My stomach does that strange flip again, more pronounced this time. "Another one?" I ask, a hint of trepidation in my voice. After today, Kaden's "surprises" have taken on a whole new meaning.
He pulls back, his smile widening, his eyes alight with an almost boyish glee I’ve rarely seen. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, white box. He opens it, and inside, nestled on a velvet cushion, is a tiny, silver charm. It’s a delicate, intricately carved baby bootie.
My breath catches. My eyes dart from the charm to his face, then back to my stomach, where his hand still rests. The fluttering intensifies, no longer butterflies, but something else entirely. A sudden, overwhelming realization slams into me.
"Kaden…" My voice is a choked whisper. "What is this?"
His thumb strokes my belly. "It means you're pregnant, Snowflake."
The words hit me like a physical blow.Pregnant.My mind races, trying to reconcile this with everything. "But… the birth control. It’s in my arm permanently."
His smile doesn't falter. If anything, it becomes more pronounced, a dark, possessive triumph. "You think I would leave something so important to chance, my queen?" He leans closer, his breath warm on my ear. "I had Vinnie take it out the night you ran through the woods. It was damaged and instead of replacing it, I made him remove it all together. I wanted my heir. I wantedourchild. A legacy for the Deadly Seven."
A wave of pure, unadulterated fury washes over me. He did this. He manipulated me, controlled my body, made this decision for me. My hand flies up, connecting with his cheek with a sharp crack.
He doesn't flinch. He just looks at me, his eyes still shining with that dangerous adoration.
"You… you bastard!" I gasp, tears of rage and confusion stinging my eyes. "How could you?"
He catches my hand, bringing it to his lips, kissing my knuckles. "Because you are mine, Wynter. Every part of you. And this child will be the ultimate proof of that. Our legacy. Our darkness made flesh."
I stare at him, my chest heaving. The anger is a hot, burning coal in my gut, but beneath it, a different emotion begins to stir. A strange, terrifying warmth. A sense of inevitability. He's right. He always is. I am his. And this child… this child is a part of him, a part of us. A new beginning forged in blood and obsession.
My anger slowly, reluctantly, begins to recede, replaced by a dizzying acceptance. I wouldn't have chosen this. Not like this. But looking at him, at the fierce, possessive love in his eyes, I know, with a chilling certainty, that I wouldn't have it any other way.
I lean into his touch, my hand going to my still-flat stomach. "Our child," I whisper, the words tasting foreign, yet strangely sweet.
Kaden pulls me into his arms, crushing me against his chest, a triumphant roar rumbling deep within him. "Our child," he repeats, his voice thick with emotion, his lips brushing my hair. "Our empire begins now."
Epilogue
Wynter
Threemonthshavepassedsince the warehouse. Three months since the blood, the screams, the terrifying, exhilarating release. My belly is just beginning to show, a subtlecurve beneath my clothes, a constant, living reminder of the new life growing inside me, a testament to Kaden’s ruthless will and our undeniable connection. The initial shock and anger have long since faded, replaced by a quiet, fierce protectiveness. This child, our child, is a part of the darkness we share, a new beginning forged in the ashes of the old.
Kaden has been… different. More attentive, if that’s possible. His possessiveness has deepened, but it’s softened around the edges, laced with a tenderness I never thought him capable of. He touches my stomach constantly, murmuring to the life within, his eyes alight with a fierce, almost primal joy. He is building an empire, not just for himself, but for us. For our heir. He spends hours in his office, the drone of his calls a constant backdrop, but now, he often brings me in, explaining the intricacies of a new territory acquisition, or how he’s consolidating power, always with an eye to the future.
Today, he led me up the winding, snow-covered path to the highest cliff overlooking his vast domain. The air is crisp and cold, biting at my cheeks, but the sun is bright, making the snow sparkle like a million scattered diamonds. The world stretches out before us, a pristine, white canvas, waiting for us to paint our future upon it.
Standing on the edge of the cliff overlooking the vast, snow-covered landscape, Kaden turns to me. The fire in his eyes could melt all of the snow in the world.
“I wanted to bring you up here,” he confesses, his voice a low rumble against the wind. I nod, not knowing where he’s going with this, but my heart is already pounding in anticipation.
“I think it’s time for me to claim you once and for all.” He drops to one knee and pulls out an intricately carved box from his pocket. How had I not seen that? My breath catches in my throat.
“Kaden…”
“Wynter,” he continues, his voice steady despite the intensity of the moment. “There’s only one more way to bind you to me forever.” He glances at my belly that’s just started to show. Once I found out I was pregnant, he confessed what he had Doc do when I was unconscious. He wasn't the least bit sorry. In fact, he was overjoyed, making it very difficult to be mad at him.
“Be my wife, snowflake. My equal in all things. This King needs his Queen to help rule over the Deadly Seven, and everything that comes with its vast, dangerous empire.” Kaden opens the box and my breath whooshes from my chest. The ring is a beautifully intricate snowflake made up of diamonds and gold. Tears stream down my face, blurring my vision.
“Yes!” I cry. “Of course!”
He slips the ring onto my finger, a perfect fit, and pulls me into a fierce embrace. His lips find mine, cold from the wind, but burning with a promise of forever.
“Do you understand what this means?” he asks, his voice a dangerous whisper against my ear. “You’re mine, now and forever. There's no escaping this. And any threat to my Queen, or my empire, will be met with fire. We will burn them out.”
I nod, my heart pounding, not with fear, but with a wild, exhilarating certainty. “I don’t want to,” I reply, meaning every word.
