I wake to the feeling of warm lips brushing across the curve of my belly.
Kieran is curled around me, his massive body folded protectively as he murmurs soft words against my skin. The pup responds with a slow, contented roll, pressing outward as if reaching for his father’s voice. Morning light spills across the bed, catching on the faint golden residue still clinging to my arms from last night’s ritual.
“You’re both awake,” Kieran says, his voice low and rough with sleep. He lifts his head, stormy eyes meeting mine. “He’s been moving for the last ten minutes. Like he knows I’m here.”
I slide my fingers into his hair, heart swelling at the sight of this terrifying Alpha reduced to gentle reverence over the small life inside me. “He always knows when you’re close. The bond… it sings whe
