Page 33

Donovan

Two years later

I stalk into our house, already stripping off the security uniform I’ve been wearing all day. I hate having to wear it, but when I told Wraith I wanted a job at the academy, he gave me one—I just didn’t know that being the head of security would mean I would need to wear a uniform.

Rather than complain, I put it on every day. Then, when I get home, I take it off as quickly as possible. I’ve heard Wraith or one of the others complain about tripping over them, but they usually just pick them up and put them into the dirty clothes .

Voices filter through the house, coming from what we’ve dubbed the family room, which encompasses the kitchen, dining room, and living room.

Not caring that I’m wearing nothing more than my boxer briefs, I step down the hallway and into the family room.

I smile when I see Audrey sitting at the table with Athelina, Claudia, and Laurel.

They’ve become regulars around here, which has pleased Cassian greatly.

And unlike Lucifer, who just pops in whenever he wants, the three of them always call before they stop in for a visit.

You’d think that after the last time Lucifer popped in while we were running a train with all of Audrey’s mates, he would stop.

Especially after complaining that he’d need to bleach both his eyes and brain, but he still keeps doing it.

He likes to say it’s our fault because we shouldn’t be having sex all over the house, but it’s not like he has room to talk.

Unlike him, we’ve learned our lesson about popping into his house randomly. Not only do we call or text, but we also only shadow walk to his front door and knock from there. I didn’t think Audrey was going to recover after we saw something we weren’t meant to .

These days, Lucifer is way too busy to pop in too often, so that’s a plus.

“For Lucifer’s sake. Put some damn pants on, Donovan.” Audrey lays her head in her hands as she shakes her head.

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” Athelina says with a smirk. “I have no problems with him walking around just like that.”

I grin at her before my eyes land back on my mate, who looks like she’s ready to murder her aunt-in-law. Grimacing, I head for the stairs. “Sorry, pretty girl. I’ll just get changed really quickly.”

“And grab your clothes you left lying everywhere, please.”

At her words, I veer back the way I came and grab my discarded clothes—even setting my boots neatly by the door before hurrying up the stairs. I jump in the shower for a quick rinse, surprised I haven’t seen anyone else. While I’m rarely the last one home, I’m never the first.

Ten minutes later, I make my way back down the stairs and to my mate. “Where’s everyone else?”

She pulls me down for a kiss. “Wraith and Cassian are out doing something. I don’t know what exactly. When the Fates arrived, they told them to get out, so they did. Brenden and Nex are in Ephonia for date night.”

“Oh, right. I forgot that was tonight.” I kiss the top of her head before starting toward the kitchen. I freeze mid-step, my head tilting to the side before I spin around to face Audrey again. “You smell different.”

Audrey makes a face. “Are you trying to tell me I stink?”

Athelina nudges Claudia, leaning in to whisper, “I told you he’d fuck it up.”

“Fuck what up?” I demand, eyeing the three of them. They’re up to something, and I don’t like it.

The three of them zip their lips, smug grins on their face, and I narrow my eyes.

I hate when they do this.

Shaking my head, I turn back to my mate. “No, you don’t stink, but your scent is different from usual.”

It’s something I can’t quite put my finger on as I move back to her, ducking my head down and burying it in her neck.

“Yeah, something is definitely different,” I tell her.

“And what the hell does that mean? ”

I shrug, glancing at the three troublemakers. “I don’t know, but they obviously do.”

“Are Mom and the aunties keeping things from us again?” Cassian asks as he steps into the family room with Wraith, Nex, and Brenden right behind him.

Audrey jumps out of her chair. “What are the two of you doing back? You’re supposed to be enjoying your date night.”

“These two came looking for us and said we had to come back home.” Nex hooks his finger toward Wraith and Cassian.

“Don’t look at me.” Cassian holds his hands up in surrender. “Mom said we all needed to be here, so we went to get them. Now, are you going to tell us what the hell is going on?”

“Absolutely not,” Claudia says, that damn smug smile on her face. I think she likes keeping shit from her son just to get him worked up. “But don’t worry. Donovan almost has it worked out.”

I do? Since when?

I scoff, hating the fact that I have no idea what she’s talking about.

That doesn’t stop me from leaning in to sniff Audrey again. She swats me away before I realize what’s bothering me about her scent. There are additional notes to it that weren’t there this morning, which doesn’t make sense.

Unless…

I drop to my knees, holding my head to Audrey’s stomach.

“What the fuck are you—“

“Shh. I’m listening.”

Wraith snickers, “To what? Are you checking to see if she’s getting hungry by listening for the beginnings of growls?”

I shoot him a glare over my shoulder, frowning when Cassian freezes and reaches out to grab Wraith’s hand.

“Shut up, Wraith.”

Our lover looks like he wants to argue, but a shake of Cassian’s head has him snapping his mouth shut.

I press my ear to Audrey’s stomach again, closing my eyes. It takes a few minutes before I find what I’m looking for.

