Chapter 105: You Have Done It?
"So tell me," Eloise asked, lifting her teacup with practiced elegance, "how close are you?"
Nina peered over the rim of her own cup, taking a slow sip to stretch the silence and gather her courage. She could feel the older woman’s sharp eyes tracking her every move. A genuine, slightly helpless warmth tugged at the corners of her lips. "We are very close."
Eloise froze, her silver brows snapping upward. Her cup paused halfway to the saucer. "...Very close?"
Nina gave a small, quiet nod. "Mm."
The old woman’s fingers tightened around her porcelain cup. Then, utterly shamelessly, her gaze drifted downward—past Nina’s face, past her shoulders, straight to her legs as if looking for physical proof of a shift in her posture.
The bluntness of the look caught Nina off guard, and she nearly snorted into her tea, quickly swallowing to hide her embarrassment.
Eloise looked back up, her voice dropping to a sharp, intense whisper. "You both have done it?"
Instead of answering aloud, Nina felt her face heat up. She cleared her throat and swept her hair over one shoulder, revealing the faint, fresh purple mark blooming clearly on her neck.
Eloise’s eyes widened, the cup almost slipping from her fingers before she caught it. "The Alpha marked you?"
Nina nodded shyly, setting her cup down on the table. "Yes."
The old woman covered her mouth, staring in genuine shock. "Do you... do you know what it means? Rodrigo loves you? How did that happen?" She stared at Nina in total disbelief.
Nina didn’t respond, a deep, warm blush creeping up her cheeks.
"I knew it!" Eloise’s delighted laugh suddenly filled the sunlit room, as she slapped her hands on the arm rest.
"I knew there was something different about this one. You survived the eleventh night, and now, you are going to bear the Alpha’s heir."
Nina nearly choked on her own breath.
An heir?
Definitely not—not with everything else going on, and certainly not with the secrets she was carrying.
"There was no way that stubborn grandson of mine could resist you forever." The old woman leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with absolute satisfaction. "I won."
Nina blinked, momentarily pulled out of her embarrassment. "Won what?"
"I made a bet with Gina. She said it would take at least six months before Rodrigo stopped acting like a brooding viper. I said two." Eloise snorted, waving a dismissive hand. "I told her, ’My grandson may be emotionally constipated, but he’s still a wolf. A wolf in heat."
The description of the terrifying Alpha was so accurate that Nina pressed her lips together, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity, but she failed spectacularly. A loud laugh burst from her mouth.
"Oh, he sure is."
They laughed, melting away the lingering tension in the room. Nina quieted down, taking a soft breath and silently thanking her stars.
At least she had Eloise’s favor. That was one less major person to worry about in this house.
Suddenly, a sharp knock sounded on the double doors.
Nina’s smile vanished instantly. She frowned, her posture stiffening.
"That should be the healer," Eloise said, completely relaxed.
The last remnants of warmth left Nina’s face. "What?"
"I called for them to check your auspicious days, but given you have already consummated, they will also check if you are pregnant."
Nina’s vision blurred for a second. The healers were witches—and witches would know exactly who she really was!
No, no, no,
Her heart thudded violently against her ribs as Eloise called them in.
Nina dragged in a shallow breath, her mind racing in a blind panic. If she had known this was the Matriarch’s actual agenda for the morning, she would have found any excuse to stay locked in her room.
"I don’t think it is necessary," Nina said, her voice a little tight as she tried to stand up.
But the old woman’s hand stretched out, pressing lightly but firmly against her arm. "Sit back down. They won’t draw your blood or anything, it will be over before you know it,"
Eloise added, noticing the sudden sheen of cold sweat on Nina’s forehead.
Nina forced a tight nod, sinking back into her seat painfully. Her fingers dug hard into her thighs.
She was done for.
"Your Grace." A woman’s voice came from behind her, low and quiet.
Nina went completely rigid.
"Come here," Eloise commanded. "Check the Luna’s auspicious days, and also check whether she has conceived."
"At once, Your Grace," the woman responded, and continued forward.
The sound of two sets of footsteps approached over the rug. Nina bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted the sharp, metallic tang of copper, her gaze locked entirely onto the polished marble floor. She desperately wished for a miracle, a sudden distraction, or even better, for the ground to just open up and swallow her whole.
Nothing came.
Her chest tightened, making it hard to breathe. If Rodrigo found out who she really was, everything would be over. The thought of his grey eyes staring at her with hatred instead of warmth—
Nina shut her eyes.
No... There must be a way out.
The footsteps stopped directly in front of her. The healer’s attendant stepped forward and placed a small wooden stool on the floor, and the older healer lowered herself onto it with practiced, quiet grace.
Only then did Nina force her eyes open to look up.
The healer appeared to be in her fifties, with silver threading through the dark hair tucked neatly beneath a plain white headscarf. A modest, long-sleeved dress covered her completely, and pristine gloves hid her hands.
Without a word, the woman peeled the gloves off one finger at a time, handing them over to her servant.
When she finally raised her eyes, her gaze locked onto Nina’s with an unsettling, piercing intensity, staring far longer than politeness allowed.
She held Nina’s eyes, her gaze boring straight into them.
This is it... Nina thought, her throat tightening. She’s going to tell the Matriarch...
She’s going to...
Before Nina could finish the terrifying thought, the woman’s eyes dropped down to Nina’s hands, as if nothing happened.
"Your wrist, Luna."
Nina blanked.
What?
What just happened?
Did she not recognize her? Did she need to touch her skin first to sense her ?
Nina stared at the woman’s outstretched hand, her heart thudding so loudly against her chest she was certain they could hear it.
"Luna, is there a problem?" Eloise’s voice rang out from in front of her, her brows furrowed with concern.
Nina forced a strained smile. "No... there’s nothing wrong," she said, her voice slightly breathless.
She swallowed the thick lump in her throat. Forcing her trembling fingers to obey, she extended her hand to the healer.
The healer’s fingertips settled lightly, warmly against her frantic pulse.
A heavy silence blanketed the room. Nina closed her eyes, counting her shallow breaths as she waited for the blow to fall.
She waited for the woman to pull away, for the woman to scream and tell the Matriarch what she saw, but there was nothing. Just the quiet touch.
Slowly, Nina frowned and opened her eyes and they locked in the healer’s.
The woman was looking right at her, but the blank expression was gone. This time, there was unmistakable, terrifying recognition in her eyes.
The pressure on Nina’s wrist tightened slightly, holding her in place, and the slow corner of the woman’s mouth lifted into a knowing smile.
Nina’s blood ran cold.