Page 136 of A Trial of War
“No!” She crossed her arms, her midnight waves swaying along her hips. “No, I am your cousin. Yoursister. I should have been here the second the first contraction started.”
“Neera,” Seamus murmured in warning, moving his hand to her arm.
She shook him off, although her expression softened for a fraction of a second as she looked toward him. “Six hours of pushing, Skylar. Six!”
“Yes, I know. I was the one doing the pushing,” I teased.
Neera stared me down. “And I had to hear it from Daxtonafterthe fact? Do you know how worried I—”
A tiny, gentle sound broke the tension.
All heads snapped toward Castor, who was holding my son against his chest.
The baby cooed again, and that was the end of Neera’s resentment.
Her whole body seemed to melt. Her anger dissolved the instant her attention turned toward our son, replaced by awe so pure it nearly glowed. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, and tears immediately filled her lashes.
“Oh, oh gods—” she choked, already rushing across the room. “Give him to me. Castor, give him, please. I need to hold him.”
Castor held the baby a little closer to his chest. “Hold on, now, I just got him settled—”
“Castor.” Neera’s voice was the closest to a growl I’d ever heard. “Hand. Him. Over.”
“I wouldn’t push her,” Seamus said with a hint of a smile in his tone.
Castor sighed dramatically. “Fine, fine, relax. Just be gentle, okay? He’s small, and I like him. And… if you drop him, Daxton’s going—”
“Oh, gods, I’m not going to drop him.” Neera was already sliding her arms under the tiny bundle, lifting my son with the kind of gentle touch I’d seen her give to her gardens in Solace. The instant our son settled against Neera, her entire body softened.
“Oh, Skylar…” she whispered, voice breaking as tears pooled in her eyes. “He’s perfect. He’s perfect.”
Seamus stood behind her, expression warm and bright, not just for the baby, but for Neera. He reached out and rested a steadying hand on her shoulder as she cradled the infant, whispering something too quiet and tender for anyone else to hear. He was dressed in similar attire to his mate, no… excuse me, hiswife.
When Seamus fell in the fight against Minaeve, it was Neera who truly saved him. Before he took his final breath, Neera made the mating mark on the battlefield and claimed Seamus, sharing her magic and life force with him. It saved him, letting him hang on long enough for me to heal him.
It took time for Seamus to earn his seat in Aelius once the battle was over, but he did it with Neera at his side. Together, they now ruled over Aelius, with Rhett as their second, uniting their people once more and restoring the land and kingdom to its former glory.
Neera rocked my son gently, bouncing instinctively on her feet. “Look at him,” she whispered, brushing a thumb over his cheek. “He’s so warm. So tiny. I… Oh, gods, I love him already.”
Castor folded his arms with a dramatic huff. “He liked me first.”
“Shut up,” Neera answered, smiling, not even bothering to look up.
Our son cooed again, settling in his aunt’s arms perfectly, like he’d been waiting for her all along.
“So,” Seamus began, “does he have a name?”
Daxton stepped forward and took our son from Neera, bringing him back into my arms as a peaceful moment settled in the room.
“You tell them, Spitfire. I think you’ve earned this honor.”
I smiled at my mate, my husband, sending a wave of love through our bond that glowed brighter than the sun.
“His name…” I paused, staring down at the greatest joy in my life. “His name is Elvin.”
In that moment, something settled in the room—a quiet promise that this little boy would never lack protection. That he would be loved and cared for by all our family.
And that is the greatest hope anyone could ever ask for.
