Page 202 of His Fated Luna

As the days progressed, things seemed to get better between us. It was like coming back home to an old friend, catching up and trying to pick up where you left off. It was fluid and natural to fall into an easy camaraderie. Aiden had even shown me pictures of our mating ceremony. Every day, he told me small stories about our relationship. Sometimes, Aiden laid with me in our bed before I fell asleep. But he always left me at some point. He never stayed the night. I wished he would though.

I’d kissed him full on the lips when he’d taken my phone, found the file, and played my birthday gift for me. Aiden couldn’t help grinning down at me, telling me the first time I’d gotten the gift, it had been a kiss on the cheek.

“But, at the time, it was the best kiss of my entire life,” Aiden promised. “It was the first time you kissed me out of the blue like that. Until then, I’d always been the one initiating our kisses.”

I stood on my tiptoes again to give him another kiss. I'd then asked him for another gift, my ring. He'd slid it onto my finger a few hours later, explaining that when I'd had my seizure, the nurse had removed all of my jewelry. I looked at the ring in admiration. It really was beautiful. For that, I'd given him a kiss on the cheek.

“When are you going to start sleeping in your own bed again?” I asked off-handedly.

Aiden had picked me up after classes and we were eating cheeseburgers at the diner.

Aiden jumped slightly at the question. He hadn’t expected me to ask that.

“Do you want me to?”

I blushed, and Aiden smiled fondly.

“I don’t think I’m ready for…you know…” I waved my hands around me helplessly.

“Sex?” Aiden supplied and chuckled when my cheeks turned even redder. “Out of all the things that changed the most about you, Rose, it was that you definitely stopped being shy about your sexual needs.”

Warmth exploded in the pit of my stomach and my pulse quickened. Could I do it? I was now almost four months pregnant with ugly red stretch marks across my stomach. My clothes were becoming a little snug. I could no longer button my skinny jeans and my boobs were another story entirely, constantly sore and swollen. I freaked out when I noticed myareolas becoming bigger and a few shades darker. A quick google search and call to the doctor confirmed it was normal. Even I hated my body right now. What would Aiden think? Aiden who’d dated perfectly skinny Lexia who looked like a size zero.

“Maybe we could…after?” I asked with a squeak, referring to them having sex.

“After?” Aiden queried.

“After the baby’s born?” I supplied a little uncertainly.

I noticed Aiden was silent as he finished off his cheeseburger, pulling his milkshake towards him.

“Can I ask why you have such a specific timeline?” he finally asked.

I looked away. How was I supposed to tell him it was because I felt embarrassed about my growing body? It wasn’t the same body he’d first fallen in love with. I’d always been self-conscious about my curves, but now with a baby on the way, I felt even more unappealing.

Aiden looked at me with a deep gaze and then his hands reached for mine across the table, and lacing his fingers with my own, he gently pushed me to look at him.

“I know you well enough to deduce what is bothering you,” he said softly.“I hope you know that watching your body change as my pup grows inside of you is a huge turn on for me,” Aiden spoke gently. “Nothing is more beautiful.” He gave my fingers a squeeze with his own before leaning back in the seat across from me.

I let my eyes meet his steadily, completely sure about one thing.

“I’d like for you to come back and sleep in your own bed.” I spoke confidently.

Aiden smiled. “Gladly.”

We made our way home after lunch and Aiden left to go for patrols. True to his word, he arrived in our bed late into the nightand I woke up to him pulling me against his bare chest, hands going protectively over my stomach, breath tickling my temple, before he fell asleep. It felt so right. Like I was always supposed to lay next to him and I molded myself against him. It was the first night in a long time I wasn’t plagued by headaches or disorienting dreams that disturbed my sleep.

Rose's POV

“I’ll be back soon, Princess,” Aiden promised.

He stood in the foyer with a set of luggage in tow. It was the end of February and there was a regional alpha conference. It was going to be Dylan’s first time attending and Aiden wanted to show him the ropes.

“Four days is a long time,” I pouted.

For the past week I’d enjoyed falling asleep next to Aiden and teasing him about sleeping with socks. He’d kissed me a few times but respected my wishes regarding not being ready to go further. However, the more time we spent in that bed together, the moreI was starting to regret my silly request. We’d had sex before. I really should just go for it. Because Aiden had unlocked something deep inside of me that made me crave him. I wanted him…in every way a mate wants and needs a mate.

“Mom can come stay with you,” Aiden offered.