Chapter 39
Avery
Erik, Sigurd, and I are in the nursery when Ivar returns home.
Erik got home while I was napping. I woke up to find the two of them taking care of the babies and joined them.
Now they’ve been held, fed, and are sleeping again.
Just to be safe, I had them scanned again, and there are no medical issues.
They’re developing like they should, even if the girls were a little premature.
Likely because Vivar has an appetite like his father.
We leave the nursery and find Ivar in the living room. He is sitting with a drink in his hand, and there’s a worried expression on his face.
“Did the other royal families disagree with joining us here on Midgard 13?” Erik asks curiously, sitting on the couch.
“We had a long discussion, but they ultimately agreed it would be best to make this our new home,” Ivar sighs.
“Then why the long face, brother?” Sigurd asks, pouring himself a drink. “That’s good news, isn’t it? We just need to speak with President Haggard.”
“Already talked with him,” Ivar says, sipping his drink.
“Really? That fast?” I ask, sucking on my vape as I sit down.
“His schedule was open, so I didn’t want to waste the opportunity,” Ivar says. “President Haggard had a lot of questions, especially about our involvement with the Intergalactic Alliance. I answered them the best I could without giving away too much.”
“What did you tell him?” Erik asks.
“I left out the part about Morlock… and the clones. They aren’t aware of them here,” Ivar replies. “In fact, their so-called gods were entombed, rather than burned. Those tombs were discovered and excavated. Fenrir’s remains are currently on display in a museum under Gray Viking Hall.”
“Wow!” Erik’s eyes widen. “That explains why they no longer worship them. How they’ve evolved. But they’re that close and don’t know they’re clones?”
“They think their world is essentially the one where the so-called gods walked amongst our kind. They attribute the rest to Cosmic Influence. Something they don’t fully understand.
” Ivar waves a hand dismissively before sipping his drink.
“But that doesn’t matter. Not right now.
We won’t know if they’ll take in everyone from Midgard 21 until President Haggard meets with the senate. I’m not sure how long that will take.”
“Then we wait,” Sigurd growls.
“But we won’t wait idly,” Ivar says. “If they agree, we still have to deal with the Intergalactic Alliance warship. They won’t help us with that.”
“Disappointing, but not surprising,” Erik mutters. “They’re peaceful. They have a treaty with the Intergalactic Alliance. They aren’t going to violate it just to save us.”
“We’ll have to plan a rescue mission. If our ship can take down the Intergalactic Alliance warship, we could rescue our people and return here,” Ivar says. “After we’re here, we should be protected by the treaty.”
“Our ship has considerable upgrades, but we can’t win a firefight against a warship without sustaining heavy damage.
We’d have to board the warship and hope we killed them fast enough to get to our planet and rescue everyone before more warships showed up,” Erik sighs.
“I’ll work on a plan, but I can’t promise it’s one we’ll survive. It could be a suicide mission.”
“If we do this, Avery and our children stay here,” Sigurd says with determination in his voice. “We can’t put them in danger, especially if President Haggard offers us refuge.”
“I don’t want to stay behind,” I frown, sucking on my vape and exhaling a vanilla cloud. “But… I guess I have to think about the children.”
“Yes, they will need their mother if we don’t make it back,” Erik says. “They’ll have good lives here. So will you. As a single mother, you won’t even be required to work until they’re in school. Even then, caring for the children is still a priority, and your work schedule will allow for it.”
“I don’t mind working, especially if everything is provided that we need,” I say. “But I can’t lose you guys… you’re my mates. I know I was resistant at first because I didn’t know what was happening to me, but I… I love you.”
“We love you too, Avery,” Sigurd rumbles. “Which means we’ll do everything in our power to come back to you. If we don’t… know that you will be the last thing on our minds.”
I can’t help tearing up. The thought of losing them makes my heart hurt, like it’s trying to tear apart in my chest. I understand they have responsibilities to their people. Promises that were made before they found me. Before we had three children to care for.
“If that happens, I will always remember you. So will your children.” I glance toward the nursery, wiping my eyes. “The only legends they hear will be the ones about their fathers. And they’ll know they were true.”
