by Haley Weir
When the door opened and the doctor stepped out, Theo looked at him anxiously and waited for him to speak and tell them what was wrong with Marquette. The doctor had a strange look on his face that Theo couldn’t make out, so his patience didn’t last more than a second or two.
“What is it?” he asked the doctor abruptly. “What is wrong with Marquette?”
“Well, there isn’t anything wrong with her,” the doctor replied. “Marquette isn’t sick—she’s pregnant.”
Theo stood frozen in the hallway after he heard the doctor’s words.
“Prince Theo?” the doctor said. “Did you hear me?”
Theo didn’t answer. He didn’t even blink or breathe.
“He heard you,” Holly answered for her brother. “I think he just needs a minute.”
She thanked the doctor and escorted him from the castle. Then she walked back to where Theo was still standing and staring at the open doorway to Marquette’s bedroom without walking inside.
“Are you going to go in and talk to her or are you just going to stand here all day?” Holly teased.
“She’s pregnant,” he whispered.
“Yes,” Holly giggled. “I heard.”
But when she noticed that Theo wasn’t smiling, she worried that maybe the news was more upsetting to him than it was shocking.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Are you upset by this news?”
He shook his head as if he was trying to clear the clouded thoughts.
“No, I’m not upset. I just don’t know what to think or feel right now,” he answered.
“Well, maybe you should think about what Marquette is feeling and go in and talk to her,” Holly suggested. “I’m sure that this news comes as a shock to her too. And seeing as though she is a human, who is now carrying a shifter’s baby, there will be things that will need to be explained to her.”
“Things like what?” Theo asked.
Cassandra heard the two of them talking and came out into the hallway, closing the bedroom door quietly behind her.
“How is Marquette?” Theo asked his mother.
“She is fine,” Cassandra smiled. “Sleeping again now. This pregnancy will take a toll on her human body.”
“Yeah, I was just beginning to try and explain that to Theo,” Holly giggled. “But I think that I’ll leave you two to talk about that now.”
She gave her brother a kiss on the cheek and a pat on the back and then went to go and tell Aeron and Rubius the news of Marquette’s unexpected pregnancy. She was pretty sure that a pregnancy between a human and shifter hadn’t happened in many generations. Most shifters had forgotten that such a thing was even possible, so this news was bound to have some startled reactions.
“What do you mean it will take a toll on her?” Theo asked his mother with concern.
“Walk with me for a minute,” Cassandra said as she put her arm around her son.
Theo glanced back at the door behind which Marquette was sleeping. He hadn’t gone in to talk to her about this news yet and he felt as though he already should have. He was too shocked to know what to do or say in the moment, and now he didn’t want to walk away from her bedroom without talking to her first.
“She’ll be fine,” Cassandra reassured him. “Let her sleep while we talk, and then you can go in to see her.”
Theo nodded and let his mother lead him down the hall. Cassandra had a gentle and patient way about her that was helpful when trying to discuss delicate matters. She explained all of the things about Marquette’s pregnancy that would be unusual and different than a normal human pregnancy and that of a normal shifter pregnancy. She explained the things that would need to be done to ensure that both Marquette and the unborn child were safe and healthy, and the things that Marquette would need to be made aware of.
“You should be the one to talk to her and tell her about these things,” Cassandra said. “Not me. Marquette is your mate, and this is your child growing within her. The two of you need to have an intimate conversation about these things so that Marquette feels secure and not alone as she goes through this. She will have questions and fears, and it is up to you to be there for her. You will be a father now.”
A father, Theo thought. Emotions swirled around his head, and when he and Cassandra had finished talking, he went back to Marquette’s room and went inside.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Theo could tell that Marquette was nervous as he went to go and sit down by her side. She reached for his hand, and he could feel her trembling as he put his arm around her and held her close.
“How are you feeling?” he asked her.
“Fine,” she said. “Did the doctor tell you?”
“Yes.”
Marquette looked nervously over at him and waited to see Theo’s reaction.
“Are you upset about this?” she asked after she couldn’t wait more than a second longer. “I know that this is unexpected and not something that we had planned for.”
“Upset?” Theo asked. “How could I possibly be upset? Shocked—yes, but definitely not upset.”
“But this will change everything,” Marquette said with tears in her eyes. “What if it changes us?”
“Nothing can change us,” Theo said. “Nothing can change how much I love you or how deeply committed to you I am. If anything, this will only bring us closer and stronger together. Our love has seeded a child within you, a child that will be both part human and part wolf shifter. That is something remarkable to be celebrated.”
Marquette smiled at him and pulled him closer.
“Are you nervous about your pregnancy?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
Theo laughed in awe of how strong Marquette was.
“You are not afraid of anything,” he said in adoration.
“Should I be?” she asked. “Is there something about this that I should be fearful of?”
“No,” he answered before turning his tone more seriously to the matter at hand. “But a shifter pregnancy for you will have its own unique challenges. Your pregnancy will be short and fast, and our child will grow rapidly. Your body will be fatigued and pushed, but I know that you are strong enough to handle it and I will be here with you every step of the way.”
