Page 134 of Stolen By the Alpha Hunter
It’s a community…a family.
I’m so damn grateful for them.
I walk inside and get smiles from everyone, tired as they are. Maggie has been here all night, and Charlotte and Elijah woke up early to join us when they got the news. I’m sure we’ll get visits from everyone else soon, that our room is going to turn into a revolving door for excited family. I hope we get at least a second to ourselves; Peaches needs rest, and I’ll stand guard outside the door if I have to?—
“We should leave you two alone for a bit,” Charlotte says. “Just let us know if you need anything, okay?”
Elijah looks up at me with a wry smile. “I trust you know how to unpack a bag…?”
“Yeah, I know how,” I snort.
They filter out of the room, Maggie shooting me a smile as she shuts the door behind her with a soft thud. I walk over to sit on the bed, reaching out to rest my hand on Peaches’ thigh underneath the blankets.
She’s the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen.
Her red hair is wild and messy, curls in a copper halo around her head. Her face is flushed, freckles dark over her rosy cheeks, her brown eyes warm and inviting, her lips full and red. She’s gained weight over the course of her pregnancy, emphasizing every one of her curves, swelling at the hips and breasts.
I want to touch her.
She just gave birth and I’m already aching for her.
“I’ve been thinking about names,” she says, looking down at the babies. They’re a perfect combination of the two of us—one of the girls with dark auburn hair, green eyes, and mycomplexion; the other with black hair, brown eyes, and Peaches’ pale skin. It blows my mind that my whole world is right here in this bed…and I don’t even know their names yet.
“You get to choose,” I ask. “You’re good at names.”
She smiles.
“So…of course, one of them has to be Georgia,” she says, then brushes a soft kiss against the downy hair of the brunette twin. “I’m gettingGeorgiafrom our little raven-haired beauty.”
My heart swells until I’m afraid it’ll burst.
“Completely agree,” I say. It’s the name we already decided on—her mother’sreal name, the woman who raised Peaches to be strong under even the worst circumstances. “But what about our other twin?”
She smiles. “Isabela,” she says. “After your mom’s hometown in Puerto Rico. It’s a beautiful name…”
I squeeze her thigh, emotions racing through me. I can’t look at her for a second, and I have to avert my eyes to the floor.
“Javi?” she whispers.
“I’m sorry,” I breathe. “I just…”
I reach up to rub my eyes and find them wet with tears. I can’t even remember the last time I cried—not since I was a child, I think—and I feel a strange sense of shame as I hide my face from Peaches. It just makes things worse, and I’m shocked when my shoulders shake and a sob wrenches itself free.
I’m so tired.
I’m so happy.
I can’t believethis is my life.
“Javi,” she says again, concern strangling her voice.
“Look at me, please…I’m worried.”
I finally get up the courage to meet her eyes and my gaze hovers over the girls.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “It’s been an emotional day.”
She laughs softly, her own eyes tearing up. “You know you apologize an awful lot. You should stop that.”
