Page 342 of Born of Blood and Ash

His arms tightened around me. “I wasn’t thinking that.”

“You sure about that?” My heart twisted. “I told you, Ash. Iwon’t do that again.”

Ash opened his mouth and then closed it. His eyes slammedshut. “I know. I just…I panicked, seeing you with your gown on and your armsoutstretched. I don’t think you realize how that looks to someone above water.”

“I am sorry.” My gaze dropped to where his white shirt wasplastered to his chest.

Ash was quiet, drawing his hand up my back. “What drove youhere?”

The reason, which I had somehow forgotten in those briefmoments, came rushing back. My throat dried. I’d gone over all the differentways I could broach the subject with him while I sat at the pool’s edge, andevery single one of them vanished from my thoughts.

“I know something must be preying upon your mind,” hecontinued, brushing his nose against mine. “For you to leave the throne roomand seek the silence of water.”

The fact that he remembered why I stayed underwater made myheart swell until it felt like it might burst, if not for the way it poundedwildly, threatening to bust through my rib cage.

I breathed in and counted to five. My throat suddenly feltlike it was sealing.

He immediately picked up on my sharp spike of anxiety. “Whatis it?” He paused, running his thumb across my cheek. The familiar cool caressdid little to calm my nerves. “Liessa?”

Something beautiful.

Something powerful.

And I was powerful. Strong. Brave. I could fucking tell himthat I was pregnant with his children.

The next breath I took lodged in my throat. “Maybe we shouldget out of the pool.”

He frowned. “Why would we need to do that?”

“Because what I’m about to tell you will probably surpriseyou.” I gripped the front of his shirt. “And you may faint or something.”

He frowned. “I’ve never fainted.”

“There’s always a first time,” I said. “Even for a Primal, Ibet. And if that happens, you’re really heavy, and I don’t trust my ability tolift you from the water. I’d probably end up throwing you into a wall—”

“Liessa,” he cut in,worry creeping into his features, mixing with bemusement. “What do you have totell me?”

The words caught in my throat, choking me. I took a deepbreath, trying to steady myself. “Ash,” I said, my voice barely above awhisper. My stomach twisted into knots, and then the words tumbled out.“I’m…I’m pregnant.”

CHAPTERFIFTY-TWO

The confession hung heavily in the airbetween us with a tangible weight that felt like it could collapse the walls ofthe pool. I waited for a reaction, but Ash, well, he had absolutely none.

He stood there, one arm around me and one hand against mycheek. His lips were parted. Worry was still etched into the striking lines ofhis face. He was as still as a statue. I didn’t think he even breathed.

My concerns began to grow. Maybe he hadn’t heard me. Orperhaps he hadn’t understood what I’d said. That seemed silly, but he stillhadn’t moved.

“I’m pregnant,” I repeated. “You see, I’ve been nauseous onand off for the last several, well, weeks to be honest—that doesn’t matterright now. That’s why I came down here. I needed to try to wrap my head aroundit before I told you.” My heart still pounded. “So, yeah, I’m totallypregnant.”

Ash’s eyes widened, and a jolt ran through him. His armsfell to his sides and he jerked back. I breathed in and held my breath. He wentcompletely still again, except for his chest. It rose and fell rapidly, and asthe seconds ticked by, it felt like we were teetering on the edge of aprecipice, where one wrong move could send us plummeting into the abyss.

“Pregnant?” he rasped, his voice wavering with surprise anddisbelief.

“Yes.” I nodded, feeling stupid tears crowding my eyes.

He went silent again, and I really began to think Ishould’ve made him get out of the pool.

The flames from the dozens of sconces on the rough wallssuddenly flickered wildly as a pulse of energy left him, stroking the eather inside me.

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