A baby’s cry made his heart and stomach jump at the same time.
Leargan grinned and slapped him on the back. “Congrats, man, you’re a father!”
He’d wanted to stay by her side, but his nerves had affected hers, and her magic had started to react, so Morag had glared him from the large bedchamber that’d once belonged to her parents. Elissa had been able to control her pain and her magic after he’d hit the corridor.
His captain’s exclamation sank in, and Alasdair wobbled on his feet.
“Whoa, steady.” Amusement rippled through Bowen’s voice and a strong hand landed between his shoulder blades, and another seized his right biceps.
Dallon appeared on his left, looking ready to grab him if he did topple on his arse.
“Alas? Are you all right?” Leargan took a step closer, concern in his dark eyes. Lord Jorrin and Roduch stood close behind him, expressions mirroring the captain’s. But he couldn’t focus on his lord or his brothers.
Elissa.
He needed to see her. Now.
And their child.
He couldn’t muster an answer for Leargan, or any of his other fellow knights—or the duke—that’d made the journey to Castle Durroc from Greenwald Main.
Most of the guard was holding up walls in the corridor. He appreciated the support even if he couldn’t say so at the moment.
Elissa had insisted his son’s birth take place in the castle she’d been born in. Despite his protests of traveling so late in pregnancy.
Lord Tristan had calmed him—but not enough. And with the healer’s reassurance that a carriage ride wouldn’t harm either wife or child, Alasdair had lost the argument. Besides, the healing lord was at his wife’s side with Greenwald’s headwoman and the headwoman of Castle Durroc, Phasia Uncel, the wife of the property’s longtime caretaker, Thomad.
The duchess had insisted upon coming, but she wasn’t in the room. She’d brought the ladies and half a dozen maids. They were all downstairs, organizing a meal for everyone in the great room.
Castle Durroc’s small staff hadn’t been expecting them, so they’d brought food, too, much to Phasia’s embarrassment. Lasses had come and gone from the lord and lady’s rooms, staff as well as both headwomen. For hours. The longer it’d taken, the more on edge Alasdair had been.
Mischief had been banned from the room, too, and paced the corridor right beside Alasdair, until he’d managed to coax the wolf to lie down. He’d stroked the silver beast’s soft fur. It’d calmed them both, for a time, but the normally happy wolf hadn’t wagged his tail once. He whined every time Elissa called out, agitating Alasdair all over.
But now…
His child was here.
The door opened, and he flushed from head to toe.
“You have a daughter, Sir Alasdair. A fine, healthy lass.” Morag had a small wiggly bundle tucked in her arms when she appeared under the fancy arched doorway. However, the soft white swaddling obscured his view.
“He’s a she?” Words tumbled from his mouth.
Chuckles surrounded him, but he ignored his brothers and rushed to Morag’s side. Stared down at the tiny thing against her generous bosom.
His eyes welled with tears and he didn’t even give a damn. Alasdair’s hands reached out, even though he was scared to death to look at her, let alone touch her. Hold her.
My tiny lass.
The dark blonde tuft of downy hair was what he saw first. The Blessed Spirit hadn’t given her much. What she had was sticking straight up.
He felt a tear roll down his cheek.
Mischief shot into the doorway as soon as the headwoman moved toward Alasdair, and for once, she didn’t stop to chide him.
Morag transferred the baby to his arms and took a step back as Alasdair settled her against his chest.
He studied her little face. Rosebud mouth, blinking blue eyes. Her cheeks were round and ruddy, but her skin was so flawless. New, like she was.
Perfect.
His breath caught.
“She’s mine.”
“I surely hope so.” The headwoman laughed and patted his stubbled cheek. “Go to your wife; she’s anxious to see you. You lot,” Morag addressed his brothers and the duke, “disperse. I’m sure we can find a meal in the hall. No doubt Lady Cera and my lasses have done us well.” She kept nagging the knights and Lord Jorrin—as she was prone to do—but her orders faded, male groans and bootsteps following.
The world narrowed as Alasdair couldn’t look away from his daughter.
Her expression was tight, as if she was irritated.
He lifted her, pressing a kiss to her tiny forehead and smiling when her little face relaxed. Beauty and innocence stole his heart. Just like her mother had.
Elissa flashed a tired smile when he carried their child to her. “Alas, are you crying, my love?” Her hand was on her bondmate’s large head as he sat plastered to the large bedframe, but she must’ve sent him a mental command, because the wolf soon settled by the hearth on a rug, in front of a warm fire. He didn’t look happy about it, though.
“Nay.” Alasdair tried to grunt, but couldn’t. “Perhaps,” he finally whispered.
“Come here.” She reached for him.
He took a seat on the bed next to her, but didn’t give the baby over just yet.
“My lady, do you need anything else?” Phasia politely interrupted.
“Nay, but thank you, Phasia,” Elissa said.
Alasdair inclined his head when she curtseyed, then his gaze found Lord Dagget, who was jotting his daughter’s birth record in the Durroc family ledger. “Lord Tristan.”
The healer smiled and set down the quill. “Aye?”
“Thank you. So much.”
