“Yes! It’s the only thing that makes sense,” the girl insisted. “She’s always with Finlay, and she skips a lot of class. She must be! Her and the prince have broken up, so it can’t be his!”
“You know, I did hear her throwing up in the bathroom the other day when I went to touch up my lipstick,” the other mused. “Maybe it was morning sickness. And she acts so tired all the time.”
“Exactly. She’s totally pregnant,” the other girl confirmed smugly, mind set on it.
Explanations raced in my head. Emma had been sick on and off all semester, but that wasn’t unusual for her disease. Her skipping class and having nausea could be side effects of her condition…
Or a baby.
Come to think of it, Emma’s stomach did have a strange bump this morning…
I leapt off the bench and nearly fell over. If I could’ve ran, I would’ve, but all I could do was hobble. I’m sure I was a comical sight as I half-limped back to the ale booth, but I wasn’t laughing. For the love of Luka, it couldn’t be true. Emma, pregnant, with a child that wasn’t mine? No god could be that cruel.
But this was a cruel world, and as I was learning, it loved to play tricks on me.
The ale booth came into sight, but Emma wasn’t there. I nearly gagged as I saw she was missing amongst our friends.
Shit. If she wasn’t here to talk to, I’d have to find someone who’d fess up. I found Finlay leaning against the wall of a building, talking to Arthur.
He’d have to do. If I’d truly lost Emma for good, I was making sure the shifter who was taking care of her would do a damn good job of it.
I wasted no time, ignoring the burning in my muscles as I bunched my hands in Finlay’s shirt. “Do you plan to make an honest woman out of Emma, or do I have to make you do the honorable thing? Because I have no trouble doing this the hard way.”
“Excuse me?” Finlay’s eyes widened. Arthur looked between us, as if waiting for the moment he’d have to split us up.
“I’ve heard that she’s pregnant with your child.” I nearly puked on the words. “I’m making sure you don’t run off on her.”
Finlay’s expression was utterly clueless— beside him, Arthur’s face was also bewildered.
“That would be impossible, as I’ve never slept with Emma,” Finlay said slowly. “So if she’s having a baby, I’m pretty sure it’s yours.”
My cheeks burned as I admitted, “I’ve never slept with her either.”
“Looks like we both missed out.” Finlay laughed. “She’s playing the two of us.”
“Shut up.” I pushed Finlay away and marched off. He made a motion to Arthur that indicated I was crazy.
Finlay could tell me they hadn’t slept together, but that didn’t mean he was telling the truth. The panic was still churning in my head.
I stumbled back to my friends and knocked over Alexei’s tankard on the way. He scowled and said, “You’re not drunk, but you’re sure acting like it.”
“Where’s Emma?” I growled. My hands tightened on the table as I clenched the edge to keep upright.
“Emma went home early,” Delmare said. “She wasn’t feeling well.”
Oh gods, no. Was she vomiting again? Did the baby make her sick?
“We have to prepare.” I began nonsensically rambling. “There’s more than enough money in the royal treasury to provide for them both, but I have to set up the funds, and you all must help me find a place to keep the baby safe.”
“Who’s having the baby, you?” Stefan joked as he poked my stomach.
“This isn’t funny!” I snapped. “It’s an emergency! Emma needs our help!”
Kiara gave a frown. “If Emma’s pregnant, she didn’t tell us.”
“Why would she? That dog must’ve convinced her to keep quiet,” I growled.
“Are you kidding me?” Delmare slapped her forehead. “She’s not pregnant, you big moron.”
“How do you know?” I asked accusingly. “You said she went home because she wasn’t feeling well!”
“Because she’s on her period,” Delmare hissed. “She went home because her cramps are really bad.”
I stopped in place. “Oh.”
Then irrationality overcame me. Worry. Impatience. “Are you sure?”
“Oh gods, ask her yourself.” Delmare rolled her eyes and drank deeper from her tankard.
“But… her stomach is bigger…” I nearly whimpered. “I noticed this morning.”
“She just did her infusion yesterday,” Kiara said. “The needle sites always swell up.”