Page 171 of A Fate of Blood and Magic
“They really were,” Nate said.
Ryenne cackled. “Please don’t make your boys those toys.”
“I like my dog and sled,” Victoria said. “I named my dog Elias because it looks like you.”
I barked out a laugh while Elias chuckled softly beside me.
I smiled at the conversation that flowed so easily but turned back to my food and forced myself to eat. After every couple of bites, I stopped to breathe. Just breathe. When we finished, Kieren offered to take Elias’s and my plates inside. Slowly, everyone followed him. I stood, arching my back before I took Elias’s hand. I stood outside our front door, my hand shaking over the knob before I turned back to Elias.
“Should we tell the girls?” I asked. “I don’t want to scare them.”
Hell, I didn’t want to tell anyone. Didn’t want to make this reality any truer than it already was.
Elias’s hand went to my neck, where he grazed his thumb over my skin. “Why don’t we have the girls go to their playroom? Later, I can give them a more condensed, youngling-friendly version of what’s going on. Something simple, like how you need to rest.”
I nodded.
When we went inside, I took my regular spot on the couch while Elias ushered the girls to their playroom with Hee-haw only a few steps behind. I gave Alastor a small smile when he took a seat on the couch closest to the fireplace. His worried gaze swam across my face, and my stupid hormones reacted, making my eyes fill again.
Alastor leaned forward with his hands on his knees as if he were ready to jump up and race to me. “What’s wrong?”
I wiped the tears from my face and sniffled. “Crazy pregnancy hormones.” Among other things.
“Is Kieren making you cry again?” Although Elias’s voice came out light, the smile he gave me was cautious.
“No.” I fanned my face, willing the stupid tears away. “This time, it’s Alastor.”
“Figures.” He took the empty seat beside me, and I immediately grabbed his hand.
Alastor ran a hand over his face. “I don’t know what I did. I didn’t say anything.”
I barked out a laugh at the bewildered look on his face, but he eventually cracked a tiny grin.
“Okay,” I said when everyone started taking a seat in the living room. “All right.”
I took in a calming breath while Elias fiddled with my fingers.
“While Leah was examining the babes, she noticed one of the boys’ hearts isn’t as strong as it should be,” Elias said.
I couldn’t explain it, but I loved that he’d called our sonsboysinstead of males. While he used either term interchangeably, I still preferred the term boys. It felt more intimate. Or maybe it was simply that as a human, I was more accustomed to the word.
“She’s going to be checking on Teddy daily and using her magic to work on his heart and the ill-functioning valves,” Elias continued, his fingers tightening around mine. “In the meantime, Teddy is to rest.”
“Well, shit. Does that mean Elias is going to be doing the cooking for y’all?” Ryenne said. Although it came out as a tease, I saw the worry lingering behind her eyes.
I snorted. “Do you want all of us to end up at Leah’s?”
“I give a few people food poisoning, and I’m forever banned from the kitchen,” Elias said with a wink.
I playfully shoved his shoulder, enjoying the easy camaraderie. I loved that even when faced with something so grave and scary, we still found joy.
“I can cook,” Alastor offered.
“I’m happy to help with the cooking too,” Donnie said.
When my eyes welled up with tears again, Elias growled.
“If any of you make my mate cry again, you’re banned from this house.”
