Royal Elite Epilogue (Royal Elite #7) by Rina Kent

Right now, though, she doesn’t seem to be sketching or anything.

Her face is pale as she holds her tank top to underneath her breasts and gazes at the mirror with a blank stare.

“Astrid…” I murmur, my voice low and translating the turmoil that’s whirling inside me.

She startles before she releases her tank top and faces me, a faint smile on her face. It’s still pale, her cheeks missing all their colour.

I reach her in two steps and cup her chin, then look at her intently. Has she been getting sick and I didn’t notice it?

That shouldn’t happen. I watch her more than I watch anything in this world — myself included.

Her well-being comes before anything else.

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

“I didn’t hear you come in.” She’s still smiling.

“Don’t try to escape this. What’s wrong with you?”

“Why would you think there’s something wrong with me?”

“Because you’re not painting and you’re pale and you told Aurora you’re fucking unwell. Fuck.” I run a hand through my hair. “I should’ve noticed it before.”

“I don’t think you could’ve. Not when I didn’t know myself.” She takes my hand, making me release my hair, and smooths the strands with her other palm.

This is why Astrid is my calm. She doesn’t allow me to get sucked into the black hole that only manages to push me into a vicious cycle. She always pulls me away before I’m dragged inside.

“You didn’t know what?” I ask in a barely audible voice. My shoulder blades snap together with fucking fear. The thought that something could happen to her drives me bonkers.

I just need to know what it is so I can fix it. Surely Jonathan can threaten a doctor or two, or an entire fucking hospital, if needed.

“Don’t be agitated, Lev. I only confirmed it this morning.”

“Confirmed what?”

She swallows, her delicate throat moving with the motion.

“Princess, I’m barely holding on here, so any day now.”

“I’m pregnant.”

The words reach my ears, but it takes me a few seconds to absorb them. “So you’re not sick?”

“Sick? No. I have some nausea, but it’s nothing bad.”

“Right.”

“Right?” She scowls, her brow furrowing. “That’s all you have to say? Aren’t you...happy?”

“Of course I am, but I’m happier that you’re healthy, Princess. I nearly lost my heart thinking you were sick or some shit. Are you healthy?”

She bites her lower lip. “I think so. We need to go to the doctor since I only took a few tests.”

I hold her hand. “Let’s go right now. I’ll ask Aiden for Elsa’s OB-GYN. If she can handle Aiden’s late night calls, she can handle mine.”

“Wait.” She tugs on my fingers, making me stop and face her again. “Aren’t you mad that this happened without a plan? We wanted to wait, and then this came along. I think it’s because of that one time I missed the pill.”

“Why would I be mad, Princess?” I place my hand on her stomach, and even though there’s no bump or anything, I feel a sense of belonging already. “As long as you’re happy, I’m more than ready for this. Are you? Happy, I mean?”

She nods frantically, holding on to my hand that’s on her stomach. “I didn’t know I wanted this so badly until I saw the positive line on the test. I want to be the mother of your children, Levi.”

I grin. “The mother of my children. I like that.”

“You do?”

“Fuck right, I do.” I kiss her lips to the point that she’s breathless when I release her. “Now, let’s make sure you’re healthy.”





17





Elsa





Age Twenty-one





“As I was saying, you can’t argue with me using some theory. Be an actual nerd and prove it in real time.”

Aiden stares at our classmates with his signature poker face. I swear he’s become even more tenacious about hiding his emotions.

I’m lucky I met him at eighteen, because twenty-one-year-old Aiden would’ve driven me bonkers.

Scratch that. He does, but I know him well enough to counter him at every turn now. I don’t always win, but the challenge is worth it.

Our colleagues stare at him with questions and no answers.

Only Aiden would call university students nerds to their faces. When I told him not to do that, he said he’s a firm believer in calling things by their names.

“Anyone?” he challenges. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”

He’s lucky Cole isn’t here. It would’ve morphed into a full-blown war if he was, and we’d be all sitting here watching them argue all night.

No one ever wins, but Aiden keeps insisting he takes it easy on him.

“Actually, there’s one.” A sinister voice comes from my right. His American accent differentiates him immediately.

I groan even before the twat joins the circle. I thought we were lucky tonight since Cole had things to take care of.

Turns out, no.

“What are you even doing here?” I ask. “You don’t belong to this club.”