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“Don’t. Sofia is our child in every way that matters, and you stopped being the nanny a long, long time ago. You are her mother. End of story. And our new child is lucky to have you.” He brought his hand to my stomach. “We all are.”
I blinked my tears away. “I just want to be prepared, you know? It's like I blinked and suddenly I was pregnant, with no time to plan. No time to get ready for it all. I feel like I should be doing a better job, but I don’t even know what I should be doing.”
“Life has a way of catching us off guard,” he said softly. “But that's what makes it interesting, right?”
A small laugh escaped my lips. “I’m not sure ‘interesting’ is the word I’d use to describe our lives right now.”
“Maybe not.” He chuckled and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “But I also believe that even if we had planned for this, it’d still be a lot to adjust to. We just have to trust that fate knows what she’s doing. She hasn’t let us down so far, has she?”
I supposed not. Even though I’d become a dragon shifter against my will, look at what’d come of it. Together, Evan and I had created a new life that never would’ve been possible if I’d remained human.
His words gave me the comfort I’d needed. Despite the uncertainty and fear that remained, I found solace in the knowledge that Evan was by my side. Together, we could face anything, including Tomas Hawthorne.
I went up on tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Evan’s lips, careful not to disturb Sofia nestling against his broad chest, her breaths turning into gentle snores as she drifted into deeper sleep.
“Just look at her,” I whispered, reaching up to gently brush her auburn curls from her forehead. “I can't believe how fast she's growing.”
Evan smiled, his dark eyes filled with love. “She's going to be an amazing big sister, isn’t she?”
“The best.”
“Just like you're going to be an incredible mother to our baby.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
His words warmed me from the inside out, chasing away the lingering shadows of uncertainty, and I kissed him again, capturing his lips, the strength of our connection surging between us.
But as we pulled apart, the back of my neck prickled with unease. I didn’t know how I did, but I felt, with fierce certainty, that something wasn't right. The air felt charged, heavy with a presence that didn't belong.
“Did you feel that?” My pulse began racing. “Someone’s here.”
“I did.” Evan's eyes narrowed, his instincts kicking in as he handed Sofia to me. “Stay here with Sofia. I'm going to check it out.”
My hands shook when I took our sleeping daughter from him, cradling her close to my chest. Had Tomas found us somehow? Mason’s penthouse was just as well-protected as Evan’s had been, but that didn’t mean Tomas couldn’t find a way in. My heart thundered as memories of my kidnapping threatened to overwhelm me, but I pushed them aside. I couldn't afford to freeze up now. I had to be ready for anything. My children’s safety depended on it.
Evan pressed a quick kiss to my forehead before stepping back into the penthouse, his body tensed and ready for action.
Chapter 21
Evan
Who else was here? My heart felt like it might burst out of my chest as adrenaline dumped in my veins, further heightening my senses. Light on my feet, I was back inside in a second flat, trying to make as little noise as possible. I glanced around the room, only seeing Jax and Mason, but they were both on their feet, too.
“Someone’s here,” I said, barely above a whisper. Now that I was inside, I could sense the intruder in the hall. They shouldn’t have been able to get past security, but I knew my enemy was clever.
I narrowed my eyes, my gaze settling on Jax as his eyes went wide. He held up his hands. “It’s okay, calm down.”
That’s when I realized smoke was billowing from my nostrils, and I was this close to shifting to protect what was mine.
“No, no, no. It’s just Matthew,” he said. “Shit, Evan, I'm so sorry. I sent a message to Matthew earlier but forgot to mention it. I didn't think he'd show up unannounced like this.” His remorseful eyes darted between me and the door. “I didn’t mean to freak you out like that.”
He glanced over my shoulder, and I turned to see Mariah peeking inside, her own eyes wide with fear as she clutched Sofia to her chest.
Thank fuck. I was about to come unglued, but several deep breaths had my dragon calming enough to keep the smoke at bay, but he still paced in my subconscious, clearly on edge about the unexpected visitor.
“Jax, what the hell?” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “Do you know what risk this puts you in?”
“It’s okay.” He moved toward the door, right before a knock sounded. “I’m not worried.”
Well, he should be. Even though I’d discussed immunity for my source with Matthew, I didn’t want to risk it.
