“It is, and I am grateful the Guardians entrusted me with such a gift.”
I bit back the truth about the Guardians and all the lies theElders had told the fae. It wasn’t for me to say, but Elias would address his people when he was ready.
“My magic also lets me to detect complications early. In many cases, I can correct them before they become serious.”
It didn’t sound like bragging but a fact. A deeply reassuring one, given how rare and fragile fae pregnancies could be.
Again, I put a hand over my belly, where I ran my thumb back and forth. “Do you anticipate any complications with me being a human and the babies half fae?” Actually, I was more a human with mage blood, but I didn’t think she needed me to get into that.
“Right now, they’re developing beautifully,” she said. “I’d like to see you every two weeks. I know it’s a lot, but you’ll be my first human patient carrying human-fae twins. I want to watch you closely.”
I swallowed past the ball that’d formed in my throat. “That’s fine. I’d rather see you too often than not often enough. I don’t want to miss anything.”
“Would you like to hear their heartbeats?”
I did. I so very much wanted to hear them. To memorize them. But I wanted to do it with Elias.
When I explained it to her, she nodded and started to ask what I assumed were customary questions while she made notes on her tablet.
It didn’t take long for us to finish, and although I wanted to give Elias’s mom the good news in the hopes it’d raise her spirits, I didn’t want anyone knowing before Elias. Although silly, it felt like I’d stolen something from him by not having him with me at the first appointment. Worse than that, I wasn’t sure how many more he’d be forced to miss.
But it was okay. It had to be.
Already, I loved our baby boys. I ached to hold their tiny hands and kiss their impossibly small feet. Hear their soft coos. Hold their warm, little bodies in my arms.
I pictured them as perfect replicas of their dad with breathtaking violet eyes and the silkiest black hair. Dimples on either side of their beautiful smiles.
Elias might be away, but I had a piece of him growing inside me, and that realization warmed me from the inside out. Now, if only he could get home safe, sound, and soon to share in the joy.
Chapter
Four
TEDDY
“Something’s up with you.”Ryenne pointed a greasy slice of pepperoni pizza at me in accusation.
I sank deeper into my seat at the pizzeria and took a big bite of my cheese pizza. The crust was dense, the sauce too runny, and the mountain of mozzarella cheese couldn’t quite hide the strange aftertaste. But at least it kept me from blurting out the truth.
From their table, the girls chatted with George, each vying for his attention. As usual, he was patient with them, letting them get away with whatever they threw his way.
He’d be just as wonderful with Elias’s and my babies.
“I agree,” Everly added, her expression sharpening. “You’ve been acting strange since you saw the healer. You even sobbed while carrying the babe at the orphanage.”
I pressed a napkin to my nose, hoping my emotions didn’t betray me again. “A baby shouldn’t be living in an orphanage. They should be with their parents, or aunts and uncles. Someone who’ll hold them as often as they need to be held.Instead, we walked in on that sweet baby girl wailing with no one having the time to pick her up to soothe her.”
“You did a good job of picking her up,” Everly said. “And feeding her and cuddling her and feeding her again. Pretty sure we even heard you singing her to sleep a few times.”
I stuck my tongue out at her.
But she was right. While I’d meant to spend time with all the children, the tiny baby held me captive, and I stayed with her throughout the day, staring at her perfect little face and listening to her soft coos. I only handed her to employees when she needed a diaper change or when I couldn’t figure out how to burp her.
“Why did you see a healer?” Ryenne asked. “You’re not sick, are you?”
Donnie looked up from his plate to watch me. From across the room, Aidas peered back at me from the table he shared with Javier and their friends. Concern etched his youthful face before he turned his attention back to his friends.
Damn fae and their super hearing.
