Page 60 of A Promise of Forever
"Will you still want me?"
I tense, confused about what’s changed in the last hour or two. "Where is this coming from, little dove? Of course, I want you! That's never going to change, no matter what."
Sterling's face crumples with fresh tears. "I think I might be pregnant. We didn't use protection during my heat, and I’m not on anything. I... I'm so sorry. And now Wilson is here causing problems, and I'm bringing all this danger to your doorstep, and I'm so, so sorry."
Understanding crashes over me as pieces click into place. The honey sweetness in his scent, Caelan's cryptic comments about talking to Sterling, the heightened emotions through our bond. Sterling thinks he's pregnant and is terrified I'm going to reject him for it.
"How do you know?" I ask, keeping my voice carefully neutral while I process this information.
"Astra explained about scent changes after heats," Sterling says between sobs. "And then I saw Wilson and everything just... you're not mad at me?"
I hold out my arms, shaking my head firmly to dispel any notion that I could be angry about this. "Come here, little dove."
Sterling stares at me for a long moment, like he's trying to determine if this is a trick or a trap. Then slowly, he crawls across the space between us and straddles my hips, wrapping his arms around me and burying his face in my neck.
"You're mine, remember?" I murmur against his hair, holding him close and letting my scent surround him. "Nothing changes that. Not pregnancy, not Wilson, not anything in this world." Sterling sags against me with relief as I press my lips to hishead. "I'm going absolutely nowhere, little dove. And the little bundle you might be bringing into our life is going to be fucking fantastic. I'm going to love them fiercely, just like I love you."
"But what about Wilson?" Sterling asks, his voice muffled against my shoulder. "I saw him down there and I just... I can't handle him being so close."
"He challenged me to meet him in the ring," I explain, feeling Sterling tense against me immediately. "It's going to be the final fight of the evening."
"I don't want you to get hurt," Sterling says, pulling back to look at me with fear clear in his expression.
"I won't," I promise him. "I have people to fight for now. Multiple someones, apparently." I run my hand over his still-flat stomach, wonder filling me at the possibility of life growing there.
"You're really not mad?" Sterling asks again, like he can't quite believe my acceptance.
"Why would I be?" I counter, cupping his face gently. "Two people participated in creating this possibility, and if our child is going to be anything like you, I'm going to be tempted to fill you up all over again just to have more."
Sterling pulls away, blushing furiously. "But I'm broken. Damaged. How can I be a good parent when I don't know what that looks like?"
"Sweetheart, you're not broken," I say, making sure he's looking at me and hearing every word. "People just tried to dull your shine, to convince you that you were less than you are. But you're perfect, and you're going to be an amazing parent."
I pull him into a passionate kiss, pouring all my love and acceptance through the bond and the physical contact. When we finally break apart, I try to keep my tone level despite the serious direction the conversation is about to take. "I don't have to meet Wilson until nine PM," I tell him, checking my watch and seeingwe have hours. "Do you want to watch the other fights from the box, or would you rather stay in here away from everything?"
Sterling stares at the door, clearly torn between wanting to be brave and needing safety. "Can you just hold me? I know you have to go down there eventually, but I just... I need you right here, right now."
"Then that's exactly where I'll be," I promise, adjusting our position so we're both more comfortable on the floor of the small room. "For as long as you need me, little dove. Always."
Sterling
Forrest moved us to the bed a little while ago, the sounds fromThe Forgemuffled by the soundproofing but still present as a distant rumble. Forrest is running his fingers up and down my back in slow, soothing patterns that make my whole body relax despite everything happening outside this small sanctuary. His purr vibrates through his chest where I'm pressed against him, calming me even further.
My breathing has evened out, my heart rate has returned to something approaching normal, and the panic that gripped me when I saw Wilson has faded to manageable backgroundanxiety. But as the fear recedes, something else rises to take its place—a needy heat that starts low in my belly and spreads outward.
I press my face into Forrest's neck, inhaling his rum and coconut scent. Without thinking about it, my tongue darts out to lick along the column of his throat, tasting salt and something uniquely him.
I pull back slightly to stare at the expanse of skin I just licked, my eyes tracing the strong lines of his neck and shoulder. I want more, want everyone to see that Forrest is mine just as much as I'm his.
"What's wrong?" Forrest asks, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through both of us. His hands continue their wandering exploration of my body, one of them reaching down to palm my ass possessively. The touch sends heat straight to my core and I wiggle against him to stave off the building heat.
"You marked me," I say quietly, running my fingers over the bond mark on my lip. "Everyone will know I'm yours just by looking at me. But you... there's nothing permanent on you showing that you're mine."
Forrest's hand on my ass squeezes gently, and I can hear the smile in his voice when he responds. "Are you trying to mark me, little dove? Want to put your teeth in me and claim me back?"
A flash of jealousy and anger surges through me—Wilson trying to claim me as his property, trying to take me away from Forrest, acting like he has any right to me. I nod vigorously, my hands clutching at Forrest's shoulders.
"I want him to know that it's more than just you claiming me," I explain. "I claimed you, too. I chose you. When you fight him tonight, I want Wilson to see evidence of my choice marked on your skin. I want him to know that even if he somehow won, I would never go back to him willingly."
