#idbtwy
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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 49
It's here!!! The final part of this massive fic. 😭 I can't believe we're finally at the end. I'm still in shock that I get to close the door on this fic that has taken up the last three years of my life. I have so many emotions running through me right now. 🥺
The epilogue will be posted during @elriel-month in addition to a little surprise I'm so excited to share with you. Stay tuned!! 💜💙💚
My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics
My ao3 account: tswaney17
Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕
Catch up here.
Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW
This part also features descriptions of birth and complications from it.
Word Count: 7,225
Elain had spent a good portion of the late morning getting ready for the baby shower scheduled for noon. At just over eight months pregnant, they were cutting close to the wire of the twins’ arrival.
She was beyond exhausted. Growing the babies was work enough, but she ached everywhere at this point. Her boobs, her hips, her ankles. Her back…that hurt the worst. She looked like she swallowed two extra large watermelons. Elain hadn’t seen her feet in two and half months and she was praying that her toenails looked well enough for sandals today.
On top of her aching body, she also slept like shit the night before, having woken up in the wee hours with Braxton Hicks contractions that seemed to never want to go away. They were getting obnoxious at this point.
Oh! And her boobs had already started leaking. Aside from the contractions, Elain also woke up to a soaked sleep shirt and an attitude that poor Azriel was desperately trying to keep calm. She felt bad that her irritation got directed at him, but he took her mood swings in stride, giving her the space when she needed it, and focusing on taking care of Kaden and getting him ready for the party.
Her husband knocked lightly before entering their bedroom, shutting the door behind him and locking it when he saw her standing there in an ugly pair of panties and a strapless bra—which she had no idea how it was going to hold up her tits, but here they were. “Hello, my love. How are you doing?” he asked, striding further into their room. He was already dressed in black slacks and a white button-down rolled up to his elbows. It was one of her favorite looks on him. Casual but classy and sexy as hell.
“I’m all right. Better than this morning,” which was true. In the time she took to get ready, she felt her irritation slowly dissipate. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”
He gifted her a soft smile he reserved only for her and their children. “El, you’re carrying two babies. You’re allowed to let out your frustrations. I’m here to spar if you need it, you know that.”
She knew he meant spar as in letting her yell and shout and hiss words until she felt better while he just took it. Gods, he really was the perfect husband. Elain held out her coco butter lotion towards him. “Do you mind rubbing this on me and helping me dress?”
Azriel took the bottle from her outstretched hands, dropping a sweet kiss on her plump lips before squirting some into his scarred palms and gently rubbing it all over her swollen stomach. He knelt before her, dutifully getting every inch of her covered. “You are so beautiful, Elain,” he murmured, kissing her at the fullest part of her belly.
She snorted. “I am a beached whale who ate too much.”
“You are a gorgeous woman carrying life inside of her womb. That will always be beautiful, sweetheart.”
How he always knew what to say was beyond her, but she tugged him up off the ground to kiss him thoroughly. It should’ve annoyed her with how just a few sweeps of Azriel’s tongue had every concern and irritation simply melt away. He knew when to play that card and fuck did he play it well.
But even his tongue couldn’t stop the hiss of pain as another contraction wracked her body.
He immediately pulled back at the sound, eyes scanning her face. “Are you all right?” he asked, concern etched into the tone.
She breathed through the wave that tightened in her abdomen. “Braxton Hicks contractions,” she said as an explanation.
His brows shot into his hairline. “Do we need to go to the hospital?”
Elain reached up to cup his cheek in her palm, her thumb swiping over the stubble there. “No, it’s a normal thing this late in the pregnancy. I’ve had a few this morning starting before dawn. It’s why I was grouchy.”
Understanding lit his face and he carefully ran his hand down her stomach again. “Why didn’t you wake me this morning?”
She huffed a laugh. “Because I knew you’d go into full-birthing-dad-mode and neither one of us would’ve slept any longer.”
Azriel shot her an unamused glare. “You will be thanking me for that birthing-dad mode when you’re in labor and I have everything packed up within minutes.”
This time Elain laughed loud and joyfully. “Yes, you’re probably right.” She nodded to the dress on the bed. “Help me slip that on?”
He grabbed the fabric, bunching it in his large fists, and pulled it over her head. It was an off-the-shoulder, loose, pale pink cotton dress, decorated with roses. It looked vintage, gathering just under her bust, with oversized puffy sleeves that sat off her shoulders, over her biceps. Ruffles accentuated the bottom hem, emphasizing the vintage style. It was the perfect spring dress. When Elain first saw it at the store, she knew she had to buy it for the shower.
Azriel tugged her loose curls from the back of the dress, letting them brush against her spine. He placed a kiss on her bare shoulder before grabbing the rose-pendant necklace he bought to go with the dress and draping it around her delicate neck. “Perfect,” he murmured onto her skin, his smile pressing against her neck.
Elain sighed softly, reaching up to thread her fingers through his dark hair. “How am I still horny for you?”
He nipped at her throat, a rumble shaking his chest. “Because you know I can deliver what you need without even blinking.”
This time she laughed, letting his hands run across her body in possessive little touches.
Azriel brazenly cupped her sex through the dress, growling as she let out a mewling sound and began to writhe against those skilled fingers, searching for the friction she desperately craved. “Would you like to fuck my hand, love?” he murmured, mouth grazing her jaw.
Elain fell slack against him, letting his strength hold her up. “Az,” she breathed, eyes fluttering shut as he began to rub her in earnest. “Please.”
He nipped the curve of her ear, tugging the lobe between his teeth. “You beg so prettily, El.” Bunching up the dress in a fist, Azriel slid her panties aside, swiping his fingers over her soaked pussy. “Fuck, baby. You’re so wet for me. Always desperate for my touch.”
She gripped him, nails digging into his exposed forearms. “I need—I need,” she panted out, wiggling in his hold. “Please, Az.”
Giving her exactly what she wanted—needed—Azriel sunk his middle finger into her aching cunt, pumping once before adding a second digit. “Such a good girl,” he whispered, thrusting in and out of her. The heel of his palm grazed her clit sending bolts of pleasure up her spine.
Elain bit her lip, stifling the moan that threatened to burst from her. His fingers scraped along that special spot inside of her, building her up and up and up until she teetered on the edge of bliss.
Barely conscious of her surroundings, Elain caught the sound of the door handle jiggling, followed by a “Momma!”
Azriel clapped a hand over her mouth as he continued his machinations. “Momma’s getting dressed, Kaden. We’ll be out in a minute,” he called out, pressing his palm firmly on her clit and sending her spiraling into her orgasm.
Too far gone to care, she tumbled into sweet oblivion, coming hard on his fingers. Elain moaned, only quieted by the muffling against her husband’s scarred hand.
He worked her through her release, slowing his movements when she started to come down from her high. Az peppered her skin with sweet kisses, removing his fingers from her pussy and readjusting her panties back into place before letting the dress fall back down. “Better, my love?”
“I’m gonna have to change my underwear, but yes.” She twisted in his arms, catching him sucking his fingers clean. Elain brought his mouth down to hers, tongue licking the drop of her release dotting his bottom lip. “Thank you, husband.”
He smiled into their kiss, deepening it once more. “I’ll go check on Kaden while you finish up. We’ll head out when you’re done.”
Twenty minutes later, they were in the car on their way to Rhys and Feyre’s place. It was a gorgeous day full of sunshine, the air warm with the oncoming of summer. It was as if even the Mother wanted to grace her presence on that day with her radiance. They really couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for a baby shower.
“Momma?” Kaden called from the back seat. “Where are we going?”
His speech had improved so much since they first brought him home that the therapist they hired had told them after the end of the school year, that he likely wouldn’t need to continue seeing a specialist to catch him up. He was reading and writing the way a five-year-old should be and was on track to pass kindergarten with flying colors.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Remember how we talked about going to Aunt Feyre and Uncle Rhys’s for the baby shower today.”
He seemed to think about that. “What’s a baby shower?”
Her lips quirked up at his curious mind. Thankfully, he hadn’t asked about where babies came from again. “It’s a party to celebrate the upcoming arrival of your brother and sister.” Her hand came to rest on her belly instinctively.
His face scrunched up. “Will I have to take a bath again?”
Azriel let out a snort, glancing at her. “It’s a fair question.”
She laughed. “No, sweetheart. Not that kind of shower. To shower with love. The party is just to celebrate the babies before they arrive.”
