Victor laughs out loud at this, leaning down to press a warm kiss to my mouth. We linger like that for a moment before turning towards the door of the cottage. And then, together, we step out into the forest. The magic is waiting, of course. Right at the head of a path that hadn’t been there an hou
“So, what do we do now?” I ask, sighing and looking up at Victor. He shoots me a little look that says, plainly enough, how the hell should I know. I just grimace and tuck the note into my own back pocket, taking his hand. “Well,” I mutter, trying to lean into the hopeful state that the day in the
“Oh, you’re on top,” he says, ignoring my unbuttoning and sitting up again. He folds his legs beneath me so that I’m now seated comfortably in his lap, my legs wrapped around his waist. “How convenient for you…” I smile coyly as he runs his hands up my thighs, stopping at my waist to untuck the shi
Our eyes, however, are on the wolf, who crosses to the far side of a fire pit sunk into the ground at the center of the clearing. There’s a bright flash and then she’s before us.She. Her. The woman we were sent to find.I couldn’t tell you how I know it, but I’m sort of done asking questions about
Victor heaves a huge sigh of relief, running a hand down his face, and I can feel the reprieve running through his body. I beam at him, scootching closer, glad to be able to see and feel the tension leaving him.It’s real. It’s all real.I mean, we knew that it was. That’s what we’ve figured out her
“Why?” I ask, frowning at her even as I lean forward eagerly. “Do you have to go? Why can’t you stay? We have so much we want to know –““Because my dear,” she interrupts, smiling at me kindly. “I, too, am not quite of this earth. My time in this realm is borrowed time; it is only at midnight that o
“Don’t cry,” Victor whispers to me, using his thumbs to brush the tears from my cheeks. “I’m sorry,” I murmur, shaking my head and looking down at his chest. “I’m just so…I want to be done – I want to go home – I want to take our boys home and start to live our lives again -”“I know, sweetheart,”
We only walk a short distance before I hear it. “Oh!” I exclaim, my eyes going wide, suddenly excited. “Oh, I get it!” I laugh, my heart suddenly eager for it.“Do you know where we are?” he asks, preening a little at the cleverness of his idea. “Yes!” I say, rushing ahead and pulling him along. “
“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