Page 37 of King Luna

My heart flips; he’s been so curious about my feelings and sensations during pregnancy. It makes me feel seen.

I smile, stroking my belly with him. “Actually, yeah. The bigger they’re getting, the more pressure I feel on my bladder, especially.” We laugh, knowing how obvious that is by how many times I keep interrupting our lives to pee. “And you know how it’s making all my organs travel?”

Noah winces, but he’s still smiling. “Oh, yes. I will never forget that vivid imagery.”

I laugh. “Well, I still feel that strange sensation sometimes, and that’s probably the most off-putting type of pressure, just because of the thought of it. Otherwise, I actually kind of like the thought that they’re still growing bigger in here, and that’s why I’m having to stretch and adjust so much.”

“Goddess, that’s—” Noah’s eyes brighten, widening my smile. “You’re precious. It’s not too unbearable, though?”

“I definitely notice it, but it’s not too bad this week. I’m imagining the pressure part will feel way more intense later on, but I don’t know how much either. I’ll have to tell you what it’s like.”

Wild, excited eyes flit between my stare. Instead of asking another question, I grin, waiting.

Sure enough, Noah blurts out his thoughts. “Would you like to give our baby a nickname, for now? One we can use between us, at least until we think of more names?”

Joy floods my heart. I sit straighter than I have all day, clinging to Noah’s hoodie. “Really?”

He chuckles, slowing his hand until he cups my belly. “Is that a yes? It’s okay if it feels like too much. I just feel like constantly calling them ‘the baby’ is too vague for how attached I already feel.”

Dropping my forehead against his shoulder, I groan. “That’s so cute, it hurts. It makes me want to bite you.”

Noah laughs, softly gripping my open jaw. “You’re probably serious about that, mother wolf, so I’m going to put you back in your own seat before I get mauled.”

Breaking into giggles, I allow him to lift my head off him. Meeting my eyes, Noah’s irises seem to sparkle, even beneath the dim cabin lights. I’m delighted by every inch of his existence. How in the world will I be able to handle how much I’ll love his child?

Softening my voice, I beam back at him. “I’ve been calling them ‘little one,’ sometimes. But I think with how sweet and adorable you are, we’ll have to call them something even cuter.”

Noah’s eyebrows raise. “Wait, you mean you’ve been calling them that in your head?”

My cheeks flush hot. “Um, yes... And I know it’s a little silly, but I’ve been trying to send them my thoughts too.”

Through mindlink?Noah’s eyes widen, and my heart thumps faster.

When I nod, Noah groans. Planting a soft kiss on my lips, Noah smiles against my mouth before pulling back to stare me in the eyes.

“What the hell? That’swaytoo cute. You really must be trying to kill me this week.”

I laugh, shaking Noah’s arm. “Stop saying that! I love you to death.”

Raising one eyebrow, Noah breaks into a sly grin. “You’re not helping your case.”

He startles another laugh out of me, but a flight attendant eyes us from down the row, so we duck closer, giggling beneath our breaths like teenagers in the back of class.

“Do you really think they can hear me, though?” I whisper. “I know your mom and sister think so from the feelings they got while pregnant, but what do you think?”

Noah hums, sweeping his wide palm over my belly once more. I’m melting into a gooey mess with every stroke, huddling closer to him as he beams down at me. “We’ll have to look through the books we packed, but I believe it, especially since you’re carrying a blood bond with them. We just don’t know for certain how soon they can hear it, which I’ve been really curious about too. Pups don’t know how to respond to us through mindlink until they learn how to talk, and they can’t remember anything from the womb once they’re older, of course, so maybe we’ll have to see what we think. See if it feels like they’re replying to us in their own way.”

My heart flutters.So, in the meantime, your sweet baby might be able to at least feel this love you and I are sharing in our bond, don’t you think? And I might be able to feel them reacting in some way?

Blinking rapidly, Noah presses his forehead to mine. Our bond swells with elation, speeding my breath into short bursts.I’m pretty sure, yes. Just like they can feel your other emotions, or you can feel mine. Theirs might just be more vague to us for a while.

I can hardly contain my excitement. It’s reflected in Noah’s rising smile as he spills into giggles with me.

Using one finger to trace gentle circles over my swelling uterus, Noah whispers as softly as he can. “This little wolf in here is going to be so lucky.”

My heart muscles squeeze tight. “That’s how I feel whenever I think of you holding them as sweetly as you hold me.”

As Noah’s chest rises, my stomach flips at the loving intensity in our bond. Grasping Noah’s hand, I hold our baby with him, my heart throbbing with joy.

---