“Will there be cake?” he asked, excitement lighting up his face at the prospect of sweets.
“For my sister’s sake, there better be.” Elain’s late-stage pregnancy craving was anything sweet. Cookies, cakes, pastries, whatever she could get her hands on, she was eating it. Azriel was barely able to keep the pantry stocked with desserts for her to snack on.
Her husband chuckled. “If she doesn’t, we’ll stop by a bakery on our way home and get each of you a cake. How’s that sound?” he asked, grasping her hand and bringing it to his mouth to kiss her knuckles.
She grinned. “You spoil me.”
He looked at her then. “You deserve to be spoiled.”
They were fashionably late to their baby shower, and Elain completely blamed her husband’s morning sexual charade for the delay in their arrival. Not that she minded at all. She had another Braxton Hick contraction in the car, Azriel eying her with worry and once again asking if they should make a pitstop at the hospital just in case.
But that would’ve made them even more late and Elain knew it was unnecessary.
All of their friends and family were waiting for their arrival. And she hated being late.
“What am I going to do with you gone for six months, Elain?” Thesan teased, taking a sip of his beer.
She shot a devilish grin at the head nurse sitting on the couch across from her. “I’m sure Viv would love to pick up all the slack.”
Viviane squawked in outrage and pointed a menacing finger in her direction. “Don’t put your work on me while you’re enjoying your babymoon, Elain Archeron-Knight.”
The group laughed as she pushed herself up off the couch. Another contraction hit her and she winced, catching the attention of the sharp-eyed nurse. But before she could ask, Kaden came bounding up to her, tugging on the skirt of her dress.
“Momma, can I have a cake pop?” He looked up at her with those damn puppy eyes he knew she couldn’t resist.
Elain ran a hand through his hair. “Sure, sweetie. Only one. You don’t want to spoil your appetite for Uncle Cassian’s good barbeque.”
Said uncle was out in the backyard tending to the grill with her husband, Rhys, and the Moonbeam brothers because, apparently, that’s where men gathered. Aelin and Rowan had joined them, the former getting an eyebrow raise from Azriel at her company’s appearance.
She made her way to the kitchen, hoping to perhaps score one of those cake pops herself—she was the guest of honor, surely she could snag one too. Feyre, Nuala, and Cerridwen had been busy putting together the final touches for lunch and were just waiting for Cassian’s proteins to serve food.
But just as she reached the breakfast bar, a wave of excruciating pain washed over her. Catching herself on the counter, Elain gripped the side of her stomach, groaning loud enough that the other room went silent. And then she felt it. Liquid surged between her legs, puddling the floor beneath her.
No. No, it was too soon. They couldn’t be coming already.
Viviane rounded the corner from the living room as Feyre and the twins approached her.
Somebody breathed her name, but she couldn’t decipher who it was over the blood rushing in her ears.
More footsteps sounded as her friends and family came from the living room to see what was going on.
“Elain.” It was Feyre’s voice that broke through the fog of fear that had clouded her, but she was too numb to respond. Too nervous. “Somebody get Azriel!”
Her panic grew and her breathing turned shallow. It was too soon. She wasn’t ready, wasn’t prepared enough. The anxiety of giving birth hit her like a freight train.
She couldn’t do this.
She couldn’t.
~~~~~
Azriel took a swig of his beer, rolling his eyes at the cad comment Rhys made. His tanned skin warmed in the sunlight even with the sleeves of his button-down rolled up to his elbows. With a glance at the large window, he caught Elain rising from her spot on the couch, Kaden gripping her dress to speak with her.
Gods, that fucking dress. Elain looked like a maternal goddess in it, emphasizing her swollen belly, brimming with the life of his children. Az never realized he had a breeding kink until he and Elain got back together. His desire to fill her with his seed, to watch her grow with life had him hardening in his pants.
Now at eight months, she had reached the stage where little things irked the hell out of her. Honestly, her temper was cute as hell, but he tried to be considerate of her exhaustion and short-fuse, offering himself up to take the heat of her ire. It was only fair—he’s the one that got her pregnant.
It may have made him a primitive, alpha-douchebag, but fuck did he love to see her waddling around, pregnant and barefoot in their home. She was already such a wonderful mother to their boy, Kaden. Cassian had been right. He was so incredibly grateful for Elain’s maternal instinct.
“Something caught your eye, brother?” Cassian taunted, grinning. His brother knew exactly what he was looking at. Or whom.
He shot him a dry look that had Cash chuckling.
“If she wasn’t already pregnant, I’d say that look alone could’ve knocked her up,” he teased. “Who knew you had such a kink, Az.”
Azriel opened his mouth to retort, but the sliding glass door opening caught his attention.
Nuala peeked her head out, a worried look on her face that had his stomach tightening in knots. “Azriel! Get in here now!”
But he was already moving, dropping his drink on the table and running after her into the house, his brothers and friends hot on his heels. He froze in the entryway of the kitchen, taking in the scene for a split second before his eyes settled on Elain bent over the counter, a puddle of clear liquid beneath her.
His feet ate up the space between them in three long strides, her name falling from his lips as he cupped her face and forced her gaze on his. Azriel prided himself in knowing exactly what Elain was feeling, what she was thinking by just the look on her face. He read her better than he did himself. So, seeing the blatant apprehension and worry written as clearly as a tattoo on her forehead had his heart racing in his chest.
Her eyes were wet with the tears he could tell she was trying to hold back.
“Love,” he said quietly, unsure how to proceed at the moment.
She blinked like hearing him cleared a bit of the fog that had washed over her. “Azriel.” Her voice cracked.
He folded her into his arms, trying to soothe whatever worries were troubling her. “You’re okay, my love.”
Elain seemed to melt in his embrace, her tension slowly ebbing away the longer he held her. He gave her whatever time she needed, ignoring the audience they had around them, but it was long enough for another contraction to hit. She cried out, gripping his hand in hers and squeezing tight.
Viviane snapped into action at that. “Azriel, her contractions are about nine minutes apart now. She’s going to have at least two more by the time you reach the hospital.”
“No hospitals,” Elain growled.
That had him pulling back to look down at her. “El, the babies are coming—”
“No. Hospitals.” He could see the wavering in her face. “I—,” she paused, hesitating. “They’re not ready. It’s too early. Too soon. They can’t come out yet…” Her head fell until she was looking at the wetness still sitting on the floor. “I’m not ready,” Elain whispered so quietly, that he almost missed it.
Azriel knew that was nerves speaking. While Kaden made them parents, the idea of giving birth to the twins was the primary source of her fear. The books he read said that many expectant mothers experienced this type of anxiety right around the time they went into labor. If they were going to have any success in her having a smooth birth, Azriel needed to get her to calm down. He glanced at Cassian. “Can you get her a chair?”
His brother grabbed one from the dining room, setting it out for Az to carefully guide Elain into. He knelt in front of her, keeping her hands clasped firmly in his. “Elain, sweetheart,” her dark eyes latched onto his, needing to hear his reassurance. He kept his voice low, wishing they didn’t have to have this conversation in front of their friends and family.
Rhys seemed to sense that and began ushering people out of the room. “Let’s give the couple a few minutes.”
He shot his brother a grateful look before returning his attention to Elain. “Sweetheart, I know you’re scared. I know it’s earlier than we were expecting. But if there is one thing that I am certain of is that you can do this.” He squeezed her hands in comfort. “You are the strongest person I know. You’ve been through so much that once all is said and done, you’re going to look at me and tell me that this was the easy part. I promise you that if anyone can do this, it’s you. And I will be right by your side for every step, holding your hand, giving you ice chips, and bearing whatever you need me to bear to bring our children into the world.”
She sniffed, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You’re sure?”
“Without a doubt, Elain. You can do this.” He brought their joined hands up to his mouth, kissing her fingers and letting her absorb whatever confidence she needed. “So, what do you say? Are you ready to have our babies, love?”
Elain huffed a laugh, his words settling the nerves she had. “Yes, let’s go have our babies,” she breathed, her grin taking over her entire face, lasting all of thirty seconds before a look of panic took root once more. “Az, the birthing bag is still at the house.”
He let out an undignified snort. “Do you think after having that contraction in front of me this morning, I’d leave the house without having absolutely everything packed and ready to go? Come on, baby, you know me better than that. It’s all in the back of the car.”
She blinked in surprise. “The birthing bag and my pillow?”
“In the car,” he confirmed.
“Kaden’s overnight bag?”
