Page 38 of King Luna

But my eyes widen. “That sounded so cute just now, actually—what you just said. What if we call them that, for now? Little Wolf.”

Noah blinks. Then he breaks into the biggest smile, his eyes crinkling as he brushes my nose with his. “Little Wolf. That’s way too sweet. I love it.”

We’re a mess of giggles, whispers, and soft touches. If we weren’t so tucked away, I’d feel terrible for expressing this much mushy PDA, but I can’t help myself; each touch seems to erase every last ounce of stress we’ve both carried for weeks.

But after sharing a few more laughs with Noah, my shoulders slump. “Dammit, I wanted to revisit our plans for the Summit, but I can’t think.”

Noah strokes my cheek, softening his voice. “Let’s save that for later—on our shorter flight from London. You don’t look like you feel very well.”

My jaw tightens through a wave of nausea the second I focus on it. “You’re not wrong.”

“Take a nap, gorgeous. You need it.”

“You’ll be okay?”

“Yes, my love. I’ve got all three of us covered—Little Wolf, included.”

I freeze, not expecting the sharp spike of emotion Noah created with our pup’s nickname. Noah’s wild eyes meet mine, his cheeks blazing, and I laugh.

“You’re waking me back up with excitement.”

Noah’s deep, purring chuckle widens my smile. “Oh, yeah? I think I can fix that.”

He’s right; I hum in delight, unable to keep my eyes open against Noah’s warm hand as he strokes my belly with bigger, slower caresses. He soothes me from every angle, running soft touches down my face until my head droops, ready to doze off against his shoulder.

There you go, precious wolf. I love seeing you at peace,Noah mindlinks.

As I lose my conscious thoughts to sleep, I can feel Noah’s telling me the truth; with his full focus locked on me, I’m amazed by how happy his heart feels. I hadn’t realized it until now, but prioritizing my needs during this pregnancy supports Noah’s wellbeing too.

The tranquility flowing between us sinks me deeper into my chair. Curling up on my side with one hand on Noah’s chest, I cherish every heartbeat beneath my palm, counting them until I lose track.

But the next time I open my eyes, I’m shaken awake by turbulence. My throat scrapes dry, my heart races, and my whole body pulses with an achy vengeance.

It’s too much stimulation at once. My mind struggles to find its bearings, leaving me wide-eyed and breathless.

Noah perks up, alert eyes tracking my every breath. “Are you having a panic attack?”

After gulping down a few mouthfuls of water, I close my eyes. “Maybe, actually. I’ll try to ground myself.”

“Okay, I’m right here.”

I do my best to meditate despite my racing heart, feeling the weight of Noah’s palm on my thigh. I want to relax, but I grimace, unable to shake off the aches consuming me. Doubling over, I let out a slow, quivering exhale.

“Oh, Luna... What do you feel like?” Noah whispers.

I sigh. “Sorry, I think I just have really bad body aches from being in one position for too long. Everything hurts.”

Worry creases Noah’s brows. “Stand up for me and turn around, gorgeous. I’ll give you a massage.”

“Goddess, you’re sweet—” I struggle to swallow. Glancing around us, I rise on shaky legs. “Actually, are we allowed to get up right now? The seatbelt sign is on. I’m also a little worried I’ll throw up unexpectedly and won’t be able to turn around to get a bag in time.”

“I’ve got you.” Fetching a bag for me with one hand, Noah keeps another sturdy palm on my lower back.

His touch soothes me, tethering us together like a lifeline. When he hands me the bag, I huff out a touched breath, my eyes stinging; not only did he stuff the bags with paper towels, keeping anything from splashing back and dirtying my clothes, but he knows I get embarrassed by the see-through bags, concealing it for me inside another waterproof, machine-washable bag.

Noah doesn’t seem to understand my sudden, gushing affection for him, stroking the back of my head as he swipes away my tears. “Don’t worry about the seatbelt sign. We’ll just let them have to instruct us to sit down. But if you want me to block anyone from seeing you while you get sick, I can.”

“It’s okay, I—” Clenching my teeth, I decide it’s safer to keep my mouth shut for now, trembling through too many aches to keep track of.

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