Page 99 of Wolf

Dimitri's cry stilledusboth.

The baby monitor on the side table of our master bedroom crackled with his cries, but the small size of the house allowed us to hear him even without the device. My son had a pair of lungs on him, that much wasunquestionable.

Anna let out a suffering sigh as I lifted myself up andoffher.

“Don’t go,” she whined, grabbing my forearm. “He’ll fall back to sleep in aminute.”

“No,” I said, dropping down and placing a hard kiss against her lips. “I’llgo.”

I got off the bed and slid on a pair of shorts as Anna sat up, her blonde hair sticking up at the back of her head, ruffled and disturbed, matching her expression. “You went the last four times.” She placed a hand on my shoulder, using it to pull herself to the edge of the bed, and grabbed her silk dressing gown. “I’llgo.”

“It’s all right,” I argued, grabbing her by her hips, loving the way I could still feel the warmth of her flushed skin through the silk of the robe. “Youstayhere.”

Anna cocked a pale eyebrow at me. “Are we really going to argue over who goes toseehim?”

“Nope, because I’m the one going.” I pushed against her hips, and Anna’s knees hit the bed, her body going over with it as she flopped ungracefully onto thebedsheets.

“Wolf!” she hissed at me as I slipped out thebedroomdoor.

I followed Dimitri’s loud cries down the short hallway to the back bedroom, glancing at the wooden, hand-carved plaque bearing his name hanging on the wood before reaching for the doorhandle.

The second my hand wrapped around it, silence flooded thehouse.

I stilled, frozen in the tense silence as I waited for it to beginagain.

I opened the door to find the pale blue room covered in model bikes, cars, and stuffed animals on the other side as I stepped through the talldoorframe.

My feet were quiet across the carpet as I approached the crib to see a head of dark hair and pale, chubby cheeks wrapped up in a thin summer blanket. His eyelashes were long and dark, lips a light pink as his chest rose and fell, softly breathing over and over again. I listened to the gentle sound of it fill and empty the room, my eyes roaming over his features, a mixture of mine and Anna’s. As he was now, you could see nearly all of me in his square face, broad body, and dark hair. But when he was awake, his eyes were the same bright baby blue of his mother, and I was happierforit.

I thought about his blue eyes and what perhaps they would look like the older he got. I wondered whose personality he’d inherit more of when he learned to speak, walk, and ride. I wondered whose kids he’d be friends with and what future partner he would choose to spend hislifewith.

I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, watching him sleep, wondering about what his life and future would hold before I felt that tingling warmth spread acrossmyback.

I turned, spotting Anna standing in the doorway, hip propped against the door, arms crossed, and a beautiful, gentle smile on her face. Her blue eyes didn’t look away from me, hair pulled back in a headband, watching mesilently.

She didn’t say anything; she just watched me, just like I had watchedmyson.

I felt my own smile pulling on my cheeks, Anna’s not faltering as I made my way across the room toward her. She stayed put, only craning her neck further and further backward until I towered wayaboveher.

“What you looking at?” I asked, my voice low andamused.

“I could ask you the same.” Anna smirked, her eyes dropping mine for only a second as she looked past me to where our son lay asleep inhiscrib.

I smiled, my hand unconsciously reaching to smooth over the cooled skin of her neck, damp from sweat, but still fitting perfectly under my palm. I used my other hand to brush the long length of hair away from her face, leaning down the distance between us, pausing with my lips just in frontofhers.

Anna’s breath rolled against my lips, but she didn’t move a singlemuscle.

“I have something for you,” she whispered between us, and her heated gaze cooled as she studied my expression, a curious frown no doubtappearing.

Anna stepped back from our near kiss and disappeared into her office next to Dimitri's room. I stepped out of the doorway, closing the door behind me, leaving only an onlooker’s crack in the door as I spied the crib, waiting for Anna toreturn.

She came back out into the hallway, a file in her hand as she extended ittome.

Last time she handed me one of these was when she had confessed about Ash and her past in England. I wondered if it was about her but doubted it as Anna refused to mention Ash sinceshe’dleft.

I held her gaze a moment longer before Anna got fed up, and, cautious of Dimitri asleep in the next room, she gestured for me toreadit.

I gave in, turning to the brown paper file in my hands, but I didn’t make it past thetitle.

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