Page 111 of Bound to a Monster

“I know we did. But I just… I really want them to be born here. In Philadelphia. Not just across the border.”

“Carmie,” I say softly. “You know I have to be there. I don’t want to be, but until Valentin tells me otherwise, that’s my place.”

“I know.” She looks down at her lap and starts blinking rapidly. Ah, shit, I made her fucking cry like an asshole.

“Come here.” I pull her closer and kiss her gently. “What changed?”

“Seeing everyone. Talking to my brothers. I just don’t want to raise the baby in Canada without my family and my friends. It’s cold up there, and I feel so isolated.”

“What should we do then?”

“Talk to Valentin. Tell him we’re done.”

“Baby—”

“Please, Lev? Can you do that for me?”

I kiss her softly. I’m not sure that’s going to work, but we have been in Canada for a while, and the deal with Simon’s been solid. He’s a trustworthy and competent partner, everything Olivier never was. The goods are flowing as promised, and while therehave been small issues, it’s nothing that I couldn’t handle from here.

“Exile has to end sooner or later,” I say softly, nodding to myself. “Six months was a long time.”

“It was so long.”

“I’ll speak to him. Ask him for one more month, and when we’re a month out from your due date, we’ll come back.”

“You’re really going to ask?”

I hug her tight against me and press my hand on her belly. The baby doesn’t kick, but that’s okay. There’s time for that. There’s still a lot of time for me and her.

“This is everything to me,” I tell her quietly. And it’s amazing how much my life has shifted. She’s my axis now, her and the baby. This thing we’re building together, this family. I never wanted it, and now that I have it, I can’t imagine giving it up for anything.

“To me too,” she whispers, and then makes a face. “Well, this and fencing.”

I laugh and kiss her, and the kiss turns a little deeper, and soon we’re making out like we just fell in love for the first time ever, and the voice in my head is dead quiet, and honestly? It’s pretty damn good. I could get used to this.