Kingsley's POV
I'd never been so scared, and the fear in my dream still sent shivers through my soul when I woke up.
My wolf whimpered in pain as well.
Scene after scene seemed etched into my head. In the dream, I was no longer the Alpha who could handle anything with ease.
It was the dream where Freya lay there silently while I was left holding the doctors' hands, telling them repeatedly, "Please, save her. I'll do anything, I just want her, my Luna."
"Please, prioritize my Luna's life."
However, the large amount of blood woke me up from my fear-filled dream.
"Freya..." I breathed heavily, my heart throbbing with pain.
Gasping uneasily, I tried to maintain steady breathing, doing my best to erase the haunting images of my dream, and gently laying back down next to Freya.
Watching her breathe shallowly, her narrow lashes resembling a small brush, her mouth curved up gently as if she were dreaming of something beautiful.
Looking at the corners of Freya's smiling mouth, the shadow in my heart lessened a bit as I reached out and gently stroked her pretty face.
"Freya, you must be with me for a long, long time, you know?"
The pain, fear, and sense of powerlessness in the dream—I don't want to experience them again. Those pains made me feel like my heart was pierced by a million arrows and my body was cut by a thousand knives.
That was why I couldn't afford to lose Freya.
I would die too.
I kissed Freya's lips as lightly as I could. "Freya."
Freya's long eyelashes fluttered twice, and I knew she was waking up.
When Freya opened her eyes, I returned to my usual self. I helped her up in a calm and strong manner. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?"
Freya nodded.
Having just woken up, her brain hadn't fully activated, and she couldn't command her limbs. She could only lean on me and let me assist her to the bathroom.
By the time we returned to bed after Freya used the bathroom, Freya rested on my shoulder for less than a minute before falling into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, I endured yet another sleepless night.
Before I knew it, winter had set in, with heavy snowfall blanketing the surroundings. Freya's belly was growing larger, prompting me to forbid her from going outside.
However, she found a new source of entertainment—learning oil painting.
The days passed unhurriedly as Freya's belly expanded, and her due date approached, causing my anxiety to escalate.
A close friend, a psychiatrist, suggested that I might be experiencing psychological issues akin to prenatal anxiety.
My thoughts dwelled on negative aspects, and I struggled to sleep for more than four or five hours each day, often with my eyes fixed on Freya as she slept.
Despite numerous interventions by doctors, the improvement was minimal.
On New Year's Eve, Freya surprised me with a gift. "Kingsley, since you mentioned that I had never given you a gift, here's one for New Year's Eve."
Freya's beautiful smile, her eyes sparkling like stars, captured my attention.
"What is it?" I gazed at Freya's enlarged belly, feeling a pang in my heart as troubling images resurfaced.
Quickly pushing those thoughts aside, I eagerly got up to embrace Freya, my Luna.
The unique scent of her, mixed with that of our coming child, finally calmed my anxious heart.
Unfazed by the change in my demeanor, Freya's eyes gleamed with laughter. "My teacher says I have a talent for painting. I've been learning oil painting for a while, so I want to gift you a pair of paintings. Open them and see what awaits you."
"Open it quickly and see if you like it or not!" Freya urged.
I couldn't resist touching Freya's head, looking at her face. "You're the gift-giver; why are you more excited than me?"
"Because I know you'll love this painting," Freya replied proudly.
As I unwrapped the painting under Freya's nervous and eager gaze, I was taken aback. The next second, I froze, unable to believe that Freya had painted it.
It wasn't just good; it was too good.
As I knew, Freya had only been studying oil painting for less than three months.
Was my Freya so talented in painting? She created canvases that genuinely brought tears to my eyes.
"Did you like it?" Freya inquired a little nervously.
"Of course, I love it, Freya. You're wonderful. It's the best New Year's gift I've ever received."
"Thank you, Freya!" I expressed my gratitude sincerely.
Freya painted a family portrait, depicting my mom and dad alongside us and our future baby.
I gazed at the two noble and elegant middle-aged couples in the painting.
So much time had passed that I could hardly remember what they looked like.
I didn't know how Freya knew what my parents looked like, but looking at my mom and dad's strange yet familiar smiling faces in the painting, I felt so touched. They probably didn't expect that they would finally be reunited in this way either.
Of course, there as also me and the beautiful and gentle Freya in the painting. And naturally, our baby was also in the painting, lying in the crook of Freya's arm, smiling adorably.
Freya probably envisioned what our baby would look like and also drew our baby based on herself and me, incorporating our baby's ultrasound photos.
Tears blurred my eyes.
"Kingsley, are you still scared?" Freya asked me suddenly.
I froze, realizing that my Freya knew all along.
We'd been together day and night, how could Freya not have noticed that something was wrong with me?
Soon, apologies and guilt filled my heart; Freya was already having a hard time being pregnant, and I ended up making her worry about me.
Freya stepped forward and pulled my arm for comfort. "Kingsley, I'm really fine, don't worry too much. We'll definitely be as happy as in this picture."
So, this painting was also specially created by Freya to boost my confidence.
Touched, I reached out to hug Freya, nodding my head. "Well, Freya, your painting is very uplifting, and I feel immense joy when I look at it."
If the previous nightmare affected me, making me anxious and unable to sleep peacefully, this oil painting unexpectedly soothed my inner anxiety. I began to focus on imaging the happy future and finally fell asleep with Freya in my arms.
In my dream, Freya and I welcomed a very strong and smart baby.
After a restful night, I hung the oil painting in our bedroom the next day. I wanted to ensure that I could look up and see the painting because it was the only way my inner turmoil would be lessened.