“In the car.”
“The car seats for the twins?”
He scoffed. “You know I installed those weeks ago, try again.”
Her lips quired up at the corner. “What about the slippers I was wearing this morning?” she asked, thinking she had him.
Az rolled his eyes in playful exasperation. “I grabbed them when I snagged the birthing bag.” He kissed her hands again. “I’ve got you, love.”
And then she was leaning forward, kissing him with so much love and devotion, he felt it down to the soul she brought back to life. The sound of their family’s cheers forced them apart, a pretty blush dusting the tops of Elain’s cheeks, but she didn’t dare look away from him.
Without looking away from her, Azriel reached into his pocket, pulled out his keys, and tossed them to Rhys. “Can you grab Kaden’s bag from the trunk? The one with dinosaurs. And then Elain’s purple one as well.”
Elain’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Why is he grabbing mine?”
His lips pulled up into a knowing grin, brushing the shell of her ear as he leaned forward to whisper, “I thought you might like to change your underwear and put on a maternity pad for the ride to the hospital.”
Her cheeks heated in embarrassment, but she nodded in agreement.
A little body shuffled closer. “Momma?” Kaden murmured, looking so very worried over the state of his mother.
She held her arms out, motioning him forward. “C’mere sweetheart.” Elain tucked him into her chest, kissing the top of his head. “You’re going to stay here with Aunt Feyre and Uncle Rhys while Daddy and I go to the hospital to have your brother and sister.”
He looked up at her with those puppy-dog eyes and damn, the kid knew how to work them. “But I want to go with you!” His lower lip quivered and Azriel could tell he was on the verge of tears.
But his wife took it in stride, cupping his little face in her palms and swiping her thumbs across his cheeks. “I know, sweetheart. I know you do. But you’ll have a much better time here with your aunt and uncle. Momma’s not going to be fun to be around until your siblings are here.” She kissed his plump cheek. “But I promise that you will be the first to see us once they arrive. Okay?”
Feyre stepped forward, reaching out a hand for their son. “Come on, Kaden. We’ll have lots of fun eating all the desserts left over.” She shot them a wink when he finally relented, taking her fingers.
After cleaning her up as best as he could and getting her a maternity pad from her bag, he and Elain were in the car on the way to the hospital. As Viviane predicted, she had two more contractions on the way, grabbing his offered hand and the “oh shit” bar as she groaned her way through it. And then promptly went into a third one right as they arrived.
Az timed them out, still sitting about nine minutes apart. “Breathe, baby. Good, love. Just like that.” His thumb grazed the back of her hand. Her grip was tight, on the verge of painful, but he didn’t dare let his face flinch or show an ounce of discomfort. She needed his strength and that’s exactly what he was going to give her.
They were immediately escorted to their private room and Elain’s vitals were checked over. She was sitting at only two centimeters dilated, which meant they were looking at being there for a bit.
Between her contractions, he swapped out his clothes for a fitted black t-shirt and grey sweatpants to get more comfortable and then sent a text to their siblings to notify them that they were in and settled, but it would be a while before they would have any progress.
“Can you check in with Kaden?” Elain asked, taking a scoop of ice chips from her cup.
The corner of his lips curled up at the question. “I already did. Feyre said he wouldn’t leave the front window for a while and had to persuade him with his baby cousin and a lot of sweet treats.”
She snorted, shaking her head. “He’s going to have a mouth full of cavities before we get home.” Elain twisted to look at him. “Do you think we made the right decision by not letting him come with us? It sounds like he’s waiting for us to return. I know that some families let their little ones be present for the birth of their siblings and we discussed it—”
He interrupted her train of thought. “I think we made the right call, love. We’re going to be here for a while and we both know that things can upset him. I don’t know how well he’d handle watching you go through that.”
She nodded but didn’t look very convinced.
Azriel reached for her hand, covering it with his own and squeezing her fingers. “He’s safe and well-cared for. Remember that while we focus on bringing his little brother and sister into the world.” He brushed his lips over her knuckles in a sweet kiss.
Elain smiled softly at him. “Okay.”
And so, they waited.
Per his wife’s birthing plan, she wanted to attempt to go natural. Azriel admired her strength and resilience in doing so. But after over sixteen hours of hard labor, he could see her resolve fading.
He stroked her cheek, fingers brushing hair behind her ear. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”
Dark circles already lined the underneath part of her eyes. She looked so weary. “I’m so tired, Az.” Her voice came out nearly broken and fuck if that didn’t just rip his beating heart from his chest.
Kissing her forehead, he murmured, “Do you want to get the epidural? It’ll help you get some much-needed rest before the delivery.” As of now, she was only at seven centimeters and the doctor had said it could still be a while longer until she reached a full ten.
Her chin dipped in confirmation. “Please.”
Azriel didn’t waste time calling for the nurse. Within ten minutes, he watched as a grossly large needle was inserted into her back, sending that relief washing over her. He peppered her face with kisses during the procedure, murmuring words of praise and comfort in her ear as she gritted her teeth through it.
Elain spent the next eight hours in a fitful sleep, dosing off and waking up not long after each time. Azriel didn’t bother to try and sleep, not when she wasn’t really getting much at all.
But finally, after just past nine, she was fully dilated and ready to push.
His wife pushed and pushed and pushed for a half hour with nothing to show for it. She was in tears, frustrated, and so exhausted he was practically supporting all her weight having slid an arm around her shoulders to keep her upright.
“I can’t, I can’t,” she sobbed, half burying her face into his chest.
“You can, love. You’re so strong. Just a little bit more,” he tried to reassure her. It fucking killed him to see her like this.
“Can’t you do it for me?” she pleaded, looking up at him with wild, desperate eyes.
He gripped her cheek in his palm, kissing her temple. “You know I would, El. I would give anything to switch places with you right now. But I know you can do this. Just a few more pushes and then they’ll be here.”
Whatever she read within his words seemed to do the trick, her brows furrowing with a determination he hadn’t seen since they left the house. Elain pushed herself up, trying to get into a kneeling position, and he was right there, sliding behind her and supporting her weight.
The nurses squawked, muttering something about hospital policy, but frankly, he did not give a fuck, snarling, “Her body is telling her to push like this. Listen to your fucking patient.”
Changing the position was exactly what she needed because their son was born within the next two contractions, entering the world with a healthy set of lungs.
They sagged back against the pillows, his face wet with tears as they placed their new baby directly on Elain’s bared chest. He couldn’t stop himself from tipping her head back to kiss her softly on the lips, pausing the savor the moment.
Az traced the pads of his fingers over the curve of their boy’s cheek, just needing to touch him to prove he was here with them. Even covered in fluids, he was so beautiful. The perfect blend of the two of them.
The nurses gave them just a few minutes with the first baby before Doctor Chen said that she needed to start pushing again. She took their boy from Elain’s arms, promising to bring him back for Azriel after he was cleaned up and their daughter was born.
Delivery of their little girl went easier than with their son. But whereas their boy came out crying, their daughter came out silent.
Azriel knew something was wrong just by the silence, but it only grew the anxiety in his stomach when the doctor turned her back on them, taking their little one with her to work on.
“She’s not crying,” Elain breathed, worry clouding her voice.
He could only squeeze her shoulders in comfort, watching as they shoved things into her nose and mouth.
“Suction,” Chen ordered.
“Azriel, why isn’t she crying?”
“She’s going to be okay, love. They’re helping her. She’s okay.” The words passed his lips even as his heart dropped into his stomach when they started doing compressions on her tiny body.
No.
This couldn’t be happening. They couldn’t lose her. It would kill him to lose his little girl, but Elain, fuck, he couldn’t even begin to fathom the devastation she would face at this loss. There was nothing he could do. He couldn’t pay to fix this or threaten someone to save their baby girl.
So, he did what any father would do.
He prayed.
He prayed to every god, every deity, everything, and anything he could think of to keep his little girl safe and bring her back to them. To take her place if they demanded it. A life for a life. He’d pay it for his child, his family. “Come on,” he murmured. “Come on, baby. Come on.”
Elain curved her face into the side of his chest, howling in a way he’d never heard from her before.
His arms went around her, that dreaded feeling turning his blood cold. The terror he felt of their little one dead before she lived was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. But still, he did not stop praying, clutching Elain’s shaking body to his. “Come on, little one. Come on!” he chanted. “Please.”
And then, a rattled cough tore from her tiny body, followed by the sweet, beautiful sound of her cry.
