Page 76 of Luna

Dr. Lim came into the room without knocking. She came straight to me, looking at my face with a frown. “You’re pale. You said this has been happening for hours?”

“Yes.” I shifted on the table, the tissue paper crinkling. “I thought it was just Braxton Hicks.”

Dr. Lim didn’t answer. Instead, she pulled out the ultrasound machine. Warm gooey liquid covered my swollen belly, and she pressed the wand around.

“Still not bonded?”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have the energy to have the same argument.”

“Your hormone levels are still not where they should be.” She frowned at me, and then glanced around the room.

“We snuggle her as much as she wants. Uhhh, same with physical things.” Quinn’s face turned pink. “We also make sure she’s eating and drinking enough calories.”

“Which is wonderful, but it can’t replace the security of having a bond.” Dr. Lim moved the wand around. On the screen, Poppy’s squished face showed up. She looked less like an alien at this stage, more like a black and white version of a baby.

“No bonds until after the baby is born.” Frustration hit me. “I’m not trapping them—”

“We wouldn’t be trapped.” Dante said, looking miserable. “We’re here for you and the baby. Forever.”

“Bonding should happen naturally, at the right time, not out of a sense of duty.”

I couldn't shake the fear that they were only with me because of the baby. I closed my eyes. My head spun and there were black spots in my vision. My heart ached with uncertainty.

"Listen," Dr. Lim said, her voice gentle but firm. "For the sake of your health, and the baby's, I'm putting you on bed rest for the next two months. You need to limit your activities to using the bathroom and going to the kitchen – that's all."

"Two months?" My voice trembled. Suddenly the cottage was claustrophobic. The guys would get annoyed really quickly at my impatience. “What about my garden?”

Dr. Lim’s mouth was a hard line. “Halos is a gardener as well. Light duty. I don’t like how high your blood pressure is, and it’s gone up since your last visit.”

Halos took my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll get through this together. I can be your landscaping boy and you direct me on what to do.”

It wasn’t the same as doing it myself, but if I wanted to protect Poppy, I would listen.

“Alright,” I said.

Dr. Lim gave me some medication she said would help with the cramps and my blood pressure, and we went home subdued.

A heavy weight settled in my chest. Dr. Lim's words echoed in my mind, reminding me of the importance of stability during pregnancy. But I couldn't shake the fear that bonding now would somehow make them question their decision in the future.

It would be fine when we were still getting to know each other. But four years from now, when the novelty wore off, when raising a child together took its toll, it might not be enough.

I was already not enough for the last pack I’d tried to link with, and the cost of failure was so much higher now. I trudged into the cottage, almost falling onto my bed.

I would be trapped in bed for the next two months, and not in the good way.

"Are you okay, Luna?" Halos' voice broke through my swirling thoughts.

"Two months of bed rest feels like an eternity. I don't know how I'll manage to stay sane."

“We could plan the gardens in the new house?” Halos offered me a soft smile. He handed me a pillow. “That backyard isn’t going to plan itself.”

Dante sat down next to me, patting my shoulder. “I have new tricks I need to practice. You’ll be a captive audience.”

“Plus, there’s books to read,” Quinn piped in, settling on my other side. “We can read things together, plan out the winter gardens on graph paper.”

“We can have movie night in here,” Halos said, handing me another pillow. “We can bring the projector in here.”

Colton stood at the foot of the bed and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at me intently. “Luna, darlin’, I know what you told Dr. Lim. But honey, we’re only gonna love you more with time, not less.”

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