Page 76 of Mastering their Maiden

He trailed off, and for the first time since she took the child into her arms Aria looked up. Her eyes were wet with tears, and for a moment I saw agony flicker across her features.

But before any of us could move in, it vanished, and she hugged the child closer and pressed her lips to his tiny forehead.

“They’d be safer here anyway,” she said thickly, and Lavan smiled.

“Only because they’d have you guarding them,” he teased. “Umber told us about the battle.” His eyes flicked to me, and I nodded in acknowledgement. “How you saved Kaiden’s life and aided him and Dex in slaughtering those beasts.”

“Granted, he used the word ‘reckless’ to describe it,” Viggo added. Aria scowled before turning to Umber, who only grinned before Zander put into words what I knew all four of us were thinking.

“You look glorious holding that baby, princess.”

Pink stained her cheeks, and I smiled and moved a few steps closer, curious to see the baby up close myself. “If we didn’t have a thousand different tasks to conquer, I’d take you back to the cabin and start making one of our own.”

Aria lifted her eyes to mine. Her expression hardened, but I noticed the slight curl of her lips. “I think you’ll need to chase me down again before that happens.”

“Looking forward to it,” I said, grinning when Zander and the others laughed in agreement.

Aria rolled her eyes, but turned her attention back to the baby when he grunted and began to fuss. She bounced and cooed softly, and a few moments later her friend Summer wandered over. Her friend smiled at the newborn, and then Kaze, Ellis, and Makan approached, and by the looks in their eyes I had no doubts the little boy perched on her hip would have a brother sooner than later.

Our tribe would be strong again; we just had to deal with the threats that remained.

Aria settled herself onto a stack of crates and Umber slid in beside her, letting her rest against his side with the baby still curled in her arms. The rest of us discussed the recent battle, along with the arrival of Quade and Klev’s troops. They’d been en route from the ruins of our former stronghold up north and picked up the pace after a soldier in the southern village alerted them to Rober’s insurrection. Klev’s maiden grew up there and worried about the remaining villagers, especially after they ran into a few battered Skepna on the way.

Klev, Blaise, and Indre stopped to make sure things were safe, while Quade, Viggo, and Lavan continued here. Viggo told us Esme was up most of the night, eager to make sure her sister was safe.

“We rode all night, and she stayed up almost until dawn. Stubbornness must run in their bloodline,” Quade announced fondly.

I huffed, feigning playful annoyance when Aria looked up. “I concur with that assessment.”

Aria scowled, but I saw the corners of her lips curl up. Stubbornness wasn’t a bad quality. Some of the strongest warriors I knew were stubborn asses. Coupled with her other strengths, I still firmly believed Aria would someday give us children so strong their names would be remembered centuries from now.

Though I’m sure our someday was sooner than the one in her mind.

She’d come around. I had no problem chasing her down until she did.

We’d moved onto discussing our next steps. Securing the safety of the villages, then marching on our home city. Quade, Viggo, and Lavan all stood close to where Aria and Umber sat while we talked, likely wanting to be near in case their son needed anything.

But their position meant they missed the approach of the woman who’d given them a son to fuss over.

Esme looked just as lovely as the other times I’d seen her, though there were a few distinct changes. Her dark hair hung past her shoulders now, and her men had taken to decorating it with small braids. She wore a loose-fitting dress compared to the silky numbers women wore in the city, her hips softer and breasts fuller after having given birth to their son. And even though she looked beyond exhausted, her face lit up when her eyes settled on Aria.

She said nothing. Made no sound or any more movement, content to watch her sister snuggle her son. But it wasn’t long before the baby started to stir and fuss, most likely able to sense his mother so close. Aria shushed him gently and Viggo bent to do the same, but Quade turned over his shoulder.

“Esme…” He moved away from Aria and went to his woman, cupping her face with one hand while the other settled on her waist. “You should be sleeping.”

Lavan joined Quade in fussing over Esme a second later, but whatever reply she had for them was lost when the baby let out a loud cry. Aria released him when Viggo asked, and Umber helped her to her feet, offering Esme a place to sit.

“Really, I’m fine,” I heard her saying as I walked closer, laughing to myself when I watched three of the strongest warriors I knew fuss—fuss—over Esme and the baby both.

Though, I had no doubts that when Aria was pregnant with our child, I’d be doing the exact same thing.

“I slept,” I heard Esme insist, but neither Quade nor Lavan looked convinced.

“Not long enough,” Viggo grumbled, though his expression was soft when he pulled Esme close and kissed her forehead. The three of them walked her to the crates, helping her get situated while making formal introductions to Zander, Umber, Dex…

But when they got to me, I couldn’t reply. I was distracted. Because in the brief chaos that occurred between Esme’s arrival and this moment…

Aria had vanished.

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