Drust had no intention of waiting for a ceremony to take what he already considered his. In his mind, no wedding vow could bind them more tightly together than they already were. As it was, he could not physically stay in his room while Willa was sleeping elsewhere and within his reach. He already needed her like his next breath, which both frightened and thrilled him.
He pushed at the door to her chamber, and smiled when he found it unbolted. She had been waiting for him, again. Very soon, he would share a room with her, and she would fall asleep in his arms every night. After he loved her. She sat up in the bed, the sheets falling down around her hips, her hair in loose tangles over her shoulders and down her back, her face lit softly by the moonlight. The most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and she was his. He crossed the room in two strides, pulling off his clothing as he went, until he stood before her, naked. She reached for him and he sank down over her soft, warm body.This was home.
Chapter 18
The three weeks since her wedding had been the most perfect weeks of her life. She had a man that she loved above all else, and he doted on her, barely letting her out of his sight. She had a new home at Creagmor, and a new sister in Faith. And Maura and James would be coming to visit in a few months, after they dealt with all the repairs at Dunbroch and things were well settled. Bren had even sent some of his men to help with the new fortifications.
The wedding ceremony had been simple and perfect: a short exchange of vows, a feast fit for a king, dancing, and then a long, sweet night of making love to her husband again and again. She smiled. Drust had come such a long way from the stubborn and surly man who wanted no wife and no love. Now he was openly affectionate with her, touching her and kissing her whenever he could, looking at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. She had never dreamed she could be this happy.
Now Willa hurried down the tower steps to the hall. She and Faith were going to have a picnic lunch in the gardens this afternoon, because the men would be gone all day to the training fields. Just as she reached the bottom step, Faith came out of the kitchens carrying a basket.
“Are you ready?”
Faith grinned. “Yes, let’s go! Time for some gossip and girl talk.”
Willa smiled back. She had liked Faith immediately, and though she had noticed something a little different about her new sister in law, she never would have guessed it was because Faith had been pulled from the future by a magic ring to be here in this time with Bren. And then sent back. And then returned again. And it was Drust who risked his life to bring his brother’s mate back to him. Which was how she had found him nearly dead in the mountains. Fate… it was a beautiful and complicated thing. She was so glad it had worked in her favor.
They chose a nice spot in the sun, and Willa rolled out a small blanket for them to sit on. Faith began pulling food out of the basket. “Oh! The cook packed us some meat and onion pies. I love these!”
The smell of the pies drifted to Willa’s nose, and she nearly gagged. “God! They smell awful!”
“I thought you liked these, you ate them with me just last week”, Faith said.
“I do like them… but don’t those smell odd to you? Maybe they’ve gone bad…”
Faith lifted one and drew in a deep breath. “Nope. They smell delicious.”
Suddenly she paused and looked at Willa, a slow smile spreading over her lips.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?”
Faith glanced around and leaned closer. “No. But tell me, when was the last time you um… bled?”
Willa felt her mouth fall open. Oh god. “I… I don’t remember exactly… I think I’m a couple of weeks later than usual, but with all that happened… I didn’t think about it…” She swallowed, her eyes wide. “Why? Do you think…”
“I definitely suspect. Are your breasts tender? A little swollen?Bigger?”
“Well, yes… but I thought maybe they just weren’t used to… being squeezed so much.”
Faith laughed. “Believe me, they don’t get bigger from squeezing alone. Or sore. I should know. Nope, I think it’s official, you’re pregnant! We’ll have Maggie check you over, of course, but there’s no doubt inmymind. Now that I look at you, you’re even glowing!” She suddenly gave a happy shriek, bouncing up and down in her excitement. “Oh, this is so amazing, we’re going to have babies together! Sons! They’ll play together and grow up together… oh and we can spend the winter making cute little clothes!”
Now that Faith had said it out loud, Willa knew in her heart it was true. A wave of pure joy swept through her. A baby! A little life growing inside her, a part of her and a part of Drust… her smile fell. Drust was not going to be at all happy about this.
Faith frowned and picked up Willa’s hand, squeezing it in her own. “What’s wrong? It’ll be all right. We’ll have each other… is it about the baby clothes? Because I can teach you how to sew…”
Willa shook her head. “No. No it’s not that. I’m happy… I really am! It’s a dream come true for me, to be a mother. Something I’vealwayswanted. It’s just that Drust… he didn’t want to have any children. In fact he was quite adamant about it. He was even going to talk to the sorcerer about herbs that would keep me from getting pregnant. I think… no, Iknowhe’s going to be very angry.”
Faith scowled. “What? Stupid man! Most men would kill to have a wife like you and a baby on the way. What’s his problem?”
“I’m not sure exactly. He said he doesn’t want to be a father, that he wants it to be just me and him forever.”
“Well”, Faith said confidently, “If the man has issues, he’s just going to have to get over them.”
Her elation at finding out she was pregnant was tempered only by the fact that she would have to tell Drust. She just did not see that conversation going well. She placed a hand over her womb and couldn’t help but smile, her heart swelling with love. “It’s all right, little one. I love you. I want you.”
Willa took a bath after dinner while Drust was meeting downstairs with his brother and some of the other men-at-arms. She then donned her laciest, most provocative nightdress and sat by the fire to comb her hair dry until it shone. Lost in her own thoughts, she was startled when the door opened. Drust stepped into the room, and as always, her heart sped up. Even more so tonight, because she had a secret. She had a part of him inside of her; his son or daughter. Son, if what Faith said was true. Butterflies gathered in her stomach. She smiled at him and stood up, turning to put the comb down on the dressing table. He was behind her in an instant, his powerful arms encircling her, pulling her close while his mouth found the curve of her throat. She leaned back into him, waves of tingling heat washing over her.
“I need ye”, he said against her skin. “I’ve been waiting all day, in fact I’ve been hard since I spied ye in the garden just after breakfast.” He reached for the laces of her night dress, pulling them free and reaching down to cup her breast.
