The Queen by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Chapter 1

Pregnant.

Eight weeks pregnant. Maybe a little more.

The most common response in the history of womankind was dancing on the tip of my tongue, threatening to make me sound like an idiot.

That’s not possible.

But the logical and sane voice in the back of my head whispered that it was as I stared at the silvery-skinned fae doctor. The same voice that also whispered, that’s what happens when you have unprotected sex, Brighton Jussier.

That voice sounded a lot like my mother’s during those moments when she had been herself and not the confused, lost shell of a woman the Winter fae attack had left behind.

“Are you okay?” Luce asked and then wrinkled her nose. “That’s probably a stupid question. I doubt this was news you were expecting.”

A strangled laugh escaped me. This wasn’t even in the realm of things I’d expected. So many thoughts swirled as I sat on the plush couch of what could be considered a luxury suite in a place commonly referred to as Hotel Good Fae. Hidden by glamour, to human eyes, the building appeared to be a rundown and abandoned factory on South Peters Street, but the hotel was actually a stunning, massive community complex to all Summer fae who refused to feed on unwilling humans.

Right now, it felt like the entire building was made out of cardboard and could collapse at any second.

“How?” I whispered. “How is this possible?”

The blond fae who apparently worked part-time in a human clinic because, according to her, being intrigued by humans was similar to how wild animals fascinated zoologists, frowned. “Well, I imagine it happened during sex—”

“I know that.” I cut her off. “But how could I survive being pregnant…after what I went through?” I couldn’t even fathom how it was possible that a…pregnancy had survived the time I’d spent as Aric’s captive. The psychotic Ancient fae who had killed my mother and left me for dead two years ago, had tortured me for weeks. For months. And it wasn’t like I’d gotten three square meals a day.

“Your body has been through a lot,” Luce repeated carefully. “Even for a fae, a viable pregnancy would be nothing short of a miracle. But for a human? It would be highly unlikely—”

“Then are you sure?”

“I cannot think of any other reason why you would have such an increase in that hormone. I want to do more testing. An ultrasound, for example. Some more blood work.”

“I’m… I’m pregnant.”

She gave a quick nod.

“Pregnant,” I repeated, the information sort of sinking in. A child was growing inside me, right at this moment. I was… I was going to be a mother. My heart stuttered. Could I even be a mother? I was relatively organized and responsible. I was smart, and I’d had to take care of my mother from a very young age, but that was not the same thing as having to take care of a tiny human being. I had no idea what my future held.

Now my heart raced. Aric had…he’d fed from me repeatedly, just like the fae had done to my mother all those years ago. The trauma that had left her spontaneously going in and out of reality. I’d already had moments of being sucked into a world that seemed to exist only in my mind. There could be a chance I would wake up tomorrow and spend the entire day stuck in a world of terrifying memories and haunting hallucinations. I might spend days that way. Mom had sometimes spent weeks like that, and I…I didn’t want to do that to a child. I knew what it felt like to see someone you loved, who was supposed to be the person that supported and took care of you, become trapped and unreachable. I wasn’t bitter nor did I regret being there for my mom. Not at all. But when she was herself, I knew the knowledge that she needed constant care killed her.

I didn’t want to repeat that cycle.

God, that was the last thing I wanted to do.

Luce’s pale blue eyes searched mine. “It would help to know who the father is. That could possibly explain how this is likely.”

I pulled myself from what felt like a downward spiral into flailing panic and drew in a tight, shallow breath.

Her shoulders squared as if she were preparing herself. “It is…obvious that the King cares for you deeply. When you were gone, he nearly tore the city of New Orleans apart looking for you. He’s barely left your side since he