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I close the door and follow her. “Selena.”
“Arlene.”
“Where are your guards?”
She sighs and turns around. Her stomach seems larger every time I see her now. She’s a little over three months into a four month Lycan pregnancy, and everything about her body shows it. One hand settles naturally beneath her belly as she looks at me with an expression I already recognize. I can already tell… she did something. “What did you do?”
“I have twenty minutes.”
I blink. “What?”
“Rylan checks on me every thirty minutes. He checked ten minutes ago. He thinks I'm in my office.” I stare at her. Paige stares at her. Even Darian looks up from Arian. Selena smiles.
“Selena,” I say incredulously.
“I needed air,” she defends.
“Where are the fifteen warriors Rylan assigned to you?”
Her smile becomes suspiciously innocent. Oh, Goddess, I brace myself, but I’m afraid to ask… but I must, “What did you do?”
“I Luna commanded them not to follow me.” Darian closes his eyes. Paige covers her mouth. I stare at my Luna. She lifts both hands. “And to not tell Rylan… that I was leaving for a bit.”
“Selena!”
“I can't breathe, Arlene.” The humor slips from her expression. “I love him. I do. But he checks on me every thirty minutes. I have fifteen warriors following me everywhere. Somebody is always asking if I need to sit down, if I need water, if I'm tired, if the baby moved, if I'm walking too fast. Yesterday Rylan followed me to the bathroom.” My mouth twitches.
“Don't laugh.”
“I'm trying.”
“He stood outside the door.” That does it, I can’t hold it in anymore… I burst out laughing.
Selena points at me. “This is why I came to you.”
“You came to me because you knew I would find this funny?”
“I came because I need twenty minutes where nobody treats me like I'm going to shatter.” I look at her stomach. She catches me. “Don't, ” Selena replies.
“I didn't say anything.”
“Your face did.”
I bite the inside of my cheek… the song ‘she knows, she knows, she knoooowwws’ comes to mind… yeah, I’m guilty.
“The doctor said walking is good for me,” she reminds me.
“Walking where?”
Her smile returns. I immediately know… I’m not going to like where this is going. “Cypress Moon Park,” Selena replies.
I stop. “Selena.”
“What?”
“Cypress Moon Park is on the other side of the territory.”
“Exactly. It's quiet.” It's also far from the pack house and most of the busier areas of Silver Moon.
