Page 126 of What Comes Around

My breath caught. Knox’s grip tightened just slightly, enough for me to feel it.

“That’s the heartbeat.”

I couldn’t look away. Neither could he.

Dr. Wilde glanced between us, her expression softening. “Everything looks good. Congratulations. You’re pregnant.”

My eyes burned as the words settled, slow and heavy. Fear, wonder, disbelief tangled together in a way I couldn’t separate.

Knox didn’t speak. He just stood there, staring at the screen, his thumb moving slowly over the back of my hand.

The doctor finished after a few minutes, giving me time to recover and dress. When she returned, she drew blood for routine tests, explaining everything as she worked. Hormone levels. Iron. Vitamins. Prenatal care. What to expect in the coming weeks. Her voice was calm, steady, grounding in a way I didn’t quite feel.

She handed me a pamphlet. “We’ll schedule a follow-up with an obstetrician.”

I nodded automatically, trying to listen, trying to take it in.

But my mind kept drifting back.

To the sound.

That tiny, steady heartbeat.

I would do everything in my power to protect it. To keep it safe. To hold on to something that already felt fragile and impossibly important.

By the time we stepped out of the hospital, the sky had already darkened. Knox stayed close, his hand at the small of my back as we walked. Lena followed a few steps behind us.

Nathan pulled up a moment later, the SUV rolling to a smooth stop. Titan’s massive head appeared over the backseat the second he saw us, ears perked, eyes locked on us.

Knox opened the door for me.

“Careful,” he murmured, guiding me inside like I was something fragile. I sank into the seat, exhaustion washing over me in slow, heavy waves as Knox’s hand found mine again. “We’ll figure everything out,” he said quietly.

I turned my head to look at him. His expression was calm, steady, not panicked, and I nodded faintly before my eyelids began to droop. My head tipped against his shoulder as sleep pulled at me, dragging me under in uneven waves.

I drifted in and out, catching fragments of movement, voices, the soft rumble of Titan’s breathing. At some point the car stopped, a door opened, and cold air brushed my cheek before strong arms slid beneath me.

I blinked, barely conscious, as Knox lifted me out of the car like I weighed nothing. My head fell against his shoulder automatically, my body molding to his without resistance, his scent wrapping around me, familiar and safe.

He carried me inside, and I let him, too drained to move or speak, trusting him completely as the world blurred at the edges and my thoughts slipped out of reach. I was dimly aware of the front door opening, then closing, of Titan’s nails clicking softly behind us, a quiet whine following.

Then there was the bed. The softness beneath me as Knox lowered me down, his hand brushing a strand of hair from my face.

“Sleep,” he murmured.

The coverlet settled over me, warm and light, and a soft sigh escaped my lips. I didn’t have the strength to open my eyes again.

Sleep pulled me under before I could.

Chapter 40: No Turning Back

The sound pulled me out of sleep slowly, persistent and sharp enough to cut through the fog in my head. A phone rang.

I shifted under the covers, reaching blindly across the bed before my hand slid off the edge and down to the nightstand. Nothing. The ringing continued, louder now, insistent. I pushed myself up with a groan and leaned over the side, fingers brushing against my bag on the floor until I finally found the phone inside.

I blinked at the screen, trying to focus. Amy.

I answered, my voice still heavy with sleep. “Hello…?”