Elain’s wail turned into relieved sobs, as the doctor walked over their bundled little girl and placed her into his wife’s awaiting arms.
“Somebody was just so excited to meet you, she took a breath a little too early, but we cleared out her passages and lungs and she looks good now.”
His wife tucked their daughter into her chest, kissing the top of her head. “Hi sweet girl, Momma’s here,” she whispered, tears still falling down her cheeks. Tears that matched the ones running down his face.
She was here. His baby girl. Fuck, she looked just like him, with dark hair and tanned skin. He hadn’t gotten a look at her eyes yet, but already she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“Here you go, Mr. Archeron-Knight,” one of the other nurses said, pulling his attention from his wife and daughter as she handed him his son, cleaned up and wrapped in a soft blanket.
The small bundle was gently laid in the crook of his elbow. Azriel didn’t think he’d ever feel the amount of love he did on Kaden’s adoption day, but sitting here with his gorgeous wife, holding their newborn twins, he felt his heart soar in his chest.
Sweaty and fatigued, Elain glanced up at his face, the sweetest, exhausted smile pulling on her lips. “I love you,” she murmured.
He let out a sound that was a cross between a chuckle and a sob. “I love you more.” And then he kissed her, sealing that moment in time with his undying love for her.
~~~~~
Elain woke to the sound of a whimpering cry, swiftly followed by Azriel’s low voice.
“Hey, sweet girl. What’s wrong, huh?” She heard some shuffling as her husband lifted their daughter from the nursery bed. “Momma needs her sleep so we need to be quiet.” He kept his voice low enough to not disturb her—fuck she loved him so much—but she was already awake, rolling over in the hospital bed to face him.
Azriel holding his children was, hands down, the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. How she could even feel the need for him after pushing two babies out of her currently aching and severely injured body was beyond her, but just watching him bounce their fussing daughter made all those desires come roaring to the surface.
Almost as if he could sense her presence, hazel eyes slid to hers. “I’ve got her, love. Go back to sleep.” His voice remained soft as night as if anything louder would disturb her.
She curled up on her side, watching him. “I think we should get used to no sleep now.”
He huffed a laugh, patting Rosalie on her back as she further settled into the crook of his elbow.
Their daughter was almost two pounds smaller than her brother, coming in right at five whereas Ryder was a healthy six pounds, fourteen ounces. The doctor was a little concerned over Rosalie’s lower birth weight, but Elain had managed to get both babies to latch and feed earlier and she ate well, so they were mainly playing it by ear.
Because of her smaller size, Azriel already placed an order for some preemie clothes and sent a photo of her with the twins to their siblings. They asked to give them a day to recuperate before coming to the hospital in the morning. After the scare with Rosalie, both she and Azriel wanted to take some time to spend with the babies. Plus, the medical team was in and out of their room, taking Rosalie for some additional tests just to be sure everything looked good.
It was just after seven that night, and they were settling in for the evening. Tired of hospital food, Azriel ordered hamburgers from DoorDash for them to eat. Elain was starving and it sounded so good that she drooled when she suggested it to him. Both babies had been fed only an hour earlier and she anticipated not having another feeding till late evening or early morning.
Elain grabbed whatever sleep she could, knowing she’d need it when they were released in a couple of days, but she was sure Azriel hadn’t slept a wink since she’d gone into labor.
She pushed herself up, reclining on her pillows. The nurses cleaned her after the delivery and stitched her up from tearing, but Elain couldn’t wait to get home and take a proper shower. “Does she need to be changed?” she asked, nodding to the now-sleeping baby in her husband’s arms.
Azriel shook his head. “No, I think she was just fussing.” His dark hair was still mussed up from when he stripped out of his shirt earlier, taking time for skin-to-skin contact with each of the twins.
Elain had to rein in her laugh at how the nurse blushed as he revealed miles of gloriously tanned, tattooed skin and corded muscle. Her husband was a fine specimen, but he never flaunted it, so seeing another woman react to it was humorous especially since he didn’t even seem to notice her blushing, stammering state.
“You should sleep too, Az,” she said instead.
He looked at her, his lips curving up. It had been doing that a lot since the birth of the twins. The sweetest, smallest smile that crept up the corners of his mouth. Almost as if he didn’t even realize he was doing it. It was utterly adorable and made him look younger. “I’ll rest later. You need it more than me.”
Her shoulders shook in amusement. “You know, we can sleep when they do.”
“I just don’t want to miss a second of them.” His attention returned to his little girl who already had him wrapped around her finger. To be fair, all of their children did. “Fuck, I can’t believe they’re here already. It seems like it was only a month ago you found out you were pregnant.”
“I can’t believe our first anniversary is coming up in just a handful of weeks.”
At that, he laughed. “I guess a trip for our anniversary is out of the question?”
She grinned. “Not unless all our little ones are coming with us.” Because like hell was she going to be able to leave them so soon. Plus with her nursing, it just wouldn’t be ideal.
He seemed to consider her. “We could take the jet to the Summer District. Kaden will be out of school then and we’ll both still be out on leave. Just a thought.”
Gods, he was fucking perfect. “That might be nice.”
A knock on the door interrupted whatever he was going to say. He frowned in confusion, looking at her.
Elain shrugged, sitting up further on her bed. “Come in,” she called out.
She thought it might be a nurse or a doctor, coming to check on her or the twins. What she didn’t expect was for Rhys to peek his head into the room. Surprise lit her features and she glanced at Azriel, who looked equally as bewildered at the sudden visit from their brother.
“Hey,” Rhys said. “I apologize for dropping by unannounced, but somebody really couldn’t wait till tomorrow to see you.” He opened the door slightly, revealing Kaden clutching a teddy bear, eyes puffy and red from crying.
Her heart ached at the distress their son must’ve been in for Rhys to come all the way here. “Hello sweetheart,” she said, keeping her voice soft. “Come here, my love.”
He took a small step further into the room, Rhys’s hand guiding him at the backside of his head. Kaden took slow steps as he approached the side of her bed. “Momma, are you sick?”
She reached out to cup his cheek in her palm. “No, baby. I’m not sick. Your brother and sister decided it was time to come out of my tummy.” Her eyes found Azriel’s as he rose from his seat on the couch, moving toward them. “Would you like to meet them?” she asked, returning her gaze to Kaden’s.
His head dipped in confirmation.
Elain pushed herself back even more. “Rhys, can you help him up and then grab me that flat pillow over there.”
He set the boy on the bed between her spread legs, Kaden shuffling backward and bumping into her sensitive lower area.
She hissed out in pain before she could stop herself. A wave of agony washed over her with enough intensity that her stomach curdled with nausea.
Azriel reacted immediately. “Easy, buddy. Momma’s going to be sore for a while and we need to be extra careful with her.”
“I’m okay,” she spoke quickly, not wanting to upset Kaden any more than he already was, and kissed his plump cheek as she breathed through the pain. “Okay, Rhys. Place the pillow over our laps.”
Adjusting his arms in preparation, Azriel gently lowered their daughter until she comfortably rested on the nursing pillow.
“Kaden, this is your sister, Rosalie,” he announced, letting his finger stroke her rounded cheek.
Elain couldn’t see his face directly, but she did catch his eyes widening as he stared down at her, his fingers carefully tracing over her delicate features just as his father did.
“Rosawee,” he said, not quite catching the ending syllable. It would be something they would have to work on. When she kicked a leg within her swaddle, he pulled his hand back, startled.
She laughed, feeling the bed dip as Azriel sat down next to them, bringing over their son. “And this is your brother, Ryder.”
He reached out to trace the outline of his brows, the touch gentle and exploratory. “I’m a brother?” he asked, turning his head to look up at her.
“That’s right sweetheart. You’re their big brother, and they’re going to love you so much,” she told him, kissing the top of his head.
Elain took in her family, her incredible husband, and three beautiful children. It sounded so wild to even think about. She was a wife and a mother. Thinking back, she remembered the day that had changed the trajectory of her life forever. The bank robbery a few years back. It was crazy to think how such a terrifying moment altered her life in the best of ways. It brought her back to the love of her life.
It put her on this very path.
She’d face every one of the moments since then tenfold as long as it brought her to this point in time, sitting here with her gorgeous little family.
“Perfect.”
She looked up at Rhys, catching him with his phone out.
“Your first family photo.”
Her lips turned up and silver lined her eyes. “Thank you, Rhys.”
