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Fallon sat up in bed, groaning. The mornings were getting worse. Some days he barely had any strength at all. His stallion was weak without their mate.
“Are you all right, Father?” Darcy asked.
She was sitting in a chair by his bed, reading a book.
“What time is it?” he asked.
“Mid-morning, Sire. You were so peaceful that I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Aye, fetch me some water, lass.”
Darcy closed the book and opened the curtains. Sunlight streamed through the broad windows of his chamber.
“I’ll see about getting you some breakfast too,” she said, and exited the chamber.
Fallon had no idea how the girl could read when it was practically dark. He groaned again. The only thing more exhausting than dragging himself through long days without his mate was trying to convince everyone around him he was fine. Of course, he was pretty sure no one bought it. Niall and Felicity knew, as did Maelíosa. He couldn’t tell Darcy the truth. The sunlight hurt his eyes. Squinting, he hobbled out of bed and closed the curtains, letting the blissful semidarkness envelop his senses.
He’d deteriorated so quickly after Cyn left, it was almost comical. The first few days, he’d been hurt, but his stallion was still strong. Fallon resigned himself to traces of her scent on his sheets, or remembering how she’d fashion outfits out of the nicest linens in the castle. After only a few weeks, however, his joints stiffened, and his stallion was too sore to contemplate a transformation. His chest was heavy and clogged. Fallon wondered if his heart was absorbing all of the hurt and pain from his soul. It was like a virus spreading through his body. He imagined the leathery muscle in his chest, blackened with heartbreak. He was lost without her, and his stallion had given up.
But he took comfort in knowing Cyn was happy. His stallion hated the idea, especially of her finding happiness with someone else, but he’d never want her to give up the life she loved or be tied to him because of a mistake. Tomas had botched it up, and she’d paid the price. Fallon had to let her go. His jaw clenched. Thinking of her laughing with another man—or worse—upset him. His stallion often tortured him with such thoughts. Today he didn’t have the energy to listen to the beast.
Fallon’s stallion walked along, shaking his head. He looked older, too. His mane and tail were threaded with white and silver, his withers bonier than ever. Today, he’d think about the good things. Felicity was due soon, and Fallon was wanted to meet his first grandchild, a girl. Felicity and Niall reminded him of his first mate, and the feelings were both pleasurable and painful. Their love was so powerful it made public settings look quite intimate. And Fallon knew his son would take wonderful care of his mate and their baby. He only wished he’d be around for more of the child’s life.
He stretched up to pull a tunic over his increasingly lanky figure, and winced. Fallon set his jaw. His stallion pawed the ground in frustration. We miss her so much. He closed his eyes. It was hard to get her out of his head when everything seemed to remind him of her. In his mind he saw her dancing, laughing, teasing Darcy. Delving deeper, he remembered her smiling and pulling him back under the covers, clad in a twisted curtain she’d trussed into an outfit. He recalled the day he’d taken her on a picnic and her guard was down. She had a serious, contemplative side that so rarely made an appearance. Cyn covered up her emotions, and all the insecurities that went along with being human.
When he opened his eyes, he half-expected to see her curvy figure draped across his bed. Despite the physical pain racking his body, Fallon let out a soft whinny. His stallion would never recover. He craved her with such an intensity that he questioned everything he’d held close to his heart. At that moment he loved her and wanted to take her, consume her, and possess her until she never thought of leaving. Madness must be taking him. He smelled her all around him, though the actual scent of Cyn had obviously faded months ago. The memory of her taste was driving him crazy. His stallion was wild, tossing his head and neighing. As his body reacted with desire, a sharp pain shot through his chest, and he clapped his hand over his heart. Doubled over, Fallon shook off any lingering thoughts of Cyn.
Darcy re-entered the chamber carrying a tray of food. “Father?”
Fallon straightened. “Aye, set it on the table, and get on with ye.”
Something flickered in Darcy’s eyes, but thankfully she obeyed him like she’d always done. He closed himself to his mate. We mustn’t think of her today. He tamped down the thought, determined to fulfil his duties as Chieftain of the Realm.
* * *
“I’M GOING TO BE ALL right then? And the baby is fine?” Felicity asked.
