Page 349 of Born of Blood and Ash

“It is. I can swear to that,” she said. “I’ve known motherson their sixth child still being incredibly anxious.”

Sixth? My eyes widened, and I shook my head. I glanced at Aios, opened my mouth, and then closed it.

“What?” She nudged me with her shoulder.

“Nothing.” I smiled. “I have no idea what Kye will do whenhe gets here.”

“It won’t be anything too invasive,” she said. “Just ageneral exam. Mostly, he will likely talk with you and Nyktos.”

I exhaled slowly. “Okay.”

Aios left so I could change intosomething other than a robe. I dressed not for the appointment with Kye but forwhat would come afterward, donning thick leggings and a white vest over a blacklinen blouse. I was finishing with the last of the hooks on the vest when Ifelt Nektas.

Leaving the top hook undone because it wasn’t entirelycomfortable, I returned to the antechamber.

The moment the draken walked infrom the balcony and our eyes met, I knew Ash had told him. It was the softnessin his features and gaze. I stopped halfway to the raised platform, a knot ofemotion lodging in my throat.

In less than a breath, Nektas heldme in his arms and lifted my bare feet off the floor. The hug surprised me, butI got over it quickly, throwing my arms around his neck. He smelled of wind andearth.

“Sera,” he said in his gravelly voice, pressing his cheek tothe side of my head.

I squeezed my eyes shut, soaking in his warmth. “Crazy,huh?”

He chuckled roughly. “It is, but in the best possible way.”He lowered me to my feet and drew back, his hands moving to my shoulders as histhin pupils dilated. “I thought I scented something from you before but wasn’tsure what it was.”

My brows snapped together. “When you smelled death on me?”

“No.” His laugh was low. “As I told you before, that wasbecause I smelled Ash on you.”

“Oh.” My face warmed. “I probably could’ve lived without youbringing that up again.”

“It was when you returned from the riders and we were on thebalcony,” he explained. “Your scent had changed.”

“Do I even want to know what that means?”

One side of his lips curved up. “Your scent was richer andmore of a mix of you and Ash than it ever was before. It has been so long sinceI’ve been around a Primal who was with child that it didn’t even cross mymind.” His hands slid to mine, and he held them gently. “I am so incrediblyhappy for you and Ash. This is…” He took a deep breath, his voice rougheningeven more. “This is something I never dared to dream for him.”

“He said the same,” I whispered, blinking back…what else?Tears. Gods, the crying thing was getting annoying. “How was he when he toldyou?”

“Eager,” he said, letting go of my hands. My lips curved up.“As soon as we were alone, he blurted it out. I wasn’t sure I had heard himcorrectly at first.”

“Were you as still as a statue?” I asked. “Because he waswhen I told him.”

“I’m sure I was.” Strands of hair slid over his shoulderwhen he tilted his head. “What I saw in his eyes today…I’ve never seen before.”

“What did you see?”

“It is hard to put into words.” He took a moment. “But itwas like seeing a man who suddenly realizes they have earned everything theycould ever ask for.”

“Oh.” I clapped my hands over my mouth. “I think I’m goingto cry.”

That soft look filled his features once more. “It’s okay ifyou do.”

“No, it’s not.” I stepped back, waving my hands at my faceas if that would actually help. “Okay. I need to talk about something otherthan Ash being perfect.”

Nektas grinned at me. “We still onfor today?”

I frowned. Nektas planned totravel with us to the Thyia Plains and then on to theCallasta Isles. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

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