Down the hall, my hands instinctively went to my belly. There was life inside me, tiny, fragile, pure. My baby. Our baby. But even as I touched my stomach, all I could think was how cruel the Moon Goddess must be to let a monster like Jeremiah father another life.
Tears slipped down my cheeks as I whispered, “You’ll be safe, little one. I swear to you, you’ll never live in his shadow.”
When the first rays of dawn broke through the window, I was still awake. My body ached from exhaustion, but I refused to let myself rest. Not when I had to face him again.
Jeremiah came into the room, already dressed. He smelled of soap and pinewood, but underneath that, I could still catch her scent clinging to him. My stomach turned.
“Zera,” he started, clearing his throat like he wanted to sound casual. “We need to talk.”
I met his gaze from across the room, my voice steady despite the storm inside. “About what?”
He hesitated for a moment, then said, “Hannah needs the master’s bedroom.”
For a heartbeat, I didn’t process it. Then I blinked, staring at him. “What?”