Valentine’s with the Cartel (Nightshade Wolves #9)

Chapter 18

Rafael

I was lying curled around my omega as he drifted off to sleep following our intense lovemaking session, marveling at the way his body fit against mine so perfectly like two puzzle pieces clicking into place. There was nothing else I would rather be doing.

We had made love with an abandon and passion I had never experienced before, lost in a world of sensation that transcended the physical. And it happened because I knew he was pregnant. It had been different because of that.

As I listened to the steady thrum of Anan's heartbeat, my mind drifted back over the events of the evening. What a day it had been—full of revelations and new beginnings. Things were going to be different now, knowing he was pregnant.

There was that confrontation with Mara and her blatant attempts to sow discord between us by dragging up painful memories from Anan's past. What a bitch, I thought. She never had anything positive to share with us.

I still fumed at her audacity in trying to use those private moments against him like some weapon to undermine his stability. I was relieved it didn't work because of me. I was there to make sure he got through her attacks.

But then, as if to balance out that ugliness, we had shared such a profound emotional and physical connection in the aftermath. I could still remember everything.

The way he clung to me as if I was his lifeline even as I poured every ounce of love and devotion into claiming his body once again—it was enough to make even a hardened man like me feel tender inside, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

And then there had been that moment when everything changed—the instant when the scent of his arousal mingled with something new, something primal and instinctual that called to the deepest part of my alpha nature. I knew it would happen to me one day, but when it did, I was still not prepared.

I hadn't recognized it at first, too caught up in the raw need pulsing between us. But deep down, even before he confirmed my suspicions aloud, I had known. After all, we had sex every day. It was bound to happen eventually.

My beautiful omega was pregnant with our child—a precious life we had created together through the very depths of our passion for one another. It was the ultimate expression of our bond, and I couldn't believe that it had happened on Valentine's Day itself—almost as if the universe was smiling down upon us in its benevolence.

I pressed a tender kiss to the back of Anan's neck as he slept, savoring the feeling of his soft skin against my lips.

We would have much to discuss in the coming days and weeks once he fully awakened again—much to plan and prepare for as we welcomed our firstborn into the world.

First, there was the matter of the name. We still needed to choose one. And right now, I already had some ideas.

But for now, I simply wanted to bask in this perfect moment—the two of us entwined together in peace and satiation after a night filled with both intense passion and raw, unguarded emotion.

It was a precious gift, one that I knew would sustain me through all the joys and challenges of fatherhood ahead.

My love for Anan was greater than I ever thought possible, and it only grew stronger with each passing day we spent together.

It was the most important thing in my life, even more so than the cartel.

To think that I once believed he would be a mere plaything in my life, destined to warm my bed and nothing more... The very idea now filled me with shame and disgust at my own arrogance and stupidity.

He soon became so much more to me than that.

"Anan?" I murmured into his hair, my breath hot against his scalp. He had been asleep for hours now following our explosive sex, completely unconscious from sheer exhaustion after everything that transpired between us. And I couldn't blame him.

I felt a thrill rush through me at the feel of him all limp and pliant in my arms as he continued to snore softly—still half-asleep despite what my hand was doing.

Sifting my hand downwards across the curve of his ass, I couldn't resist palming the rounded globe possessively even as I rubbed soothing circles against the abused skin. He let out an endearing little grunt of discomfort at the contact, causing me to grin in the darkness—he had been quite vocal about my handprints on this particular part of his anatomy earlier.

But he didn't pull away from me—quite the opposite actually as his body pressed back into mine in a deliberate display of affection that made my chest feel impossibly full with emotion all over again. How I loved this male so deeply was still an almost incomprehensible feeling to me at times, especially after all the ugliness of our early association.

He meant everything to me now—was the very air I breathed and the purpose behind each beat of my heart. And the thought of bringing new life into this world together with him was already sparking a fierce sense of longing and anticipation deep in my gut.

It was what I most wanted.

"I want us to start thinking about names for our baby," I said softly once he seemed half-awake at least, my hand now gently stroking along his flank like a contented feline rubbing against his beloved human. "We should probably pick something special that can represent what they will mean to the both of us from the very beginning."

Anan made a sleepy sound of assent as he slowly blinked up at me with bleary eyes, reaching back to twine his fingers with mine in a gesture of solidarity and connection even as he arched languidly into my touch.

