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Despite the iron weight on my chest, I laugh. It brings a lopsided grin to his face that only adds to unbelievable charm of him. But the amusement dims when he settles his palm across the soft muscles of my stomach like he already knows. Like he can already feel the possibility, even though I know that’s not possible.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” I begin. “It’s been such a long week and it seems like it will never end.” I run a dry tongue over my equally dry lips. “Yesterday was just so much.”

Van lifts my hand to kiss again. Tickles the skin with the soft bristle darkening his jaw.

“You have no reason to apologize,” he murmurs. “You’ve gone through a lot in a very short amount of time. Sometimes it helps to just let it all out.”

He makes it sound so rational. Logical even. But I’ve been dealing with everything on my own for so long that it seems ridiculous that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

But even still, I am not comforted by the excuses. A bad week is not going to rationalize my oversight.

“It’s more than that. With everything that happened, I...” I suck in a breath. A deep one. “I didn’t mean to forget. I’m usually on top of it. I don’t think I’ve ever missed a day in years. I only realized this morning that I...”

“Forgot what, sweetheart?” Lachlan urges, brushing his fingers along the curve of my cheek.

I feel the thundering collision of organ against bone exploding in my chest. The violent taste of copper filling my mouth. I stare up into his soft focus and wonder if this is the last time I’m going to see him look at me like this.

“My birth control.”

I shred the confession through my lungs and past my lips. It hits the air and plumes wide like oil in the ocean. Not even the immediate latch of my teeth over my bottom lip can save me now.

Both men go still. Silent. Their eyes abandon me for a single heartbeat to exchange glances, fleeting flicks as if to ask the other if they heard the same thing before they return, weighted pools pulling me in. Under.

I try to hold my breath, but it’s all consuming and their silence is infinite.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” I babble, frantic. “I promise it wasn’t intentional.” I search Lachlan’s brown eyes, begging him not to get angry. “I don’t expect anything if I am. It’s my fault. I’ll—”

“What?” Lachlan murmurs so quietly I almost don’t hear him over the pounding of terror between my ears. “What will you do if you are?”

I swallow. Try to. There’s no spitin my mouth.

I wish they would move so I can get up. Every bone in my body wants to run, to get as far away from them as possible before the gravity of my confession catches up to them.

“I ... I’ll ... keep it,” I squeak. “I want it. I’ll take full responsibility, and I won’t ask you for anything.” I try to suck in a breath. “Just please don’t hate me.”

Terror and panic are a jagged ball of glass lodged in my throat as I wait for their answer. As I wait for the longest second in history as the two look up at each other again. Maybe it’s the fog of numbing alarm, but I can’t read their expressions. I can’t tell what they’re thinking.

“Do you want our baby, Everly?” Van asks with the same even tone as his friend.

“Yes,” I breathe. “It’s mine. I know this might not be what you want, but I promise I didn’t do this to make you stay—”

Lachlan kisses me.

He tears into my lips with the feral hunger of a wolf. Early morning stubble scratches my skin. His hand slides beneath my head, cradles my skull and holds me prisoner as he devours me until I can’t breathe.

“Ours,” he growls, hot and savage. Possessive. “It’sourbaby. Do you really think we wouldn’t want something made of you and us?” His lips are at my throat, teeth nipping down the curve.

Van’s palm slides down my belly, fingers splay. His eyes follow the path, bright with excitement.

“If there’s even a chance,” he says quietly, “I want it. I want you withourbaby.”

Lachlan’s voice is lower, rougher as he reaches the underside of my chin. “You’re ours, Everly. Anything that comes from you ... from in you, is ours.”

All that doubt washes free with every sweep of their hands. Every whisper of their lips. Their words fill me with the sweetest honey. I am so lost in their love. Their joy. I’m crying even as a laugh escapes.

“You really mean it?” I choke out. “You want this?”

Lachlan growls against my jaw, hand tugging and yanking my top up over my waist. Bunching the material to bare my stomach and everything from the waist down.