Possession (The Mate Games 3)

“Yes. I love you. This baby is part of you. So I love this baby. It’s simple maths.”

“Aw, see? He’s my favorite.” Moira glanced at Ash.

“Speaking of taking care of you two, you skipped breakfast. I won’t allow you to skip lunch. You both need your strength.”

I was hungry. Most mornings went by with my head in the toilet these days, so by lunchtime, I was ravenous. Today was no exception. “I accept.”

“Bye, babycakes. Have a good lunch. I’ll come by before dinner, and we can go Viking hunting.”

I waved as we left the two of them chatting softly with each other, heads close together, fingers intertwined. Unexpected tears pricked my eyes.

“What is it? What’s wrong, love?”

Noah’s worried voice made me laugh as I caught the teardrop before it could fall from the corner of my eye. “She just looks so happy.”

He blinked at me. “And that made you want to cry?”

“Don’t question the pregnant woman.”

He lifted his hands in surrender. “My apologies.” Twining our fingers, he lifted my knuckles to his lips and pressed a sweet kiss to them.

“You said something about food?” I asked.

“I did. Let's go.”

We walked out of the library and into the courtyard, stopping to stare up at the lightly falling snow. My thoughts drifted to life without him. How detached I’d forced myself to become from him while things between us had been tense. Even now, he was here, but we hadn’tbeentogether.

“Go on, say it,” Noah said.

“Say what?”

“Whatever you’re trying to block out. You promised, no hiding behind your walls.”

“I just... I thought you would’ve come to me after Kingston and I got home.”

“I thought you would need to rest after your travels. I didn’t want to keep you up if you needed to sleep.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s been a week. That excuse might cover the first night, but what about the rest of them? Why are you staying away?”

“You haven’t invited me back.”

I jolted. “I hadn’t realized you needed an invitation.”

“Vampire... invitation, they do sort of go hand in hand.”

I snickered. “You don’t need an invitation into your own house, Noah.”

“Perhaps not, but I still needed you to ask me to come back. Not just to the house, but to your bed. I needed you to tell me I had a place there again. That I was wanted.”

My body went hot and cold, a little shiver racing down my spine. “Oh, you’re wanted.”

His steps faltered, his smile falling a bit at the edges. “Do you think it's... safe?”

“Safe?”

“With the baby...”

His concern both warmed me and annoyed me. Not because he cared—I loved the proof that we were important to him. But I didn’t want everyone to treat me like a breakable doll just because I was pregnant.