Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“Thank god.” I slide my hand under Coran’s little body, lifting him until he’s snuggled against my warm sweater. He stops crying immediately and gazes up at me with eyes so black and reflective they glint like obsidian stone. “Momma’s going to be all right now,” I say, turning him away from Goldie. I keep my eyes on her, watching the color return to her ghostly cheeks and blue fingernails.
“Come on,” Robert urges, stroking Goldie’s cheek. “Come on, girl.”
“Come back to us,” Hunter whispers. Even in our minds, the hitch to his voice is audible.
She gasps, her eyes flying open, blue as the sky but clouded with fear. Hunter holds her close as Robert takes her face in his hands. “It’s okay, mate. You’re okay.”
“The babies,” she gasps, twisting to look around. When she spots Coran and Connell safe and sound, she sags back against Hunter.
“I was walking,” she says. “I was walking in the forest, and I kept getting further and further away from you. I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to leave.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” I say.
“You’re ours,” Robert tells her. “Our mate. Our life. Our heart.”
“Give her some water,” Hallie instructs, and Robert obliges. When Goldie has sipped half a glass of cool water, she holds her hands out.
“Let me see them,” she says. “Please, let me see them.”
Even though she’s weak and still needs to pass the afterbirth, we slowly bring the babies to her, resting them both in her arms. Her blonde curls are matted, and her face is still hollowed out, but her smile is like the sunshine at dawn.
“Welcome to the world, little bears,” she says. “Welcome to the world.”
I drop to my knees, the relief that she’s okay knocking the wind right out of me.
“Thank you,” I whisper to the Creator. “Thank you.”
Goldie looks around at each of us, her eyes blue and bright with tears. “Thank you,” she says. “For saving me and making me the happiest woman on Earth.”
And even though our universe almost fell apart, suddenly, everything feels just right.
42
GOLDIE
“Goldie.” Hunter’s voice is in my head. I groan, turning over in bed. The soreness from the birth has healed, but my breasts are tender from feeding my two hungry boys, and I’m exhausted from lack of sleep.
But I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
“Goldie,” he says again. “It’s time for breakfast. Well, brunch… more like lunch.”
I gaze over at the clock on the nightstand and discover it’s eleven thirty. I sit quickly and grasp at my boobs, finding I’ve leaked through my shirt.
It’s staggering how much my life has changed.
“Shower,” I whisper back, grateful for our mental communication. I’d rather my beautiful bear-men didn’t see me in such a state. “I’ll be down soon.”
I take a quick shower and wash my hair, fully waking up in the process. I dress in loose-fitting pants and a nursing shirt, which opens easily.
When I make it to the kitchen, I find a chair set out with my donut cushion ready and a huge bowl of porridge with blueberries, cinnamon, and honey — my favorite.
“I don’t need the cushion,” I tell Robert. He stares at me with his molten gaze and raises his eyebrows. I shoot him a coy smile. It’s been nearly six weeks, and we've all been wishing the time away.
Hunter has Coran strapped to his chest, and Evan is cradling Connell. Both boys are awake and fussing, ready for their own meal. I mentally calculate that it’ll be their fourth feed of the day. Like their daddies, they are ridiculously hungry all the time!
My two beautiful bundles of joy have curled dark hair and the biggest chocolate-brown eyes. Thankfully, they haven’t shifted yet. I guess it’s a credit to their fathers that they’ve kept them calm through all my trials and tribulations. We expect them to shift and crawl around the same time, two big milestones to look forward to at once.
I sit as Robert places a large mug of coffee in front of me with cream and honey. Taking a grateful sip, I sigh with pleasure.
“How are you doing today?” Evan asks.
“Good. Definitely better in the lady garden region.”
Evan grins. “Good. I’m looking forward to the day when that area’s fully blooming again.”
When I shoot him a grin, he smiles so widely that his dimples show. God, he kills me every time. Makes me melt. Makes me want to take him to bed.
Connall, hearing my voice, starts to cry. I hold my hands out for him, wanting to feel his little squirming body and smell his perfect baby scent. “Eat your breakfast first,” Robert urges.
“I’ll feed him; you feed me,” I say.
“Deal.”
Robert helps me get Connell settled in my lap and to his credit, doesn’t make a single boob joke when I get mine out for feeding time. He pulls his seat closer and loads up a spoon with just the right amount. I wrap my lips around the spoon, groaning in pleasure as the creamy porridge and tart berries meet my taste buds for a party. “God, that’s good,” I say around the food.