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Klaus’s ears perked at the words. Was the man more powerful than his sisters? Had Klaus underestimated Silver by thinking he couldn’t destroy him when in fact, he could? Pride sparked to life, his dragon refusing to believe it and his spine stiffening. He tilted his head.
“How about you come over here and say that to my face? I don’t think I heard you,” he egged on.
Silver made a sound and leaned forward. Klaus did the same, shaking the table with his hands. Magic and his beast clashed while the vampire beside him stirred and stood to either join in or stop them—
“I’m pregnant.”
Even through the chaos, the announcement felt like a pin dropping in the silence, faint but distinct. Klaus took in the visible shock on Silver’s features, effectively jerking him to stand before the words flooded Klaus’s mind and sent it reeling. He whirled to face Sapphire, who looked distressed. But there was no regret on her expression as she stood up and cleared her throat.
“You heard that right. I’m pregnant,” she repeated firmly. “That was the plan all along; to continue the Oslo line of dragons and to secure my place here—to secure the people’s place and ensure that they would continuously have a leader to protect them. But more importantly, it’s the start ofmyfamily here, and I would appreciate it if this table and every other piece of furniture in this castle remain intact and no further aggression is acted upon here.”
“Sapphire…” Silver trailed off, shaken.
“I know you care about me, Silver, and constantly worry over my life,” she said, meeting her brother’s gaze. “And I appreciate it, I truly do. But you’ve been gone for years, and I handled things my way without any help—brilliantly if I do say so myself. Please let me handle this the way I want, too, without your interference.”
Silver paled as if she had spoken harsh words, even when she had deliberately softened her tone. Still shaken, the man visibly retreated, wordlessly communicating with Sapphire before he turned to Rosa. At that, Sapphire promptly tugged Klaus’s hand until he was also on his feet.
“I need to talk to you in private.”
He nodded, or at least he thought he did. Everything was a daze since the news, and he couldn’t even focus on where they were going. All he knew was that they had left the dining hall and were a relative distance away—and alone—before she finally stopped and turned to face him.
“You’re pregnant,” he blurted out the first thing in his blank mind.
She nodded, then peered up at him seriously. “My brother was wrongfully thrown in Hellhole—a step far worse than the Wasteland, as you know. He was possessed by evil and harmed villagers, so our council threw him in there without question, where he suffered without help and couldn’t get out. Years later, we learned the truth, exposed the real enemy, and got him out of there ourselves. It’s why we were searching for him and found him in Rosa’s clan, where we met you too.”
Hellhole was a place where the significantly more evil creatures were punished and was suspected to be connected to the Underworld, where demons and other unspeakable monsters thrived. Even Klaus wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy when death was a more merciful solution, and a part of him pitied the warlock. But the bigger part couldn’t move on.
“You’re pregnant,” he repeated, still in awe.
“He’s troubled but healing with Rosa’s help. He feels guilty about leaving us all those years, even if it wasn’t his intention, and he feels guilty about letting himself be possessed. It’s why he’s overprotective and why he came here without thinking.” She bit her lip, willing him to understand. Then, when she realized that he was still stuck, Sapphire smiled. “And yes. Yes, I am.”
No words could have affected him as hard, putting him at a standstill while his emotions crashed around inside him.
“Truly?” he managed to whisper out, watching the way her cheeks turned pink. Her hand also went to her stomach, an action that he normally never paid attention to but now made something inside him quiver.
“Truly.”
“Since when?”
“I discovered it yesterday and was planning to tell you today, but I got…distracted.” The pink on her cheeks deepened and he knew where her mind went. “Then we had visitors and got distracted again and...I don’t know how far along I am. I just know that I missed my period and I feel the changes inside me, including my appetite. I put it all together yesterday and confirmed it with my magic and…I’m nervous about it. Scared shitless, actually, and—”
He hauled her in, caught her gasp in a kiss, and waited until her body grew pliant against his and she kissed him back. They got lost in it for a while, missing each other’s touch after hours of lacking it, but now it held a deeper meaning as they basked in what they shared. When she pulled back, still nervous, he kissed her forehead and drew her in for a hug.
“You got this. I know you got this, sweetheart. You’re a strong person. So is our little warrior.”
“How do you know it’s not a girl?” she protested.
“A girl could also be a warrior,” he shot back and watched her smile bloom. “Any offspring that comes from us would be nothing but fierce and wonderful.”
That eased her worries away, and she stayed in his embrace until they heard footsteps and voices calling out her name. Recognizing them, Klaus bit back a sigh and pulled away.
“I think your siblings want to check on you again, and I suspect this is going to be a theme while they stay indefinitely here.”
“Indefinitely?”
“They’re welcome for as long as they want,” he offered. “As long as they behave. Now, go. Spend some time with them and relax.”
There she was again, lighting up as if he had just handed her the world. He savored that look and continued watching her as she stepped out of her hiding spot and called them back, then got lost in the flurry of excited voices. Klaus stayed where he was, then turned and walked off when he noticed that only the females had come looking for her. The smile dropped from his lips and a frown replaced it as his mind kickstarted into endless ruminations, all of which just gave him a headache.
