Page 233 of Dawn of Chaos and Fury
“Let me look over Kat and make sure we can move her. I need a few minutes.”
He nodded, moving back to Kat’s side. Everything quieted down around him as he stared down at his wife and son. Cienna did the barest amount before they all Traveled from the House of Four, and an hour later, they were settled into a small suite at the Shifter home.
“Sleep, kitten,” he said softly.
He was sitting against the headboard, Kat nestled into his side with the babe in her arms. The babe had just eaten, and Kat hadn’t slept yet.
“I can’t,” she whispered. “The last time I fell asleep, I woke up to…”
Guilt clawed at him, and he pushed it away. He was drugged. They were played. This wasn’t his fault.
“No one is touching him,” he said, gently reaching for the babe. “Cienna is here. The Shifters. Rayell and Cade have more than proven their loyalty. We’ve sent word to Theon. I swear to you, no one will touch him.”
She nodded, already scooting lower on the bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow, and then it was just him and the tiny sleeping thing in his arms. Black hair, but he’d expected nothing less. A mix of his white complexion and her dark skin. Emerald eyes that matched his, and a set of lungs that let everyone know when he wasn’t happy.
Perfect and innocent.
He glanced down at Kat, her chest steadily rising and falling as she slept. Cienna had said the tonic she drank should wear off anytime, letting her magic wake back up.
Axel ran his knuckle along his son’s cheek, drinking in the sight of him. “No one will touch you,” he murmured low.
41
THEON
“Where are they?” Theon demanded as they were led into the main foyer of the Shifter house.
“Hello to you too,” Giselle said pointedly from where she stood next to Kylian. She eyed everyone trailing in after him. “Your entourage grows every time I see you, Theon.”
He paused, helping Tessa with her jacket before passing it to Luka to hang on a hook.
“Introductions can wait, Giselle,” Theon answered. “Show me to Axel and Kat, please.”
“It’s rude,” Kylian said, arms crossed over his broad chest.
“It is,” Theon agreed. “But I do have some developments to discuss with youafterI have seen Axel.”
They weren’t happy about it, but they finally acquiesced, leading them down a hall to a guest wing. Theon knocked once on the door, and the moment he heard Axel call “Come in,” he was pushing it open. A rush of relief washed over him at seeing them whole and safe, and in Kat’s arms was a tiny bundle wrapped in a forest green blanket.
“Axel,” Theon said, his name a little hoarse as he took the scene. His younger brother, a father.
Tessa cleared her throat, standing back near the door with Luka. “Congratulations.”
Axel smiled wide, walking over as he said, “Thank you, baby doll.”
Theon reached for him, pulling him into a hug. “You’re a father,” he said, his voice low.
Axel huffed a laugh. “Yeah. How fucking weird is that to say?”
Releasing him, Theon glanced at the bed where Kat was watching them with a small smile. “Can I see them?” Theon asked.
“Of course,” Axel replied, leading him over to the bed.
Theon bent down, pressing a soft kiss to Kat’s cheek. “Congratulations, Katya.”
“Thank you, Theon,” she murmured. She looked tired, but her eyes were bright as she snuggled that babe closer.
“He’s healthy?” Theon asked, seeing dark hair and a mix of his parents’ complexions.
