Chapter 0357 Before I could retort, his mouth had trailed up and captured my lips in a sweet kiss. I melted into him, my hands coming up to tangle in his hair. When we parted, both slightly out of breath, he crouched down, parting my robe to expose my swollen belly. He pressed a tender kiss to my skin, his hand caressing the curve. I sipped my coffee as I watched him.
âGood morning to you too, little one,â he whispered, his lips brushing against my belly. âAre you excited for your party today?â
I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. How had we gone from cold, distant strangers to this? It seemed almost miraculous.
Too good to be true.
âCome on,â Noah said, standing up and taking my hand. âSince apparently you canât keep your nose out of the party preparations.â
He led me outside, where the gardens were awash in warm morning sunlight. It was going to be a hot one today, judging by the way the morning dew was already curling off the grass in little tendrils of steam.
âYou know,â I said as we meandered through the pebbled pathway, coffee in hand, âwith everything thatâs been going on, I havenât really thought about baby names.â
Noah glanced at me. âSurely you must have a few ideas.â
I shrugged. âI donât know. It feels like this week is the first week Iâve really had a chance to think about being a mom, and not just trying to figure out how to get through a divorce or what to do about my cousin taking over my pack.â
Noah stiffened a bit at that, his hand tightening around mine. Those divorce papers burning in the fireplace was still a fresh image in both of our minds. But he didnât comment on it.
I turned to him then. âIâm still worried about Silvermoon, for what itâs worth,â I admitted. âItâs my home pack, and Iâd hate to see it fall to ruin under Alvinâs command...â
Noahâs expression turned serious. He was quiet for a moment, considering.
âIâve been thinking about that, too,â he finally said, leading me to a nearby stone bench. We sat down, the white and green tendrils of a wisteria tree swaying over our heads. âI think there might be a way for Nightcrest to absorb Silvermoon.â
I blinked, surprised. âAbsorb it? But... theyâre both such large territories. How would that even work?â
âIt would be a massive undertaking, without a doubt,â he agreed. âDefinitely not something I would have considered before on my own.â
He turned to me then. âBut with your recent strides as Luna, I think we could handle it together. Maybe you could talk to your family, see if theyâd be open to the idea, and we can come up with a transition plan together.â
I chewed the inside of my cheek, considering. The idea was intriguing. It would allow me to protect Silvermoon without having to leave Noah and Nightcrest. It sounded like a lot of work, but it was the type of work Iâd grown to love lately.
âIâll think about it,â I said, resting a hand on my swollen belly.
1/2 Chapter 0357 +25 BONUS Noah smiled, pulling me close and pressing a kiss to my temple. âFor now, letâs focus on the party tonight All I want to think about is how beautiful youâre going to look in that pretty pink dress you bought the other day.â
I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. The dress in question was a soft, flowing number that hugged my baby bump perfectly. Iâd fallen in love with it instantly when weâd spotted it in a boutique window earlier that week. The way Noah had looked at me when I tried it on... well, letâs just say we barely made it home before clothes started coming off.
Smiling at the memory, I rose and broke away from him, casting him a cheeky grin over my shoulder.
âIâll start getting ready, then.â