(Vaelith's POV)
I sat up with a start and my heart hammered against my ribs while my nightgown clung to my skin in cold sweat.
"Another nightmare?" Fenna was asking from t across the room, looks like I woke up late.
"I still see it," I said, my voice still shaking. "The light. All the hall looking at me."
"It's over now," she said. "They put the essence into the Luna, that should be that."
I wanted to think that she was telling the truth, but my gut told me otherwise. I could still hear Seraphine's whisper in my ears. 'This is not over.'
Vaelith suddenly swung her legs off the bed, "The Head Maid has been looking for you, she wants you in the kitchen now."
"Since?" I said, already reaching for my clothes, "Why couldn't you wake me?"
"I did my best, you wouldn't budge." She grabbed her own dress off the hook by the door. "Come on, let's hurry," he said.
We hurriedly dressed, and together we went downstairs in silence.
"Has there been an increase in tension since the ceremony?" Fenna asked quietly as we walked.
I said, "I have noticed...It's hard not to."
"Since last night, everyone's saying the Luna's been in a bad humor," she went on, lowering her voice even more. "One of the maids said she was so harsh with a servant yesterday that she cried."
"If that's the case, then I should try to keep my distance from her," I said.
"That's what everyone wants to do."
When we arrived at the kitchen, almost all the servants and brewers of the palace had already assembled, elbow to elbow in the toasty warm air, perfumed with the smell of bread. At the front was the Head Maid, her hands clasped, her expression more serious than ever. "Listen carefully. The palace has to be perfectly clean before my younger sister, Luna Seraphine, arrives for an extended visit, and every one of you will be assigned more tasks from today on."
There was a lot of chatter in the kitchen but the sudden mention of my name made me nervous.
"Vaelith.The corridors and the reception hall will be decorated with fresh flowers – you will have to finish it before evening." The head maid ordered.
I nodded my head slightly and replied, "Yes, ma'am."
I picked up my baskets and began at once, arranging blossoms in the windowsills, twisting vines through the iron railings, from one corridor to another, working as fast as I could but my efforts were interrupted by the sudden wave of nausea.
It over me so fast that I had to come to a halt and press my palm against the cool stone wall.
A passing servant asked, "You alright?
"Fine," I said, trying to smile. "Just didn't have breakfast yet, I believe."
I picked up my basket and continued walking and telling myself that it'll pass.
It didn't.
The dizziness became more and more intense as the day continued. I had to see out of the corners of my eyes several times and my legs were like those of someone else, awkward and slow under me.
One of the older breeders said, 'You don't look well.' as she frowned while passing me in the hall. "Perhaps you should sit down for a while."
"Thank you but I am fine, I'm okay," I said gently, cutting her off. I couldn't afford to stop, and I didn't. I knew if the Luna heard I'd left my duties, particularly after the incident at the mating ceremony, I did not want to think what she would do.
I put my final basket of flowers in the reception hall and ascended the small step stool that was set before the tall display near the entrance. I shivered with anticipation as I reached my hands to place the last flowers.
The room tilted.
The flowers fell from my hands.
I clutched at the stool , but my hand couldn't reach anything but air.
Before I could feel my descent, everything went black.
On opening my eyes once more, I was not in the reception hall.
Instead, I was surrounded by white stone walls and there was an acrid odor of herbs and medicine in the air. Slowly, I blinked, trying to understand the strange ceiling above me.
I heard , "You're awake," and turned my head and saw that the Head Maid was sitting in a chair by the bed, and her face was contracted like it had never been before. "Do not move."
"What happened?" My voice was hoarse as I asked.
"You just fell down," she said simply. "In the reception room. You did scare everybody."
The door opened before I could ask anything else and an older man walked in carrying a pile of papers. I knew him to be the pack's doctor, but had never spoken with him before.
Setting aside his records on the small table next to the bed, he asked, "How do you feel?
I mumbled, "Yeah, I'm a little dizzy. But otherwise fine. What was my fate?
He smiled before replying. "You passed out and your colleagues brought you here straight away. I examined you when you were unconscious."
"Whats wrong with me?" I asked, my heart already dreading the answer.
He scanned through his papers for a second then looked up, his face taking on a slightly placating tone. "Well, there was some good news really."
I looked at him in amazement. "What news?"
He said, "You're pregnant."
I was silent for awhile. I wanted to understand the word, but my brain would not cooperate, it refused to make sense, no matter how many times I thought about it.
I finally replied, "Pregnant? As in carrying a child?Are you certain?"
He said he was "quite certain."
I said, "I was only called to the Alpha's chambers once," and then my voice got loud, like a panicky voice. "Just once, as part of my duties, how could this be possible?"
The doctor said simply and quietly, "One encounter is enough for conception. It is more common than people think."
I put my hand on my stomach, trying to comprehend what he was saying.
"The pregnancy is at an early stage," he went on. "It's too soon to tell the sex of the baby, but both you and your baby look healthy." He put down his pen and stared at me. "From now on, you will have to be careful, you must not carry heavy loads, you must not exhaust yourself with work, you must not miss meals, whatever the day is going to be."
I said quietly, "I understand."
He started to put his records back in an orderly pile. "I'll have to issue a formal report to Alpha Kaedric."
My stomach dropped. I said, "Wait! "Please. Is there any way you could delay sending it? Even a few days?"
The healer shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I can't break the law, Vaelith, no matter the circumstances, because any pregnancy with the Alpha's bloodline must be reported immediately."
I was silent, for I knew that I could do nothing to persuade him.
Later in the afternoon a guard silent as a mouse took me back to the breeders' quarters, and as I walked back to them I tried to think of what would happen when Alpha Kaedric and Luna Seraphine found out.
It was only before I had taken a seat on the edge of my bed that there was a knock at the door.
It was opened before I could respond.
Then the Head Maid entered, her face expressionless and eyes boring into me.
"The Luna demands that you present yourself at her chambers."
