His Blue Moon Princess
His Sunshine Baby Chapter 93

"I almost said yes, Nora, I swear..." I sigh.

My cousin smiles behind her cup of tea. She's curled up in front of me on her couch, in her night gown, her long hair braided over her shoulder, white as snow. I can't get used to that odd thing.

"You shouldn't worry too much, Elena," she says. "You and Nathaniel have always had your differences, and your fight was genuine, but... He's changed a lot from then. He's a different man."

I'm not sure. To me, he's always the same annoyingly sweet man, he's only gotten more handsome than before. The way he's with Estelle plays a big part, too. I watched him all day with our daughter, but I couldn't replace anything he did wrong. He's being the most careful, patient and loving father to her.

"I don't think I can't endure it a second time, Nora. I was... heartbroken when I left, and that pain is still there."

She nods, frowning a bit. I called her before coming to give her a heads-up, and she stayed up so we could chat when I arrived at her house, despite being obviously tired from her pregnancy. We are taking our time in her veranda salon, on some huge couch, with the night sky above us behind the glass roof.

It's a bit late, I waited until Estelle was asleep to leave, but I didn't want to spend a single minute alone with her father. Who knows what could have happened...

"You know, Nathaniel is only like that towards you, Elena," she says. "I only get to see him lose his mask when you're here, or Estelle is. I could never call him Nate, or be as close to him as I am to Liam. Nathaniel has... a facade and I don't get to see behind that often. It got even worse while you were gone." "What do you mean?" She sighs.

"He was... A wreck, Elena. I'm not saying he's not at fault, but it was really painful to watch him, four years ago. He avoided us, and fought so many times with Damian and Liam... It was a big shock that you had left. He still believed the baby wasn't his, but he really thought you left because of him. At one point, he was almost... suicidal."

I almost choke on my cup. Nate? Suicidal? What the hell?

"Nora, what do you mean? What did he do?"

My cousin bites her lip, a bit unsure.

"Well, first, he started drinking a lot... His best friend Isaac tried to watch him, Damian and Neal too, but they found him passed out several times. He would drive while being drunk, too, until Damian went really mad. It happened after I got pregnant, but he had a big car accident. Once he was completely healed, Damian sent him to rehab, with specialists and all. Nathaniel only got better about a year ago, but now it seems he's been overworking, and Isaac thinks he suffers from insomnia, too. Well, it was probably true until you came back..."

It takes me a few seconds to take it all in. s**t, I wouldn't have suspected any of that from seeing Nate today... He looks fitter, not like he survived alcoholism and depression!

I put my cup down, trying to take it all in. How did he abandon himself like that? I'm even mad at him for almost dying so stupidly, putting himself in danger! If it wasn't for his older brother, Estelle could have lost her dad before she ever got to meet him! "That idiot...." I growl.

"I know," sighs Nora. "That's why I'm glad you're back, and he knows Estelle is his daughter. I feel much better with everyone being home, here in Silver City, too..."

I frown. Something else didn't make sense... Nora notices my expression, tilting her head.

"What is it?"

"Back then... We know Iris falsified the paternity test, but Daniel said Nate's sterility was real, and my cousin couldn't have falsified those documents, they came from the Black General Hospital. I knew she was his because he's the only man I slept with, but... Truth his, scientifically speaking, it shouldn't have been possible. So how was Estelle conceived?"

Nora takes a bit of breath, looking a bit guilty all of a sudden. What's wrong...?

"I... I mean Damian and I have a bit of theory about that. I didn't know about Nate's sterility issue back then, and Damian didn't know the whole issue about the paternity test, so..." "Nora, what is it?"

My cousin hesitates, fidgeting with her fingers.

"As a Royal, I have... an extra power that you might actually have too."

"Nora, I'd know if I had another power, by now."

"It's not something very visible, especially for werewolves. Our... I mean, my kiss can heal people."

I stay in shock. Wow, that's... new. Werewolves are fast-healers, anyway, so how would she know that? The only thing is that she and I are actually slow-healers, the one weak point of the Royals... Nora nods from seeing my doubtful expression.

