Chapter 29 #2
The words send a chill through me even as my hand protectively covers my abdomen. Neither Alpha nor Omega. Something new. Something unprecedented.
And yet...
"My baby," I whisper, fierce protectiveness surging through me. I've never felt anything like it—this primal need to shield, to nurture, to fight for the tiny spark of life I'm harboring.
Joy bubbles up unexpectedly, breaking through the fear and shock. A laugh escapes me, half-sob, half-wonder, as I look up at Ivy with shining eyes.
"A baby, Ivy! Can you believe it? A tiny person with Malakai's darkness and my light." My mind races ahead, painting pictures of a child with golden eyes and shadow magic, small fingers reaching for the stars. "Will it have little shadows? Or maybe light magic? Or both?"
My hand doesn't leave my abdomen. "You're going to be so loved," I whisper to my unborn child. "So protected. So cherished."
I look up at Ivy, suddenly struck by an idea. "You'll be godmother. A real fairy godmother. You'll teach her—or him—all about magic and mischief and how to drive both courts absolutely mad."
I laugh at the thought, already picturing Ivy with a small child.
"You'll be perfect for it," I continue, squeezing her hand. "And we'll need someone like you—someone who understands both worlds but belongs to neither. Someone who can help this child navigate the prophecy, the politics, the pressure."
Ivy's eyes fill with tears, though she tries to mask her emotion with her usual flippant manner.
"Well, obviously," she says, her voice betraying more feeling than intended.
"Who else would teach your spawn the important things in life?
Like how to make properly dramatic entrances and the fine art of insulting dignitaries without them realizing it until three days later? "
I laugh, the sound mingling with tears of joy. "Exactly what every royal twilight child needs to know."
But then reality intrudes, sobering me. "Malakai," I whisper, my hand instinctively moving to protect my abdomen. "What will he say? What will he do when he finds out?"
Ivy's expression grows serious. "That's the big question, isn't it?" She sits beside me. "The completed mating bond—it's not just emotions he can feel. Alphas can sense biological changes in their Omegas. Hormone shifts, scent changes, the life force of the growing child."
My scent spikes with fear. "How long do I have?"
"Maybe a week, two at most, before his Alpha instincts detect the changes," Ivy says gently. "And when an Alpha discovers his Omega is pregnant, especially a fated mate, the protective instincts become... overwhelming. Some Omegas describe it as being caged in velvet."
"But you detected it. How can he not already know?"
"Fairy senses work differently than Alpha senses—we read life force, not scent.
" Ivy tilts her head, considering. "And your light magic.
.. it's doing something. Cocooning the new life, maybe.
Muting the signals. It's not intentional, but your power is instinctively protective.
" She pauses. "It won't last. The further along you get, the more obvious the changes become—even masked, he won't miss a second heartbeat. "
"So I have a window."
"A small one."
Fear replaces joy, cold and paralyzing. What if he reacts badly? What if he doesn't want this child?
"I can't tell him yet," I decide. "Not until I'm certain he'll accept it. This child is too precious to risk."
Ivy nods. "Then we'll need to shield the pregnancy from the bond. Hide it until you're ready to tell him."
"Can you do that?" I ask. "Hide it from an Alpha? From a completed fated bond?"
"The concealment will mask your pregnancy scent," Ivy explains, her hands already beginning to glow with silver light.
"Block the hormone changes from traveling through your bond.
But it's temporary, Sera. Your body will change—your hips widening, breasts swelling, belly growing.
I can hide scent and bond signals for maybe six weeks.
Two months if we're lucky and you don't show too early. "
She meets my eyes seriously. "After that, no magic in any realm can hide an Omega's pregnancy from her Alpha. His nose will detect it. His instincts will know. The bond will sing with the presence of his child."
I nod, accepting the limitations. Six weeks. Time enough to prepare, to understand my own feelings, to find the right moment to tell Malakai that he's going to be a father again.
"Do it," I say firmly. "Shield the pregnancy."
"It's a simple enchantment—targeted, focused," Ivy assures me as her magic intensifies. "It will shield only the pregnancy, leaving the rest of your connection intact. He won't sense anything unusual, just the emotions you choose to share. Your scent will read as normal to his Alpha nose."
Relief washes over me. "Thank you, Ivy. For everything."
She waves away my gratitude with characteristic dismissiveness, though her eyes remain suspiciously bright. "Just don't name the baby after me without permission. 'Ivy' is trademarked in seven magical realms, and the paperwork for Ivy rights is a nightmare."
I laugh again, the sound lighter than it's been in weeks. Despite the uncertainty ahead, despite the danger and complications, a fierce joy burns within me.
I close my eyes as Ivy's magic washes over me, cool and gentle like spring rain. The enchantment settles around my abdomen, a protective cocoon that will shield my secret until I'm ready to share it.
And somewhere deep inside, a tiny spark of life—shadow and light combined, Alpha and Omega unified—grows stronger with each passing moment.
A twilight child.
The prophecy made flesh.
My baby.