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“Maximus?” Her voice, barely a sough, pushes her breath to the front of my left shoulder.
It sounds shaky and unsure, raising alarms along my senses, but the last thing she needs right now is me acting like king melodrama. There’ll likely be plenty of time for that soon, if I’m remembering things right from witnessing two Alameda colleagues count down to their own new family additions.
Under normal circumstances, I’d laugh at myself for the thought but manage to smooth it into a warm-toned reply along the curve of her nape.
“Yeah, beautiful?”
She barely moves. If anything, her limbs are tensing against my embrace.
“Listen. You have to be honest with me.”
“Have I ever been anything but?”
She gulps hard before stuttering back. “Are you…happy about it?” But then, before I can form half a glower, “I mean, we don’t even know if Jaden and Kell are right!”
I forget about what to say. What Ido, tightening my hold with unmistakable force, is more meaningful. I watch the gratitude in her eyes, despite the new element that’s invaded her tone and my nerve endings. What is it? Desperation? Insecurity?Fear?
Again, not the time for melodrama.Get your shit together, man.
I push my energy forward, focusing everything on her. I soothe the back of her head with a steady hand.
“What’s your gut telling you?” And perhaps other anatomical parts—though I obey common sense and keep that to myself.
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t know?” I murmur. “Or don’t want to admit?”
I hate being the cause of her new startle but refuse to be the guy watching her head disappear deeper into the sand.
“Kara?”
The better part of another minute goes by. I give her the pause, acknowledging I haven’t exactly asked her for a comment on the weather. I can’t just focus into her soul and figure out what she’s thinking, but shecando that to me, and she has to be basking in nothing but the radiance of my joy and the fullness of my giddiness.
But now, so sharply, the jab of my puzzlement.
As I feel her shoulders tremble from soft sobs.
“Kara.” I cup her upper arms and extend her away by several inches. My neck cracks from bending over so fast to peer into her eyes, now a bright sienna from swelling tears. “Little enchantress. What’s all this?”
She sniffs heavily. “Notallthis, Maximus. Just…this. Ababy.It’s so singular. And incredible. And…irrevocable.”
Against my strongest will, the edges of my lips twitch. “I’m aware of how that works, sweetheart. I helped with the process. With all my heart and soul, I might add.”
She glowers. It’s adorable. I bite my tongue to discipline the lip quirks, but not fast enough. Kara side-eyes my subtle mirth before batting at my jaw.
“Heart and soul that are like my air and water, Mr. Kane. But we’ve got a bigger picture to figure out right now. Like what this is going to mean to a lot of different…entities.”
“I understand.” Probably more than I want to—though that part also stays buttoned behind my pressed lips as I tuck her close once more.
“I don’t want to tell anyone.” Her words are soft but resolved, now heating my right shoulder. “I don’t think wecan. And Kell and Jaden should probably sign nondisclosures.”
“Right.” Too late for reining my sardonicism at that one. “Hold on. I’ve got a stack waiting in my kitchen drawer.”
Kara pushes away, already shaking her head. “They’re already in danger just for knowing. If you and I were just a couple of humans announcing a visit from the fictional stork—”
“Hey. Wearehumans.” By fewer degrees than most, but it’s still a fact.
“But less than two hours ago, you were facing off with Megaera, anactualstork by any other name. She was more than happy to fill you in about why her mistress, the queen of freaking Olympus, ordered her to stay in this realm and keep watch on us.”
