Chapter 24
Rachel’s POV
The days following the failed pregnancy test blurred together in a haze of disappointment. I barely left my bed, much less the Luna Suite. What was the point?
I had failed at the one thing I was brought here to do.
Tyler, Emma, and Victoria took turns checking on me, each with the own brand of encouragement that I should maintain a “positive attitude.”
“Rachel, you can’t just waste away in here,” Victoria insisted on the bird day. “There’s an amazing music room in the castle. You’ll love it.”
I pulled the blanket over my head. “I’m not interested.”
“If you don’t come willingly, I’ll carry you there myself,” she threatened,,tugging at my covers. “You want a Beta’s sister hauling you through the castle corridors?”
The mental image of petite Victoria attempting to carry me while I kicked and screamed was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh for the first time in days.
“There it is!” Victoria exclaimed triumphantly. “I knew you still had a smile in there somewhere.”
The music room was more magnificent than Victoria had described. Vaulted ceilings soared overhead, and thick stone walls created perfect acoustics.
Instruments of every kind filled the space–pianos, violins, cellos, and in the corner that immediately caught my eye, a beautiful golden harp.
“Go on,” Victoria encouraged, giving me a gentle push. “Tyler mentioned you played.”
My fingers itched to touch the strings. As I ran my hands over the smooth curves of the instrument, something awakened inside me
We spent hours in that room, with Victoria watching as I reacquainted myself with the harp. The sweet, melancholy notes filled the space, and with each chord, a small piece of my spirit seemed to return.
“Your talent is a gift, Rachel, Victoria said softly. “Truly.”
Though I still longed to go outside beyond the castle walls, I had grown accustomed to Nathan’s rules. He loomed in my thoughts like a figure both feared and fascinating.
I wondered how he had reacted to the news of my failed pregnancy. Tyler had tried to assure me that Nathan wasn’t truly angry, but I wasn’t sure how much to believe.
That evening, I curled up beneath a soft blanket that Jennifer had given me, enjoying the crackling fire the housekeepers had lit. A cup of herbal tea steamed on the bedside table, and Wuthering Heights lay open in my lap.
My bare legs were warm beneath the light blue silk nightgown I wore, its hem resting just above my knees.
I didn’t expect any visitors. Dinner was over, and I didn’t have to leave my suite again tonight.
The soft click of the door opening startled me. My eyes darted toward the sound, and my heart plummeted when a tall, broad- shouldered figure stepped into the room.
1/3
Chapter 24
Nathan.
I hadn’t seen him since that night he’d taken my virginity. Some days I’d longed for this moment; other days I’d dreaded having to try again–or fail again.
But I certainly hadn’t expected it now, like this.
His deep gray eyes swept over me, his Alpha presence filling the ente room. I couldn’t help noticing how his black shirt perfectly hugged his muscular frame, how elegant his dark trousers looked.,
“Alpha, I’m sorry I didn’t get pregnant…” The words tumbled out, before I could stop them, my gaze dropping to the floor.
As I waited for his response, I prayed that what Tyler had told me was true–that Nathan wasn’t too angry, that he hadn’t come to punish me…
When he moved closer to the bed, I held my breath, his scent of cold pine enveloping me.
“Well.” He cleared his throat. “We’ll continue trying.”
I looked up to meet his gaze.
There was no disappointment or anger in his eyes, but rather a complex emotion I couldn’t quite read.
Suddenly, relief, guilt, and hope washed over me all at once, making my eyes
water.
I tried to blink back the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks, but I wasn’t fast enough. Looking down, I slipped a bookmark between the pages and set the novel aside.
Almost in the same moment, his hand found my chin. His touch awakened something inside me that warmed me in all the right places, and my wolf almost whimpered at his contact. When he lifted my eyes to meet his, I saw something in them that looked like, desire and possession.
“You’re not mad at me…?” I whispered.
He didn’t answer directly. Instead, he repeated, “We’ll continue trying…” He paused for a second before finishing, “Rachel.”
My name rolling off his lips made my heart race. His voice, just above a whisper, caressed my ear as he leaned forward and gently kissed away the tear on my cheek.
I couldn’t control the feelings this awakened within me–it built directly to my core, my wolf happy at his presence.
He wants me! The voice in my head was crystal clear.
Without further words, his hand slid to the hem of my nightgown, his fingers brushing against my sides as he gradually lifted it. Cool air kissed my exposed nipples, hardening them.
I wasn’t sure if I needed the pills Emma had given me before. But then I watched as he pulled something from his pocket—a small black container holding the same little white pills I’d taken previously.
“Open your mouth for me…” His voice was deep and low, his lips almost above mine.
