Page 175 of Broken Bonds

“What’d Alizée say to you this morning?” I ask. “The private stuff, I mean.”

He sighs. “She told me to go with the flow. Said our baby will be born healthy. Little girl.” He nuzzles my nose. “Hope that part terrifies you as much as it does me, although it’ll probably make Mom scream even louder than today over having a baby girl to spoil rotten.”

“Let’s not tell anyone else, okay? About her being a girl. Not yet. I want to be sure.”

“Okay. I guess Alizée told you, too?”

“Yeah. And she said Mom—my mom—will be here for the birth and our wedding. That things will work out.”

“Yeah. Me, too. I don’t know how that’s supposed to happen,” he admits. “She also told me you have to be part of the plan and to let you participate no matter my emotions, because you are the key to success, and you will be fine.”

His words fill me with vague fear. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He nuzzles my nose again. I really love it when he does that. “She said I’ll probably feel terrified, but to allow the risk, because it’ll all work out and it’s part of a larger success. But not to stress because the plan will form when the time is right without me seeking it.”

“Ooookay. Not vague at alllll.”

“You need to understand I will be overprotective,” he continues. “I can’t help it. Considering these fuckers have attacked vampire nests and inflicted massive casualties, you can’t expect me to remain indifferent to the risk. So please don’t get irritated with me if I put my foot down about stuff.”

“Well, you need to keep me informed as to the whys. If I understand why you’re taking a stance on something, it’s easier for me to accept it instead of pushing back.”

He kisses the top of my head. “Deal. Don’t forget, nothing but water after midnight.”

“Ugh. That means no morning coffee, doesn’t it?”

“I’ll take you out for breakfast when we’re finished at Dr. Williams’ office. How about that?”

I snuggle in and close my eyes. “I guess,” I say all melodramatically. “Might starve to death before then, or die from caffeine deprivation, but sure.”

He snorts. “I love you so damned much.” He kisses me. “I love how much you make me laugh.”

“Love you, too.” I yawn. “Sleepy time.”

And with my handsome elk wrapped around me, I crash into sleep almost immediately.

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Shawn

Destabilization

I have to pick my jaw up off the floor. “You’re fucking with me, right?” I look at Jax. “She’s fucking with me, right? Tell me she’s fucking with me!”

But he’s staring at Alizée with his jaw dropped, too.

She looks between us. “What? Why is this a shock?” She takes another bite of pizza. “I distinctly said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were expecting two?’”

“I thought you meant too T-O-O, not two as in two babies,” Jax says.

“Twins?” I yell again. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

She shrugs and hooks a thumb at Jax. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. He’s the one that put ’em there, not me.”

Morning sits there watching this play out, and I have the feeling he’s highly amused by this development but politic enough not to show it.

“What is your accuracy record?” Jax asks her.

“Pretty damned good. On detecting multiples? 100%. On gender?” She waggles a hand back and forth. “I’m only about 98% right on gender. A couple of my goofs later turned out to be children who were trans or two-spirit, so really shouldn’t count those. I was seeing who they were destined to be, not biology.”