Page 11 of Shadow Fall: Part Two

"So, you don't want breakfast," Wane mused, his wings ruffling behind him and betraying his amusement. The same black wings our daughter had inherited, both inky with a sheen of midnight blue, though hers were leathery where his were feathered. "That's fine, I'll just make it for me and Kai. What about honey porridge?" he asked me. "With a side of chocolate Welsh cakes?"

He was just listing Verena's favourite breakfast foods now. I smirked.

"I hate you bastards," Verena muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine! I want breakfast. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Wane agreed, and snuck another kiss to the top of her head. My heart melted to goo and I wondered how the fuck a bastard like me got so lucky to have an amazing family, the best mate anyone could ever ask for, and two daughters I'd give the whole world to make happy?

I must have made a deal with the devil; it was the only thing that made sense.

CHAPTER SIX

EMLYN

"My boobs are sore," Haley complained, wrapping her arms around me from behind and resting her head between my shoulder blades. "Ugh, even this hurts. I swear, she's like a fucking vampire. Are babies supposed to have teeth that sharp?"

I suppressed a laugh, setting aside the baking dish I'd been washing so I could squeeze her arm. "She's a demon, Hales."

"She's a piranha," Haley muttered, and I couldn't hold back my laugh this time. "Hey! You're my mate; you're supposed to be sympathetic."

I dried my hands and turned in her arms, brushing a lock of pink hair from her beautiful face. It hit me all over again how lucky I was to have her when I almost lost her—

But I hadn’t come close to losing her in years. Confusion pinched my chest at the newness of the feeling, but I was remembering the fight ten years ago, when Locke had almost killed us and Wynvail helped us finally end him.

I slid my fingers into Haley’s pink hair and kissed her, long and slow and so deep that the taste of her was seared into my tongue. I only broke for air for a second before fusing my lips to hers again, suddenly frantic.

"Em?" she asked, pulling away and frowning at me. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, glancing around our bright, clean kitchen, where nothing bad had ever happened. "I get this feeling sometimes that … we're in danger."

Haley squeezed my waist, her eyes gentle on me. "We were hunted for ten years by mercenaries; of course you can't shake off the feeling of being in danger."

"It feels more than that," I admitted, pulling her closer so I could feel her flush against me, the softness of her belly pressing to mine, a reminder that she was fragile and needed to be cared for. Not stressed with abstract feelings of my unease. "It's nothing, just new dad panic."

She rolled onto her tiptoes to kiss me again, lingering long enough that my heart sped. My cock hardened, but I ignored it. My mate just had a baby; whatever my dick wanted, it wasn't happening.

"You're perfect," she told me, brushing my soul so I knew she was deadly serious. "You have nothing to panic about. And we're safe here; no one's come after us since Locke died."

"I know," I agreed, but an ache moved through my skull and—I didn't know why I thought she was wrong. We had been safe since Locke's death, so why did that thought feel insincere inside my mind?

CHAPTER SEVEN

WYNVAIL

Isnorted at the pleading look Wane shot me over the arch of his wing, the whites of his eyes showing.

"Surely you remember how to take care of your mate," I drawled, approaching where Haley slept in our bed. She'd passed out an hour ago, too exhausted to make it to the New Year's countdown. But now she writhed in her sleep, letting out needy little moans, and the bond was roaring with her need.

"Wane," she whined, her hips shifting.

"Fuck—" Wane hissed, stiffening to throw a glare at me from where he stood beside the bed, his wings and body rigid. "She had Kaida four weeks ago. It's too soon."

I rolled my eyes, a smirk hooking the corner of my mouth. "For a dick, sure," I agreed slowly. "But you can feel how badly she needs to come. And she called your name…"

I knew he was terrified to hurt her, but he also had a dark streak of dominance and control, and clearly Haley was dreaming of that right now. I bet her dreams were full of filth. She must have been dripping all over our bed.

"If you don't do something about it," Harvey said, startling the fuck out of me by appearing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his tight shirt, "I will."

Wane growled low in his throat, snapping his wings tight to his back. Shadows flickered from his shoulders. "She's calling for me," he said firmly.

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