He waved her off. “Do you want me to take Kaden back with me?”
“No,” Azriel said, ruffling his eldest son’s hair. “He can stay here with us tonight. Can you put his booster seat in our car? The keys are in my bag.”
“You got it.” He grabbed the keys but paused on the threshold. “And congratulations you guys. Rosalie and Ryder are beautiful.”
Azriel leaned further into her side, kissing her temple. “Thank you, brother.” Once alone, he turned her head toward his, bringing her mouth to his for a slow, sweet kiss. “I love you so damn much, Elain.”
His smile was infectious, making her lips turn up at the corners. “Thank you, Azriel, for giving me this life—these babies. You have made me the happiest I could ever imagine. I love you.”
“Momma! She’s got my finger,” Kaden’s giggle interrupted their moment.
They laughed, looking at their three beautiful children.
Elain knew that this perfect moment was just the very beginning of the rest of their lives.
~~~~~
Remember, sharing is caring! Please reblog if you liked the fic. It helps spread my work and I truly appreciate it. 💕
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Some tags seem to not want to link, which could be related to your visibility settings. Sorry about that!
#i do bad things with you#idbtwy#elriel#elriel fic#elriel fanfic#elriel fanfiction#elain#elain archeron#azriel#azriel shadowsinger#elain x azriel#elain x az#azriel x elain#elain and azriel#azriel and elain#tswaney17#tswaney17fics#tay writes#my writing#fanfic#fanfiction#sarah j maas#acotar#acomaf#acowar#acofas#acosf
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I'm on my little mission to give some love and gratitude to my favorite fic writers because you're all amazing. You are authors who don't get paid for your great works. You are the reason I am still in this fandom. 💕💗🤍
I came across you through idbwty and what can I say, you belong in the category of authors where I drop everything and do a little dance because I saw there is a new update.
Literally me when i see there is a new Idbwty update:
But also love to your other fics. It's incredible how well you can express different feelings. From angsty to fluffy to happy to smutty.
I am also a big fan of you Elriel pragnancy stories. I love how you embrace everything, both the difficulties and the immense joy Elain and Azriel face and then round it up with the love they feel for each other.
Hello my sweet!!!
I can’t tell you how much it means to get this sweet note. 🥹🥹 I’m so happy you love IDBTWY so much!! It is my baby and I hate that it’s been sitting for so long. I’m trying to get to get back into this AU so I can finish posting it, but the struggle is real.
I love that you love my pregnancy elriel AU. I just adore those AUs and it makes me so happy to hear you’re enjoying it as well.
Thank you for sending me this, my love. It made me so happy to read. I got this big dumb grin on my face. 😅 You truly made me feel special. 🩷💜💙
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Which fanfic authors inspire you/ write things you enjoy?
Hello!!
This is so hard because there are so many amazing Elriel fanfic writers! I KNOW there are people that I have left off of this list, and I'm so sorry for that :((
@thefangirlofhp has some of the most beautifully stunning and heart wrenching writing i have ever read. The relationship between winnie and az in her magnum opus apaixonar lives in my mind rent free, and I am always asking for snippets from her vault of fanfics. apaixonar should be the #1 fanfic on ao3 for all of acotar.
@nikethestatue is amazing too! I have such a visceral experience when I'm reading her work that I need to prepare myself. La Dolce Vita is literally my dream life and i'm incredibly excited to read its inevitable HEA <3 . The Kings Wife is another incredible work of hers that I am thinking about almost every day since it's been published. I will always love Elain Marie Paige Azriel Archeron <33333
@batboyazriel and her Famously In Love is one of the few fics where all three relationship are given equal time and attention!! The justice that she does for Feysand, Elriel, and Nessian is out of this world and I KNOW it can't be easy, but she manages to do it!
@tswaney17 and her IDBTWY!!! One of the best Elriel AU's, and the way that she explores the character as she writes is incredible. <333
These are the ones that I can think of off the top of my head, but there are so many amazing authors out that!!
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literally my commentary from idbtwy chapter 44:
ahhhh and here we see the beginning of rowans pokémon evolution from “He was a fifteen-year-old virgin with a massive crush” (because even though he was talking about lor, he’s like yah, that was totally me 😳😳😳😳) to @starseternalnighttriumphant daddy!rowan sex god lol and i am HERE for it.
also: EEEEEEEEEE mah little bebies are gonna have sex!!! finally!!!
bUT ALSO: little birdy bois leaving his fire chick 😭😭😭😭😭 why, char??? why?????
Rowan’s Pokémon evolution I am crying 😂😂😂
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hey! i’m new to your blog and stumbled upon your aMAZING idbtwy elriel drawing and holy shittles, it blew my mind. they are exactly how i imagined it but i never really thought about the height difference before so i was surprised at first at how small elain looked compared to az but then i was like wait isn’t az fucking 6’5 (or something) so *insert awkwardly pointed finger guns here*
Ahh!!! Thank you for sending this in to me <3! I certainly took the height difference into account but also did no research on how someone 5′3-5′5-ish would compare to someone 6′4-6′5 so I may or may not have sized her down...In my head I just always imagine Az to trump her physically in every way (the best to just envelope and cuddle Elain with)
Anyways, if I was able to capture even an ounce of how flippin’ hot that scene was then I’m happy *points finger guns back at you with a wink*
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Happy Anniversary IDBTWY!! 🎉💕
“𝐻𝑒 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝓊𝓅 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒷𝓇𝓊𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝒾𝓅𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒𝒽𝑒𝒶𝒹 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝓉𝑒𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝓀𝒾𝓈𝓈, 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓊𝓅 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝓊𝓅 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝑒𝓀. 𝐻𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝓊𝓂𝒷 𝒷𝓇𝓊𝓈𝒽𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈 𝑜𝓃 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝓀𝒾𝓃. ‘𝒴𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝒶 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑔𝑒𝑜𝓃, 𝐸𝓁𝒶𝒾𝓃. 𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑔𝑒𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓃’𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓈𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝒷𝑜𝒹𝓎.’” -IDBTWY Chapter 9
For the 3rd Anniversary of “𝙄 𝘿𝙤 𝘽𝙖𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙔𝙤𝙪” I commissioned this scene by the incredible @sncinder. I chose this moment specifically because this is one of the major turning points in Azriel and Elain’s relationship in this fic. When they both kind of figure out how to be a part of each other’s lives and begin feeling those old flames again.
This story holds such a special place in my heart. I’m very excited to be finishing up writing the last few parts and you can expect to see more frequent updates coming soon. 😘
@sncinder was such a joy to work with. She is such a talented artist, and I’ve been saying to myself that I had to commission her for IDBTWY at some point, and I’m so happy with how amazing this turned out. It’s even better than my imagination. Thank you, my friend, for this beautiful artwork. You were so lovely to work with. 💜
𝗗𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁
🎨 @sncinder | Comm. by me
Characters belong to Sarah J. Maas
#elriel#elriel art#elriel artwork#elriel fanart#elain archeron#elain#azriel#azriel shadowsinger#elriel fic#elriel fanfic#elriel fanfiction#idbtwy#IDBTWY art#elain x azriel#elain x az#azriel x elain#elain and azriel#azriel and elain#pro elriel#elriel forever#tswaney17#tswaney17fics#Sncinder#my writing#tay writes#IDBTWY anniversary
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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 45
Back again, with a doozy of an update. I recommend grabbing a snack for this one. You'll be here for a while. 😅 This update does feature a torture session, so mind the trigger warnings. Only four parts and an epilogue left! Hope you like it! 💜💙💚
My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics
My ao3 account: tswaney17
Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕
Catch up here.
Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW
Word Count: 11,274
Three days later, Emerie had the adoption process in full swing. Elain wouldn’t lie, having a multi-millionaire husband made people work fast. What should’ve taken weeks (or months to be honest) to get through, only took two days. They would be taking Kaden home that night for the first time so he could get settled, and would remain with them throughout the adoption process.
The hospital approved him to stay in the ICU in the meantime to avoid having to place him in a temporary foster home, a perk of her job, and having the chief of surgery vouch for her. Elain had been worried that with an unfamiliar place, his now-healing arm in a cast, and his fear of people, would negatively impact him. The hospital board agreed—though Elain assuring them that she and Azriel would pay for the board in full probably did something to help sway their decision. She understood why hospitals had boards for making decisions, but sometimes she thought they cared more about the money than their patients.
