Chapter 141
Emily’s POV
Jessie’s house was loud. Warm. Alive.
Miraculously, nobody was bleeding, dying, kidnapped, cursed, or screaming. Finally I could just relax with my
riends.
Music played softly somewhere from the kitchen
In front of me the coffee table was overloaded with snacks Jessie had very obviously panic–brought for the party: chips, popcorn, brownies, chocolate–covered strawberries, and at least four different kinds of cookies covered every ree inch of space.
I stared at the mountain of sugar. “Did you buy enough sweets to kill a horse?”
Jessie looked deeply offended, making Poppy burst out laughing beside me.
“This,” Jessie declared, placing a hand over her heart, “is a sophisticated girls‘ night.”
“Right,” I muttered. “Except for our guys crowding around the grill outside.”
Looking out the window, I could see Marcus standing near the grill with Blake, Kane, and Nathan. The firelight lickered across them while they argued about something.
Marcus was getting loud enough that he started waving a pair of barbecue tongs like a weapon.
Poppy giggled. “Oh, come on. It’s cute how they won’t leave us alone.”
Jessie rolled her eyes playfully. “Cute? They’ve officially taken over my backyard. But fine, I guess we’ll keep
hem.”
Outside, Nathan suddenly glanced toward the window. Straight at me. Even from across the yard, I felt the exact econd his attention locked onto me. Warm. Possessive. Immediate My heart skipped a beat. Damn it. I really was opeless when it came to that man.
“This is nice,” I admitted softly, sinking deeper into the couch.
ľ
And I meant it. The warmth. The laughter. The normalcy. After everything that had happened, it almost didn’t
eel real.
Jessie pointed at us suddenly. “Stay there. I’m getting your drinks.” Then she disappeared into the kitchen like an
overworked bartender.
A minute later, she returned carrying glasses carefully in both hands.
“For you – Margarita.” She handed me the glass proudly.
She passed me the glass.
- 1.
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1:40 pm P P
Jessie narrowed her eyes. “Which is weird, because normally you drink things strong enough to strip paint from
walls.”
Poppy nearly choked. “Jessie!”
I laughed softly, taking a sip. The cool citrus taste reminded me just how exhausted I still was.
Poppy quickly changed the subject. “…Thank you for bringing Marcus back.” Her voice turned quieter. “How did
you even save him? What was it like there?”
The mood in the room shifted.
“Declan wanted to rip Marcus’s throat out,” I admitted.
Poppy went pale.
“I lied,” I shrugged weakly. “I told him Marcus had a pregnant mate waiting for him.”
Jessie gasped.
“And Ryan backed me up.”
Poppy suddenly looked strangely embarrassed, and Jessie noticed right away. “…Why are you making that face?”
Poppy looked down at her drink, then smiled to herself. “Because technically…” she mumbled, “it wasn’t a lie.”
Jessie and I just stared at her. “…What?”
Poppy’s cheeks turned bright pink. “I’m pregnant.”
Jessie screamed so loudly I almost dropped my drink.
WHAT?!”
“Are you serious?!”
WHEN?!”
“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US?!”
Poppy burst out laughing at our reactions. “Because I found out yesterday!” she defended herself. “Doctor Reed
onfirmed it.”
Jessie immediately threw her arms around her in a massive hug. “You’re having a baby!”
A wave of pure warmth and total happiness flooded the room, brushing against my senses.
Excitement and love swirled through the room, so strong and overwhelming it made my heart ache in the best way possible.
1:40 pm P PTM
“Congratulations,” Lwhispered softly.
-Poppy smiled at me. “Thanks.”
Then, it hit me. I blinked, looking around the room. “Wait. Does Marcus know?”
Poppy bit her lip, a mischievous glint in her eye….Not yet.”
Oh, this was going to be good.
All three of us slowly turned toward the backyard window
Outside, Marcus stood near the grill, talking with Blake, Kane and Nathan. As if he could sense the sudden shift in ocus, Marcus looked over at the open window–and stopped mid–sentence. All three of us were staring right at him with identical, knowing grins.
He mouthed, “…What?”
We burst into quiet laughter. Marcus narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to the glass. “No, seriously. Why do you
ill look like tiny villains?”
Jessie leaned toward Poppy. “You wanna tell him now?”
Poppy nodded nervously and we walked out onto the backyard. Then Jessie without hesitation shoved her out in
‘ront of us.
“Poppy has something to tell you!” Jessie called out.
Marcus went completely white. “…Why does that sound terrifying?”
Everyone nearby immediately turned to watch. Poppy stood there, looking both adorable and deeply panicked.
“We’re having a baby,” she blurted out.
Marcus blinked. Once. Twice. Total blankness. I wasn’t sure his brain was even working.
Then Blake smacked his shoulder hard. “Marcus,” Blake grinned. “Congratulations, man. You’re gonna be a
‘ather.”
Marcus stared straight ahead, completely stunned. “…I’m a father.” He repeated it slower this time, as if trying but the words. “I’m gonna be a dad.”
“You’re gonna be a dad,” Poppy confirmed excitedly.
And then, Marcus completely lost it.
“I’M GONNA BE A FATHER!”
He sprinted across the yard so fast Poppy barely had time to react before he scooped her up. He lifted her straight into the air, spinning her around while kissing every inch of her face he could reach.
1:40 pm P PTM
“Thank you,” he kept saying, completely out of breath. “Thank you, thank you, thank you-‘
Then he kissed her for real, deep and passionate, making Jessie look away dramatically.
“Okay, wow-
“That escalated fast,” Kane muttered.
I laughed softly, turning away too. But deep inside, a sudden ache flared up. My thoughts drifted to Nathan. Would I ever be able to give him this? A family. Children. A real future.
I wanted it so badly it was a physical weight in my chest.
Unconsciously, my hand drifted over Declan’s mark on my skin. A cold wave of anxiety washed over me. What had
he rogues done to my body?
What had the witch altered? And this mark… would it affect my future children?
Would it affect Nathan? Would the Moon Goddess even allow us a normal life after everything we’d been through?
The celebration around me suddenly felt miles away, the happy voices fading into the background. I needed
nswers. No, I needed a priestess.
Because one terrifying question kept repeating in my mind.
What if Declan’s mark ruins my chances of ever having Nathan’s children?