Betrayed by My Ex, Marked by His Alpha Emperor Brother novel Chapter 282

Chapter 282: Chapter 282

Elara’s POV

The mirror didn’t lie.

I had been standing in front of the mirror for a long while. I turned sideways, pressing both palms against the gentle swell beneath my navel. Still small. Still barely there. But undeniable. Two lives curled inside me like seeds waiting for spring.

"You’re going to wear a hole in the glass if you keep staring at it."

Brenna appeared behind me in the reflection, a steaming cup of chamomile balanced in one hand, her dark eyebrows raised in that particular arch she reserved for moments she found me ridiculous.

"I can’t help it." I smoothed the fabric of my dress over the bump. "Yesterday it was flat. Today it’s—"

"The size of a modest bread roll. Yes. Thrilling." She thrust the tea into my hands. "Drink. You skipped breakfast again."

"I didn’t skip it. I couldn’t keep it down."

"Same result. Drink."

I took the cup and sipped. The warmth spread through my chest, settling something restless that had been pacing inside me since dawn.

"He didn’t want to leave this morning," I said.

Brenna snorted. "Of course he didn’t. The man acts like you’ll evaporate the second he turns his back." She dropped onto the edge of the bed, crossing her ankles. "What was it this time? How many times did he check on you before walking out?"

"He kissed my stomach. Twice. Once for each baby, whispering to our little ’blueberries’ to behave." I couldn’t suppress the smile. "Then he stood at the door for a few more moments."

"Training will be good for him. Burn off some of that feral energy before he starts growling at servants for breathing near you."

She wasn’t wrong. Kaelen’s protectiveness had always run deep—bone-deep, blood-deep—but since learning about the twins, it had become something almost tangible. A gravitational pull he couldn’t resist. He’d left for the training grounds a while ago, and already I felt the faint tug of the bond stretching between us like a thread pulled taut.

I set the tea down. "Let’s go out."

Brenna’s head snapped up. "Out?"

"Shopping. We need things. Cradles. Blankets. Bottles." I ticked items off on my fingers. "Two of everything."

Her face split into a grin. "Now you’re speaking my language."

---

The market district hummed with life. Merchants called out from stalls draped in colored cloth. Children darted between legs. The smell of fresh bread and roasting chestnuts mingled in the cool air.

I felt... normal. Wonderfully, terrifyingly normal.

Brenna moved through the shops with military precision. She held up a tiny blue outfit in one hand, a pink one in the other.

"Both," I said before she could ask.

"Both." She tucked them into the already overflowing basket. "Obviously both."

We’d been at it for hours. Two cradles—carved from pale wood with crescent moons etched into the headboards—were being delivered to the palace tomorrow. The basket now contained blankets of the softest wool I’d ever touched, glass bottles with silver caps, a mountain of cloth diapers, and more tiny garments than any two infants could reasonably wear.

"We have enough for six babies," Brenna said, adjusting the bags on her arms. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Good. Then we’re prepared."

She laughed. But as we turned down a quieter aisle lined with shelves of baby oils and powders, her laughter faded. She must have caught something in my expression.

"What is it?"

I ran my finger along a row of small glass jars. "Do you think they’ll come back?"

"Who?"

"The Rogues." The word tasted like ash. "Another tribe. Another leader. Someone else who wants what Malak wanted."

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