“As Queen, I can’t be weak,” I quickly said. “I need to be at full strength.”
Dr. Harris removed the cuff and took note of my blood pressure and temperature. “Nothing can be done about that, Your Majesty. That’s just a side effect for lunas. Typically, lunas never worried about it because they were never in any positions of power, but times have changed.”
“Don’t worry, Mackenzie, you’ll be protected,” Bash tried to reassure me.
My head whipped up to him. “How am I supposed to fight the Summit if I’m not at a hundred percent? What about Abaddon? Now I’m a liability!”
“Stress is not good for the baby,” Dr. Harris chided gently. “And you’re in a very stressful position. May I suggest temporarily delegating some of your duties during your pregnancy?”
I didn’t answer. I sat sullenly as the doctor jotted down my height and weight, answering basic questions about my medical history. When we were done, we switched rooms to get the sonogram. After changing into a thin cloth gown, I laid on the bed next to the ultrasound machine.
I closed my eyes and waited, not wanting to look at anything. I could feel Bash’s presence on my other side as he held my hand, waiting anxiously. His anxiousness pulsed through me, which made it hard to keep my eyes closed.
I felt something cold on my stomach that made goosebumps raise all over my skin. The doctor spread a thick gob of gel around my abdomen and suddenly there was a whooshing sound coming from the ultrasound machine.
“If you look here,” Dr. Harris spoke, “that’s the baby. From the size, you’re about eight weeks along.”
“It looks like a bean,” Bash said with amazement.
Dr. Harris laughed. “Around the tenth week you’ll see the baby start to form into something more recognizable, but it’s a process. She has forty weeks to get there.”
“Mackenzie, open your eyes,” Bash whispered.
I shook my head. “No.”
“Damnit, just look!”
He turned my head forcefully and I cracked one eye open, coming face to face with the screen. Just like Bash said, it appeared to be a little bean. That was what was inside me. It wasn’t even fully formed yet.
“When will we know the gender?” Bash asked.
“Around eighteen to twenty-one weeks,” Dr. Harris said. “You still have a bit to go before you find out.”
Bash grinned. “I know it’s a girl,” he murmured.
I growled and ripped my hand from his. “I told you it’s a boy!”
I knew what I saw. I wasn’t crazy. That kid looked just like a teenaged version of Bash. They could have been twins. But those eyes were unmistakably MacCoinnich eyes.
“There’s not two beans, right?” I asked the doctor urgently.
Dr. Harris laughed. “From what I can see, it’s just one baby.”
Oh, thank God.
We sat in the waiting room with Alexander and Ranulf as they plied Bash with a million questions, waiting for Dr. Harris to emerge from the back. William stood guard outside the doctor’s office. After a couple minutes, the doc came out with a brown paper bag in hand.
“All right, Your Majesty.” He dug inside the bag and pulled out a pill bottle. “These are prenatal vitamins, and you need to start taking them today. I ripped off the label so no one will know what they are, but it’s very important that you take them.” He placed them back in the bag and pulled out a picture. “Here’s the first image of your baby.” He handed me the black and white sonogram, but Alexander took it from him first.
“Darling, can ye believe it?” he said in awe.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, it’s wonderful. Put it back in the bag.” I grabbed the bag from the doc and motioned for Alexander to put it in.
“Typically, I would just see you in four weeks for a routine check-up, but since this is such a unique situation, I want to see you in two weeks,” Dr. Harris said. “Remember Your Majesty, you must stay stress-free.”
I nodded and handed the bag to Bash. After the doc told everyone what I could and couldn’t eat, we left the office. I was understandably cranky. I wasn’t one to be told what to eat, but I had to remember it was for the baby. Well, me too, but mainly for the baby.
I stepped outside and inhaled a deep breath, taking in the fresh, crisp air. I looked to the north where I saw the Highland mountains in the far distance and was reminded how everything had changed in just a few months. It wasn’t so long ago that I was in New York City, working for the Supernatural Investigative Unit, or the SIU. My dream job. And now I was here. It all felt so unreal.
“Mackenzie?” Bash nudged me. “Come on, you have a meeting with the Queen’s Council.” He took my hand and we started walking toward the castle.
4
In slacks and a loose sweater, I walked into the council room where everyone was waiting for me. I took my seat at the head of the table, everyone remaining standing until I was seated, and I motioned for them to do the same.
In addition to Bash, Alexander, and Ranulf, the rest of my Queen’s Council included Junior from the Johannesburg Pack in South Africa, Maria from the Barcelona Pack in Spain, and Rowan, the granddaughter of Jacob, an ex-Council member. Ranulf recommended three of his closest allies to bring my council to nine, and I’d reserved the tenth seat for Ailios. Ten was the minimum I needed, but I could always include more.
“Welcome, Yer Majesty,” Ranulf said to my left. “This will be our first official meeting as the new Queen’s Council.”
I nodded. “I hope you’ve all gotten situated and that you enjoyed the ceremony last night. Unfortunately, the fun is over and now it’s time to get to work.”
Junior cleared his throat. “Your Majesty, what do you want us to do first? Because I have some
