Blaidd
The silence stretched as I watched, and this time, I was the one who became mute.
Fatherhood was now a reality—and it was Fenrir’s greatest desire. We could scent our child every minute of every day, close enough that soon, we heard the tiny rapid heartbeats.
Fenrir’s head snapped up.
You’re right, he choked out. There is more than one beat.
I stilled.
Twins? Triplets? My mind went completely blank.
Babies.
Our babies.
Fenrir didn’t view them as property or possession. His only wish was for them to be safe and provided for. To watch them grow. To see them flourish.
I began calculating the days.
Tomorrow, the medical staff will arrive with the equipment, I told him.
You will not upset her, he growled.
Yeah, yeah, I muttered.
?
?
?
It was still dark when we woke, and I felt him let go. I immediately pushed through and stretched outside of his form. Dust and grime coated my body as I hit the floor. The urge to gag was always present after a shift.
I stood quickly and rubbed the dirt from my palms before brushing it from the rest of my body, pausing to stare at her closed door.
There was no lock preventing me from going inside—but Fenrir had made it clear this was no longer about what I wanted. He would never forgive me if I were the cause of separation from our children. Never.
As a tactician, I understood the boundary he’d set. But I also knew that for every problem, there was a solution—even if I had to work around obstacles.
I turned toward the stairs and quietly returned to my bedroom to shower.
The hot water washed the filth away.
But my mind churned at the thought of seeing Lielit again.
?
?
?
I ground black pepper over the poached eggs and avocado when I heard her call out for wolf. Fenrir reacted to her voice but didn’t fight me. With a faint smile, I added the sizzling slab of meat to her plate—the fat perfectly rendered. I added the rest to my own.
Her footsteps raced down the stairs, and I scowled. Careless, in her current condition.
I glanced up as she stopped in the doorway.
“Good morning. I’m afraid Fenrir had to leave for a bit.”
She frowned, but her gaze drifted to the plate I’d set on the kitchen table.
“I made breakfast.”
She hesitated. The food was too appetising to ignore—but she clearly resented the hands that had prepared it.
“His name is Fenrir?” she murmured, not stepping any closer.
“Son of Loki, no less,” I said lightly, taking a sip of my coffee as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.
I decided that was enough for her this morning.
“There will be medical staff arriving to make sure you’re all in good health. If you need anything, let me know,” I said, lifting my plate and brushing past her.
When I glanced back, she was still standing in the hallway.
It was best not to mention the multiple babies just yet.
?
?
?
The makeshift medical room had been set up in the reception area. The new golf cart hauled everything—and everyone—in three separate trips. I checked my watch, my gaze flicking repeatedly to the first floor. She knew they were here.
She’ll come, Fenrir piped up.
Her bedroom door opened. Then her footsteps on the stairs. We heard everything.
I slipped back into the room and waited.
She would have been a warrior in my time, Fenrir murmured as she approached.
And I’d have an axe embedded in my skull.
“Miss,” the doctor said, nodding stiffly.
“You know he kidnapped me, right?” she snapped. “That I’m being held on this island against my will.”
The doctor began to sweat. I could smell the sour, filthy tang of it as his eyes flicked toward me.
Pathetic. Weak.
My gaze shifted to the woman smoothing the paper sheet over the bed, continuing as though she hadn’t heard a word.
Lielit wore my T-shirt and drawstring shorts—so long on her they nearly brushed her calves. Her eyes moved from the doctor to the nurse, sharp and assessing.
“He doesn’t care, do you?” I drawled. “Tell her. You have my permission.”
He nodded once before opening his mouth.
“This is a private contract,” he said. “We signed a non-disclosure agreement. Our sole function here today is your well-being—and the baby’s.”
She glared at the balding man, folding her arms over her chest.
“Go on,” I said coldly. “Tell her the rest.”
“If we break the agreement, my practice will be sued and shut down,” he continued. “I’ll be blacklisted internationally.”
I glanced at the nurse.
“Do you want to tell her what I have on you?”
Her face drained of colour. She shook her head.
“I didn’t think so.”
I stepped back, watching as Lielit’s gaze drifted to the medical bed, then to the surrounding machinery.
When her hand settled over her stomach, I knew she’d chosen.