“Oh, you poor baby!” I croon, taking a step forward and taking Rafe’s face in my hands, angling it to study his cheek. “I’m so sorry, I was so eager to get that horse fly off your face that I must have swung too hard.” I speak loudly enough that the people nearest us can hear, my face a mask of mot
“As the surrogate to your children,” Henry interrupts and corrects. “Get rid of her, boy. She has no place at this event. She performed a service for you, yes,” his eyes flick over me again, “and perhaps she still does. But that’s no reason to keep her around.” He sneers, and then continues. “A man
“Ridiculous,” Victor growls, pacing his room. He slams a fist against the wall. He saw his brother accost Evelyn on her way out of the room, saw her slam that plate of food into Rafe’s chest. Victor had been standing with his father, still giving him a piece of his mind, when it happened. He had s
“Where is she?” Victor growls, taking a step forward. The butler stumbles back a step, his eyes going wide. Victor takes a deep breath and works to contain himself. “I apologize. Forgive me. Do you have information on her whereabouts?” “Yes,” the man says, straightening his stature as well as his t
“It was that bad, huh?” Victor says, taking in her determined face. He breathes out a tired sigh and settles down next to her, staring out into the kitchen garden. He’s surprised, a little, at how quickly he went from a frenzy of anxiety to complete calm. Evelyn huffs a laugh. “Your dad and your br
“It should have been a really happy night,” he continues, his voice dropping almost to a whisper. “I’m getting married tomorrow – it should have been…all about me and Amelia, the woman I love, being excited about our next steps.” Evelyn is silent for a moment, but when he doesn’t continue she promp
Victor steels himself at the door of his suite, leaning his forehead against it before going in. “She told me to go to Amelia,” he whispers to himself. “This is…this is right.” It must be right, after all. He wouldn’t have a mating bond with Amelia if she wasn’t perfect for him - his Luna, the woma
She pauses, leaning back a bit. “Victor,” she says slowly, “We talked about this. We decided that I could have a little time, that I still need to finish my career – I’ve still got Paris runways booked this spring, and I can’t miss them - “ “Amelia,” he says, voice low. “If we’re going to be marrie
“Me me me,” he says, hardly able to contain his excitement. “My turn, mama. Please.” And he looks down, again, at his little girl. “Well,” I say, shifting her in my arms and leaning forward so Ian can better see her face. She frowns in her sleep, squirming a little and making me smile. “I was think
Several hours later, I’m changed and curled up more comfortably in my bed with Victor by my side, a baby in each of our arms, and our boys curled up like puppies at the end of the bed. Archie is on the bed too, cuddled between them. We sit quietly together, all still focused on the two little babie
“It’s all right, doctor,” I say, giving her a little smile and nodding towards the boys. “We found them.” “Oh my god,” she says, shaking her head and placing a hand over her heart. Then she frowns at them. “How did they…” “Window,” Victor says, gesturing towards it and sighing. “It’s all right. Th
“Come on, Evelyn,” the doctor says confidently as Victor squeezes my hand, his eyes darting between my face and the first baby, which the doula is now wrapping in her first swaddle. “One more push, and then you’ll be done, and you can hold your little girls.” “Okay,” I huff, sitting up and shifting
Slumped on the couch, Ian heaves a gigantic sigh. “What is taking so long,” he mutters, glaring angrily at the steps as if they’ve personally offended him. “You knew it would take a while,” Bridgette murmurs, running a hand over Ian’s soft brown hair and smiling fondly at her nephew. She sighs and
“Oh my god,” Victor gasps, instantly wide awake. “Oh my god,” he says again, grabbing my face and searching it like it has answers. “Are you – are you okay?” “Yes,” I say, nodding but then belying my answer with an immediate moan. I grit my teeth, my hand going to my stomach as I weather the contra
And between them, my three Alphas have kept me sane. Even though every other part of the end of this pregnancy has worked hard against that sanity. Very, very hard. Even though the TV is on, capturing both of our attention, Ian very suddenly turns his head towards my stomach, like a dog hearing a w
As it turns out…I cannot. I cannot spend 3 months in bed, waiting for my babies to be born. Two and a half months later, I’m basically climbing the walls, I’m going so crazy sitting here in this bedroom, waiting for my little girls to be born. I’ve done it this long, though. I’ve stayed in my bedr
“Why?” Victor asks, suddenly serious in the sea of merriment. “Evelyn, why aren’t you here? What’s wrong?” “Um…” she says, her eyes glancing away awkwardly. “Because…I went into early labor…and I’ve been put on bedrest…” The tablet cracks as it falls to the floor. Rafe gasps, reaching down for it