Page 183 of Stolen Empire

I make my way through the chaos toward the perimeter of the track, where the floodlights light everything up making it feel like race night.

I asked Katya to meet me here when the crowd got too loud for her, and I find her there already.

She stands at the railing, looking out toward the empty track beyond.

The dirt is dark in the nightlight, and the structure feels almost peaceful in the absence of horses and handlers.

She hears me coming and smiles at me over her shoulder as she waits for me to approach.

"I talked to your mother," I tell her, strutting up to her.

I rest my hands on her hips and lean in, kissing her softly on the lips.

"About what?" she asks softly as she straightens my tie.

"About you, silly. And of course, just confirming to her that I want her to stay and keep the family together for your sake."

I lean in closer until her back is pinned to the railing and she's craning her neck up to look in my eyes.

Katya's eyes fill with tears, and she quickly wipes them away.

"I do want that. I have wanted that since the moment I realized what was happening to me."

"Then she'll stay."

I reach down and take her hand, pressing it to my heart.

"And I asked her something else."

I love the feeling of her body against mine, and not just for the sex.

It feels like safety in her arms, and I know that sounds silly coming from a man like me.

But I've finally met my equal here.

I know Katya is a precious treasure that I need to protect, but she's also fierce and strong in her own right.

And I know she will never betray me or let me down.

"Dimitri, there's something I need to tell you," she says as if she didn't hear me when I said I asked her mother something else.

Her voice is steady, but I can hear the nervousness beneath it.

"What?"

"I think I may be pregnant."

The words stop my entire world.

I pinch her chin in my hand as her head droops and make her look me in the eye.

"Are you sure?"

The surge of joy in my chest is so powerful I have to fight back a shout.

"No. Not yet," she says, her smile mirroring mine.

"But I've been feeling strange for the past few days. And I've missed my cycle."