“We’re getting ahead of ourselves,” Ivar says, moving to sit beside me on the couch. He holds my hand and gently rubs my knuckles. “No need for tears, mate. We don’t even know if the senate will allow us to stay, much less extend the invitation to the rest of the royal families.”
“I think they’ll let us stay,” I murmur, looking down at Ivar’s hand. “But I think that’s mainly because of the babies. Hopefully, they won’t abandon the rest like the Intergalactic Alliance did.”
The rest of the day carries a hint of worry and sadness.
I can’t help it. I know my mates are fierce warriors, but fighting an Intergalactic Alliance warship sounds like it could require more than ferocity.
It could cost them their lives. I’ll be a single mother on a strange world where I barely know anyone, and while I’ll care for the children, I won’t be the same. A piece of me will die with them.
When we finally make it to bed, we make love like it could be the last time.
I don’t want to think that way, but it’s hard to ignore what they’ve said.
Impossible not to let the worry linger in my head.
Even after I’ve been filled with their seed and I’m exhausted in their arms, I still can’t escape the impending feeling of doom.
It lingers even after I finally fall asleep. My dreams are filled with the chaos we’ve endured. The promising future feels just out of reach, like I can’t get to it because of everything that stands in the way.
I wake up to the sound of our babies crying.
All four of us get out of bed and stumble to the nursery.
Ivar tries to send me back to bed, but I decline.
I don’t feel like I’m rested, but I don’t feel like I could sleep any longer.
I’ll just toss, turn, and dream about horrible things that could threaten the amazing life we’ve found on Midgard 13.
“We fed them during the night, but they’re hungry again,” Erik chuckles as prepares some bottles of formula. “Vivar definitely got Sigurd’s appetite.”
“Like the girls aren’t greedy little things too,” Sigurd snorts. “But the more they eat, the stronger they’ll be, so I’m not complaining.”
I pick up the babies, one by one, and cuddle them for a few minutes before handing them off so they can be fed.
Triplets would be a lot more difficult without three doting fathers.
I’ll do what is necessary, but I hope I never have to face the reality of raising them on my own.
I don’t want them to grow up surrounded by memories that are unpleasant.
We spend about an hour with the babies before they’re settled.
After they’re safe in their cribs, we return to the bedroom, and I let my bathrobe drop to the floor.
I’m torn between climbing back in bed and staying up, but staying up seems like the best option at this point, even if it’s earlier than usual, so I walk toward the bathroom.
“Where are you going, mate?” Sigurd asks, catching my arm. “We’ve got a few hours before the babies need us again. I think we should make good use of our time.”
“I like the sound of that,” Erik smirks, walking closer to me.
“Me too,” Ivar murmurs.
“Didn’t the three of you get enough last night?” I mewl, leaning against Sigurd while Erik kisses my neck.
“Never,” Sigurd growls against my skin, kissing the other side of my neck.
Ivar joins in and then all three of them kiss me.
I’ve got lips on my neck. Lips on my nipples.
Lips trailing down my back. I suck in a breath as I feel the arousal between my thighs.
Gasp when I feel the heat in my core. I guess I didn’t get enough last night, either.
Or maybe I’m just so afraid of losing them, every moment together means more now.
Erik drops to his knees in front of me and starts kissing my inner thighs.
I spread them, already knowing what he’s about to do.
I groan when I feel his breath on my folds, then groan louder when his tongue teases my clit.
Ivar drops down behind me, spreading my thighs from behind and licking my entrance.
“Oh, wow,” I groan, the combination of tongues feeling incredible.
Sigurd continues touching and kissing my sensitive areas, his callused hands igniting the fire in my core almost as much as his Erik’s and Ivar’s tongues. Erik stays focused on my clit. Ivar pushes into me, going deep enough to gently stroke my g-spot.
Even with so much uncertainty surrounding us, my mates still can’t get enough of me.
Men like this would do anything to take care of their mate.
Their children. Maybe I’m worrying for nothing.
If anyone can take down an Intergalactic Alliance warship and rescue the survivors on Midgard 21, it’s my mates.
They’re built for war. Forged for combat.
It’s practically all they knew for a decade and a half before they found me.
I whimper, unsure if I want to grind my clit against Erik’s eager tongue or push against the one inside me.
“I’m going to make you come a lot, little girl,” Sigurd rumbles, kissing my ear. “Right after they finish.”