He raises an eyebrow. “Except you.”
“Minor detail,” I mutter, coming to stand, eager to try again.
I can tell he wants to argue, tell me I could’ve broken my neck—or something dramatic—but he doesn’t. “Well, no more acrobatics. Just take it nice and slow.”
Dammit! Now I have to do an actual cartwheel. Tilting my chin up, my hands find my hips. “You do realize I’m going to do actual acrobatics now because you told me not to, right?”
He shakes his head and grins. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
CHAPTER 37
Zarreth
Lightning flickers through the shadows as they stretch, bending with her movement. In all my life, I’ve never seen anything so surreal, so powerful.
That’s my mate.Mine.My gaze drops to her stomach. She’s carrying our babies, and, fuck, if that doesn’t hit me harder than the wings at her back. I never thought I’d have this. A family, a future that’s more than blood and war. The thought makes me want to hit my knees and thank the Gods who gave me something worth dying for.
“You worry about her too much.”
I pull my eyes from the training ring and focus on the falkyrie standing beside me, her gaze fixed on Frankie, too. Kara’s more observant than most demons I know. Which is usually an asset I admire, but not when it’s directed at me. “What do you mean?”
She bumps her shoulder to mine. “You have that she-sneezed-so-I-better-build-a-fortress-around-her look.”
I huff a quiet laugh. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. She’s my mate. It’s my job—my privilege—to keep her safe.”
“Keeping her safe is one thing.” She hesitates for a moment. “Clipping her wings is another.”
My eyes flick to hers. “You think I’m holding her back?” I thought I was getting better at not doing that.
“Not on purpose. But you hold your breath every time she moves, like you’re waiting for something bad to happen. You know she feels that, right? She’s your mate, after all. If you’re tense, she’s tense.”
I grit my teeth and look away, irritated even though she’s not wrong. “You’ve been watching too closely.”
“Occupational hazard.” She leans against the window so she’s facing me. “Can I ask you something?”
I nod.
“She’s pregnant, isn’t she?”
My body goes still, frozen in place while I try to figure out if she’s guessing, or if she actually knows. I consider denying it, but she’s not the type to gossip, and for some reason I trust her, more than I do most demons. “How do you know?” I finally ask.
Her expression stays neutral. “You hover like she’s made of glass. You track every move she makes. That’s not just a mate thing, it’s afatherthing.”
I don’t respond. There’s nothing to say. She’s right again, and she knows it.
She places a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
I give her a small smile. “I know.”
She peers out the window again. “She’s come a long way this week. I think she’s almost ready.”
Almost ready.
I want to agree. Her control’s steadier now—no wild bursts, no slips. She’s finally starting to trust herself. But the better she gets, the closer she gets to walking straight into that fucking portal. I’m not ready for that.
The Queen’s court is crowded today, full of beings from every corner of the realm. Most are here to ask for something—guidance, mercy. Frankie’s no different, but what she’s about to ask for isn’t a gift. It’s permission to risk her life in a way no one else can.
I stand beside her, every instinct screaming at me to toss her over my shoulder and get the fuck out of here. But I don’t. I want to stop her from walking into that fucking portal, I really do. But I let her go. Because loving her means letting her choose.