“What will our child be?” she asked with hesitation. “Will it be a shifter?”
“Most likely, yes,” he answered. “But it will be human too. Our child will be uniquely suited to relate to both of our people, which will be a great thing for the entire kingdom.”
Although they were nervous about the unconventional pregnancy, they were both so deeply in love, and also both felt immediately protective over their unborn child. There would be challenges, undoubtedly. But there would be more reason for hope and celebration. The royal family was in a fairly good and powerful position with the packs united and with the kingdom being currently at peace. This child would only serve to further solidify those unions. But speaking of unions, Theo sought to further solidify it even more.
“Marquette,” he said with a twinkle of expectant hope in his eyes. “I want to strengthen our union even more, to make it impenetrable in the eyes of everyone, and to further solidify our feeling of strength and security with each other. I want to ensure the legitimacy of our child and our relationship in the eyes of the throne and the kingdom.”
She looked at him in curiosity about where his statements were leading.
“You know that I couldn’t possibly love you more, even though somehow I continue to do so with each passing moment. And now, I couldn’t possibly begin to love our unborn child more, before I have even had the chance to meet him or her. So it is not without great purpose and great commitment that I am about to ask you this. It is so that we can live our lives together in the great light of knowing that all who see us and our newly created little family, are aware of and respectful of our love and union, and of our place in both this royal family and in the hierarchy of the wolf packs.
“Marquette,” Theo s
aid as he stood up from the bed and then knelt down beside her. “Will you do me the greatest honor of marrying me?”
There was the sound of a small gasp at the door, and Theo turned to see that his family had gathered in the open doorway to come and check on Marquette. Even Rubius was there, standing beside Aeron. Everyone waited with bated breath in the midst of the moment that would change their history forever.
“Yes,” Marquette answered as her eyes filled with tears. “Of course I will marry you.”
Theo stood and placed the iron ring that had been in his family for generations onto Marquette’s finger. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as he bent down toward her and put his mouth over hers. In the doorway, Holly erupted into cheers and then raced into the room to tackle the both of them in a jubilant hug. As Theo’s parents walked in to give their congratulations, even his father seemed to be genuinely pleased. Aeron hugged his son and gave Theo a hearty pat on the back.
“You are going to be both a husband and a father now,” he said to Theo with a loving chuckle. “And here I thought that I wouldn’t live to see the day that you embraced responsibilities.”
Rubius laughed as well and congratulated both Theo and Marquette on the announcement of marriage and baby. It was a day filled with unexpected and joyous surprises that brought the family together and held the promise of bringing all of the people from both sides of the kingdom and forest together in celebration as well.
The wedding date was decided upon, and soon, considering Marquette’s condition, and everyone began to make preparations for both of the happy events.
***
The wedding between Theo and Marquette was lavish beyond words. No expense in the kingdom was spared, and everyone was invited to attend. The event was held in the great hall of the castle, and the castle was filled with both humans and shifters alike. The entire kingdom stood behind the wedding of the royal family, still completely unaware that they were actually wolf shifters, and thinking instead that the prince had simply fallen in love with one of the servant girls and it was now turning into a happily-ever-after fairytale story. Word traveled that Marquette was indeed pregnant, and the kingdom was thrilled that there would be a new child born into the royal family. But since Marquette’s pregnancy would move faster than a normal human pregnancy, they had decided that soon after the wedding, Marquette would keep mostly to the castle grounds and the forest and limit her time in the city among the people to head-off any rumors.
The wolf packs were at first a bit hesitant to attend the wedding. Not that they didn’t support and want to see the wedding between Theo and Marquette, but they were nervous about entering the city, and even more so about entering the confines of the castle walls that would be filled to the brim with humans. But Aeron and Rubius assured them that all would be safe, and that this wedding would usher in a new and cooperative peace between the humans and the shifters. So the shifters attended the wedding, pretending to be humans from neighboring kingdoms, and were welcomed with open arms by the humans of Grenvich in their mutual celebration.
Holly helped Marquette to braid wildflowers and colorful vines of leaves into her hair while Cassandra tied up the back of Marquette’s beautiful wedding gown. The gown was the deep green color of pine, and it made Marquette look as if she was a maiden of the forest instead of a castle servant. She looked beautiful, and she carried a radiant glow of happiness about her that made her even more stunning than she already was.
Theo was nervous about several things at once. But he had also never felt more confident and certain about things in his life. His father and Rubius helped him to dress in the formal attire of a royal prince on his wedding day, which Theo found to be mostly itchy and uncomfortable.
“You really don’t like to conform to traditions, do you?” Rubius laughed as he tried to get Theo to be still while he buttoned the dark blue cuffs of his regal jacket.
“I don’t see the point in them, mostly,” Theo answered. “I could just as easily and happily be getting married in the nude by the stream in the forest and I would find it to be no greater or lesser of an event than this.”