"Yeah, that sounds good," he mumbled, yawning as if trying to clear the lingering haze of slumber from his mind. "We definitely want something perfect for them." He paused. "Though, I thought we would do that another time."

I nodded at that, already mentally running through various possibilities even as I nuzzled into his hairline and breathed in the unique scent that was so distinctly him—a mix of honey and warm spices that never failed to make my mouth water. My baby would smell just like him.

"But what if there's more than one little peanut in there?" Anan piped up a moment later, sounding slightly dazed as he stretched beneath the sheets in a manner that left very little to the imagination. I couldn't wait to start exploring every single dip and curve of his body all over again soon. And maybe I wasn't going to have to wait much.

"That may be why your scent has changed so abruptly," I mused aloud, my voice dropping an octave even as I continued stroking and kneading his stomach with almost reverent fascination. The idea of more than one baby—maybe twins or even triplets—was overwhelming but not wholly unappealing to contemplate.

Anan shrugged in response, his lids fluttering shut again as a lazy smile spread across his face like sunshine breaking through storm clouds. "I guess we won't know for sure until the doctors can see inside," he yawned, patting his soft little tummy as he snuggled even closer.

"That's true," I conceded with a low rumble of approval for this adorable display of domestic bliss. "But whatever happens, I will love and cherish each new life you bring into this world just as fervently and unconditionally as I do the father who helped create them."

I meant every word of that oath, I thought, feeling my heart swell with emotion behind my rib cage like it might burst out of its prison.

I really would do anything for our family.

Anan would never have to worry or doubt where he stood with me—for me, he was literally the center of my world from now on. Everything else existed in service to his comfort and wellbeing, no exceptions made.

I just needed a name. And more than one name if this pregnancy ended up with twins or triplets. Anan would give us such a big family that quickly!

"In any case," I continued into the charged silence of our bedroom, "we have months before we'll need to settle on names. First things first: I will make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to confirm what's happening."

Anan just grinned up at me, reaching for my face with both hands to cup my cheeks as he gazed deep into my eyes with pure adoration shining back at me from his own.

"You always take care of me so well," he murmured. "I don't know what I did to deserve someone as incredible and devoted as you by my side, but I thank the heavens every day for bringing you into my life."

I leaned into his touch instinctively as I captured one of his wrists to turn his palm up so I could place a reverent kiss in the center of it. The taste of salt on my tongue brought a profound smile to my lips that felt almost religious in its intensity.

"You deserve so much more than this," I countered, laving the spot with the flat of my tongue as I gazed down at him with open awe and appreciation in my eyes. "But since you seem to like what you get so far..."

I took a deep breath, remembering something important. I didn't think it would cross my mind now, but since it did, I couldn't simply ignore it.

"Changing the subject," I murmured after another long moment, my thumb still idly tracing patterns on Anan's palm even as my mind drifted to the weighty matters that had been occupying my thoughts of late. "There have been some troubling developments with the cartel lately—specifically surrounding the missing shipment of fentanyl that was stolen a few weeks ago. You remember, right? It happened on our wedding day."

Anan stiffened almost imperceptibly at the mention, his eyes widening with a flash of concern even as he frowned slightly in consternation. I could practically see the gears turning behind that expressive gaze as he tried to process the implications of what I was saying.

"That's dangerous business, Rafael," he said after a long pause, his voice tense even as he tightened his grip on my hand as if anchoring himself against the swell of anxiety rising within him. "Fentanyl is one of the most lethal substances out there right now. The people who traffic in it... they're ruthless and will stop at nothing to protect their interests."

I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride at his astute observation, even as I wished I could shield him from the harsh realities of my world. He was so quick to grasp the gravity of our situation—it was one of the many reasons why he was such an invaluable partner to me both in and out of the bedroom.

"Yes," I agreed, my free hand coming up to cup his cheek as I gazed down. "Which is exactly why it's so important that we get this shipment back under our control before things spiral even further out of hand. The cartel has enemies who would love nothing more than to see us weakened and vulnerable."

Anan's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with a fierceness I knew well from our early days together when he had been so determined to fight me at every turn. But now, that fire was directed inward as he wrestled with the knowledge of just how precarious our position truly was.

"I want you to get out of the fentanyl business entirely," he said fiercely after a moment, his voice shaking slightly with the force of his emotion even as he gripped my wrist like a lifeline. "I know it's not that simple, but I can't stand the idea of you putting yourself in harm's way for something so deadly and destructive."