I was seated on a couch on Ansaldos office, my hands in between my thighs to control my anxious nail biting. I said nothing as I watched Ansaldo pace around his office with the unopened letter from Elizabeth, as we waited for Malik.
I have never seen my mate so anxious over something until now. His arms crossed, and the letter still in his hand. His other hand on his chin, and a cross expression, eyes flickering from the odd blue-green color to black.
The office door opens, and we both turn to see Malik rush in and shut the door behind him, locking it. I stand up, my fingers going to twist the promise ring I wore anxiously.
“I came as soon as I heard. Have you opened it yet?” Malik’s voice was solemn.
It was so odd seeing a happy and cheerful man like Malik suddenly be so stern. I wasn’t used to anything like it.
“No, but now I can.” Ansaldo finally rips open the envelope and unfolds the letter. A plain white piece of paper is all that is pulled out.
Ansaldo reads the letter for a few moments, before shoving it into Malik’s chest and going to the window to peer out of it. His eyes stopped flickering colors, and instead went blurry as he mindlinked others.
“What does it say Ansaldo?” I ask him, but he is to focused on the mindlink.
“Elizabeth’s mad. Very mad.” Malik jumps in.
I look over to Malik, and his face is white.
“Read it out loud.” I snap impatiently.
His eyes go back and forth between me and my mate, before finally going back down to the letter. He nervously inhales before reading it again.
“Moretti,
So it seems you have been marked.
War between your pack and my coven has begun.
Elizabeth.”
Malik finishes.
I growl in frustration, vessel trying to claw his way out at the threat made towards my mate and my new pack. “Is that it? Surely there has to be more.”
Malik shakes his head. “That’s it. That’s all it says.”
Ansaldos eyes unblur and he quickly turns and snatches the letter from Malik’s hands.
“I have already increased training on the warriors. We will continue to raise the difficulty.” Ansaldo starts a fire in the fireplace that rested in the opposite wall from me, and threw the letter and envelope into the flames.
“Could you walk out for a while, Liam? I’m not trying to disregard your place in running this pack, but the further things I need to discuss with Malik doesn’t really involve the Luna too much. And I’ll inform you on anything that is important for you to know.” Ansaldo makes his way to me, and rests his hands on the sides of my shoulders.
Anxiety, worry, anger and concern are written all over his face. I don’t want to make him mad by being stubborn and not leaving. I nod, and he presses a light kiss to my forehead before I walk out of his office.
———
With the spare time I had, I went to a nearby drug store to pick up some pregnancy tests. If I couldn’t get answers from the letter, maybe I could get answers from something else.
I walked into Lucas room, and thankfully he was awake.
“I know you said that we could do this later, but I need to do it now.” I tossed the bag onto his bed, and it landed on his lap.
Nico wasn’t in the room, probably under the watch of one of our pack doctors.
“Uh, Alright. Are you okay?” Luca slowly and carefully climbs out of his bed.
I shrug. He sighs.
“Go into the bathroom and follow the instructions with these. Then we’ll wait.” Luca hands next back the bag of tests I threw at him, and I catch it before locking myself in the bathroom.
I pull out the boxes and find the instructions for them on the back. I didn’t buy any cheap tests. I bought the digital expensive ones. I almost became frustrated again when I couldn’t find the instructions in English, rather than Italian, but I eventually saw where it said it in English.
Following the directions, I set three tests carefully on the counter, and unlock and open the door for Luca.
“How long do you have to wait?” He asks.
“It said five minutes, but it might take a little longer. You never know.” I bite my lip.
“Hey, whatever the results are, it’s going to be alright.” He takes my hands in his.
I shake my head. He doesn’t know about the letter. And I’m not sure if it’s my place to tell him.
“Do you not want a pup?” He tilts his head.
I open my mouth to respond, but no words come out.
Truthfully, I don’t know. Well, obviously I guess I do, but after what just happened, I’m not so sure about it anymore.
“I don’t know.” I eventually say.
Luca sympathetically smiles at me, and pulls me into a hug. I wrap my arms around him as well, and we stay like that until I hear my phone timer buzz.
Quickly, I let go of Luca, and he does the same.
I turn to look down at the results of the test, and I stable myself with both of my hands resting on the counter ledge.
Positive.
They all say positive.
I pick one up to take a closer look, and blink many times just to make sure what I read was real.
Vessel jumped around in joy in my head, and I wish I could say the same.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m overjoyed that I’m carrying Ansaldos pup. But this is the worst time to possibly do so.
“Liam?” Lucas voice jumps out at me.
I look at him and nod, and hand him the positive test that I was holding.
He looks down at it and gasps. “Congratulations Liam.” He smiles in delight.
I try to smile, but it seems like I can’t. All I feel like is being sick. Which is a first.
“Liam? Are you in here?” I hear Ansaldo close by, and his scent becomes stronger the closer he gets.
I step away from the edge of the counter when I see him.
“What’s wrong? Is everything oka-” he stops mid sentence when his eyes catch the tests on the counter.
He looks at me, then at Luca, and finally the test in Lucas hand.
Luca hands it to him, and he looks down at it for a split second. He looks at me, shock evident on his face.
I nervously chuckle. “Surprise?”
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