Page 50

I swallow hard. "It's what we agreed to."
"We agreed to a lot of things that don't seem to matter anymore." He places Liora back in her crib, his movements careful despite the tension in his voice.
Before I can respond, Jackie's distinctive knock sounds from downstairs. Saved by the human.
"That's early even for her," I say, grateful for the interruption.
Vael nods, casting one last look at me that I can't decipher before heading downstairs.
I finish feeding Kaelin, holding her against me longer than necessary. Her tiny weight anchors me in reality when everything else feels like shifting sand beneath my feet.
By the time I make it downstairs with both babies, Jackie's already bustling around the kitchen, her platinum blonde braid swinging as she moves. The shaved sides of her head catch the morning light, making her look like she's wearing a metallic crown.
"There they are!" She beams at the sight of us, immediately abandoning whatever she was mixing to take Liora from my arms. "How's my favorite little troublemaker today?"
"Quiet for now." I adjust Kaelin against my shoulder. "Her sister made up for it overnight."
"These two are gonna keep you on your toes," Jackie laughs, bouncing Liora gently. "Good thing you've got the big scary demon to help."
I glance toward the doorway where Vael has reappeared, dressed in his hunting leathers. The sight of him like this—armed and dangerous—creates a jarring contrast to the gentle father who held our daughters moments ago.
"I won't be gone long." He approaches, one hand coming to rest on my lower back while he peers down at Kaelin. "Try to get some sleep while Jackie's here."
"I always try." I offer him a small smile. "Be careful."
His eyes soften in a way reserved only for these quiet moments. "Always am."
When he's gone, Jackie settles Liora in the cushioned basket she keeps in the kitchen. "You look like death warmed over, sweetie. Go take a proper bath. I've got these two monsters."
"They're hardly monsters," I protest, though I'm already imagining the luxury of hot water.
"Says you." Jackie grins, taking Kaelin from my arms. "Go. Before I change my mind."
The bathwater is incredible, scented with oils Jackie brought that she swears help with healing. I sink into it gratefully, letting my head rest against the edge of the tub.
This routine we've fallen into feels dangerously comfortable. Jackie arrives each morning, bringing warmth and chatter into a house that was once cold and empty. She cooks, cleans, and helps with the twins while telling stories about her wife Donna and their life in the city.
Vael returns in the evenings, sometimes bloodied from his hunts but always softening the moment he sees the girls. He takes them without hesitation, freeing me to eat or bathe or simply breathe. We've developed a wordless dance, passing babies between us, anticipating needs before they're spoken.
At night, he sleeps in his room, I in mine, with the twins between us in the nursery—a physical manifestation ofthe unspoken barrier we maintain despite everything that's changed.
I close my eyes, sinking deeper into the water. This wasn't the plan. None of this was the plan.
The plan was to bear his heir and leave.
The plan was to never care.
The plan was freedom.
But as I listen to Jackie's cheerful voice floating up from the kitchen, cooing nonsense to my daughters, I wonder what freedom really means anymore.
I wrap myself in a soft robe after my bath, a small luxury I'm still not used to. The house is quiet—suspiciously quiet for a place with newborn twins. Following the silence, I pad down the hallway toward the main living space.
I stop at the threshold, the scene before me freezing me in place.
Vael sits cross-legged on the plush rug by the hearth, both twins nestled in his massive arms. His deep voice rumbles through the room as he speaks, those dangerous red-gold eyes soft as he looks down at our daughters.
"—and that's how your father tracked the most notorious thief on three planets through the caverns of Shozuh with nothing but a broken compass and pure stubbornness."