Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine novel Chapter 374

Chapter 374 Elephant In The Room

LUNA

I felt myself shivering even though the air was warm. My body felt strange–light, yet heavy at the same time. My heart was beating slowly, almost dreamily, as the world softened around me.

“Gosh,” I whispered to myself, rubbing my arms. “Did I get sick because of yesterday?”

I rubbed my eyes before turning my head, only to find Abel already watching me. His dark eyes were shadowed with worry. His hand rested on the sheets near me, his fists clenching.

“What’s with that face?” I asked, my voice hoarse but teasing.

His gaze traveled over my face, my neck, then lingered on the mark near my shoulder–the place where his bite had sealed us together.

“I’m fine!” I said quickly, laughing under my breath.

Abel raised a brow, appearing unconvinced. I rolled my eyes dramatically and decided to prove it. I stood, swaying a little, and began to bounce lightly on my feet. “See? Perfectly fine!”

But the moment I did, a small ache pulsed through my hips, making me wince. Abel was up in a flash, his arms steadying me before I could stumble.

“Are you alright?” His voice sounded panicked.

I chuckled, leaning into him. “I’m just sore,” I muttered with a half–smile. “It’s because you were so big yesterday. You were relentless.”

He froze for a second, color rising faintly to his cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing, you demon,” I said, poking his chest lightly.

He smirked faintly. “I am a demon for corrupting an angel like you.”

I tipped my head up, meeting his gaze with a playful spark. “This angel wanted to be corrupted.”

For a heartbeat, he just stared at me, then broke into a smile that melted everything tense between us. We both laughed, soft and quiet, our voices blending with the sound of the wind outside. For a while, it felt like the world had forgotten how to hurt us.

Later, when we stood side by side brushing our teeth in front of the small mirror, it hit me just how surreal it all was. My reflection looked different. There was a glow in my cheeks, a light behind my eyes. Maybe it was from sleep, or maybe it was from the warmth still lingering in my chest.

Abel stood beside me, his hair messy, his jaw dusted with stubble. He looked both wild and gentle. His mark was visible near his collarbone, and when I tilted my head slightly, I could see mine too.

I smiled, leaning my head against his shoulder as I brushed. The moment felt so ordinary and so extraordinary at once.

“I love you,” I said through the foam.

He paused mid–motion, toothbrush still in hand. For a second, I wondered if I’d startled him. But then, slowly, he turned toward me. He spat out the minty bubbles in his mouth, rinsed the sink, and gave me a look that made my heart skip a beat.

“Rinse,” he said softly, motioning for me to do the same.

I obeyed, still half laughing, and the moment I looked up, he caught my face in his hands and kissed me. The mint was still fresh between us. It wasn’t a quick kiss–it was one that made me forget about my soreness.

When we broke apart, our foreheads rested together, breaths mingling. He looked at me like I was something he couldn’t stop believing in.

“I love you,” he said quietly. “I won’t love anyone as much as I love you.”

***

I thought it would be happy like this always.

The days blurred together in a peace I didn’t know I could have. No one bothered us. No messages or warnings. The past month was just filled with quiet laughter. For one whole month, we were… happy. We really were.

But even in happiness, there was something we couldn’t quite talk about. The elephant in the room had a heartbeat.

It was strange, the way time seemed to move differently for us. Abel explained to me that pregnancies with his kind were faster. Instead of the usual nine months for humans and five months for werewolves, I was going to give birth in approximately three months.

technically true with this timeline. I would sit by the mirror sometimes, tracing the curve of it, smiling like a fool. But as my smile grew, so did the tightness in my throat. The nausea came often, rolling through me like waves. I knew that morning sickness was normal, but deep down, I knew it wasn’t just that.

This morning, I was trying to swallow back the dizziness when Abel came in. His hair was still damp from a shower, the towel around his shoulders, and his expression was shadowed with worry.

I forced a smile and reached out to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Yes, you baby,” I said softly, resting my head against his chest. His heartbeat thudded steadily beneath my car. “It’s just morning sickness. Every pregnant woman goes through this.”

I grabbed his arm. “Who could that be?”

He didn’t answer. He motioned for me to stay behind him as he approached the door, every step cautious. The pounding came again, louder this time.

“Abel, don’t-”

He flung the door open before I could finish.

“Surprise!”

Two voices chorused together, bright and familiar.

Standing on the porch were two stunning women grinning from car to car, looking completely out of place against the quiet morning light.

“Arden? Tessa?” I breathed, my heart still racing.

Before Abel could say anything, they both stepped forward, nearly tripping over each other with excitement. “Let’s have a trip!” Arden announced, holding up a bag as if we’d been planning this all along.

Tessa laughed and nodded. “Come on, it’s been forever! You two can’t just hide away here like hermits!”

Behind them stood Rowan and Cade, looking slightly less enthusiastic but equally amused.

The moment their eyes met mine, though, everything froze. Their gazes dropped to where my hands rested on my stomach, instinctively protective.

Their mouths fell open at the same time.

“You’re pregnant?!” they exclaimed together, voices overlapping in disbelief.