His back bowed, and then his mouth replaced his fingers. I cried out when he sucked the hardened peak of my breast into his mouth. I gripped the back of his head, eyes closed and panting as I ground down on him, moving my hips in tight, almost frantic circles. I rocked against him, letting my head fall back and surrendering to the sensation—to the need. To him. Water whipped around us, splashing across the floor. I could feel myself tightening, rushing toward release, and in the back of my mind, it seemed almost impossible that the pleasure could feel this intense and stunning. What Ash had said moments ago had been correct. Everything did feel different. Every touch, every caress was heightened by the knowledge that our connection had grown deeper, somehow more profound. Maybe it was because our love for each other felt even more tangible now, taking shape inside me. Either way, the tension was like a rope being stretched too far.

“I could stay like this forever.” Ash’s parted lips touched mine. “Feeling myself deep inside you. Feeling you beginning to come. It’s the perfect kind of peace.”

With each word, each powerful thrust, the tension increased to new heights. “I love you.”

Ash groaned, his arms encircling me as he pulled me down and against him, holding me tightly to his body. That rope broke, taking him with me. Waves of pleasure flooded me, and I cried out his name. I shook as the release continued spinning and pulsing through me, dragging me under its powerful embrace until I was limp in his arms, my cheek resting against his shoulder.

Ash’s chest rose against mine in a ragged inhale. “Fates,” he rasped.

My breath caught as I felt him jerk one last time inside me. “Same.”

Silence fell between us, and he dragged his hand up under my hair in slow, soothing strokes. I couldn’t help but think of all we’d had to overcome to get to this moment and the…the lives growing inside me. They felt like a testament to our love. A miracle.

Quite some time later, Ash and I lay in bed. I was on my back, my head resting on his chest. His head was propped up on the pillows, one hand in my hair and the other on my lower stomach. We were both naked, our bellies full of the dinner we’d shared, and our passions sated.

We’d made love again upon returning to the chamber, and then again after dinner. He’d offered his vein to me, and instinctually, I knew it was even more important for me to feed now. It wasn’t just for me.

It was for the babes.

But…but what about him?

I sat up, facing him. Our eyes met. My heart began to race, but I wanted to do the same for him, even though my anxiety rose. I wanted to get over the fear. I needed to. “Ash, do you need—?”

“No. I fed from Rhain earlier.” He guided my head back to his chest, and I fought to quell the rising disappointment. “I don’t even know if I should be feeding from you now.”

“Really?” The vadentia was quiet, and my stomach sank a little. “That could be a problem. If you can’t take my blood, if nobody can, how will I Ascend others? That’s the crux of our plan.”

He was quiet for a moment. “We’ll have to ask Kye.”

I’d finally agreed to have the Healer come in the morning. Ash had wanted to summon him while we ate, but it was night, and nothing was going to change between now and tomorrow.

I thought about the whole process of exchanging blood—eather. “I Ascended Penellaphe, and it didn’t cause any problems.”

“We don’t know that.” His thumb moved in a slow circle under my navel. “It may explain why the last of the bruises haven’t healed.”

My chest clenched. Damn. That could explain it. I looked down at my stomach. The contrast of his golden-bronze hand against my paler skin was stark. “You know, I had bruises almost everywhere after fighting Kolis.”

“I know,” he growled.

Placing my hand over his, I tipped my head back to look up at him. “But I didn’t have any on my stomach—on my lower stomach. It was almost like…”

“What?”

I lowered my gaze. “Like the essence was protecting that area—them.” I let out a low laugh. “That sounds kind of ridiculous.”

“I don’t think it does,” he said. “The essence is an extension of your will. Perhaps even on a subconscious level.”

I nodded, falling quiet. He continued tracing circles over my belly, and I realized I had so many questions and thoughts.

“Do you want anything else to eat?” he asked.

I laughed and turned my head to the side. “If you have me eat anything else tonight, I think I’ll burst.”

He grinned at me. “We don’t want that.”

“No, it would be gross.”

He chuckled, and for a little bit, a companionable silence descended between us as I watched his hand on my stomach. From the moment we’d lay down, his hand hadn’t strayed far from that area, and that was…that was sweet.

Gods, we were going to have a babe. Two of them. My breath caught like it had every time that nugget of realization formed. What would Ezra—?

My heart twisted. I couldn’t tell Ezra. Or my mother. Sorrow rose as I pressed my lips together. Ezra would’ve been happy—shocked but thrilled for me. My mother? I didn’t know how she would’ve responded, but I would’ve liked to have the chance to learn.

I had to think of something else because I didn’t think that kind of pain was good for the babes or me. Gods, a lot of things wouldn’t be good.

It was quiet, but Ash knew my mind wasn’t. “What are you thinking?”

I dragged my fangs over my lower lip. “Random stuff.”

His thumb swept back and forth, just below my navel. “Like?”

“I was just wondering if shifting into my nota will affect them,” I admitted. “I mean, I assume not since it hasn’t yet, and instinct tells me no.”

“But you’re still worried?”

“Me? Never.”

He laughed again, and gods, it was so rare to hear him laugh so deeply and freely. “Well, we’re adding that to the list of things to ask Kye.”

“It’s going to be a long list,” I murmured, thinking about tomorrow. I had no idea what would be involved when it came to that kind of checkup, and I wasn’t even going to think about it because it would probably stress me out.

But the visit with Kye wasn’t the only thing that had to happen tomorrow.

I’d told Veses I’d see her soon, and I would.

“Twins,” Ash murmured, and I glanced up at him again. The hollows of his cheeks pinkened. Another laugh greeted me. “For some reason, it just hit me that we will have twins. I know. I should’ve figured that out hours ago.”

I smiled. “Don’t feel bad. I actually hadn’t considered that either, to be honest. Twins do run in the family.”

“I suppose.” His finger trailed a circle around what I knew was a freckle. “My father and his brother were the first, but they weren’t identical.”

They had shockingly similar features, but they weren’t exactly the same like Kyn and Attes. Their hair color was different, and Kolis’s cheekbones were broader, but his mouth wasn’t as full as Eythos’s.

“I guess that means we could have something similar,” I said, running my fingers back and forth over his forearm.

“Or they could be identical.” He paused. “Or possibly a boy and a girl—fraternal twins.” His hand stopped moving suddenly. “The first and second daughter…”

“The prophecy.” I knew what he was thinking about. “I wondered the same thing myself, but I…don’t think we’re having daughters or even one of each.”

His brows knitted. “Has your vadentia told you something?”

“No.” I thought about the brief moment when I saw the two children who were the same but different in the smallest ways. Two mahogany-haired boys with rich, bronze skin. One with silver eyes and the other with golden-silver. “It’s just a feeling.”

He was quiet for a moment. “Either way, they will…they will want for nothing.”