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Kingston’s voice punched me in the gut. Now wasn’t the time for my mind to play tricks.
“Baby... come on. I was just joking.”
A sob broke free as I spun around, seeing Kingston, naked as the day he was born and covered in bruises, walking toward me on the beach. I started crying in earnest, my tears blurring the rest of his journey to me.
“It’s okay. You got her. You did it.” Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me out of the spiral of pain and into his warm body. “You did it, baby. You saved the whole damn world.”
“Bloody hell. Remind me never to build a sandcastle ever, please. I’m going to have nightmares about being pummeled by those fucking golems.”
I twisted in Kingston’s hold, relief washing through me at the sight of Noah, his wounds healing as he joined us.
“I’m going to be finding sand in places it shouldn’t be for weeks.”
Rushing him, I slammed against his body and held him tight. “You’re alive.”
“I’m much harder to kill than most, dove.”
I bit down on my lip, tears burning in my throat as I thought of another man who’d once said the same.
“A-Alek...”
“Is right over there.” Kingston pointed to the path behind me, the one that wove its way around the beach and to the village. “Looks like he’s got someone who’d like to see her mommy.”
My breath caught at the sight of my berserker heading straight for me with our daughter in tow. It was a dream, him with all that golden hair blowing in the breeze, a sleeping infant cuddled against his neck.
I was frozen in the spot as I worked to put together the pieces. “I... I watched you fall. You went into the portal.”
“Ah, Kærasta. I thought you had more faith in me than that. Mischief is my specialty. I just knew that bitch would need to think she succeeded if we were going to stand a chance.”
“You tricked her?”
“Quite successfully, I might say. Hubris is always the downfall of the truly evil. They never believe anyone can get anything past them. Give them what they want, and they’ll fall for it every single time. My father taught me that.”
I blinked, tears welling. “I could kiss him.”
“You should kiss me instead.”
God, yes, I should.
Kingston grabbed my wrist. “Hey, wait your turn. I was here first. I get dibs on all kisses.”
“The only one with dibs right now is Eden. I need to hold her... please?”
“God, it’s already started. We’ve all been replaced, fellas. Say goodbye to being little spoon.”
Alek moved in so I could scoop her out of his arms. A relieved shudder worked through me at finally getting to touch her. I truly lost it then, my tears breaking free and everything hitting me all at once.
“Don’t listen to him, my sweet girl. My precious baby. You’re perfect. I knew you would be. They tried to tell me you were evil, but I knew you weren’t. Me and your da-daddies.” I pressed kiss after kiss to her head, drawing the scent of her deep into my lungs and memorizing it.
“She is perfect. Just like you, baby.” Kingston’s voice broke, and he took a shuddering breath, doing nothing to wipe away the tear streaking down his cheek. “I was kidding. She’s the best little spoon in the whole wide world.” He nuzzled my neck while Noah reached out to run his fingertip over Eden’s nose, and Alek rested his palm against my lower back.
“I can’t believe it’s over and we’re still standing,” Noah said.
“Really? I never had any doubts,” Alek said.
“Of course you bloody didn’t, Viking.”
Then, as if finally realizing we were still missing someone, Kingston stiffened and looked around. “Sunday, where’s Caleb?”
