Chapter 30 #2
“No, I was targeted because of issues I had when I was sixteen,” she corrected him. “You just became a big bonus when they found out. Plus, I trust you to always keep us safe. I know that puts more pressure on you, but Sloan, your men need you. Please don’t walk away from them for me...for us.”
Sloan leaned down and kissed her softly. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” She kissed him, then glanced down at the pictures. “I know you never expected to have a child, but—”
“I know what you heard, Becky.” Sloan looked at the picture in his hand. “I’ll admit the title of father scares the fuck out of me, but not because I don’t want that title. I just don’t want to let you or the baby down. I’ve lived a much different life than most men.”
“Frankie thinks the world of you, Sloan.” Becky grabbed his hand and squeezed.
“The talk you had with him about everything that happened to me when I couldn’t is what a real father would do.
He’s never had a real father figure in his life, which is sad.
My ex only dealt with him to get to me. Frankie respects you, Sloan. ”
“He’s a good kid.” Sloan nodded, then grinned. “He’s really excited about the baby.”
“I knew he would be.” Becky chuckled, then wrapped her arms around him. “You are going to be an amazing father, Sloan Fucking Murphy.”
“You really did hear everything.” Sloan frowned, then looked at her. “I’m sorry. I’m sure that wasn’t easy for you.”
“It wasn’t, and I wanted to smack every one of you, but it’s done and over with.
” Becky hopped off the table with his help.
“Now let’s head to the kitchen to find something to eat.
I’m finally not nauseous every five minutes, and I want pickles dipped in chocolate.
Then I want to FaceTime Frankie and show him the pictures. ”
Sloan made a face. “Pickles and chocolate?”
“Don’t knock it till you try it.” Becky grinned as they made their way to the kitchen.
Walking in, they saw Sid standing at the stove, stirring a huge pot of something. “Sid, you got any dill pickles and chocolate syrup?” Becky asked, heading to the refrigerator.
“Yeah,” Sid said slowly, giving her a look. “Why?”
“Because I’m hungry.” Becky opened the refrigerator and grabbed a jar of pickles. “Where’s the syrup?”
“I’ve got perfectly delicious chicken noodle soup ready.” Sid frowned at the jar in her hand. “Why don’t you have a bowl of that if you’re hungry?”
Becky just stared at him.
Sid sighed, put the spoon down, then disappeared into the pantry, only to come back with chocolate syrup. “That just isn’t right.” He pointed to the nasty-looking concoction she was making. “There are laws against shit like that. There should be, anyway.”
“It’s good.” Becky held out a pickle dripping with chocolate. “Try it.”
“I’d rather eat a chocolate turd,” Sid said, then noticed both Sloan and Becky giving him a strange look. “Not that I would, but...you know what I mean. That shit is nasty. Pregnant people are weird. Pam had the same strange-ass craving.”
Becky shrugged, then headed to the table and sat on Sloan’s lap as she ate her pregnancy treat. The door opened, and Lana walked in.
“Hey, babe, how you feeling?” Sid asked, instantly looking concerned. “I made you a pot of chicken noodle soup.”
“I’m feeling a little hungry.” Lana looked pale, then glanced at Becky and Sloan. “Hey.”
“You been sick?” Becky asked, noticing the white line around Lana’s mouth.
“Yeah, I think I got a stomach virus.” Lana looked at Becky’s plate. “What is that?”
“Pickles and chocolate.” Becky looked more closely at Lana. Oh, shit. “You want one?”
“That actually looks really good.” Lana sat down, then grabbed one when Becky slid the plate over. “Wow. This is amazing.”
“Oh, fuck,” Sloan whispered as they both watched Lana grab another one, then the chocolate syrup. She smothered the pickle before eating it in record time.
“Guess I was hungrier than I thought,” Lana said, reaching for another.
Becky glanced at Sid, who looked almost as pale as Lana as he watched his mate devour dill pickles and chocolate.
“Let’s go,” Sloan whispered as he stood with Becky.
“Have you seen Dawn yet?” Becky asked, leaving the pickles and chocolate with Lana.
“No, I think next week.” Lana chewed, then picked up another pickle. “Why?”
Becky glanced at the pickles, then back to Lana as she touched her own stomach and cocked an eyebrow.
“Oh, fuck,” Lana said with a mouth full of pickles.
Sloan quickly pulled Becky out of the kitchen, rushing her toward the main entrance.
“Wait, where are we going?” Becky asked, laughing. “I thought you had a meeting.”
“Meeting’s fucking canceled.” Sloan picked her up and gently jogged toward his car. “I don’t want to be anywhere around when Sid puts two and two together.”
Becky laughed, really laughed, and the sound hit Sloan square in the chest. He slowed as they reached his car, not ready to put her down just yet.
For a second, he just held her there, rain no longer falling around them, death no longer waiting in the trees, fear no longer choking the life out of him.
“What?” Becky asked, her smile fading a little as she searched his face.
Sloan looked down at her, at the woman who had come into his life and changed every damn thing he thought he knew. His mate. The mother of his child. The one person strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with him and still make him feel like he had a home.
“Nothing,” he said, his voice rough. “Just looking at you.”
Her eyes softened as her hand slid up his chest. “You do that a lot.”
“I’m going to do it a hell of a lot more.” He leaned down, brushing his mouth over hers. “I almost lost you.”
“But you didn’t.” Becky’s fingers curled into his shirt. “I’m right here.”
Sloan’s hand moved to her stomach, his palm settling there with a gentleness that still surprised him. “Yeah,” he said, the word coming out low. “You are.”
Becky covered his hand with hers. “We are.”
Something inside him shifted at that. Settled. For hundreds of years, Sloan Murphy had led Warriors into battle, protected humans, hunted monsters, and carried the weight of a world most people never knew existed. He had thought that was his purpose. His only purpose.
Then Becky Spencer had walked into his life and proved him wrong.
He still had battles to fight, Warriors to lead and had enemies who would learn the hard way what happened when they came for what was his. But standing there with Becky in his arms and their child beneath his hand, Sloan finally understood something he never thought would belong to him.
A future with a family.
Becky smiled up at him, tears shining in her eyes. “You okay?”
Sloan gave a slow nod, then kissed her again. “I am now.”
For the first time in longer than Sloan could remember, the world didn’t feel so damn heavy.
Not because the fight was over. Not because the danger was gone.
But because Becky was in his arms, his hand resting over the child they had created, and for the first time in his long life, Sloan Murphy wasn’t just protecting everyone else’s future.
He was holding his own.