Page 344 of Born of Blood and Ash

I wished I knew what he felt—what was going through hishead. “What are you thinking?” I asked, my voice sounding entirely too small.“Feeling?”

“What am I…?” He laughed hoarsely. “I’m shocked as fuck. Idon’t know what to think. I…” He trailed off, slowly shaking his head. “Witheverything that has happened, I didn’t want children, didn’t want to exposethem to what I experienced. So, I never really thought about the idea beyondthat.”

My fingers began to ache from how tightly I gripped him.

Another tremor ran through him. “But I could’ve…I could’velost you.” His voice cracked, and another wave of power rippled out from him,stirring the waters. “I could’ve lost them.”

Now, I went rigid. He sounded absolutely destroyedjust thinking of the possibility.

Ash’s eyes were glistening silver pools. “If I hadn’t triedto Ascend you? Or if the Ascension hadn’t worked…?” His hands shook as he slidone to the back of my head. “I would’ve lost everything and more.”

I sucked in a thin breath, too afraid to even acknowledgewhat his words might signify.

“I’m going to be…” He blinked rapidly, and I didn’t thinkthe dampness on his cheeks was due to the pool water.

“Are…are you crying?” I whispered.

“I think so.” His laugh was shaky, and gods, I didn’t thinkanyone had ever seen Ash like this, wide-eyed and vulnerable. Wisps of eather whirled through his eyes. “I’m going to be afather?”

“Yes.”

His eyes shut, and then my feet left the floor of the poolas he lifted me. My legs tangled in the wet gown, but I managed to wrap themaround his waist. He held me so close I could feel his pounding heart.

I buried my face in the crook of his neck, breathing in hisfresh scent. “Does this mean you’re…happy about this?”

“Happy?” His hand ran up my back, tangling in my hair.“Fates, Sera, I…I don’t think I’ve ever wanted something more.”

What felt like a life-changing quake ran through me.“Really?”

“Yes. Really.” Ash’s hand closed around the nape of my neck.“How could I not?” His voice roughened. “When they will be a part of you. Apart of us.”

I opened my mouth, but whatever I’d been about to say cameout as a ragged, muffled sound. Holding on to him with everything I had in me,I squeezed my eyes shut against the tide of emotion, but I still felt a fewtears slip free.

“Liessa.” Ash tilted hishead, pressing his cheek against the side of my head. “Don’t cry. Please. Itkills me when you do.”

“I don’t mean to cry, and gods, I think they are why I’vebeen so damn emotional, too.” I struggled to rein in my emotions. “I justwasn’t sure how you would feel about it. If you were unhappy…” I couldn’t bringmyself to say it.

He leaned his head back. “How could I ever be unhappy?You’re having my child—my children.” His chest rose swiftly as if the knowledgehad hit him again. “That is a dream I never allowed myself to have,” he said,and I shuddered at his words. He pressed a kiss to my damp cheek. “You said youalready love them?”

My heart skipped a beat, and I lifted my head. Our eyes met.“I do, and that…that scares me. And then I’m even more scared because I’mscared. That makes me sound bizarre, doesn’t it?”

“No, liessa, it doesn’t.”He chased the tears with a swipe of his thumb. “I’m scared, too, Sera. Neitherof us planned for this, and our lives are about to change in ways I cannot evenbegin to imagine. But I know we will love them just as fiercely as we love eachother. And I also know we’ll figure everything out,” he said, catching anothertear. “We’ve got this, liessa.”

Inhaling deeply, I nodded. “We do.” Not just because we hadto but because we wanted to, and I knew there was a world ofdifference between the two.

His forehead dropped to mine, and he tightened his armaround my waist. “Sera,” he whispered, his lips brushing mine. He laughed, andit was a shaky but joyous sound. “We’re going to be parents.”

An unsteady laugh parted my lips as the new realitycontinued sinking in. Mates of the heart was a powerful thing, but this…thiswas different. The bond we now shared went far beyond just the two of us. We’dcreated two lives together. Not with eather or magic,but with just us—our love.

“Ash,” I said, my voice barely audible above the soft soundsof the water. “I love you so much.”

He pressed his lips to mine, the kiss slow and tender. Itwas like a balm to my soul, and I felt some of the panic and fear lifting,leaving urgent, feverish desire in its place. As the kiss took on a deeper,rougher, more urgent edge, I knew he was feeling every wild emotion I was.

“Make love to me.” My fingers tangled in the wet strands ofhis hair. “Please.”

“You never have to beg,” he swore. “Ever.”

Then his mouth covered mine again, and there was nothingslow about the way he kissed me. I felt the water churning around us, mirroringthe ebb and flow of our rising passion. Our lips moved together, exploring andtasting until I was breathless with need.

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