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Goddess Of The Underworld.
Chapter 149
Noah
🙂))
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We left Mum and Dad’s cabin with full bellies and fuller hearts, the late afternoon sun slanting gold through the trees. Envy walked between us, one hand brushing her bump, the other caught now and then by whoever was closest. It wasn’t a conscious thing, we just couldn’t stop touching her, steadying her, making sure she knew we were right there. Always.
“Feels like we got fed for an army,” Haiden muttered, stretching his arms behind his head.
“That’s because Mum thinks Envy is too skinny,” Xavier shot back with a grin. “She’s been saying it since we walked through the door.”
Envy laughed, soft and sweet. “I don’t think I’ll ever leave your parents‘ meals without feeling like I’ve been rolled down a hill.”
“That’s the goal,” Levi said. “Proper Red Moon hospitality, feed you until you can’t fight back.”
“Guess that’s why you boys grew up so big,” she teased, eyes sparkling.
We groaned in unison, and I bumped her hip gently with mine. “Careful, little Luna. You’ll make them cockier than they already are.”
Her cheeks flushed, but she smiled wider. For a while, we just walked, soaking in the quiet hum of birdsong and the crunch of gravel under our boots. It wasn’t the Underworld’s silence, or the tense waiting at the borders. It was real peace, rare, and worth clinging to. She didn’t once ask where we were going; she just let us guide her through the trees, happy and content to be here with us. The trail curved, and the caverns came into view, dark mouths set into the hillside, ringed with wildflowers and cool shadow. The air here was cooler, touched with the mineral tang of stone and water. Envy slowed, recognition dawning.
“This place…” she murmured. “Levi, this is where you brought me.”
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He dipped his head, eyes soft. “Our spot. Figured it was the right place to bring you back
to.”
Before she could answer, a flash of blonde darted forward from the cavern entrance.
Aleisha. She was practically vibrating with excitement, grinning ear to ear. Behind her,
two women carried baskets and rolled cases, their white tunics giving them away
instantly.
“What’s all this?” Envy asked, brows lifting.
Aleisha clapped her hands together. “A spa day! Massages, facials, the works. Just for you and me.” She leaned closer, stage–whispering, “The boys needed an excuse to kick us out so they could do whatever they’re plotting for tonight.”
Envy’s eyes widened, then softened, a laugh escaping her. “You planned this?”
“Of course,” Aleisha said, looping an arm through hers. “You deserve to be spoiled, Envy.
And trust me, I’m not passing up free pampering.”
Xavier pressed a kiss to Envy’s cheek. “We’ll come get you after. Just relax, enjoy it.”
Haiden smirked. “And don’t let Aleisha talk you into trouble.”
Envy shook her head, laughing again as Aleisha tugged her toward the cavern entrance. “I’ll be fine,” she promised, though the glow in her eyes said she already felt lighter. As they disappeared inside, I looked at my brothers. The air between us shifted with
purpose, clicking back into place. Tonight wasn’t just about spoiling her, it was about giving her one night of peace before everything changed…again. She’d been through so much change since we’d known her. Just been constantly thrown into the deep end and expected to swim. She was a true warrior in her own right. For dealing with us, for ruling the underworld, for being the perfect Luna, and mother. And now? Now, while she’s in one of the most precious times of her life, carrying our first child, she’s going to have to shift and hope to whatever Goddess is watching that it all goes right. I know it will, our girl is simply too bad ass for it to go wrong, but she deserves this right now. A bloody good pampering for everything she’s been through, and everything she will go through.
“Let’s make it perfect,” I said.
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Chapter 149
Three heads nodded. And we set to work.
Envy
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The cavern smelled of lavender and salt, candles tucked into the rocks, throwing soft light against the stone. The waterfall echoed off the walls, and the water held that beautiful blue hue I would never forget. The massage tables were already set, covered in thick white linens that looked far too inviting for me to resist. One of them had a nice, big hole for my growing belly. Aleisha tugged me forward with that irrepressible grin of hers, like she’d just pulled off the prank of the century.
“See?” she said, flopping onto her table without hesitation. “You’ve been tense as hell, and don’t even try to deny it. You need this.”
I laughed as I eased onto the table, careful of my belly. “Are you saying I look like a stress ball?”
She smirked. “You are a stress ball. But a glowing, pregnant stress ball. Totally different
category.”
I swatted at her arm, and we both broke into giggles, the sound bouncing off the stone walls. The women working on us set warm towels across our shoulders, the heat sinking in deep. My eyes drifted shut. I let my muscles unclench, and my body relax.
“You know,” Aleisha said lazily as fingers worked into her shoulders, “if anyone deserves to be spoiled rotten, it’s you. Queen of the Underworld, mother–to–be, mate wrangler, Luna, royal princess, basically, you’re doing five full–time jobs.”
I cracked an eye open. “And you’re what, my hype girl?”
“Damn right.” She peeked over at me with a wicked grin. “Somebody’s gotta remind you how badass you are while the boys drown you in pancakes and foot rubs.”
I laughed, “You’re good at this.“,
“I am good at this. It’s one of my many talents. Along with day drinking and pretending to care about border reports.”
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I snorted so hard the masseuse paused to check if I was okay. I waved her on, wiping at the corner of my eye. “God, I’ve missed this.”
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Aleisha’s expression softened, her smirk giving way to something warmer. “I’ve missed it too. And seriously, Envy… I know you feel like everything’s on your shoulders right now, but you’re not alone. Not ever. You’ve got four overprotective idiots, me, and an entire pack behind you. We’re not letting anything happen to you or that baby.”
The lump in my throat rose so fast I had to swallow hard to keep it down. I reached across the space between our tables, and she laced her fingers through mine without
hesitation.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
She squeezed. “Always.”
For the next however long, we let ourselves just be two women sprawled out in a candlelit cavern, gossiping about the boys, laughing until our stomachs hurt, and letting other people take care of us for once. For a moment, the weight of war, witches, and all the unknowns faded. It was just me, my best friend, and the tiny little kicks inside my belly reminding me what all this fighting was for.
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