The younger man crossed the room and nodded. “Delivering babes is always a happy part of my duties. You’re welcome, Alas.”
Alasdair set his daughter in his wife’s arms and stood, clasping Lord Tristan’s forearm. His throat was thick as the healer returned the gesture.
Everyone at Castle Aldern was as much his family as Elissa and their new daughter. Today—and what they’d all done for him and Elissa proved that. Why it’d taken him so long to realize it made him a fool. Especially after Lord Jorrin’s speech before he’d gone to Dalunas.
Lord Tristan’s hazel eyes were warm when their gazes locked. As if he could read Alasdair’s mind. “Well, I’ll leave you three to get acquainted.” He looked at Elissa. “You should be completely healed, but let me know if anything hurts. I don’t anticipate any issues.”
His wife nodded, and the healer slipped from the room. Phasia followed shortly, her arms full of supplies.
When Alasdair sat again, he was closer to his two lasses.
Elissa tilted her face up, asking for a kiss. He obliged, caressing her cheek as they parted.
“I love you,” Alasdair whispered.
“I love you, too. And I already love her more than anything.”
They looked down at their daughter. Together.
“Me, too.”
“All these months, I thought for sure she was a lad.”
He chuckled. “You could’ve let Lord Tristan tell you. I know he offered several times.”
She flashed a lopsided grin that washed away the fatigue on her beautiful face. “Nay. I was sure.”
“Ah. Now I get to say something I don’t often utter about you, love.”
Elissa arched an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“You were wrong.”
She giggled and looked down at the perfection between them. “I don’t care.”
“Neither do I.” He cupped the baby’s head, caressing her downy hair. “She looks so much like you, Elissa.”
“I see you in her face.”
Emotion caught in his throat. Love enveloped him. “My two lasses.”
Her smile was tender when their gazes brushed again, but neither could stop looking at their child. “What shall we call her?” Elissa broke the companionable silence.
“I don’t know. We only talked of lad’s names.”
“Well, we can’t call her Emery, as planned.”
“Or Exton.”
Elissa rolled her eyes. “How long are you going to rub it in?”
Alasdair chuckled. “As long as I can, love.” He leaned in and kissed the glare off of her face.
“That makes it better,” she whispered.
“Good, because there’s more where that came from.”
“Focus, Alas. Name your daughter.”
“Awfully domineering for someone who’s supposed to be exhausted from giving birth.”
“Lord Tristan healed me fully.”
“Fully, fully. As in…”
She smacked his chest, but giggled. “Of course you’re worried about making love already. My body can, aye. But a newborn lass will keep us tired, from what I hear.”
“As long as we’re together, I can handle anything.”
Elissa’s expression didn’t just soften. It melted, and her eyes went misty. Mischief whined but they both ignored him. “I love you, Alas.”
Alasdair cupped her face, wiping a tear away as soon as it formed. “I know. Forever.”
She grinned and glanced back down at their tiny lass. “Hmmm, my love, what’s your name?”
“Kenna. After my mother.” His voice cracked but he didn’t care. Alasdair looked at the love of his life, then at their daughter. “Her name is Kenna.”
“I love it.” She had tears streaming down her cheeks when they made eye-contact.
“Why’re you crying then?” He went for a tease, but his question was too thick.
“Happy tears.” Her magic rippled around them, but it was answered by more magic.
They looked at Kenna together, as a warm wind rippled through the air. “Was that…?”
“I think so.” Elissa’s tone held wonder.
“She’s like you, love.”
His wife nodded, her gorgeous hazel eyes wide. “I felt magic as she grew inside me, but she’s hours old, Alas. That was…”
“Powerful,” they said at the same time.
Elissa’s brow furrowed.
“Don’t worry, you’ll train her and I’ll protect her. My brothers and Lucan will protect her, too. No one like Drayton will even get close to her.”
Worry still creased her brow. Finally Elissa nodded and their collective gaze regarded tiny Kenna.
Elissa loved him. Trusted him to keep their child safe. Love welled up. “Thank you,” Alasdair whispered, cupping her face with one hand.
“For what?” she returned in the same low whisper.
“Everything. Elissa, you’ve given me everything.”
She flashed another smile. “Everything you never knew you wanted.”
“Needed, lass. Needed. You and Kenna are everything I never knew I needed. When I think of the turns I wasted—”
Elissa rested her fingertip against his lips. “Nay, love. Not wasted. You were waiting for me.”
Alasdair grinned and kissed her. “I guess so.”
“I know so.”
Kenna fussed and their gazes locked.
“She’s just hungry.” She gave him the baby and opened the ties at the neck of the fresh sleeping gown the headwomen had dressed her in.
Kenna wailed, and the thick drapes rustled with her magic.
He rocked her, but his daughter wouldn’t be comforted until Elissa took her back, nestling her close to her bared flesh.
Alasdair watched with fascination as their daughter settled at her breast and latched on. Emotion caught in his throat all over and leaned down, kissing her tiny forehead. Then he slid his arm around Elissa and held her as she nursed their daughter.
His heart was full to bursting, like it would be for the rest of his life.
The End