“Evelyn,” Victor replies, pulling me close against him so I feel his words resounding in his chest as well as hear them. “If that’s what you want, then I think that’s amazing. And I’ll support you in every step. I just…”“What,” I ask, pushing away from him a little so I can see his face again. “Wha
Victor wakes the next morning before dawn even has a chance to light the sky, climbing carefully of bed to make sure he doesn’t wake the Luna sleeping next to him. He takes a minute to look at her once he stands up fully, to run his eyes over the shape of her full lips, to watch the way her chest fa
“So sneaky,” Ian says, flashing his dad a grin. “I love it.”Fifteen minutes later, Ian is strapped into the front seat of a Hummer, his dad driving quickly down the road as the sun begins to peek over the horizon. Two Betas sit in the back, one looking sincerely disgruntled at having lost his covet
When I wake, the other side of the bed is disappointingly empty. I reach my hand out, brushing the sheets where Victor’s body left an impression behind, tracing the phantom shape of him. “Oh well,” I murmur, sitting up and stretching my arms over my head. I’d catch him next time. I look around the
But I do. “Rafe?” I ask, shocked, glancing between him and the Beta guard who is standing awkwardly by the door, trying not to get involved. Rafe looks up at me with sad eyes. He still looks terrible; I wonder if he’s been drinking again. “Were you out here all night?” I ask, folding my arms a
Betas pull open the doors to the detainment facility and Victor strides through, Ian buzzing with excitement at his side. Victor glances down at the boy to see that he’s looking around at everything, as fascinated and thrilled as any kid at Disney World. Victor smirks, wondering if it’s the Alpha pu
“Thief!” Walsh snarls, pounding his fist again on the plastic barrier. “You can’t take this from me – everything I’ve built, everything I’ve worked for –“ Victor tugs Ian’s hand and the boy snaps his worried eyes back up to his father, who looks down at him calmly. “Enough of this for you,” Vict
When Victor returns through the series of doors that separate the cells from the front office, Ian is seated in a plain chair by the Beta desk, happily drinking a milkshake. “Hello,” Victor says, smiling down at his boy and nodding to the Betas behind the desk. “Where did you get that?” “From th
“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