Chapter 76

Elara

The house felt different as we stepped inside, the soft click of the door behind us sealing out the world beyond. It wasn’t just the warmth that greeted me, or the faint glow of the early morning sun filtering through the windows—it was something deeper. A stillness. A kind of quiet I hadn’t realized I’d missed until now.

Alaric’s arm stayed curled around my waist, his weight still pressing into me as he leaned in, but I could tell he was growing stronger with every step. The lingering traces of paralysis were fading, slow but steady. He hadn’t spoken much on the drive home, but he didn’t need to. I could feel it in the way his thumb traced gentle circles along my hip, as if he needed the constant reassurance that I was still there. Still breathing.

I slipped my hand over his, lacing our fingers together as I guided him toward the living room. “Sit down,” I whispered, nudging him toward the couch. “You need to rest.”

He let out a soft huff, but there wasn’t any real protest in his eyes as he eased down onto the cushions and leaned back with a sigh. His eyes lingered on me, watching every small movement I made like he was committing them to memory.

“Elara.” His voice was softer now.

I turned to face him, and as I did, my eyes flicked across something in the fireplace: the burnt end of the pregnancy test. Sarah must have tossed it into the fire, intending to destroy the evidence.

I hadn’t meant to keep the pregnancy from him—not really. It just never felt like the right time to bring it up. Between Sarah’s return, the chaos she had stirred up in our lives, and everything that had followed… It felt like something fragile. Something I had been afraid to put into words.

But Sarah had already done that, hadn’t she?

Without a word, I quickly hurried out of the room, ignoring Alaric’s confused calls. I slipped into the bathroom and retrieved another test from the hidden spot under the sink, then quickly took the test. Of course, two lines faded into existence almost immediately, and yet my heart fluttered all over again as I held it between my fingers.

Taking a deep breath, I made my way back into the living room and held the test out to him. He already knew now, of course. But I wanted him to see it in the flesh.

“I wanted to tell you sooner,” I murmured as I handed Alaric the test. “But everything happened so fast. I wasn’t sure how to say it.”

Alaric didn’t speak. For a long moment, he simply stared at the test, his expression unreadable.

Then, without warning, his hand shot out and tugged me toward him. A startled gasp left my lips as I tumbled forward, but before I could find my footing, his arms wrapped tightly around me, pulling me flush against his chest.

“You’re pregnant,” he breathed, his face burying into the curve of my neck. “You’re actually pregnant.”

I laughed softly, the sound catching in my throat as tears welled up in my eyes. “I am.”

Alaric’s grip tightened around me, and suddenly, I was lifted off the ground. A startled laugh escaped me as he spun us in a wide circle, his chest rumbling with laughter that was bright and real—more real than I had ever heard in him.

When he finally set me down, his forehead rested gently against mine, his breath warm against my lips.

“I can’t believe it,” he whispered, brushing his nose along the bridge of mine. “Elara, this—this is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

I didn’t realize I was crying until he pulled back, his thumb catching a stray tear as it slipped down my cheek.

He knelt slowly in front of me, his hands smoothing down my sides until they rested against my belly. His lips brushed softly against the fabric of my dress, lingering there for a long moment as if he could feel the little life growing beneath his touch.

“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice cracking ever so slightly. “Thank you for giving me this.”

I ran my fingers through his hair, gently pushing it back from his forehead. “You don’t have to thank me for anything, Alaric. This baby… it’s part of both of us.”

His hands remained on my stomach as he lifted his gaze to mine, his eyes dark and warm and filled with something that felt an awful lot like wonder.

“I want to marry you,” he said suddenly, his voice rougher now. “I don’t want to wait anymore. I should’ve married you the first time, I should have told that priest to shove it, but I let everything else get in the way. I won’t make that mistake again.”

My breath caught in my throat, but the gentle, steady thrum of his heart beneath my fingertips brought me some comfort.

“I never blamed you, you know,” I whispered. “You’ve always done what you thought was right. I know that.”

His hand slid up, curling around the side of my face. “It wasn’t right if it hurt you. I love you, Elara. I always have. I always will. And I’m sorry if I ever made you think otherwise.”

Alaric’s words released a tension in my chest that I didn’t know I was still holding onto. But before I could respond, the faint creak of a door opening echoed through the room.

I turned just in time to see Ella and Zoe peeking their heads around the corner, both of them still dressed in their pajamas. They had slept through the entire night and were both, thankfully, none the wiser to the night’s horrible events.

Ella rubbed at her eyes sleepily, but Zoe was already padding into the room, clutching her stuffed bear close to her chest.

“What’s going on?” Zoe asked, her gaze flicking between the two of us with that knowing look that she was so good at.

Alaric’s hand brushed against mine as he rose slowly to his feet, his arm curling around my waist once more. We exchanged a glance, and I could already see the faint smile tugging at his lips.

“Come here,” he said, nodding to the couch. “We have something to tell you.”

The girls climbed up onto the cushions, waiting patiently. I took a deep breath, hesitating, but the warmth of Alaric’s hand against my back steadied me.

“I’m going to have a baby,” I finally said softly, brushing my hand along my stomach.

There was a moment of silence as the girls stared up at us, their eyes wide. And then—

“Really?” Ella’s eyes grew wide, and she immediately scrambled to her feet. “Does that mean we get a new brother or sister?”

Zoe grinned. “I want a sister. But not one that takes my bear.”

Alaric laughed, ruffling Zoe’s hair. “We’ll see, sweetheart. But either way, you’ll be the best big sisters.”

Ella’s face lit up, and she leaned forward to press her ear against my belly, giggling softly. “I can’t hear anything yet,” she said matter-of-factly. “But I know they’ll like me the most.”

Zoe pouted. “No way. They’ll like me better.”

My heart swelled as I listened to the girls bicker, their laughter filling the room with a warmth that felt like home. Alaric’s arm tightened around my shoulders, and I let myself sink into his embrace, resting my head against him as the morning sun streamed through the windows.

For the first time in a long while, I was happy. Truly happy, straight down to my core.

And although our life ahead would be long and full of ups and downs, I knew it would be sweet.