he shifted slightly, his other hand coming up to brush damp hair from my neck. The simple gesture carried such tenderness that I felt my throat tighten. He was hurting, and I was desperate for him to tell me what was on his mind. I would wait a bit longer before I pried. I had the sense he was gearing himself up.

His fingers continued their slow, rhythmic caresses along my side, counting my ribs, memorizing my shape. I tilted my head slightly, angling to catch a glimpse of his face, needing to see hist eyes. Those green eyes that could flash with rage one moment and soften with love the next. But I wasn't prepared to see the sadness in his eyes. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to know

what was wrong.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice barely louder than the gentle lapping of water against stone. "There's something you're not telling me."

His eyes met mine, and I saw the shadow there, the burden of kingship and the weight of impending war. The candlelight caught the angles of his face, throwing half into shadow while highlighting the tight line of his jaw.

"The war isn't going to end anytime soon,” he said finally, each word measured as if he'd rehearsed them but still found them difficult to release. "I might be fighting for at least a year."

A year. The word fell between us like a stone, creating ripples that disturbed our peaceful sanctuary. A year of war. A year apart. I kept my expression steady, though I felt the sharp sting of tears threatening behind my eyes. I wouldn't cry, not now. He needed my strength, not my sorrow.

"The demons are more organized than we thought," he continued, his hand resuming its path along my side, as if the continuation of this touch could soften the blow of his words. "The vampires were already challenging enough, but with the demons, it's different now. There's dark magic involved. Ancient rituals that we haven't seen since the first war against the demons."

The water suddenly felt cooler against my skin. I shifted slightly in his arms, turning more fully to face him. "Tell me."

His eyes darkened, the green deepening to the color of a forest in shadow. "They're sacrificing their own to gain power. Blood magic that corrupts the land itself." His hand tightened briefly on my hip, then relaxed with conscious effort. "The scouts that went to investigate the northern valley... only two returned. What they described..." He didn't finish, but he didn't need to. I could read it in the tension that had returned to his shoulders, in the way his jaw clenched between words.

With deliberate movements, I shifted in the cooling bath, water sloshing against the stone sides as I turned to face him. His eyes tracked my movement, pupils dilating as I lifted myself and moved to straddle his lap, my rounded belly a gentle barrier between us.

"What are you doing?" Darren asked, his voice roughened with something between desire and hunger. His hands instinctively found my hips, steadying me against him. The water cascaded down my back as I rose slightly, adjusting my position until I hovered over him, our bodies nearly touching.

"I will write to the dragons for help," I stated, my thumbs tracing small circles on his collarbone, “and let them know the demons are involved."

Darren's jaw tightened. "Don't hope for much from them," he replied, his hands sliding from my hips to the small of my back.

I leaned closer, the water lapping at the underside of my breasts. "This is different. The demons are a threat to them as well. I

think they'll recognize self-interest." I had to at least try.

"Don't be upset if they refuse. We'll still win this war. It'll just take longer." His eyes looked sad again as he glanced at my belly, and that was when I realized what he wanted to say. The reason he was sad right now.

"Will tonight be the last time I see you before our baby is born?" I asked, the question slipping out.

His hands stilled on my back. "More than likely," he confirmed, his voice dropping to match the gravity of this truth.

I absorbed the blow, feeling it land somewhere deep in my chest. Our child would come into the world without its father present. I might face that pain and joy alone, surrounded by attendants but missing the one person who should stand beside me. It was a blow to both of us. I selfishly wanted him by my side. I was afraid to give birth. I knew it didn't fit the image of a strong woman, but I didn't know what to expect. I'd been reading about royal births, and I was intimidated. It was a moment I thought we would be sharing together, but the war was robbing us of that. I knew this was a possibility, but hearing it was hard.noveldrama

I didn't have a mother or sister. I had Darren. Sure, Lyle was here, but I didn't exactly want him with me while I was having my baby. As unsure as I was feeling, I could see the pain in Darren's eyes. He felt it, too. I knew he didn't want to be anywhere other than my side. I could hold this inside and be strong for him right now. I would make sure he remembered leaving me with a smile. And I wanted him to have this memory to hold onto until we meet again.

"Then no more talk of war and separation. Not right now." I

pressed my forehead against his, our breaths mingling as one. "Tonight, we're just us. And we need to make the rest of this night count."

He nodded, a barely perceptible movement: His hands resumed their journey along my spine, each touch reverent and claiming all at once.

Without hesitation, I arched my hips upward, water streaming down my thighs. His eyes never left mine as I positioned myself above him, the question in his gaze answered by the certainty in mine. I lowered myself slowly, deliberately, taking him inside of me.