“Holy shit.” I stare up at my mate in awe.

She’s confused as she meets my eyes. “What? Am I dying or something?”

“Most definitely not.” I clamber to my feet, dipping her back before kissing her.

“What the hell is going on?” Brenden asks, sounding both annoyed and worried .

I settle Audrey back on her feet before reaching up to cup her face. “You’re pregnant.”

“I’m what?!” she practically screams. “Did you just say pregnant? But how?”

“Well, Audrey, I didn’t think we needed to have the birds and bees conversation, but I’m happy to explain it to you,” Cassian’s mom says with a grin.

“We’re going to be grandmas!!!” The Fates yell together, and I shake my head.

Audrey is still blinking up at me. “I’m going to have a baby?”

“Two, actually,” Cassian corrects as he and the others crowd around our mate. “I don’t know where that came from.”

Athelina chuckles. “It seems you might have gotten a few more powers from your mom than you thought. It’s not uncommon for them to reveal themselves when it involves someone you love.”

Audrey takes a deep breath. “I’m pregnant and having twins. Of course I am. One baby wouldn’t be enough chaos for me, so why not have two?”

“It could be worse,” Nex says, trying to hide his laughter. “It could be three or four. Hellhounds are often born in multiples. ”

“You didn’t tell me that!” Audrey whacks my chest, her eyes wide. “How many are we talking about?”

I wrinkle my nose, eyes flashing to Nex and promising him retribution when he’s least expecting it. “I was a single baby, but I’m the oddball out. I think the biggest litter I’ve seen is eight.”

All color leaves Audrey’s face before her eyes roll back into her head. She becomes dead weight in my arms, and I wince.

My mate just passed out. Fabulous.

She’s never going to let me stick my cock inside her again.

Cassian swoops in, pulling her away from me and into his arms. “It’s better if we’re not all surrounding her. She’s fine—it was just a shock. I can’t blame her for it since she just found out she was pregnant and one of her mates could put up to eight babies into her belly at once.”

“I never thought to tell her. It’s not like we were trying to get her pregnant.”

“Okay, yeah. We don’t want to hear about that.” Claudia laughs as she and her sisters push to their feet. “We’ll get out of your hair. We just wanted to be here when you found out. ”

Cassian brings Audrey to the couch, sitting down with her in his lap. It takes all my willpower to not hurry over there and crowd her like I want to. My instincts are going haywire. My mate is pregnant.

“We’re going to have babies,” I say softly, a smile lighting up my face. “We’re going to be dads.”

“These poor children,” Audrey says drily.

The three of us rush over to the couch but make sure not to crowd her.

Wraith reaches over to run his hand down her face. “How are you? You’re not usually prone to passing out.”

“It was just a lot all at once.” Her eyes narrow when they land on me. “You’re fucking lucky I really like that monster cock of yours, or I wouldn’t be letting you put it near me after these babies are born. Eight fucking babies at once? How did the mother survive?”

I shrug. “She’s a dragon shifter. I think they’re used to having multiples at once.”

Thank goodness she’s not banning me from her bed. I’d never survive.

Audrey scoffs, shaking her head. Her hands drop to her stomach, a smile forming on her lips. “We’re having twins. ”

“We are,” Brenden confirms, kissing the top of her head. “Are you okay with that?”

She immediately nods. “I just haven’t given much thought to us having kids since I’m still training with my dad and Wren. I’ve always wanted kids, though. All of you are okay with this, right?”

“Hell yes!”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely.”

“I’m so fucking happy.”

“I’m happy if you’re happy.” Brenden’s the one who says the last one, and that has my mate frowning up at him.

“You don’t want kids?”

Brenden shrugs. “I like the idea of having them, but I died. I’m not sure I can have kids, but even if I could… Would you really want to raise a kid with my DNA?”

Audrey’s on her feet and in his face in seconds. “And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Firecracker, I love you and the fact that you don’t give a shit that I’m a sociopath, but it doesn’t change the facts. Any child that shares my blood has an increased risk of having antisocial personality disorder as well. ”

Audrey smiles up at him as she takes his face in her hands. “So what if they do? That doesn’t mean they can’t live a full life? You did, kind of. I don’t care whose babies these are, I’ll be happy no matter who the father is.”

“Yeah, Bren. We don’t care if they share some of your less…socially acceptable traits.” Cassian tosses him a grin. “We’ll all love the babies no matter who the father is or who they turn out to be.”

Brenden finally cracks a smile. “Yeah, okay. I mean, I just can’t wait until you get huge. Fucking a pregnant woman has never been on my list of kinks I wanted to try, but now?”

We all burst out into laughter, and the mood lightens.

They’re right though. It doesn’t matter who the babies’ biological father is. They belong to all of us, and we’ll love them no matter what.

Do you want to read more in this world? The good news is I have at least one more story for you—more if that’s what y’all want. First up is Diana’s story, which will release in early 2026.

Pre-order Diana’s story, Within the Shadow , now.