My fingers tighten around the phone 94

Aria’s POV
After hours of crying and wallowing in self-pity, I forced myself to crawl out of bed in the early morning hours. I took a
small sip of water, trying to settle my protesting stomach. When it finally calmed, I shuffled to the kitchen to start
preparing breakfast. I was craving something tart, probably because my stomach was rebelling against everything else.
The scent of baking cranberry pastries filled the apartment, making my mouth water and my stomach growl with actual
hunger rather than nausea for the first time in days. I closed my eyes, savoring this brief respite from the constant
sickness.
Halfway through baking, Lucas shuffled down the hallway, rubbing sleep from his eyes. His dinosaur pajamas were
rumpled, one leg hiked up to his knee, the other dragging slightly on the floor.
“Good morning, baby,” I greeted softly, my voice still a bit raspy.
Lucas remained sullen, his bottom lip pushed out in that perfect pout he’d mastered. He shot me a reproachful look, the
same one he’d been giving me since Ethan had left. I didn’t know how to fix this situation. He dragged his blanket to the
couch and curled up on it, his small body making a tight ball under the fabric.
“Do you want breakfast, Lucas?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light.
A muffled, affirmative grunt came from the couch, and I couldn’t help but smile. Even slightly angry, he was still my child.
I pulled the pastries from the oven, letting them cool before drizzling them with icing. The sweet aroma filled the
apartment, and Lucas wandered over to the kitchen table, drawn by the smell. I ruffled his messy hair and set breakfast
before him, then dished up a portion for myself.
We ate in silence for a while, then Lucas looked up at me. “Is Ethan coming today?” His voice was small but hopeful,
those green eyes wide and expectant.
I sighed. We went through this conversation every morning. I took Lucas’s hand, forcing him to focus on me, “Lucas,
Ethan will not come. I’ll try to make things right with Ethan. But in the meantime, I need you to stop being angry with me.
I’m sorry my actions have made you unhappy. Mommy is just trying to do what’s best for us, and sometimes that means
doing things you don’t like or understand right now.”
Lucas’s chin wobbled, and his eyes filled with tears, making the green irises shimmer like sunlight through leaves. “But
you pushed Ethan away. And I don’t get to see Grandpa much either, and I miss them,” he said, his voice thick with
emotion.
I bit my lower lip to hold back my own tears, “I know, baby.”
“And Mommy’s still sick. Ethan should be here helping you. I’m not strong enough.” Lucas’s words dissolved into sobs,
his small shoulders shaking with the force of his distress. “I’m just a little kid, I can’t protect Mommy.”
My heart ached at his words, each one piercing like a tiny arrow. I reached out and brushed a tear from his cheek with my
thumb, feeling the softness of his skin beneath my touch. Despite the heaviness in my chest, I managed a gentle smile
that reached my eyes.
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“I’m going to be fine, baby,” I whispered, tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear. “Mommy’s getting better every day, I
promise. Looking after you and keeping us both safe—that’s my most important job in the whole world.” I placed my
hand over my heart. “It’s what I was born to do, and nothing makes me happier.”
Lucas’s green eyes studied my face, searching for reassurance. After a moment, he nodded, his small chin still quivering
slightly. “Okay, Mommy,” he murmured.
The rest of the morning flew by. I dropped Lucas off at school, making sure to kiss him extra times at the gate, which
made him giggle despite his lingering sadness. Then I arrived at the training camp right on time. The smell in the locker
room was still nauseating to my sensitive nose, but not as bad as before. Keeping food in my stomach and constantly
sipping water helped me stabilize until something triggered it again.
Coming out of the locker room, I spotted Zoe standing in front waiting for me. She waved with a bright smile, “Hey, you
still look pale as a ghost, are you still feeling terrible? I’m your assistant today!”
I smiled weakly, already feeling nauseated again. I reached for my locked water bottle and took a few sips. “Let’s get
started!”
Zoe chuckled lightly, and we walked together to the main training area where the other trainees were filtering in. I began
writing the various training exercises each werewolf needed to complete today on the large whiteboard mounted on the
wall. Because the bottom of the whiteboard was so low, I always had to crouch down to write on the bottom portion.
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The next training camp season… I would be approaching late pregnancy by then. How would I lead training like this? I
hadn’t thought that far ahead, but I needed a plan. I couldn’t care for two children the way I had with Lucas.
I finished writing the last exercise and straightened up from my crouched position. The sudden movement sent the world
lurching violently around me. The floor seemed to tilt beneath my feet, the walls rippling like water. My vision fractured
into a kaleidoscope of distorted shapes and colors, with inky black dots swarming across my sight like hungry insects.
“Damn it,” I thought, as a cold sweat broke out across my forehead and the back of my neck. The familiar hollow
sensation in my stomach told me what was coming—I was going to pass out. I desperately reached for the whiteboard to
anchor myself to something solid, my fingers scrabbling against the smooth surface.
“Aria?” Zoe’s voice penetrated my dizzy brain, and I forced my eyes open to see double of her. “You don’t look good. Are
you feeling bad right now?”
“You take the lead on training. I’ll be right back.” I pushed away from the wall, forcing myself to walk step by step as
quickly as possible toward the hallway. My stomach cramped again, and I gripped the wall to guide myself down the
silent corridor.
I felt my knees growing weaker with each step, trembling beneath me. I walked with my eyes closed, which didn’t help my
already terrible sense of direction. It felt like crawling through an endless dark tunnel now. I felt my stomach heave and
grabbed the nearest trash can, emptying my stomach’s contents.
Suddenly, warm hands were on my back, rubbing up and down my spine while steadying me. I took a weak breath, trying
to focus my eyes on the person beside me. David’s face twisted and sharpened several times before truly forming an
impression in my mind. His arms were around me now, and I could barely form the words.
“Don’t tell Ethan