Still… the thought of that probe going inside her makes my blood boil. I run a hand through my hair, rub the back of my neck, turn halfway away, then back again, trying to leash the beast roaring in my chest.
Audra squeezes my arm gently. "It's just an ultrasound. For the baby. Our baby."
Our baby.
Those two words hit like a sedative and a shot of adrenaline at the same time. I exhale hard through my nose, forcing my shoulders to drop. The doctor is still pale, waiting for permission like his life depends on it. Which is smart. Because it does.
"Fine," I growl, voice low and rough. "But if you hurt her, even a little, I'll feed you your own hands."
Altera nods quickly. "Understood."
I stay right there, one hand on Audra's shoulder, the other clenched at my side, eyes never leaving her face as the probe isgently inserted. She winces slightly but keeps looking at me, that small, tired smile still on her lips.
"See?" she whispers. "It's okay. Breathe, my love."
My love.
The words settle something primal in me. I lean down and press my forehead to hers, breathing her in while the screen comes to life beside us. A tiny, flickering heartbeat appears. Our baby. Our baby's heartbeat. I freeze.
A sound fills the room—fast, strong, alive—like a war drum calling me home. Something raw and primal cracks open in my chest. I've killed men without blinking. I've buried family. I've stared into the face of my own sister's murderer and felt nothing but cold purpose.
But this?
This tiny, fluttering rhythm completely undoes me.
I lean down and kiss Audra, pouring every ounce of the wonder and terror and savage joy surging through me into that kiss. When I pull back, my forehead rests against hers, my hand still covers the one she has pressed to her stomach. I've never felt this for anybody in my life. Not like this. And now there are two who need me. Two who depend on me. My woman and my child. The thought settles into my bones like steel. They are mine to protect, mine to claim, mine to keep safe from the wolves circling outside these walls. No one will ever touch what belongs to me.
"When…" My voice comes out rough, almost reverent. "When will I see my son?"
Audra laughs softly, the sound is tired but bright, cutting through the tension like sunlight. "You're so full of it. It could be a girl, you know."
I'm about to argue—because deep in my gut I already feel it's a boy, a little warrior who'll carry my name—when the doctor's hand stills.
"Hold on… there's another sound."
The probe shifts slightly. A second, equally strong heartbeat joins the first. Twin pulses. Two tiny lives. The doctor looks up, calm but clearly surprised. "Well… that is the sound of another baby."
Audra's eyes go wide. "Another baby?"
I stare at the screen, at the two distinct flickers, and my brain short-circuits between pure, blinding joy and the overwhelming weight of responsibility.
"Twins?" The word leaves me on a stunned breath.
Twins.
Two babies.
Two pieces of Audra and me, growing inside her right now.
The possessive beast inside me roars to life, louder than ever. She's carrying my twins. My blood. My legacy. My future. I kiss her again, harder this time, my hand splaying wide over her stomach like I can shield both of them from the world with nothing but my palm and my will.
"Twins," I repeat, hearing the wonder and dark satisfaction in my voice. "Fuck, Audra… you're giving me twins."
She laughs through fresh tears, her bandaged hand coming up to cup my damaged face. "We're having twins…"
I rest my forehead against hers once more, breathing her in, the steady dual rhythm of our children filling the room like a promise and a warning all at once.
They are mine.
