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The baby’s coming.
Sulen read Amelie’s message blinking on his comm when he woke up. It took a moment then he shot straight out of bed.
The baby. The baby was coming. Wasn’t it early? Why hadn’t she awakened him?
The answer was obvious. He’d just returned from a mission in the middle of the night and she’d probably thought he needed his sleep. How many times had he told her he was used to operating without rest for days at a time?
Jamming his legs in his pants and foregoing shoes and a shirt, Sulen crossed the hall and flicked on the light. Fleur’s sleeping face was turned in his direction. His heart clenched as it always did knowing this tiny princess belonged to him. Being a father hadn’t been something he’d imagined but he couldn’t envision a life without her in it now.
“Fleur?”
Her head popped up, no signs of sleepiness. “Is it baby time?”
Sulen chuckled. “Yes. It’s baby time.”
She cheered and slid out of bed to race to her closet, flinging the doors open. He left her to get ready and grabbed a shirt and his shoes. Little time had passed when he and Fleur rushed out the door and drove to the medical center.
The halls were empty other than a few uniformed staff members walking around. He held Fleur cradled against his chest and stopped a hurried woman in a lab coat. “I’m trying to find my bond mate. She’s here—”
“The baby’s coming,” Fleur whisper yelled.
That brought a smile to the weary lined face. “Usually, there are plenty of babies coming this time in the morning but I happen to know of only one that was born just five minutes ago.”
They’d missed the fireworks. Sulen tried to feel regret but his fear about the whole thing had him more relieved than anything. “Can you tell us where to go?”
“Down the hall, ask the person on duty to get you cleared and they’ll direct you.”
Badged and security approved, Sulen knocked on the closed door with the number nine printed in a large block.
“Come in,” Amelie called out.
Taking a deep breath, Sulen pushed the door open and lowered Fleur to her feet. His daughter took off like a shot for the woman in the bed holding a bundle wrapped baby.
Garik hovered nearby and Amar surprisingly was leaning against a wall smirking. Sulen wasn’t sure how the other assassin had beat him here or what made him come.
Amelie’s face was wreathed in a pleased smile. Taking the safest route, Sulen went to her. She flung her arms about his neck. “It’s a girl!”
Caught off guard Sulen laughed and swung her up off her toes. She rained kissed over his face and Sulen captured her mouth to lay a deep one on her before she pulled back and eyed him with a dreamy expression.
Scarlett bustled in, lab coat swinging open to reveal pink fleece pants and a light purple tank top. She winked at him but continued toward Saedra. “How is the new mommy?”
“Fantastic,” Saedra answered, pushing herself back and up in the bed to sit upright.
Garik snarled and rushed behind her to adjust the pillows. “You just had a baby. I watched it all. You can’t feel fantastic.”
Now that Sulen took a closer look at his friend’s face, Garik did appear a bit green. Saedra frowned and shoved him away with one hand while she hugged the baby closer with the other. “Stop fussing over me. This was normal. Scarlett said the birth went way better than Amelie’s.”
Amelie flinched in his arms and Sulen tipped his head down to catch her expression. The brief flash of sorrow was there and gone.
“The next time won’t be that way,” he whispered for her ears alone. “I’ll be with you every step and not far away.”
Her weight stilled in his arms. “Next time?”
Sulen kissed her and winked. All was right in his world.
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Author’s Note
Once more, thanks go out to the In The Stars team for creating a place for authors to write stories that are fun and full of the tropes I read about when I started reading romances many years ago.
To everyone who messaged me to say how much they loved Garik and Saedra’s story, THANK YOU.
I hope everyone enjoyed this sequel to The Unexpected Bonding Vow featuring Garik’s assassin peer Sulen. I’ve wanted to write a secret baby plot book forever.
Sulen and Amelie were great fun to write about and I was really drawn to Sulen’s character. He was supposed to be angry and full of scowls but he fell like a ton of bricks for Fleur and Amelie.
On a research note regarding Sulen being Fleur’s genetic father, I fell down a rabbit hole looking up articles regarding surrogacy and whether the carrier of the baby could impact genetic expression. It was interesting reading and by no means conclusive but it allowed me to use my imagination to play with the idea of “what if” from the paternal aspect.
Next up will be a romance for Amelie’s friend and medic, Scarlett. She has some secrets of her own.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider writing a review at the retailer of your choice. As always, happy reading.
Michelle H.
Books by Michelle
Warlords
* Honor Bound (Warlord Series 1)
* The Overlord’s Heir (Warlord Series 2)
* A King’s Revenge (Warlord Series 3)
* Rise of the Shadow Warriors (Warlord Series 4)
* A Warlord’s Heart (Warlord Series 5)
* Unexpected Bride (Warlord Series 6)
* Unleashing a Warrior (Books 1-3 Warlord Series)
Alpha Squad
* Project Genesis (Alpha Squad)
Harmony
* No Reason to Run (A Harmony Novel)
Sci-Fi Romance
* Mating Urge (Love in the Stars 1)
* Love Like No Other (Love in the Stars 2)
* Wired For Love (Wired)
* The Unexpected Bonding Vow (Assassins Guild)
* Claiming His Unexpected Baby (Assassins Guild)
A World Beyond
* Torkel’s Chosen (A World Beyond 1)
* Arak’s Love (A World Beyond 2)
* Lindsey’s Rescue (A World Beyond 3)
* Kyele’s Passion (A World Beyond 4)
* Rydak’s Fall (A World Beyond 5)
* Jaron’s Promise (A World Beyond 6)
* V’hor’s Nestmate (A World Beyond 7)
* Stolen Moments (A World Beyond 8)
* Bane’s Heart (A World Beyond 9)
* Nikol’s Surrender (A World Beyond 10)
Paranormal
* Djinn Lover (Magical Lovers book 1)
* Wicked Lover (Magical Lovers book 2)
A Novel of the Dracol
* Rylin’s Fire (A Novel of the Dracol 1)
* Relentless Fire (A Novel of the Dracol 2)
* Frost Fire (A Novel of the Dracol 3)
* Secret Fire TBD (A Novel of the Dracol 4)