Azriel had taken the last two days off of work to prepare the spare bedroom for their newest addition—Elain helping to the best of her ability when she got off. Due to Kaden’s small size, he also needed a booster seat that was meant for somebody younger than him. She hoped that it wouldn’t be long before they got him to a healthier weight and could put him in something more appropriate for his age.
They still hadn’t told their family, wanting to wait till after they got the approval from social services when they completed their adoption interviews the following month, but they did let the Moonbeam twins know, seeing as they would be carting him and her to work most days. Kaden was going to temporarily join the daycare group at the hospital until they got him into school. Unfortunately, the year had already started, and they were elbow-deep in research for the best ones in the area to enroll him in as soon as possible.
With the twins expected in four months, and now Kaden, it also meant they had to move—the penthouse no longer serving them and their growing family. Azriel had been in touch with his realtor to get the process started, and she hoped they had a new place and time to settle before the twins were born.
Her husband had some very specific requests for their new home security-wise, and she couldn’t disagree with any of his suggestions. They were going to lose the safety the penthouse provided with combo locks and front lobby staff twenty-four-seven. The first thing Az had requested was something gated, preferably away from others, and large enough to host their entire family in spare bedrooms. He would be able to add in the additional security, but this was the foundation of what they were searching for.
To put it lightly, they were running around like crazy trying to get things in order.
Elain was eternally grateful for her husband who could drop everything to take care of things. Perks of being the CEO, she chuckled to herself. He was going to meet her here later on that evening to pick her and Kaden up, wanting to be the one to bring him to the penthouse for the first time.
Finding that Kaden loved being read to, they had already put together a full bookshelf in his bedroom filled with books of various sizes and reading levels, along with too many stuffed animals, a boatload of other toys, and, of course, clothing. They had stocked up on items for him to last through the next year, even with the possibility of him growing.
Elain was sitting next to his hospital bed, reading him a story about giving a mouse a cookie. She was nowhere near the level of enthusiasm that Azriel had provided when he read “The Three Little Pigs” the other day, but Kaden was enamored by her nonetheless.
A commotion at the children’s ICU front desk caught her attention and she glanced up to find a man in a suit shouting at the nurses, looking agitated, furious, and threatening.
She knew who it was immediately, snatching her phone from the front pocket of her scrubs and shooting a text to the Moonbeam twins.
SOS. Children’s ICU level 3. Now.
Her fingers stroked Kaden’s plump cheek. “I’ll be right back,” she whispered, setting the book down on her chair and striding from the room. Elain closed the curtains, shielding Kaden from view before sliding the glass door shut.
But it was too late. He had seen her and the boy and was stalking his way over to them.
Elain’s back straightened as she lifted her chin, meeting him head-on just outside the room.
“Give me my son,” he snarled.
“You mean the boy that has been here for three days and you’re just now coming to claim?”
He flicked his hand, far too close to her face for comfort but she refused to flinch. “I’m here to collect him.”
Elain’s anger flared, but she reined it in, not wanting to give him more of a reason to react violently. “If you want him, you will have to go through child protective services. Because I am not releasing him to you.”
His tanned skin flushed at her comment, his rage rising to meet her challenge. “He is my son—”
“Blood doesn’t make you a father,” she snapped.
Those green eyes took her in, narrowing to slits. “You’re the bitch trying to steal him from me.”
The breath rushed from her lungs. How did he know they were trying to adopt him?
Lorenzo’s mouth curled up in the corner with a cruel smile. “Move, the fuck, out of my way.”
He shifted to his left and she countered, stepping to her right. “No.”
His gaze snatched down her body, taking in her swollen stomach before returning to her face. “If you don’t move, I’ll make you regret it.”
Elain’s heart pounded in her chest, but like hell was she letting him anywhere near her son. Kaden was hers and Azriel’s and this pathetic excuse of a man wasn’t ever getting near him again. “Touch me and I can guarantee you’ll be in a body bag by the end of the week,” she breathed. In her peripheral, she saw Fenrys and Connall jog from the elevator, spotting her across the room. Elain swung her eyes back on Lorenzo’s face. “You’re nothing but an abusive monster and if you want to try and take him, you’ll have to go through me.”
The man swung, palm open to crack across her face.
But a golden-tanned hand snatched it around his wrist, halting him just inches from her cheek, the breeze fluttering the loose hairs over her ear.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Fenrys deep voice purred. “Her husband wouldn’t like it.” Though he sounded amused and wore a slight smirk on his face, Elain saw the darkening of his eyes. A cold look of a predator waiting to pounce.
Connall wore a similar mask, standing so close to Lorenzo’s other side that any large breath would have his chest brushing against his shoulder.
Both males had become not just good friends of hers, but rather protective too. Even more so since they found out she was pregnant. She knew that with them there, Kaden’s father couldn’t touch her.
Lorenzo glanced down at her name badge, pinned to the front pocket of her scrub top at her waist. His eyes widened in surprise as he took in that hyphenated last name.
Archeron-Knight.
Only a fool wouldn’t recognize that name, and if she was correct in her assumptions about who this man was or whom he worked for, then she knew he’d know immediately who her husband was.
She saw the recognition flash across his face; the hint of fear too before he quickly tried to cover it up with a sneer.
Elain wanted to slap the scorn off his face, but she settled on using her words instead. “Unless you get clearance from social services, you are hereby banned from entering this hospital and trying to reach Kaden. If you step foot in that lobby, I’ll be sure to have you thrown out.”
His nostrils flared furiously, but before he could respond, she looked at Fenrys and nodded toward the exit behind them. “Get him out of here.”
Connall gripped his other arm as they lugged him away, curse words falling from his lips faster than she could hear them.
Her heart raced beneath her ribcage at how close it came. He would’ve hit her to get to her boy had the twins not interfered. But Elain would’ve taken it if it meant protecting the little one behind her. Taking a few steadying breaths to slow her heart rate, she turned and slipped back into Kaden’s hospital room.
He was still awake, green and hazel eyes wide with fear. It was obvious that despite the closed door, he had heard his father’s voice.
“He’s gone,” she murmured, slowly approaching his side. “You’re safe with me.”
As soon as she sat on the edge of the bed, he curled into her side, little hands gripping her scrubs. “You stay wiff me?” he asked her in such a soft voice, she almost missed it.
Elain’s chest tightened at him finally speaking. At being comfortable enough to open up to her. She carded her fingers through his soft, inky hair. “Yes, sweetheart. I’ll stay with you.”
And she did, notifying Thesan to remove her from the rotation for the rest of the day while they waited for her husband to arrive that evening.
~~~~~
Blood sprayed, showering his torso in tiny, red droplets. He felt his knuckles split at last as he threw another punch into Elias’s jaw, tooth cracking.
Azriel withdrew into the darkest corner of his mind, the place he firmly kept buried deep and only brought to the surface when his fury needed a bloody and brutal outlet. It was the tainted part of his soul that was bred and honed into him as a child. Brought upon by fists and fire.
His father made sure of it.
So did his brothers.
When he delved into the monster, he felt nothing. Became nothing. He had to in order to inflict the pain, the torture, on those who crossed him. Az didn’t let himself think about her, about their growing family. He couldn’t taint their image with the cruel, twisted version of himself that he turned into.
No matter that the man deserved every single ounce of brutalized agony he delivered. Azriel had always used violence as a method for managing his anger. Some may have called it an “unhealthy coping mechanism,” but was truly the only outlet for his fury. It was the reason why he and Cassian would spar as teens, his elder brother the only one of the two who could really throw down with him when he needed to release his pent-up rage.
As an adult, he didn’t let himself cross that bridge too often—at least not anymore—but it was even less so since she had reentered his life. For her, he tried to be a better man, wanted to be, and typically let Ruhn handle the dirty side of things.
But not for this. Not after what he did to his wife. Tried to do to his unborn children. Those acts were unforgivable and Elias would pay for it with his life.
Eventually.
The man spat it on the floor, grinning savagely up at him, despite the fact that he was tied to a chair in an abandoned warehouse and hours from death. “Is this how we end things, Azriel? You kill me to satisfy some sick fantasy?”
It had taken Ruhn a while to finally track down Elias’s hiding spot. Some secluded cabin way out of the city. But once he finally caught the trail, he tailed him like a rabid dog until he captured him for good.
He readjusted the sleeve of his right arm, pushing it back up to his elbow. His scarred fingers stained red. “Oh, Elias, how blindly imprudent you are,” he taunted, throwing another punch and nailing him square in the nose.
