Ava’s soft huffs of breath join Max’s rumble. Nash is already fast asleep, curled against Ava. Blinking, I lean over to Nik and Luc. “I’ll watch them,” I offer. “Get some rest.”
They nod. “Wake me up in an hour or two,” Luc says firmly. “Don’t stay awake all night.”
“I won’t.”
Settling in for my watch, I can’t help but smile at the tiny bundles, protectiveness a tight fist on my heart.
“Nothing is going to happen to you two,” I whisper.
I swear it.
ChapterSixty-Five
Lucien
Idefinitely blocked out how high-pitched an angry baby can be.
“Bas,” I hiss as Ava stirs. “What are you doing?”
He jiggles Emery frantically, but the kid has lungs like her mother’s and screams, her little face scrunched up and red as she waves her fists angrily.
“I don’t know!” he hisses. “I think she might be hungry?”
“Pass her here.” He hands her over, his face disappointed, and I shake my head at him, amused. “Don’t stress it, she still loves you. You just don’t have what she needs. Get some sleep.”
He grimaces at me, but nods and shuffles up to sprawl down next to Max.
“Ava? Love?” I touch her shoulder gently, and she stirs, her hazel eyes blinking open and widening with horror as Emery’s screeching registers. It’s saying something that nobody else stirs, not even Nash. It’s been a long few days.
“Sorry,” I whisper, “but I think she needs to feed.”
Ava nods, tiredly pulling herself up and tucking the blanket around Nash. She unbuttons her shirt – one of mine if I’m not mistaken – and I help her position Emery against her breast until she latches on, her whimpers quickly dying off to small suckling sounds.
Ava strokes her soft head as she feeds, a sweet smile on her face as she watches her daughter. She shakes her head. “I can’t believe I made her.” Her voice is quiet, full of awe.
“I can,” I murmur. “She’s incredible. Just like you.”
My heart beats a touch harder as I watch them together. Something about Ava’s softness in this moment is calling to me. It’s nothing to do with sex, but the urge to care for her, to hold her close is almost more than I can take.
“Come here?” I ask quietly, and she looks up at me in surprise. “I need… I need to hold you.”
Her whole face softens, and she nods, keeping Emery latched on as she shuffles gingerly down the bed and over to me. As soon as she’s within reach I lift her and settle her and Emery in my lap, the urgency I felt lessening as I enclose them in my arms. Ava rests her head on my shoulder with a contented sigh, and I run my hands through her hair, teasing the curls straight before they spring back up again.
“I could stay like this forever,” she murmurs.
“Mmm.” I drop my mouth to her shoulder, almost tasting the changes in her scent as I inhale. Her vanilla scent has softened, a little sweeter, and there’s a hint of musk underneath that I think might be her milk.
I swallow back a groan. She needs to heal, but fuck if I don’t want to eat her up right now. I never thought breast milk would do it for me – but then again, anything Ava-related does it for me, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
Emery pulls her face away, and Ava gingerly lifts her up. I grab a cloth from the basket I put in here earlier, and help her position Emery over her shoulder. Her little face watches me, her violet eyes almost inquisitive, and I grin as Ava lightly taps her back until she lets out an adorable little belch.
Ava laughs lightly. “That’s cute. I didn’t think it would be.”
It really is. Ava lays her down carefully in her moses basket, and we watch her eyes close as she drifts off, full of milk.
“God, Luc,” Ava mutters, returning to curl up in my lap. “What are we going to do?”
Her heartbeat thuds against my chest, mirroring my own. I hold her a little closer, because I don’t have an answer to give her, and that scares the shit out of me.
