35. Thirty-Five #4
I raised an eyebrow, grateful for the shift to lighter territory. “No, he failed to mention that.” I turned to Arrow, whose face remained impassive but whose eyes held a warning. “Do tell.”
Luna grinned, leaning forward conspiratorially.
“It was before Atlas and I were official. I was terrified to go to the pharmacy alone. Arrow was the only one I trusted not to judge me. So naturally, I dragged him to three different drugstores because I was paranoid about being recognized,” she continued.
“Poor Arrow stood there while I debated between tests, looking like he’d rather be getting shot at. ”
I tried to picture Arrow, with his dangerous hands and cold eyes, standing awkwardly in a drugstore aisle while Luna fretted over pregnancy tests. The image was so incongruous with the man beside me that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“And let me guess,” I said, grinning at Arrow. “He was wearing that exact scowl the entire time.”
“The whole time!” Luna laughed. “Three different pharmacies, and he looked ready to murder someone with the pregnancy tests.”
Arrow’s jaw tightened. “That’s because she threatened to tell Atlas I’d broken one of his really expensive carvings. I didn’t break it, I moved it, and gravity did the rest.”
Luna laughed, her entire face lighting up. “He replaced it before Atlas found out, but I’ve held it over his head ever since.”
I glanced at Arrow, trying to imagine him scrambling to cover up a mistake. It was strangely endearing to think of him panicking over something so mundane. “I didn’t know you could be blackmailed,” I teased. “I’ll have to remember that technique.”
“You were mortified,” Luna corrected, her eyes dancing with mirth. “The big, bad Romanov, terrified of the feminine hygiene aisle.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image. Arrow, with all his cold intensity and lethal grace, awkwardly standing among pink packages and tampons while Luna debated test brands. It humanized him in a way I hadn’t expected.
Atlas wrapped his arm around Luna’s shoulders. “That’s how I knew he’d be a good godfather. Anyone willing to brave the pregnancy test aisle three times in one night is loyal for life.”
Arrow’s expression softened imperceptibly. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“It was to me,” Luna said, her voice suddenly serious. “You were there when I needed someone. That matters.”
I watched the exchange, feeling like I was seeing a side of Arrow I’d never been allowed to glimpse before.
The man who would accompany a frightened friend to buy pregnancy tests and hold her hand while she waited for the results.
A man who could replace an expensive carving just to save a friend from embarrassment.
Looking at Arrow with new eyes, I wondered how many other hidden facets there were to him that I hadn’t discovered yet. How many more would I uncover once we were married? The thought made my stomach flutter in a way that had nothing to do with nerves or anger.
“You two are coming to the baby shower, right?” Luna asked, breaking into my thoughts.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Arrow replied, his hand finding mine under the table and squeezing gently.
I nodded, still processing this new dimension of the man beside me. “Of course.”
The rest of dinner passed in a blur of good food and better conversation.
Luna’s warmth was infectious, and even Atlas seemed to soften around her, his hard edges smoothing into something almost approachable.
By the time dessert was cleared away, I found myself genuinely enjoying their company, momentarily forgetting the knife’s edge we were all balancing on.
As we prepared to leave, Luna pulled me aside while the men settled the bill.
“It gets easier,” she said quietly, her hand resting on her belly. “The fear, the uncertainty—it never completely goes away, but it changes. It becomes something you can live with.”
“What if I’m making a mistake?” I whispered, the question escaping before I could stop it. “What if this alliance just gets more people killed?”
Luna’s eyes softened as she squeezed my hand. “You’re not making a mistake. You’re breaking a cycle. That’s always going to be messy and painful, but sometimes it’s the only way forward.”
“How did you know?” I asked. “With Atlas, I mean. How did you know it was worth the risk?”
She smiled, one hand absently cradling her belly.
“I didn’t. Not at first. But I knew staying away from him would hurt more than whatever might happen if I stayed.
” She glanced over at Arrow, who was watching us intently from across the room.
“Arrow’s not an easy man to love. None of them are.
But, make no mistake, Harlowe, you are the most fascinating disaster he’s ever encountered,” she laughed softly.
“He’d burn down the world if it meant keeping you safe within the flames.
Remember what I said,” she whispered. “Be strong enough to demand what you need.”
I swallowed hard, not sure how to respond. Arrow appeared at my side before I could formulate a reply, his hand settling at the small of my back.
“Ready?” he asked, his breath warm against my ear.
Nodding, I allowed him to guide me toward the exit. Atlas and Luna followed, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist.
* Princess