Chapter 145
Envy
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The kingdom felt too still without little feet pattering through the halls. No Elliot calling out for Layah to join his games, no Macey giggling as she tried to sneak biscuits before dinner. Just quiet. Too quiet. My mates didn’t let me sit in it for long. The moment we stepped inside, Xavier brushed past me and into the kitchen. “Sit,” he ordered gently, already pulling things out of the fridge. “Food first.”
Haiden dropped onto the couch beside me, tugging my legs over his lap so he could rub slow circles into my calves. “You’ve been on your feet too much today,” he muttered, not even waiting for me to argue before his thumbs dug deeper.
Noah returned a few minutes later with a tray of sandwiches, fruit, and water. He set it in front of me with a pointed look. “Eat. No excuses.”
I laughed softly, even as my stomach growled on cue. “You’re all fussing like I’m made of glass.”
Levi took the spot on my other side, one hand smoothing over my belly with care that made me melt into him. “Not glass,” he said. “Treasure.”
“Corny,” Haiden teased, but his grin softened when I leaned into Levi’s touch.
Later, Xavier drew me up from the couch and into the bath he’d already run. Steam curled in the air, lavender oils scenting the water. He undressed me carefully, fingertips lingering reverently over the curve of my stomach. “You deserve peace,” he murmured. “Let us give it to you.”
I let myself sink into the warm water, my head pillowed against his chest while the others moved in and out, passing towels, kneading my shoulders, kissing my temple. By the time they helped me dress in a soft robe, the tension in me had loosened. The night ended piled together on the couch, a movie playing low, plates of half–finished snacks scattered across the table. I lay tucked between them, head resting on Noah’s chest, Haiden combing his fingers through my hair, Xavier stretched along the floor, rubbing lazy circles on my ankle, Levi pressing absent kisses to my hand every so often.
“You’re staring again,” I teased quietly.
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14:05 Wed, Sep 3
Chapter 145
Xavier didn’t even deny it. “You’re worth staring at.”
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Layah, of course, decided to get in on all the extra attention materializing from me and lying across Xavier’s lap. He smirked at me and shifted, letting Maddox curl around her. This, right here, this is what we’ve been missing amidst all the crazy. I have to wonder if we’ll get many moments like these. If our children will.
The next morning came soft and slow, the kingdom humming around me like it always
does. I blinked awake to the faint glow of the stones, my hand instinctively sliding to my
belly before I even sat up. The bed was warm with the weight of my mates scattered
around me,
Xavier already half–awake, Levi sprawled with a notebook still open on his
chest, Haiden snoring lightly, and Noah propped on an elbow, watching me with that quiet little smile. The phone on the side table buzzed. I frowned, reached for it, and answered. Reina’s voice carried through, warm but a little tight with emotion.
“Envy? It’s me. We just wanted to check in.”
- sat up straighter, heart giving a small leap. “How are they?”
“They’re good,” she said, and I could hear the relief under her words. “Elliot slept with his brother last night. They both refused to let go of each other. Macey…” her voice softened even more, “…Macey’s already teaching Elias how to braid ribbons. George says our house hasn’t been this loud in years.”
I smiled, pressing the phone closer. “That sounds about right.”
George’s voice rumbled faintly in the background, and then he came closer on the line. “They’re settling, Envy. Really. Elliot’s been showing us his drawings, telling us all about pirate ships and glitter bombs.” He chuckled, low and a little bewildered. “That boy has a light to him. You’ve done well by him.”
My throat tightened. “We just love him. That’s all.”
There was a pause, then Reina spoke again. “I know this can’t be easy for you, but I wanted you to hear it from us. He’s happy. They both are. We’ll keep them safe, and we’ll make sure they feel every ounce of love, from both sides of their family.”
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