The healer removed her hands from Felicity’s swollen belly. Ariel regarded Felicity as if measuring her strength from within. She could never be completely sure of the magic or mystery this woman possessed, but Ariel had saved her life when Niall brought her to the Realm. So Felicity didn’t doubt the woman knew what she was doing.
“Yes, I believe so,” Ariel said, bowing respectfully. She turned and made the same gesture toward Niall. “I have every reason to believe you will have a beautiful baby girl.”
“Niall,” Felicity whispered. “I can’t believe it. I always thought I wouldn’t be able to have a baby. The doctor...”
She was unable to continue. Not having a child of her own was something she’d come to terms with a long time ago. Her heart burst with joy at the prospect of becoming a mother despite her fear of a supernatural birth in this agrarian society. Felicity puffed a hair out of her face as she swayed from the heat inside Arial’s hut.
“It’s amazing,” Niall said, wrapping an arm around his mate.
He planted a kiss on her head as if she were the most precious woman in the world. Her pregnancy hadn’t changed how much he desired her. It seemed he wanted her even more than before her belly was rounded with their child. Felicity basked in the adoration.
“It’s more than I could hope for,” Felicity said softly.
Niall squeezed her shoulder. “And you’re sure she’s at low risk right now?”
“Yes, quite sure,” Ariel said, waving a hand toward him absentmindedly. “All the same, Felicity, you still need to be careful. You could easily hurt yourself. You are human, and this birth will be difficult. Please let Niall continue to spoil you.”
Felicity frowned. Niall’s mother had died during childbirth with Darcy, and this meant Niall hadn’t let her out of his sight. She not only accepted that, but enjoyed his devotion. But even though she loved the way he doted on her, she couldn’t help feeling a little restless. The child inside of her seemed as gigantic as the responsibilities of becoming a parent. Her back ached from the short walk from the castle to the healer.
“Aye, exactly as I plan on doing,” Niall said with a grin.
The man couldn’t stop grinning these days. She smiled back at him. Knowing she was about to have a daughter with Niall made her incredibly happy...especially after being told she’d never be able to have a baby. She gulped. As much as she loved Cyn and Nathan, she couldn’t suppress her feelings of joy at the prospect of having a real family for the first time.
“Thank you again for seeing us.” Felicity smiled gratefully at Ariel, sliding down from the table and getting to her feet. Almost instantly, her back ached and she stifled a groan.
“Are you all right, Felicity?” Niall asked as they left the healer. “You’re being very quiet, love.”
Love and an underlying passion radiated from his eyes. Her insides melted at his familiar charm. “Yes,” she breathed, resting her head on his shoulder. “I just feel so heavy right now. Our little girl isn’t feeling quite so little.”
Niall soothed her, stroking her back. “I’m so sorry you’re uncomfortable. I’ll draw you a nice warm bath when we get back.”
“Oh, that would be divine.”
The firm pressure and warmth from his hand slowly made Felicity’s backache begin to dissipate. She sighed happily. She was over the moon about Niall and the baby, but she missed Cyn a lot. I wonder how she’s getting along, Felicity thought to herself. It’d been weeks since they last spoke. The time had slipped away before Felicity even realized how long it had been. Frowning, she turned to her husband.
“I haven’t heard from Cyn in a while. I promised her I’d chat with her over the portal, but every time I think to ask Fallon I forget. I swear this baby is turning me into a twit.”
Niall’s jaw gave an almost imperceptible twitch.
“I wonder how she’s getting on,” Felicity said.
“I’m not sure, love.”
She was feeling a bit emotional, but it could be the pregnancy hormones getting the best of her again. She hated being tossed about like a ball of emotion. One minute she was fine and the next she was bawling her eyes out, a bloody damn mess.
Felicity frowned. “I miss her. It seems like ages ago since we saw each other.”
“Aye,” Niall said. He squeezed Felicity closer, giving her a small kiss on the head. “Let’s go home. I’ll draw you a bath, and then I want to give you a long massage.”
Felicity loved the sound of that, and Niall’s stallion was standing at attention too. She’d discovered the mate bond definitely had its perks—usually in the form of sensual imagery or thoughts from Niall. Perhaps a massage would lead to a lot more, and maybe it would take her mind off everything.
She smiled coyly. “Right, let’s do that.”
