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"Thanks for the help," she says, already moving away, retreating emotionally as much as physically.
I watch her go, frustration building in my chest. How can she still not see what's happening between us? Or is she deliberately choosing not to—protecting herself by maintaining the emotional distance of our original arrangement?
Perhaps, I realize with a sinking feeling, she really does intend to leave once the babies are born. Perhaps all my hopes that something more might grow between us have been one-sided fantasies.
The thought leaves me cold, even as the more practical part of my brain reminds me that this was always the plan. She would give me heirs, I would give her freedom. That was our deal. Nothing more.
But standing in the hallway, watching her disappear into her room, I know with bone-deep certainty that I want more. Much more.
The question is, does Trinity?
18
TRINITY
The first pain hits like lightning striking through my body, shocking me awake from a fitful sleep. I gasp, clutching at my swollen belly, the sheets tangling around my legs as I struggle to sit up.
"Vael," I whisper, then louder as another wave crashes over me, "Vael!"
The door to my room flies open so quickly it's clear he wasn't far away. His tall silhouette fills the doorframe, red-gold eyes practically glowing in the darkness.
"What's wrong?" His voice is tight with concern.
"I think—" My words cut off as another spasm seizes me. I grab the bedpost, knuckles turning white. "They're coming."
He's beside me in an instant, one large hand covering mine on the bedpost, the other hovering uncertainly.
"Tell me what to do," he says, and the vulnerability in his deep voice nearly undoes me.
"Get Jackie," I manage between clenched teeth. "And send for Mireva."
He hesitates, clearly reluctant to leave my side.
"Go!" I command, attempting a smile that probably looks more like a grimace. "I'm not having these babies this second."
The next hours blur into a haze of pain and preparation. Jackie arrives first, her practical efficiency exactly what I need. She helps me into a birthing gown, arranges the room, and places a cool cloth on my forehead.
"You're doing great," she assures me, her platinum braid swinging as she moves about the room. "First babies always take their time."
Vael paces like a caged predator, his imposing frame making the spacious room suddenly feel small. Every time I gasp or moan, he's at my side instantly, looking as terrified as I feel.
"Where the fuck is Mireva?" he growls after a particularly brutal contraction leaves me breathless.
As if summoned by his curse, the healer glides into the room, her sea-glass eyes taking in the scene with serene assessment. Her green-black locs are tied back, and her bronze skin seems to shimmer in the lamplight.
"The children choose their own time," she says cryptically, setting her bag of herbs and implements beside the bed. Her cool hands press against my stomach, and I swear I can feel energy flowing from her fingers into my skin. "And they seem quite determined to meet their parents."
The labor intensifies as night gives way to dawn. I lose track of time, aware only of the rising and falling waves of pain. Through it all, Vael refuses to leave, even when Jackie suggests he might wait outside.
"I'm staying," he says with such fierce determination that no one argues further.
He sits behind me, supporting my weight against his chest, his strong arms creating a fortress around me. I've never been held like this—like I'm something precious, something worth protecting.
"You're the strongest person I've ever known," he murmurs against my hair during a brief respite between contractions. "You can do this, Trinity."
The pain returns before I can respond, more intense than before. I cry out, unable to hold back.
"That's it," Mireva encourages, positioning herself at the foot of the bed. "It's time to push now."