Chapter 79

Almara

Chapter Seven: Balancing Acts

The scent of fresh paint mingled with the subtle aroma of aging wood as I stepped into the gallery. I hadn’t been expecting that. No one was working on new pieces. Not when the exhibit was only days away. We were all solely focused on preparing for that.

So imagine my surprise when I entered the workshop to find Noah sitting behind a canvas. He hadn’t mentioned any new pieces, but apparently he had decided something was missing from the exhibit.

I watched him with a mixture of concern and admiration. His passion was boundless, but I couldn't help but feel a twinge of worry for him. He had definitely been more agitated lately and I wasn’t sure creating new pieces was the right way to go. Not when he was so obviously stressed out.

"Are you sure you're alright, Noah?" I asked softly, not wanting to startle him. He still hadn’t noticed that I was there.

He shot me a quick glance, eyes wide and gleaming with a strange blend of determination and exhaustion, before refocusing on his current painting. "Just a few more days, Almara. We're so close."

I nodded, choosing to believe him. He was the one with more experience when it came to things like this. It was easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of preparations, to let the rush of adrenaline mask the cracks beneath the surface.

I walked over to get a look at what he was working on. My eyes widened as I realized it was a portrait. He had never created a portrait before. And what was even more shocking was that the portrait was of me.

“Noah,” I breathed, awestruck. I gripped his shoulder, leaning in to get a closer look. It was beautiful. He had made me beautiful. Was this how he saw me?

He stopped for a second to cover my hand in his. “It’s my way of saying thank you. You’ve inspired me so much. The least I could do was immortalize you in one of my paintings.”

I bit my lip to stop myself from crying. It was just too perfect. I honestly didn’t know what I did to deserve a friend like him. The Moon Goddess had blessed me with so much.

My phone rang, causing me to jump. Seeing that it was Arthur, I quickly answered it.

“Hello, my love. What can I do for you?” I asked, smiling as I felt him tickle the bond. I had never given him a pet name before, but I was glad that he liked it.

“I’m sorry to bother you. I know you’ve just gotten to the gallery, but some of the pack have asked for a meeting and they want us both to be in attendance. Do you think you could come back?” he asked and I nodded before I realized that he couldn’t see it.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Noah has decided to paint a new piece so I don’t think we would be getting much done today anyway. I’ll be right there.”

With a final pat on his shoulder, I left him to his devices, determined to balance all of my responsibilities. But I honestly couldn’t wait for this exhibit to be over. I was running myself ragged.

Hours blurred together, the line between day and night fading into a nebulous haze. I lost herself in the rhythm of all of my tasks and duties, fueled by a potent cocktail of purpose and determination. The exhibit began to take shape as we hung up all of Noah’s chosen artwork.

One evening, as I watched Noah apply the final brushstrokes, I felt a strange lightheadedness wash over me. Ignoring it, I didn’t say anything, the weight of the nearing deadline keeping me quiet.

The world seemed to sway around me, colors blending into a whirl of indistinct shapes. As if from a great distance, I heard Noah's voice, tinged with worry and urgency. "Almara, are you alright?"

I tried to respond, but my voice felt distant, lost in the cottony haze that enveloped my senses. A wave of darkness crept in from the edges of my vision, swallowing me whole.

When I came back to my senses, it was to the gentle hum of a familiar room. The scent of herbs hung in the air, a soothing balm against the lingering ache in my limbs. As my vision cleared, she found herself in the sanctuary of Noah's home.

"Noah?" I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He appeared at my side, concern etched deeply into his features. "You're awake. Thank the stars."

I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness sent me back onto the soft cushions. "What happened?"

Noah's gaze softened, a mixture of guilt and relief swirling in his eyes. "You pushed yourself too hard, Sweetness. You fainted."

I frowned, the memory slowly returning. The gallery, the exhibit, luna duties, and a relentless pursuit of perfection. "I... I lost track of time."

He nodded, his hand reaching out to gently cradle my cheek. "You have a boundless heart, Sweetness, but even the most steadfast flames need to rest. Especially when those flames are also pregnant."

I closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. It was a rare moment of vulnerability, a reminder that I was not invincible, not even as luna. The weight of my responsibilities pressed down on me, a burden I had carried for so long. It was different to when I had been barely making ends meet, but a burden all the same.

"You should have told me you weren’t feeling well sooner" Noah murmured, his voice a soothing balm against my wearied soul.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I knew he was right. I was so used to doing things by myself, to working myself to death. I had fallen back into old habits so easily, but I had people around me that were willing to help. I should let them.

“Can we not tell Arthur about this?” I asked, knowing what would happen if he found out. I definitely would not be able to finish setting up the gallery. We were so close to finishing. I wanted to be there for the final touches.

Noah chuckled. “That won’t be a problem, Sweetness. Everyone still thinks we’re in the art room. I told them I didn’t want to be disturbed and then I snuck us out the back. I figured you would be more comfortable here than on the floor of the gallery.”

“Thank you, Noah,” I said and I meant it. He literally thought of everything.

“Anything for you, Sweetness. Now, if you’re up for it, we should probably get back before they actually do notice we’re missing,” Noah said good naturedly and I tried to sit up again. This time there was no dizziness.

We had to sneak back into the gallery, but no one seemed to have noticed that we were gone. Thank goodness. I really didn’t want word reaching back to Arthur about my fainting spell. If he was overprotective now, it wouldn’t compare to what he could turn into. “How did you get around Kaylee?” I asked suddenly, finally noticing that my bodyguard was nowhere in sight.

“Oh, that was too easy. I told her you were feeling ill and needed some of those morning sickness pregnancy pops. She was only too eager to help,” Noah said and I playfully punched him in the arm.

I knew from experience that those pregnancy pops could only be found all the way downtown and in rush hour, she would be gone for hours. Still, I had to hand it to him. It was an effective distraction.

The rest of the evening passed by without incident. I didn’t have any more fainting spells and the gallery was finally ready for the exhibit tomorrow. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was almost over.