Epilogue
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Lyric
One year later …
“What are you doing here?”
“I live here. Remember me? Your mate?”
“Leeta’s team was supposed to take you and Kree to Onyx.”
“They did. The town was lovely. Anzac’s healing session went well and we had a nice visit. Now I’m back.”
I’d found Draven in the sitting room, shuffling through papers. When I entered, he’d quickly gathered them into a pile, slapping them face down on the table.
He’d been acting a little off the past two days. Phalen had taken me off of sparring rotation and relegated me to teaching archery like I was some fucking camp counselor. I suspected Draven had something to do with it when I felt his satisfaction the moment he’d been informed of my new job.
I was the Shadow Blade, not the Shadow Arrow—which was super hard to say fast, by the way.
Draven glanced anxiously towards the Grey Room’s door. My ears twitched. Sending out a wave of magic, I felt no Others nearby.
“What’s going on?
Draven scratched at the scruff on his jaw, his biggest tell. “Nothing.”
“Then you won’t mind if I take a look?”
“At what?”
I took a step and Draven moved to block the door. He looked nervous. Draven didn’t get nervous. Nor did he get all secretive like this anymore.
I opened the soul bond to see what I could find. Yep. He was nervous. Very helpful. Not!
“You’re scaring me a little.”
“Shit.”
Draven pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. “I’m sorry. It’s just, you’re ruining the surprise.”
“I don’t like surprises.”
“I know, but I like giving you things, so deal with it.”
My worry receded. “Okay, well, can I have the surprise now?”
“We were supposed to have a nice dinner and relax first. I was going to tell you a story. I had this whole thing planned, Lyric.”
The corner of my mouth lifted at his petulance. “And I ruined it by coming home early?”
“Basically.”
“Well, the cat’s halfway out of the bag. So why don’t you tell me the story and we’ll get this over with?”
“Fine,” he grumbled.
Draven scooped me up and sat me on his lap in the big wingback, my back to his front. Comfortable, I rested my head on his shoulder.
“When Embour was built, the quarters on this floor were designated as the Shadow Lord’s. They called our room the Blue Room.”
“Very original.”
“Color coding makes things simple.”
“So they made the Blue Room and the Grey Room.”
“Yes. They take up most of the floor, though, as you’re aware, there are a few more doors at the other end. Those are also living quarters, but they’re smaller.”
“So, this floor was for multiple people? Of the Shadow Lord’s choosing?”
Draven’s big hands came around my waist. “For his family.”
Oh. Draven had no family, aside from Cas. He’d made his friends his family, something I’d done, as well. The Council was more like a big group of crazy cousins than an advisory board.
His nose went to my neck and he inhaled. He’d been doing it more often lately, like he couldn’t get enough of my scent.
“The Grey Room was not originally designed to be the quarters of the Shadow Lord’s mate.”
“If you tell me they’re for your mistress, you lose a testicle and no less than four teeth.”
I felt his grin against my throat. “No, no mistresses for me. I can barely handle the one female I have.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
He was quiet for a minute, hugging me. Through our connection, I was getting mixed signals. Nervousness mixed with excitement.
“What was the Grey room’s purpose, Draven?”
His giant hand landed on my lower belly. I must have forgotten to breathe because my lips got all tingly.
“Nursery. It was to be a nursery.”
I sat up straight, blinking. Draven turned me to straddle his legs. His anxiety withered, replaced with a fierce determination.
“You, ah, want to have a baby?”
Draven nodded.
“You turned the Grey Room into a nursery?”
“Not yet.”
My eyes burned, my tongue thickened. Fuck, was I having an allergic reaction?
He peered at my belly, then back at my face. My hands locked protectively over my middle.
“Am I …” I swallowed. “Am I pregnant?”
Draven nodded once more. The second it registered, I knew it was true. He would never ever lie to me about something so important.
He remained quiet, watchful. Why wasn’t he talking?
“How do you know?”
He tapped his nose. “Your scent changed two days ago.”
“And you didn’t think to let me in on it?”
“I wasn’t exactly sure. I asked Hugo. He confirmed.”
“Again, you didn’t think it was something I’d want to know? Immediately?”
Draven lowered his eyes, that same nervousness saturated the bond and punched me right in the gut.
“You were afraid of how I’d react, weren’t you?”
His chin raised. “Those papers are lists of things a baby might need. I was trying to figure out if I should send orders through Gabrian or have things made. I don’t know what half of that shit is. Like nipple guards? Why do nipples need guarding? Are they for the baby’s nipples?”
I tried my best to hold it together. I didn’t know exactly what those were, either, but I sure as shit knew babies didn’t wear nipple guards.
“I thought if I could do something to ease some of the burden, it might help. It would be one less thing for you to worry about. It—”
I shut him up with my lips, hugging him tighter than I ever had before. Pregnant. I was pregnant. With Draven’s baby. We were going to have a family and the dumbass thought I wouldn’t take it well.
“You really are the sweetest Shadow in the land,” I whispered.
Draven’s eyes lit up.
“Don’t forget the sexiest,” he purred, happiness pouring out of him and straight into me.
“That, too.”
“You’re happy.”
“I am.”
Draven beamed. It was a rare sight, one I prized. I’d never get over how his face morphed from ruggedly handsome to the most dashing creature the fates ever created whenever he smiled like this.
“I’m happy too, Angel.”
I settled my core over the bulge in his jeans. “I can tell.”
His fingers dug into my hips, rocking me against him. We kissed some more while I dry humped him slowly.
“Bed,” he said against my mouth.
“Yes, please.”
Draven picked me up and walked us into the Blue Room. “Promise me it will always be like this, that we will always be like this.”
“Like what?”
“So happy it’s sickening.”
My mouth twisted and I pretended to think it over. “I’ll promise if you promise me one thing in exchange.”
“What?”
“I get to name the baby.”
“What?!”
“At one time, you wanted to call me the Shadow Lady. I am not giving birth to a child named something stupid like Precious Angel.”
“Precious Angel is not a stupid name. It’s exactly what you are to me and it will be exactly what this little baby is, as well.”
Oh my sweetbabyjesus.
If I wasn’t already impregnated, I was positive my ovaries would be wide open for business, demanding his fastest swimmers. The Lord of the Manor really was the sweetest, albeit scariest, Shadow alive.
“I fucking love you, Draven.”
“I fucking love you, too.”
“Awesome. Now how about I apologize in the best way ever?”
Big Boy lost his pants real quick. After a few minutes of playing Tongue Tickle with my favorite joystick, I invited Draven to my pants party. We spent the rest of the night laughing and loving.
He’d been right. It was sickening how happy we were, which made it absolutely perfect.
The End
Continue Reading for an excerpt from Shadow’s Raven.