Rhea winked, holding tightly to Talon. “Still true.”
Their laughter rang out across the deck, but Daxton stilled beside me. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.
“What is it?” I asked under my breath.
He didn’t answer at first. His gaze locked onto Rhea, sharp and uncertain. Not alarmed, but something else.
His voice dropped so low that only I could hear him. “It’s Rhea.”
“What about Rhea?”
“You don’t sense it?” He looked at me with a flicker of wonder and something like disbelief in his stare.
“Sense what, Dax?”
“I didn’t catch it at first, but gods, how does no one else sense it now?”
I turned to look at Rhea. She was laughing at something Castor said, one hand on Talon’s arm for balance as the ship shifted in the waves.
Daxton reached out with his mind, speaking only to me.“She’s pregnant.”
“What!” I screamed, eyes wide.
The group stilled as Rhea’s gaze locked with mine, and without having to say a word, realization clicked.
“Shit,” Rhea cursed as Talon stiffened beside her. “Is that some kind of magical perk from you mating with Skylar, Daxton? Your senses are keener than ours now?”
“We haven’t ventured far from the docks, Rhea,” I said, running toward my friend. “We can easily turn around and—”
“No, Skylar.” Rhea’s tone left no room for arguing. “I’m with you in this, no matter what the next nine months bring.”
“Talon?” I looked to her mate.
He huffed a laugh. “You don’t think I didn’t try?”
“How long have you known?”
“We found out two days ago.” Rhea smiled, reaching for Talon.
He kissed the top of her head and draped a protective arm over her stomach.
“I wasn’t going to steal your thunder on your wedding day. And with everything else going on…”
“But—”
“The baby’s fine. Shifters are strong. I’m fighting for something bigger now, Sky.”
I felt awe wash over me. Even with the news of a child, Rhea was willing—no, determined—to fight for a brighter future for all of us.
I smiled, wanting to respect her choice.
“I don’t want—”
“I don’t want war either, Skylar,” she said softly. “But the chance for a better future is worth it. I won’t stand idly by. You know this.”
I did. Gods, Rhea would never sit on the sidelines. And once a baby took root in a shifter’s womb, they wereprotected. As long as she was in the first two trimesters, Rhea would still be able to shift and fight.
“Very well,” I said. “I’ll respect your decision.”
