Chapter 332

AURORA

“I’m all ears,” I said, turning to Miles. He shifted closer, his head bowed as if bracing himself. “Luna,” he began hesitantly, “I was at the border when a stranger in a cloak handed Raven the envelope.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Miles, what were you doing at the border?”

“I went hunting,” he explained quickly. “I happened to come out of the woods and saw the stranger giving the envelope to Raven. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but when I overheard the stranger ask Raven to ensure it got to you, I decided to follow him.”

“So?” I asked, crossing my arms.

Miles swallowed hard. “I couldn’t see what was inside the envelope, so I followed the stranger. He was moving carefully, trying not to draw attention. Eventually, he reached a secluded spot and took off his cloak. That’s when I saw his face.”

“Who was it?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“Alina,” Miles said, his voice dropping. “A pregnant Alina.”

My jaw dropped. “What?”

Miles nodded gravely. “I was just as shocked, Luna. I couldn’t understand why she was involved or what she’d sent you. But when I saw the commotion this morning, I knew it had to be her doing.”

Alina… pregnant? The news left me reeling. What game was she playing, and why had she caused all this chaos?

I gritted my teeth and returned to my office. It was nearly dusk, and I needed to focus on the mountain of work on my desk. I could think about Alina’s schemes later.

When I reached my office, I saw Trajan had done as I’d asked. The pile of files had reduced, but the important ones still seemed endless.

Sighing, I sat and got to work.

Three hours passed, and it felt like I hadn’t made a dent in the paperwork. The stack on the desk mocked me with its sheer volume.

Stretching my legs, I glanced out the window. The world outside was cloaked in darkness, the faint glow of the moon casting soft shadows.

I ran a hand through my hair and leaned back, sighing heavily. A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called, sitting up straight.

The door opened, and Dane walked in, his presence immediately easing some of my tension. I sighed in relief. “Thank goodness you’re here. Could you give me a hand?”

He smirked, twisting the lock. “Of course,” he said, walking toward the desk. Instead of helping, he perched on the edge, brushing his finger under my chin.

“Where do you need my help?” he asked, his voice low and teasing. His hand trailed to my hair, brushing it back gently.

I rolled my eyes. “Dane, you’re sitting on the files,” I said, exasperated.

He winked. “That just means you’ve worked enough for one day, right?”

Before I could reply, he glanced down, and I followed his gaze to his bulge. He looked back up with a mischievous smirk. “Why don’t we…?”

“Work,” I interjected.

His face fell into a playful pout. “After work,” I added, my gaze flicking to his bulge and back. “Then maybe I’ll consider… something else.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” I said with a smile. “Now let’s finish this first.”

Dane groaned but got to work, tackling the files with surprising speed. I couldn’t help but giggle as I watched him, clearly motivated to finish as quickly as possible.

When the last file was completed, I glanced at the clock. Only thirty minutes had passed.

“Finally,” Dane breathed, leaning back with a satisfied sigh.

I stared at him in awe. “Wow. You’re fast.”

He grabbed a glass of water, drinking it in one gulp before wiping his brow. “I had to be fast. Because…” He trailed off, standing and walking around the desk.

He perched beside me again, his hands already unbuckling his belt. “Because this has been driving me crazy.”

I gulped, my gaze drifting to the evidence of his frustration.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered, grinning. He had powered through all that work because he was that desperate.

“Babe,” he murmured, brushing my hair back and toying with the zipper of my dress. “You left me hanging earlier, but not this time. Please… I can’t take it anymore.”

I bit my bottom lip, leaning back slightly as his hand brushed my exposed skin. “Dane,” I whispered, “I want you just as much as you want me.”

He helped me to my feet, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Then why pretend otherwise?”

“I wasn’t pretending,” I said with a small smile. “I just had so much to do.”

“Well, it’s all done now,” he growled, pulling me closer. “You’ve fulfilled your duties as Luna. Now, fulfill your duty as my wife.”

He kissed my neck, his lips trailing down to my collarbone. I shivered under his touch, tilting my head back. His kisses deepened, igniting a fire within me.

“Dane,” I moaned softly, threading my fingers through his hair. The stress of the day melted away with every kiss.

He paused, cupping my face tenderly. “I want a little one, Aurora,” he said, his voice husky.

I blinked, my heart skipping a beat. “A little one?”

“A baby,” he clarified, his arms tightening around me.

Tears welled up in my eyes as memories of my past pregnancy with Dane surfaced—the pain of him rejecting the idea of a family, of me having to raise our children without him. But now, here he was, asking for a child, wanting to share that experience with me.

“Aurora?” Dane’s voice pulled me back. His expression softened as he noticed my tears. “What’s wrong, baby? Why are you crying?”

I smiled through my tears, wiping them away. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just happy.”

Cupping his face, I whispered, “Let’s make a baby.”

He kissed me deeply, lifting me onto the desk. Papers scattered to the floor as he leaned over me, his hands traveling up my thighs.

Knock, knock.

We froze as a knock sounded at the door.

“Mum? Dad?” Tristan’s voice called out.