Rubius laughed again and rolled his eyes as he gave Theo a pat on the shoulder before turning to Aeron.
“I’ll leave him to you now,” Rubius said to Aeron.
After Rubius had left, Aeron finished helping his son prepare by placing his princely crown on top of his head and straightening it just right. Then he put both hands on the front of Theo’s shoulders and looked him squarely in the eyes.
“My son,” he said. “I know that you and I have not always seen eye to eye, but I have never doubted your capabilities nor your strength. Your judgment sometimes, perhaps…”
Theo laughed.
“But in seriousness, I need to tell you that I am proud of you. You are in line for the throne to the Kingdom of Grenvich. You are the alpha of a pure-blooded pack that is now governed by kindness and common sense. In mere moments, you will have a beautiful, brave, and loyal wife. And you are soon to have the first child of the new generation of our family, and the newest successor to both our pack and our throne. I am sorry that I didn’t support and believe in your relationship with Marquette before. But I want you to know that I do now.”
Theo felt tears in his eyes for the first time in a long while. More meaningful words could not possibly have been said. He reached forward and hugged his father and felt for the first time that he truly related to him for once.
When they walked out of the room and into the great hall, they saw the faces of so many of their people, both human and shifter alike. Theo walked toward the front altar where he would stand to wait for Marquette, and he looked out at his family, who stood close to him in celebration of this moment.
When Marquette walked into the room, it took his breath away. His chest burned until he had to remind his lungs to breathe, and he felt his racing heart feel as if it would leap straight out of his body. Never before had he seen anything so beautiful, and he was so consumed by his love for Marquette that he thought of nothing else as she approached him. When Marquette reached the place where Theo stood, and he took her hands in his, she smiled with eyes that brimmed with love. Theo looked back at her and had no desire to restrain his emotions anymore. He could make up an excuse to the humans in the crowd later about how the sunlight glaring through the windows of the great hall reflected against his crown and turned his eyes an illusion of yellowish-gold. But for now, as he looked at his bride, he didn’t hold back any longer. He let his eyes fall upon her with the furious golden glow of a shifter overcome by love.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
After a magnificent day and an intimate night, Theo and Marquette resumed their royal duties. Both were blissfully happy and excited as they awaited the birth of their child. But Theo still found himself distracted by wanting to dismiss his obligations and just spend time with his newly pregnant wife. He tried to balance desire and duty and rose to the occasion to handle everything that was required of him. But his continued inner turmoil was a cause for worry as it pertained to the day when he would need to assume the throne.
In the back of his mind, Theo just couldn’t let go of the nagging idea that he would possibly give up his throne and walk away from the kingdom to focus on the future with Marquette and his child. He spoke to Marquette about his conflicting feelings from time to time, and she reassured him that he would grow to see that he could have all things together in a balance in which he didn’t need to walk away from anything. And although her words reassured him, he felt still unsure of what the future would bring. He did, however, feel certain about one thing—his utter devotion to Marquette and their baby, which was now about to be born.
“I don’t want to have the baby here in the castle,” Marquette said urgently as the moment approached for their child to enter the world.
“What? Why?” Cassandra asked.
She and Holly were both by Marquette’s side as the birth drew closer, and Aeron h
ad gone to fetch Theo from the courtyard where he had been training.
“I want to give birth in the forest,” Marquette said as the pain of her contractions began to worsen.
“Marquette,” Holly said as she gauged the look of panic on her mother’s face at Marquette’s request. “It’s too late for you to go to the forest now. Your baby is coming.”
“Why don’t you want to give birth here, in the comfort of the castle?” Cassandra asked. She whispered to Holly to run and find Aeron and Theo and tell them to make haste.
“I don’t know,” Marquette replied. “I just feel the sudden urgency to have the baby enter the world in the forest. He needs to be born in the forest.”
“He?” Cassandra said.
Thankfully, at that moment, Theo and Aeron arrived back with Holly.
“Theo, please,” his mother pleaded. “You need to talk some sense into her. Marquette wants to go to the forest to give birth, but it is too late. She’d never reach it in time. You have to talk her out of this foolish idea.”
Theo went to Marquette’s side and grabbed her face in his hands as he looked deeply into her eyes.
“Theo, please,” she cried. “He needs to be born in the forest.”
Theo hesitated for the smallest of moments and then responded to her.
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll take you.”
“What are you doing?” Cassandra asked. “She won’t make it there in time!”
“She will if I carry her and run,” Theo said.
“Son,” Aeron intervened. “You can’t run fast enough in human form to make it, and you can’t carry her if you’re shifted. Marquette needs to stay here to birth the child.”
“If she says she needs to be in forest,” Theo insisted, “then that’s where I will take her. I can do it. I can run fast enough.”
He looked around at his family quickly as he lifted Marquette’s swollen body in his arms.
“I don’t have time to argue with you. If you want to support me, then come.”