Page 1 of Back In the Shadows

1

ELLA

I ceased the gentle swaying of the rocking chair and arched a questioning eyebrow at my husband. “Sebastian, is it really necessary to play ‘Eat Your Young’ while I’m trying to put Alaric down for his nap? If he doesn’t sleep soon, Verity will wake up, and I won’t have any time alone with you.”

A silly smile eased over his handsome face as he danced across our living room to the beat of Hozier’s song. He kissed my forehead before he gazed down at his sleepy, nine-month-old son.

He gently cupped my chin, gliding the pad of his thumb along my jawline, leaving goosebumps in its wake. “These are the moments that I’ll hold in my heart forever. I love you so much. You’re an amazing wife and mother.”

My eyes misted over, and I blinked the tears away.

“Baby, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He placed his warm palm against my cheek, and I leaned into his touch.

“I’m fine. It’s just hormones.” I wasn’t sure if it was, but it would explain why I was so emotional. Besides, carrying twins for nine months had taken a toll on my petite frame. I’d spent the last four weeks of my pregnancy on bed rest, feelingbored and miserable. Thankfully, my best friend Cami visited for a week, providing much-needed company and distraction. Unfortunately, those long days had given me a considerable amount of time to think, and I worried that my husband would tire of my constant moods and insecurities about the changes in my body. Our babies had been delivered by C-section, which had left a scar, but it had started to fade. And not once had Sebastian made me feel any other way than beautiful.

Even though I hadn’t gotten many, I now had stretch marks on my sides and belly. I was self-conscious at first, but then Sebastian called them my “warrior stripes” and told me I should wear them with pride. When we finally had sex again, he lovingly traced each mark and kissed it tenderly, before he said, “I love this one … and this one.” His deep Australian accent made me weak in the knees and nearly sent me into a hormonal frenzy. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed him until that moment.

Regardless of the exhaustion and changes in my body, witnessing what a wonderful father Sebastian was made me fall in love with him even more. I never thought it was possible to experience that level of happiness, and my heart swelled with an overwhelming sense of contentment and joy.

I glanced at his ring finger, noting he wasn’t wearing his wedding band. His headaches made him sensitive to jewelry and some days even clothes. He had let me know that on those days he put his ring in my jewelry box for safekeeping until he felt better.

Sebastian grunted and stepped away, reaching for the sides of his head. I’d learned to read the signs of a coming shift. It started with a headache and a slight tremor in his leg.

The headaches had persisted for over a week now, and I couldn’t help but worry about him.

“Are you all right?” I asked, my voice carefully neutral. But even as I spoke, I knew Sebastian would brush it off and try toconvince me that everything was fine. But it was only a matter of time.

I stilled as my husband dropped to his knees. His handsome face twisted in agony as he held his cry in.

“It’s okay. I’m here, baby.” I quickly glanced at Alaric, who was still awake.

A sense of foreboding hung heavy in the stagnant air, and Alaric attempted to sit up and look around, his attention on his father. The bond between Sebastian and Alaric was strong, that much was clear. But as I watched them together, a cold fear crept into my mind. What if their connection wasn’t just familial, but something darker? The thought of Alaric or Verity being bound to Death on a level beyond comprehension terrified me. But then again, maybe it wasn’t just his father that he shared this deep connection with. Maybe it was …

My husband’s head slowly rose as if trying to orient himself to his surroundings. His once-piercing blue eyes faded into a cold, steely grey as he stared at me with a calculating and sinister gaze. But beneath the surface lurked a familiar hunger. A need to hunt. A need to claim—to claim me.

“There’s my queen.” His Australian accent disappeared while he stood and squared his shoulders.

“Hi.” I gave him a genuine smile. It had been three months since Death had appeared, and I’d missed him more than I could have imagined.

With a confident stride, he approached us, his jawline sharp and his stare intense. Tilting my chin up, he placed his lips over mine. His mouth was warm and commanding, making me moan softly as he tugged on my lower lip with his teeth. Sebastian was everything I could want in bed. He made me feel loved and sexy, which had helped me feel less insecure when Death had finally returned.

My tummy somersaulted as I recalled how Death had ravaged me the last time we were together. My body still tingled with the memory. Now that our children were older and I’d healed, I craved his demanding and sometimes brutal touch more than ever.

As if sensing my thoughts, Death’s hand moved to caress the front of my throat, his thumb gently stroking my sensitive skin. He looked down at our son, who was excitedly grinning and kicking his feet. It warmed my heart to see them like this.

“Son.” Death’s voice cracked. Every emotion possible was wrapped in that one word. “Come see your father.”

I held Alaric out to him, watching in awe how Death was a savage killer but so gentle with his family.

He held Alaric in his arms, lightly bouncing him while he walked the room. “Is it nap time for you, Alaric?” Death’s attention scanned the area before it landed on me again. “Where’s Verity?”

“She’s already down for her nap. I think this little guy was waiting for you.” I rose from the chair and approached them. “How are you?” I pushed up on my tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss to his soft lips.

“Ready to bring my queen to her knees.” He flashed me a wicked grin, and my legs turned to jelly.

I bit my lower lip before I responded. “Then I guess you should focus on getting your son down. The nanny will be here around two this afternoon to take them to the park for a few hours.”

“Excellent. I need to handle some business, but I’ll be back after the kids are gone.”

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