19. Wink

19

Wink

W ell, the baby might not have simply popped out like he might’ve hoped, but the best part about Derek being a shifter was that all it took was for him to shift to his raccoon in order to access that extra healing power available to him, and that was pretty amazing magic all on its own.

His beast waddled over to me where I sat on the floor holding Eve. She was swaddled and fed, sleeping soundly. “What do you think of her?” I asked him.

He reached out one paw and patted her wrapped tummy, making a quiet clucking sound, as if trying not to wake her.

“I agree,” I said. “She’s something special. And if she ends up being a raccoon like you, I know you’ll show her the ropes.” There was no question in my mind that she carried her omega father’s genes, I could feel it pulsing inside her, dormant for now, but there might’ve also been a slight sheen to her skin, flecks that caught the moonlight, like tiny stars. Perhaps there was a little bit of elf in her blood too. I was excited to find out what this might mean for her.

I would’ve been happy to watch her all night, but eventually, she began to fuss, and my raccoon reluctantly made way for Derek to take his skin, now healed and whole, so he could feed her again.

When Eve seemed ready to go back to sleep again, we walked her to the nursery and set her in the cradle.

We gazed down at her, entranced. There was so much ahead of us—first sunrise and first Christmas. First step, word, skinned knee, day at school. First job, first love. For now, though, I was in no rush. I was simply in love with these first breaths.

We stood watching her, with Derek in my arms, until he peeked at me over his shoulder. “You know, you said nine months…”

An involuntary smile tried to take over my lips, but I forced it down. “Huh? Nine months for what?” I asked, playing dumb. I’d been waiting for him to say something, but I had thought it would take him more than a few hours.

He turned in my arms, frowning up at me. “For mating. Have you already forgotten?”

“Oh, right. Yes, you’re right, I did say nine months. Why do you ask?” I let some of my magic unspool, hoping he wouldn’t notice the tingling sensation or the way it had goosebumps scattering across his skin.

Derek huffed a frustrated sigh. “Because it’s been more than that.”

“So it has, but need I remind you, that was only because we agreed to wait until after the baby was born, because we weren’t sure if it would harm her or not. Better safe than sorry,” I said, the epitome of responsibility. Meanwhile, it felt like the entire house was filling with my magic, the air brimming with the scent of frost and fresh snow .

Derek had had just about enough of my stalling, and he growled, all shifter-like, and it was downright adorable. “And now our baby is born. I’m all healed and everything. Are you ever going to make an honest man out of me?” he griped, his hands fisted in my shirt.

It was impossible to hold in my laugh. “Oh, my beautiful, perfect mate, I love you so much.” He was so confused when I turned on the baby monitor, then took him by the hand and led him to our bedroom. His eyes widened as he gasped, his eyes reflecting gold with all the candles I’d magically set up on every flat surface.

“Wink! You did all this?”

“Of course I did. I had every intention of making our union official, but I didn’t want to rush you.”

“Oh no, please, rush me,” he said, practically throwing himself at me so that I barely caught him before he could knock me over.

Our kisses were sloppy and frantic as he tore my clothes off me. He was luckily still naked after shifting, so it didn’t take much before the two of us were tangled on the bed. The air was perfumed with the aroma of his arousal, and I nibbled up his neck, chasing his skin’s cinnamon scent.

Derek wrapped his hand around my length and guided me to his entrance, his slick helping smooth the way. With one slow thrust, I buried myself inside him, and we both groaned, panting. “You’re positive I’m not hurting you?” I asked, and he nodded frantically.

“I’m good. So, sooooo good,” he moaned, gripping my hips tightly and urging me to move. As much as I loved to tease him, now was not the time. I pulled back then surged forward, grinding as deep as I could. If we could’ve joined our bodies together, that would’ve been my goal .

As much as I wanted this to last forever, our bodies had something else in mind, and instinct had us driven to increase the pace. It was as if they knew the prize at the end.

“I’m so close,” he whimpered, clinging to me. “You’re sure? Forever is a long time.” He sounded so vulnerable as he forced himself to wait for my answer.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything than I am that my future is here with you,” I vowed, kissing him deeply.

My whole life, I’d been chasing after this supposed ideal of what an elf should be. Jolly and boisterous and fun-loving—but also family friendly… which I was certainly not. And every time I’d come up short, it had left me feeling more and more like a failure.

If only I’d known there was a place as perfect as by my mate’s side. I’d always been good at things, but all I really needed to be good at was making Derek happy. And now Eve. My heart expanded until it felt like it would burst.

“I’ll love you forever,” Derek whispered against the sensitive skin of my neck, his teeth snagging as they descended from the gums, needle-sharp. Goosebumps rose as I anticipated the prick of pain, and there was a little as he bit down, but the pain was lost in the background, inconsequential compared to the all-encompassing joy and love and connection that filled every cell in my body, in my soul.

Derek and Eve were my everything.

Even if I hadn’t wanted to admit it, there’d still been this lingering fear that I would wake up Christmas morning trapped as a ceramic ornament, cursed to be a witness to my family’s future without me. Santa had never told me what I’d need to do to prove that I’d become the best version of myself, but in this moment, I knew. This love, this devotion and loyalty I felt, this sense of belonging that blossomed inside me—it would be proof enough for even the biggest skeptic .

Connected in this way, my blood in his mouth, Derek cried out, coming between us. It was enough to pull me over the edge with him, depositing my seed deep inside him, my knot locking in place to keep it from leaking out.

I shuddered, dropping my forehead to his shoulder as he licked my neck, tending to my wound. “Don’t be surprised if we end up with another kit in two months,” he said, chuckling throatily.

“That doesn’t scare me as much as you’d think it should,” I answered, smiling lazily. I might not have had much experience with a newborn yet, but I was jumping in with both feet.

Lifting my head, I stared down at him, an idea forming. “I’d really like to mark you too, but not with my teeth, since they’re not that sharp. Would that be okay?”

He smiled, beaming up at me. “I would be so proud to wear your mark. What are you thinking?”

Pursing my lips, I thought about it. It would take a little manipulation of my magic, but I was sure I could manage it. I propped myself up on one elbow then used my free hand to trace a pattern across his skin. The lines appeared in silver and blue, almost like ice, gleaming in the candlelight. It wasn’t anything too ornate, an image of the North Star, a reminder that I would always find my way home. It could even be mistaken for a tattoo, using a unique kind of ink.

When I was done, I leaned back and admired my work. “Perfect,” I said.

Derek’s face was filled with wonder. “I can’t see it from this angle, but I can feel it.” He set his hand over it, reverently. “I can feel you , and you’re so beautiful.” He tipped up to kiss me. “I’m so glad fate brought us together, but I’m even more grateful that you were brave enough to show yourself to me. ”

We laid in bed, our bodies entwined even after my knot had slipped free. We both knew we should sleep while we could, that newborns were rarely quiet for long, but neither of us could bring ourselves to close our eyes. This moment was special. Everything had changed, and we were determined to remember every second of it.

When we heard Eve’s first stirring through the monitor, we both smiled. “Are you ready for this adventure with me?” Derek asked.

“More than ready,” I assured him, pulling back the blanket and rolling from the bed, before offering him my hand. “Shall we?”

He took my hand, and together, we began the rest of our life.