To Elias’s credit, he didn’t yell or shout, simply hissed, spitting more blood onto the tarped ground.
“This isn’t some fantasy. This is revenge for what you did to my wife. You signed up for this the first time you put your filthy hands on her.” Az grabbed a knife off a nearby crate, flipping it once between his thick fingers. “You will beg for death before I grant it to you,” he snarled, embedding the blade into the top of his thigh.
This time, Elias did scream, fight it as he might, the pain, the surge of blood were too much for him to hold back. His head tilted back in agony as Azriel yanked the dagger out and plunged it into his other leg.
Elias’s body tensed, fighting the restraints that would never give, as he sucked in heavy, rasping breaths. “We were supposed to have been partners,” he wheezed between clenched teeth.
“No. I was forced into a partnership with your uncle. Not you. I gave you a way out and you chose to throw my generosity in my face.” His lips curled up slightly at the corner in a sinful smirk. “Your downfall is on you, Elias. You have nobody to blame but yourself.”
The dimmed fire reignited in those dark eyes at his words. “Your slut is to blame,” he spat with a renewed vengeance.
Quick as a flash, Azriel had his large hand wrapped around the man’s throat, squeezing until Elias’s face turned an ungodly shade of red. His body twitched under the force, but Az didn’t give in an inch as he struggled and fought to breathe. Leaning forward until his lips were nearly touching his ear, he whispered, “If I were you, I would choose your words very carefully. Nobody refers to my wife in such a manner without consequence.” The smirk turned sinister as he watched Elias turn from red to purple. “It’s not so fun being on the other side of this, is it?” he mocked, knowing how Elias put his soiled hands on his wife’s neck, bruising her pale flesh for almost two weeks.
He tightened his hold, squeezing the thrashing man with a sick vengeance. He could’ve easily snapped his hyoid. Literally choke him to death. But that wouldn’t have been satisfying enough and only released his throat when he was on the verge of passing out.
Elias choked on his air, coughing with the might of his lungs. “Your fucking bitch,” he wheezed with as much venom as he could muster.
Ripping the dagger still protruding from his thigh, Azriel gripped his hand and twisted the index sideways until a distinctive snapping sound echoed in the warehouse. Pressing the blade into the joint, he began to cut, severing skin, tendon, and bone.
Hands flexing beneath his grip, screams tore from Elias’s mouth, loud enough that Az was surprised his voice hadn’t given out. Maybe he should’ve shattered that when he crushed his windpipe; at least then he could’ve had some peace and quiet. But he didn’t stop until he dropped the amputated digit onto the floor in the pooling blood that stained the bottom of his dress shoes red.
He moved to Elias’s other side, intending to even out his hands when the ringing of a phone cut through the air. His eyes flashed to Ruhn, leaning on the wall while letting him exact his revenge.
Ruhn pulled Az’s phone that he’d been holding onto out of his pocket. “It’s Connall.”
He stuffed a gag into Elias’s mouth, effectively silencing him before wiping his hands on a rag and taking the phone from Ruhn’s outstretched hand. “Connall,” he said in lieu of a greeting.
“Azriel,” he started. “I’m glad I caught you. There’s been a situation.”
His heart plummeted into his stomach. “Is Elain okay? Is she hurt? What about Kaden?”
“Everyone is fine and safe. We had an unexpected visitor today.”
His eyes flashed to Ruhn, though he knew the other man couldn’t hear the conversation. “Who?” he gritted out.
“Kaden’s biological father, Lorenzo, showed up and caused a scene. We’ve removed him from the premises, but I thought you ought to know.”
Another name to add to his list. Azriel swore if one more person went after his wife or family, he was going to lose his shit and rain hellfire on this fucking world. “Did he lay a hand on either of them?”
The very distinct pause had another blood-thirsty sense of fury washing over him. “No,” Connall finally admitted. “He attempted to strike her, but Fenrys caught his arm before it connected. They are both physically unharmed, though by the way she’s comforting Kaden, it appears he may not be emotionally or mentally.”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’ll be in this afternoon to pick them up—Kaden is coming home with us today. Until I get there, I want at least one of you stationed outside of his room and the other monitoring Elain.”
“Already done. Elain informed us that she has requested the rest of the day off and is sticking by his side. We’re posted on either side of his door. Nobody in or out that’s not approved by her.”
The twins deserved a raise, he realized, noting that detail for later. “Thank you, Connall. For the update and keeping them safe. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Always, Azriel.”
The line went dead and he had to take a breath to settle himself. Too many emotions had risen to the surface and he needed to separate himself again to finish what he started. But as he turned to face Elias once more, his overwhelming need to make him suffer hours—if not days—of torture vanished.
He didn’t need to torture the man. Az just needed him dead. “It’s your lucky day, Elias,” he said, striding over to rip the gag from his mouth. “My desire to torture just took on a new face.”
Some sick satisfaction swept over him at the hope that lit Elias’s dark eyes. Because he knew the man thought Azriel was going to let him go, and he was about to rip that dream of freedom right out from underneath him. “Which means, your life has served its purpose.”
True terror blanketed Elias’s face and before he could even voice a shout, Azriel snatched the dagger from the crate where he left it and slashed it across his throat.
Elias choked on his blood, drowning in it as it poured from his lips.
Dropping the knife on the ground, he turned his back on the dying man and told Ruhn, “Bury him on top of his uncle. So, the beginning and the end of their regime can meet in death.”
He left the warehouse without another word, letting Ruhn handle the cleanup and dealing with the body.
As the sunlight warmed his skin on his walk to his car, Azriel released the mask of his inner demon and summoned his true self back into its place. The man who loved his wife and their growing family. He let out a heavy breath, breathing out all of the darkness from his soul. Climbing into the car, he drove away from the warehouse and did not look back.
~~~
Azriel had done his research in the short time since deciding to proceed with the adoption, needing to know what they would face by taking in Kaden. Lorenzo was, in fact, a part of the Illyrian Mob, though he wasn’t ranked high. He had about three superiors before he reached Nick, let alone Frankie. His death wouldn’t even cause a stir in their pyramid of power.
A kernel of knowledge he kept in the back of his mind because that’s what he signed up for when he went after Elain and Kaden. His death by Az’s hands. Another stain on his blackened soul, but he would taint it for her. For them. He’d carry the weight of the world if it kept his wife and family safe.
But that would come at another time. Right now, he had to focus on the boy they would be bringing home that night. He pulled into a parking spot outside the hospital and climbed out of the car. He and Elain spent the morning installing the booster seat in the back for Kaden before she left for work, and he did a last-minute glance over to make sure everything was ready. Snatching the small backpack filled with proper clothing inside, Azriel strolled into the front lobby of the hospital.
He took the elevator up to the third floor, nodding at the Moonbeam brothers who stood guard outside of Kaden’s room and knocked on the door.
Elain waved him in with a smile on her face as she got up off the stool to greet him. “Hello, Az.” She swooped in for a sweet kiss, his hand automatically settling onto her rounded stomach.
“Hello, my love,” he grinned, leaning forward for another small peck of her lips.
Her eyes glanced down at the hand cradling her belly. Her fingers grazed the fresh wounds that littered across his knuckles. “What happened?”
Azriel twisted his wrist to grip her palm, bringing it up to plant a soft kiss there. “Just work stuff.”
She frowned but didn’t ask him to elaborate. Elain was intelligent and could easily guess how he split his knuckles. But she knew better than to bring it up in front of their little boy, who was watching them closely.
Knowing that he came from a rough home, they made sure to show their affection to each other in his presence, wanting him to know that he was joining a loving home.
Azriel looked around her shoulder, smiling at Kaden sitting on the bed. “Hello, Kaden. I brought you something to wear.” He stepped forward, unzipping the backpack and pulling out a pair of pants, a long-sleeve shirt, socks, and sneakers, that he hoped fit him.
Elain moved to shut the curtain, offering them some privacy as they helped change him from his hospital gown to street clothes. “I’m going to put your bear in your backpack to take him home, okay?” she said, showing him the stuffed toy being placed in the dinosaur backpack.
Kaden’s dark hair rumpled when he tugged the shirt over his head and Az couldn’t help but chuckle as it fell into his eyes. He’d need a haircut soon.
His little hand rose to push it back, but a shy smile tugged on his lips.
Azriel felt his heart soar from that smile. He hadn’t been offered one yet, but spending the last few days here with him had helped tremendously. Kneeling, he helped put his shoes on, tying the laces, and then carefully lifted him off the bed and onto his feet. “Shall we go home now?” he asked.
