Only it didn’t last.
Wave after wave of pure, blinding agony crashed over me, offering no hint of relief. Just as I thought I’d pass out, everything stopped. I didn’t realize my eyes were closed until I gingerly opened one, then the other.
Nope. Hadn’t died.
A piercing shriek cut through the silence, and I almost jumped out of my skin.
“Show me,” Cadence said, her voice strained but strong. Her mother placed a tiny, wrinkled bundle into her arms, and she cradled it against her chest. “Hi there, little one. I’m your mama.”
I felt as if I were moving through quicksand, my mind taking too long to catch up. The bathing chamber door burst open, and my head snapped toward it. Riordan stood in the doorway, flanked by Cadence’s father and brother.
“What is it?” Riordan asked, his voice full of wonder.
What was what?
“The baby,” he said, reading my confusion.
I peered over my wife’s shoulder, first taking in the mop of dark brown curls. Storm-grey eyes peeked up at me, and an emotion I didn’t understand gripped me.
Pride. Fear. Protectiveness. I couldn’t tell.
“It’s a…” I trailed off.
Oh, shit.
“A girl,” Cadence finished for me.
My skin flared with heat, and my collar felt as if it were choking me.
“I think he’s having a panic attack,” Callum said, but his words were drowned out by the ringing in my ears.
“Ryker.” Cadence grasped my chin, tilting my head down to meet her gaze. “Look at our daughter. Isn’t she beautiful?”
A lump formed in my throat as I stared at the tiny bundle. She peered back up at me, her eyes full of trust.
“I don’t know what to do with a daughter,” I whispered. “How do I keep her safe?”
“By teaching her how to take care of herself.”
My gaze flicked to Cadence, and the confidence I saw reflected there strengthened my resolve. “I can do that.”
“We’ll do it together.”
“What will you name her?” Callum asked, and panic clawed at me anew.
We hadn’t talked about it, and I was drawing a blank.
Cadence, sensing my distress, smiled gently. “Valeria.”
My chest tightened, and this time it was for an entirely different reason.
“After our mother?” Riordan asked.
“If that’s all right with you?” My wife’s eyes shone with warmth as she looked at me.
“It’s perfect. Welcome to the family, little Valeria.”