"I know, it's a bit strange, but I can heal people even faster than a werewolf's natural ability, and even... Sort of creates some sort of miraculous healing. When Damian and I met, many, many years ago, it happened. He was about to die, and I kissed him. It healed him when he should have died. I passed out, so Damian realized this was taking from my own strength, and refused to tell me for a long time." "Nora, it sounds really crazier than a lot of stuff we've heard about..."

"No, Elena, it's real. Our grandmother, Queen Diane, she had that power too, and my mother too. I think it only works for female Royals since there is no trace of your father having that kind of power. But it's the truth. I used it again four years ago, after the battle." I take a moment to remember. That's right... Nora came back gravely injured, but she was still in better shape than the King. People were saying he would die... But all of a sudden, their situations changed. Nora was in a deep coma, while Damian Black was perfectly fine when I met him before leaving. I didn't think too much about it back then because I was too caught up in my own mess, and Nathaniel's injury, but...

"You're telling me you... healed your husband? With a kiss?"

She nods. I take a few seconds.

"Nora, you realize that's..."

"A bit unbelievable, I know. But that's why I got into a Coma. I discussed it with William too, he said it looked like our grandmother's power, from what he heard. Sylviana, too, she knew about it."

"...You're saying I healed Nate? When we... kissed?"

"Elena, try to think about it? Would you feel tired afterward? While Nate was fine?"

"Well, usually we had s*x involved, Nora, so yes, that was the usual pattern..."

While my cousin blushes, a bit embarrassed, I try to recall more seriously. I do remember being really tired after having s*x with Nathaniel, especially the first few times... While that i***t seemed in top shape. Back then, it didn't really catch my attention, but now that Nora says it.... "Holy Moon Goddess..." I whisper.

Is that why? Nathaniel was cured because of... Because we... kissed so many times? We started seeing each other in early summer, and Estelle was most likely conceived around September... Until then, does that mean I was healing his... body functions? Moon Goddess!

"Why didn't you tell him!" I exclaim, astonished.

"I wanted to, Elena, but... If Nathaniel realized your baby really was his while you were gone, Damian was afraid he would... do something stupid."

"You mean look for us?" I ask, annoyed. "He would have known I wasn't lying!"

"Elena, the situation was too complicated to tackle! Nathaniel was already overwhelmed with guilt just thinking he had driven you out of Silver City! What if we told him he was really wrong, and he had kicked you on a mistake? The only thing he could hang on to was that the baby couldn't be his!"

"You thought he would have..."

"Elena, he wrecked his car! He was already in a very bad place, and didn't listen to us. He would be dead if he wasn't a werewolf. If we had told him the truth, Damian was scared his brother would have really... He said Nathaniel could really commit suicide." I almost lose my breath on that sentence. No, no, no. Nate wouldn't go that far. Even if he was in such a bad state Nora said, I didn't think he... Right?

"I swear Elena, I really wanted to tell him, but Damian and I discussed it many, many times. His only reason of living was that you would come back one day, and he would realize the truth by himself. But by then, he would know his daughter, and be better."

It takes me a few seconds until I start crying. It's just too much for me. I can't imagine what Nate went through, I can't picture it. And all this time, I was so f*****g stubborn! I could have come back to Silver City two years ago, when Nora woke up! But no, I was so heartbroken, I just couldn't bring myself to go back and instead, I spent two more years away instead of letting Estelle meet her father!

"Elena..." whispers Nora, rubbing my valid shoulder. "It's okay. It was no one's fault things happened this way... I think it's even a bit of a miracle, isn't it?"

"W...What?" I ask, still sobbing.

"Nathaniel and you should never have met in the first place, let alone be able to have a baby together, right? Yet, Moon Goddess made sure you too met, and you healed him with a power we didn't even know you had. Isn't it a bit of a miracle?" s**t, no I want to cry even more because she said something like that. A miracle... I always thought my baby was a miracle, but when Nora puts it like this... I keep crying for a while longer until Damian walks in.

"Sorry..." I hear him say.

