-Lucien Draven:
Elara rested her back against my chest, her warmth seeping into me as I wrapped an arm around her. My hand pressed lightly against her stomach, feeling the steady rhythm of the baby's heartbeat beneath my palm.
It was still strange—this feeling of quiet contentment, of something fragile and precious growing between us.
Elara tilted her head up to look at me, her green eyes searching. "You're okay with this, right?"
I frowned slightly. "With what?"
She smiled softly, placing her hand over mine on her stomach. "The baby."
A chuckle escaped me. "Of course." I brushed my thumb over her skin, marveling at how something so small could feel so monumental. "You have no idea how happy I am that I'll get to hold a child that's a part of both of you. A part of the two people I love most."
Her face lit up with a brilliant smile, and she turned, wrapping her arms around me. I held her close, pressing my face into her hair, breathing her in.
