Prowled Darkness (Dante's Circle, #7)(18)

Another contraction hit her then, and she nodded even as she held back a scream. “I’m glad they will be there,” she panted. She reached out for his leg and dug her nails into his thigh. He let out a curse, and she couldn’t help but feel proud of that. Because having a baby hurt. “I’m glad you’ll be there, too.”

He put his hand over hers and patted it. “Just a few more minutes and then we’ll be at the ward edge. Just breathe, okay? Pregnant women in labor are supposed to breathe, right?”

She couldn’t help it, she laughed. “Is that all you know about giving birth?”

He looked over at her with panic in his gaze, but with more determination than had been there before. “If I hadn’t been a f*cking idiot, I would have had more time to research and plan. But since I wasn’t and we can’t go back and change things, I’m going to freak out a bit now.” He squeezed her hand. “But I’m not going anywhere. There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

Tears filled her eyes and she pressed her lips together, not letting her gaze leave him even as he turned his attention back to the road. They might have had the oddest courtship to date, but they were in this together no matter what. It didn’t matter that they were going about all of this backward. They were finally together, finally a couple with a future. And now they had another life depending on them.

They could do this—and not just because they had to, but because they could.

Malik pulled over near a wooded area and turned off the car. He had the Baby Bag on his back and her door opened in the next instant. After he’d helped her take off her seatbelt, he didn’t immediately help her out of the car. Instead, he stared at her.

“What is it?” she asked, ready to be somewhere safe and near drugs to help her through this pain.

“I love you,” he said firmly. “I love you, Eliana, my phoenix, my mate. I just thought I’d say that before the baby comes.” He swallowed hard before putting his hand over her belly. “Happy birthday, baby.”

Tears fell down her cheeks and she hiccupped a sob. “I love you, too, Malik.” She couldn’t lie to herself any longer and hold things back. “And I’m so happy you’re here for his because while I could have done it one my own, I really didn’t want to.”

He cupped her face and kissed her firmly. “Let’s go have a baby.”

She snorted. “I don’t think you’ll be doing much of the having, Lion-O.”

He winced at the nickname. “Cut it out with the cat jokes in the realm, beauty. They have claws.”

She raised a brow. “And?”

He just shook his head and picked her up. “I’m here for you to beat up on and call names during the birth. It’s kind of my job.”

She just held onto him and knew that this was one moment she’d never forget. Honestly, she hadn’t thought about what it would be like to be with him forever because she’d been so afraid to fall. But now that she’d fallen, she couldn’t help but think that this man would be there for her and the baby. She had to trust in that even if trust didn’t come easily for her. The fact that it did now with him should scare her, but she was too worried about the baby to do anything about it.

She closed her eyes and leaned on him as they made their way through the wards and into the lion realm. Later, when she wasn’t in pain, she would study the place where Malik had grown up and where she would evidently be raising their child, but for now, she just let him carry her and her burdens.

Soon she found herself in a private room that looked like a hospital room but much warmer, more inviting.

“We’re at a healing station,” Malik said calmly. “It’s not a hospital since we’re at the part of the compound where the royals live. We have personal healers, doctors, and nurses to care for you.” He sighed. “I’ve spent most of my time away from you here. My father is two doors down.” He shook his head. “I want him to make it long enough to meet his grandson or granddaughter. I don’t even know why I’m thinking that since it’s not like he truly raised me.”

She gripped his hand during another contraction. “Tell me,” she gasped. “Why didn’t he raise you?”

Malik let out a breath and kissed her sweaty brow. “You should be focusing on yourself.”

She shook her head. “I’m trying to focus on you and not the pain because, apparently, they don’t have drugs for me.” Something she was not happy about, but apparently her new body chemistry wasn’t conducive to drugs—which they hadn’t told her until they’d gotten her on the gurney.

“My mother died giving birth to me,” Malik said softly. “I was the first born and father never found another woman to marry. As he mated my mother, he couldn’t ever find another mate, and I figured that finding someone else to be with in that way would be too hard for him. But I think the fact that he lost the mating bond broke him. He ended up giving me to nannies and tutors so he could reign over the realm.”

Malik took a deep breath, and Eliana reached out to cup his face. “You aren’t your father,” she whispered. “You’d never do that.”

“But if you…” he stopped. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“And you won’t have to worry about that.” She didn’t want to think about that at all, but Malik had his own demons. Just as she had hers.