I throw my shoe at him, annoyed. Those damn brothers! He doesn't care, and goes to sit beside Nora.

"I'm not going back with Nate," I say.

They exchange a look, not answering anything.

"I'm really not!"

"Elena, I understand. But... We may not have much longer before something happens," whispers Nora.

"What do you mean?" I ask, suddenly wary.

Her husband sighs, visibly angry.

"The dark witch is coming closer... we spotted movements closer to our turf than we initially thought. Sylviana says it's a matter of weeks."

I lose my breath again. A matter of... weeks? We only have a few f*****g weeks? A wave of fear takes me by surprise as I turn to them.

"What do we know, so far? About her attack?"

"She's gathered vampires... A lot of vampires. We can't tell if they are obeying her willingly or not. Sylviana thinks they don't, but... Anyway, their strength is growing every day. We try to have all our wolves ready in case something happens soon, but we can't have more warriors than we do now. Sylviana will do her best, too."

"You're telling me we will die?"

"No. So far it looks more like the strengths will be even."

"So not everyone will die, but we can't be sure. Can't we do anything?" I ask, impatient.

"The closest werewolf turf is way too far to help," says Damian. "But we will be fine... As long as we kill the water witch, everything will be over."

"Sylviana said so, too. If we get to the witch, the vampires will know the fight is lost for them and stop attacking..."

I growl. Those two are way too confident about this!

"Nora, the first attack, we already lost people. I lost friends! And now you're telling me this one will be even worse? How can you two be so calm!"

"Because we don't want to panic everyone!" Says Nora. "You think I'm not scared? Every day I pray I can deliver my baby before her attack, even if I know it will give her one more target. I'm probably the most scared person around, Elena. But I can't do anything about it for now. Sylviana already goes to the border every day to try and buy us some time."

"Things will be different, too," adds her mate. "Now, the Packs are all united. We will attack as one, unlike last time. The White Moon took a huge blow because we were late to respond, and some packs didn't help. All the Alphas work together now."

I had forgotten about that... Nora and Damian did that. All the Alphas now collaborate under the King's command. It might indeed be our best chance...

I sigh.

"That Witch... she dominated me so easily, Nora..."

"I know. But you were alone, Elena, and she took you and Reagan by surprise. This won't happen this time. We will be ready, with Sylviana, too."

"Well, I hope our local witch is all fired up..."

My cousin nods, and no one adds anything for a while. We are sleepy, it's late and quiet. At some point, Nora falls asleep, and her husband gets up, carrying her. I follow behind him.

"You can take the room on the left," he whispers. "Are you going back to Nate's place tomorrow?"

"Probably around lunch... I'm going to burry Reagan with Daniel tomorrow."

"I see..."

He gently puts Nora to bed, careful not to wake his wife, and leaves their bedroom to walk back to me. I cross my arms, laying against the wall across him.

"Nora told you? About Nate?" He asks.

I nod. How awkward is it to talk about his whereabouts with his older brother... Damian sighs, without adding anything. How does he feel about me being back...? Just like Nora can't decipher Nathaniel, I feel like Damian Black will always remain a mystery to me... "You're not going to tell me to get back with him, are you?" I ask, a bit annoyed.

He shakes his head.

"I don't think I need to say it. It's on both of your faces..."

I roll my eyes. Am I that transparent? Why does everyone think it's a given will be back together? Danny, Nora, now Damian Black too... I decide to change topics.

"About that war... Sylviana didn't say anything about the outcome? You know she is a seer, don't you?"

"She did."

"What?" I ask, surprised. "What did she say?"

"...She said she can't see it."

She can't see it...? What does that mean? Is it still too unsure to know? Or did she not want to peek that far into the future? Or is it too scary to tell...

I feel a cold chill in my back, tell him good night and leave in a hurry to my room. This is so scary... Not only to think someone could die in this war, some people I love, but... Not being certain of anything is so scary. I keep thinking about it in my bed. If it wasn't just this... Probably my relationship with Nathaniel would be so different. Why do we need to count the days now? I... I already lost so much time.

....and I don't know how much we have left before it's too late again.