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“Och, I expected more pain,” Anya said from the bed. “And should it nay have taken longer? She came so quickly.”
Danu dropped one more kiss on the sweet baby’s forehead before placing her in her mother’s arms. “It seems having an actual goddess as your child’s godmother has some benefits.”
Seona had attended the birth and had only just left to return to Duff, who was busily teaching her the ways of immortals. Deity suited the former human, though she did have a tendency to let her power go to her head. Fortunately, Duff was proving more than capable of reining her in. In fact, he seemed to relish the challenge.
Duff and Seona had been true to their word. They had returned to the human realm those women who had wished to go. Surprisingly, several had chosen to remain, and of those, two were lifemated and expecting joyous bundles of their own.
With Hyrk dead, the blessing of fertility had returned to wolfkind. Not only were some of the humans expecting, but five wolfkind women were as well, including Riggs’s mother, Hilda, who had thought herself past her time of breeding. All of the wolfkind women expecting births were outspoken against Breeding First’s ideas. As a result, the Loyalists, who supported Magnus and his lottery, were enjoying unprecedented popularity.
But there were hardships as well. Alexander had not yet been found, and Magnus worried the Remnant may have found him and harmed him. Despite the contingent Magnus had sent to bring order to Larna, lawlessness abounded there, and it remained to be seen whether the Remnant would be allies or enemies.
Thanks to Travis, they had learned much about the underground group of Larnians. Most surprisingly, many of them could transform themselves to take on the appearance of either wolves or wolfkind. The two wolves who had protected the children at the fortress were, in fact, descendants of Jilken, as was Vera, their leader, who was imprisoned in Saroc for harming Ruben.
There was still much to learn about the Remnant, especially since Magnus wished to treat them fairly. Unfortunately, the group was not forthcoming with information. Still, Magnus was determined to include them in making plans for Larna, and Danu had learned never to underestimate her king when he determined to do something.
Danu forced her mind from political matters. There would be plenty of time for that once the sun rose. Now was the time for celebrating life.
On the bed—a new bed carved by Riggs and covered with furs he’d tanned himself—Anya held her precious baby girl at her breast. The look of love on her face as she gazed at the dark-haired cherub was matched only by the look she gave Riggs when he entered with a breakfast tray.
“I’ll leave the happy parents to enjoy their morning,” Danu said, but neither Anya or Riggs paid her any mind. Shutting the door behind her, she returned to the bedchamber she shared with her king.
Exhaustion pulled at her from being awake with Anya half the night, but sleep was not her highest priority. It never was when she had been away from Magnus for any length of time. Dawn would come in an hour, and she intended to spend that time enjoying her bond with her lifemate.
“See that we’re not disturbed,” she told her guards as she slipped into the dark chamber.
It was no surprise when Magnus rolled over and curled around her the moment she slipped into bed. Her king remained a light sleeper, even though she exercised her queenly authority to decree he never be woken before sunrise. Of course, that decree didn’t apply to her. She could wake him whenever she wished, and he was always more than willing to accommodate any requests his queen happened to make.
“Mmmm,” he hummed into the back of her neck. “Howzanya?” Judging by his mumbled speech, one would think he was half-asleep. Judging by the cockstand prodding at her buttocks and the warm hand stealing across her bare stomach, she could tell he was more awake than he seemed.
“It is done. You’re a godfather.”
“Already?” Magnus started to sit up, but she stopped him with a hand on his hip.
“Lie back down. All is well. Anya’s fine. Seona eased her pain and provided godspeed to the child, who is absolutely perfect, by the way. She has her father’s curls and pointed ears and the blue eyes many human children have when they’re born.”
He started to sit up again. “I want to see her.” He got one leg out of bed before Danu managed stop him with a firm grip on his calf. The move required her to roll over swiftly, which caused him to look back with concern. “Danu! The baby!” Instantly, he was at her side, running his hands over her rounded abdomen. A lock of his golden hair hung over his brow, which was creased with worry.
She stroked the hair back and drew him down for a kiss. “Our child is fine. I’m fine.”
He hadn’t stopped fussing over her since she’d begun showing signs of pregnancy. Giles had examined her and declared her to be only three months behind Anya. That meant by autumn’s end, Magnus would at last have an heir.
“You should not move so quickly.” Her lifemate tucked himself around her and covered them both with furs.
“Then do not break your promise to me.” She wiggled her bottom invitingly, content that he’d temporarily forgotten about Anya and Riggs’s eventful night. “No leaving this bed before dawn. For any reason.”
“Not even for a new child?” He cupped her rounded belly and kissed the back of her neck.
“Well, perhaps when it’s our child, and he or she...needs us in the night...I might permit—” She lost her train of thought due to her lifemate’s tongue tracing the shell of her ear. And his hand on her stomach inching downward.
When his fingers forked into her curls and he found her already wet for him, he moaned. “Tell me we have time yet before the day begins.”
She twined her fingers with his as he grazed them over her pearl. Sensual delight made her gasp. “We have time.”
“Good.” He spread her with his fingers and entered her from behind, the angle bringing immediate pleasure.
Her king was an expert where her body was concerned. He used the hour well, and when dawn came, they languidly bathed and dressed each other and broke their fast in his solar. Once Magnus’s needs for rest and sustenance had been seen to, she gladly went with him to Anya and Riggs’s chamber so he could meet his newest subject.
Riggs met them at the door, holding the pink little bundle in one arm, like he’d been caring for an infant all his life. His mother, Hilda, was there, beaming with pride. The room was warm with the summer weather, but warmer still with affection, life, and joy. This was why she would not miss immortality, why she would never regret her decision to remain with Magnus.
These moments were precious. They were food for her moonsoul.
Living life from within, rather than ruling it from above, filled up a place in her she’d never even realized had been empty.
When she accompanied her lifemate to the temple that morning, she did as had been her habit since their return from Larna. While Magnus knelt at the altar and thanked Duff and Seona for the new life among them, she closed her eyes and thanked her father. Because he had known how empty she’d been. And he’d cared enough to nudge her fate toward Magnus.
Cold marble met her knees through the silk of her summer gown. Behind closed eyes, she shared with her father the image of Magnus holding little Fiona—Anya and Riggs had chosen to name the baby after Anya’s mother.
In return, her father sent her an image: her, in her mortal, human body, holding a blond-haired little baby. The vision was more than an echo of the portrait, the promise her father had given Magnus while she’d been imprisoned. Because this time, she held a baby in her arms, true. But there was more. A little girl in a knee-length, frilly gown reached up to hold her hand. On the child’s head was a princess’s crown. And standing at her side was not just her lifemate, but also a young man with golden hair and his father’s lean build.
She cradled her rounded womb. Tears of joy leaked from beneath her lashes. She no longer had the gift of deity, but she had something even better. Hers was the honor of carrying Marann’s future king.
And loving its current king.
She could think of no better way to spend a mortal life.