Kaden immediately took Elain’s offered hand, but he was surprised when he felt small fingers wrap around his pinky. Azriel looked down to find the boy staring up at him.
Every single worry he had about this kid not accepting him as his father vanished from that moment on. He was his, no matter his blood, and Az would do anything to keep it that way. Nobody was ever going to take his son away from him and Elain.
He pushed the curtain aside and opened the sliding glass door, tugging his little family into motion. The Moonbeam brothers fell into step behind them, always guarding their backs but now with even more reason and focus. Azriel had seen the way they stepped up in their protection detail since Elain had gotten pregnant, and he knew that their dedication would extend to Kaden tenfold.
They rode down the elevator in comfortable silence, a pleasant hum running through his body. Viviane looked up at them when they made it to the nurses’ station, a smile pulling on her lips and she clapped Elain on the shoulder as they passed.
At the car, he kissed his wife’s cheek, murmuring for her to get in as he lifted Kaden and strapped him into the booster seat. He ruffled his hair with a large, scarred palm, catching that green-flecked gaze.
Closing the door, Az dismissed Fenrys and Connall for the weekend before climbing into the driver’s seat.
“What’s for dinner tonight?” Elain asked, turning to look at the boy in the back.
Azriel glanced in the rearview mirror, watching as he took in the sights around him. “Steak with mac and cheese,” he said out loud, pulling out of his parking spot.
She rubbed a hand over the swell of her stomach. “One baby agrees with that decision very much.” Her light laughs echoed in the car, and he reached over to feel the hard kick from one of the twins.
A little fighter, that one was.
Elain’s cravings had varied throughout the pregnancy. In the beginning, she wanted nothing but carbs. Then she was into Mexican, and Az spent a lot of time making bean and cheese burritos at two in the morning when she woke up hungry. But right now it was barbeque. Steak was his go-to, but last week, she was dipping chicken breast into frosting because, apparently, it was sweet and savory. He had to hide his disgust over the last one, but the image of her utter happiness while eating it brought a smile to his lips.
When they made it to the penthouse, Azriel immediately went to light the barbeque and put the mac and cheese in the oven while Elain gave Kaden a tour of the downstairs living area. Once finished, they walked him up the stairs to her old bedroom where he would temporarily be staying until they bought a new place. “This is your room, Kaden,” he said, opening the door and allowing him to slowly shuffle his way in.
Green and gold eyes went wide at the outrageous display. To be fair, he and Elain might have gone a bit overboard on things to buy, but they wanted to make sure Kaden felt at home and well-loved.
Az had put together two bookshelves against the far wall that were nearly overflowing. A rocking chair sat with them so that they could read together in the evenings before bed. A basket full of stuffed toys sat in the corner, and a large shelving unit was placed next to the dresser and contained everything from a dinosaur set to blocks to racecars.
They had decided to keep the queen-sized bed in there for now, not having had the time to replace it, nor wanting to. So, they purchased kid sheets instead, with a cartoon character on them that he couldn’t remember at the moment.
Truthfully, the bedroom looked like it belonged on the cover of a home décor magazine, but their only concern was comfort.
Kaden glanced up at them, waiting for permission.
“Go on,” Az encouraged him with a gentle nudge on his back.
The little boy ran for the boxes on the shelves, opening the tubs they had organized before sliding them back. He then took off for the plush toys, digging around until he found a stuffed dog.
The squeal he let out had warmth flooding his body and Az turned to share a look with his wife, whom he could tell was experiencing the same kind of utter joy.
Kaden stopped at the bookshelves, roaming the selection before he carefully placed his dog on the rocker and then ran back to them. He threw his arms first around Elain’s legs, making her choke out a sob, and then carefully around his, almost as if nervous to show affection towards him.
Az’s throat grew thick with unshed tears and he crouched to put himself at eye level, holding out his arms to see if he would embrace him.
The little one hesitated for a second before he slowly stepped into his chest and wrapped his arms around his neck. Azriel held him tightly to his body. Felt the heaviness of his worries that this boy wouldn’t accept him disappeared within that embrace.
“We’re happy to have you home with us, buddy,” Azriel whispered, pressing his lips to the side of his son’s head.
His son.
The words hadn’t hit him until that very moment. But as he clutched that little body to his torso, he realized how right it felt to think it. To say it.
Elain sniffed, carding her fingers through Kaden’s soft hair. “Go play, sweetheart. We’ll come to get you when dinner is ready.”
Azriel released him, letting him toddle off back for the assorted containers. He stood back up and wrapped an arm around her waist as they watched him a moment longer explore his new bedroom. “Come on, let’s get you changed.”
Though it was obvious that both of them wanted to stay, they also agreed to give Kaden some space to settle in, so it didn’t feel like they were hovering over him.
Elain padded to their bedroom to swap into some comfier clothes while he went back downstairs to throw the steaks onto the barbeque. They busied themselves in the kitchen, listening to Kaden’s imagination run wild up the stairs. Though not loud, it was something they both kept sharing shy smiles over.
“He seems to love it,” she breathed.
He looked over at her. “You did well in picking out stuff for him. I don’t think I would’ve had any of the right toys.”
Elain laughed softly, brushing a soft kiss to his cheek. “You’ll get better at it as you grow into your role as a father.”
They harmoniously worked together to finish prepping dinner, basking in their contented silence—it wouldn’t be long until the silence became a rarity for them—and it wasn’t until a distinct crashing sound had him racing up the stairs, two at a time.
Az threw open the bedroom door.
Kaden whipped around, looking guilty and nervous at the blocks knocked onto the floor. It was clear he had accidentally dropped the container as he pulled it off the shelf.
His son slowly took a step back, like he thought he was in trouble. The evident fear made his stomach clench, sorrow and range dancing through him at the mere thought of somebody harming this child for making any sort of sound.
Elain gripped his shoulder and he glanced at her, seeing that same worry on her face.
He turned back toward the little boy, hoping to calm him. “Are you all right?” Az asked carefully.
A minute passed, then another until finally, they received a silent nod in confirmation.
“We thought maybe you got hurt,” he tried explaining. “You’re not in trouble.”
Those shoulders relaxed slightly.
How often did he get hit or shoved or yelled at, simply for being a kid? It made his heart ache and his blood boil for vengeance on Kaden’s biological father. That man had a limited number of days before Az sought him out.
“Dinner will be ready soon, sweetheart,” Elain cooed, offering him a sweet smile that seemed to provide him some semblance of ease. She gently closed the door and they both paused, holding their breath to see if he would continue playing. After a moment’s hesitation, they heard a car being rolled across the hardwood floor.
She gripped his hand, tugging him down the stairs. “It’ll take some time to adjust to his every sound, but I think we can hold off on running up the stairs whenever he makes a peep,” she teased, shooting him a grin over her shoulder that didn’t touch her eyes. Because she knew as well as him the horrors their little boy faced in his short lifetime already.
Az sighed more to himself than anyone else. “After everything he’s been through, I can’t help but want to make sure he’s okay, one hundred percent of the time.”
“That’s fatherhood calling you, Azriel. Our kids are going to get scrapes and bumps and bruises. That’s just a part of childhood. The best we can do is just make sure we’re there to bandage them up and kiss away the hurt.”
He stopped her, turning her around to kiss her softly. She melted into it. “You are my rock, El.”
Her breath teased his lips as she looped her arms around his neck, securing him to her. “And you’re mine.”
Azriel felt those words settle into his heart and spread all over his body. Warmth and love and the undying faith that he knew to be true. Together, they could take on the world.
~~~~~
The next few weeks had been a blur. Kaden blossomed under their care, speaking to them in a quiet voice, though they could tell he was a bit behind in his speech. They hired a speech therapist who worked with him three days a week after school. Kaden loved school, even if he was shy with the other kids, and they did find out he’d never attended one before, which also explained his developmental delays. He mostly kept close to his teacher, who had been informed of his past and fears, but a few of the kids in his class kept trying to engage with him and only the day before were they informed that he accepted an invite to play with one of the other children.
After dinner, they’d each take turns reading to him and with him, hoping to help catch him up to his classmates. Both Kaden’s teacher and speech therapist had recommended it, and she and Azriel would do everything in their power to help their boy succeed. And though he was calling them by their given names now, they were working toward momma and daddy.
It was progress, Elain had said one night. “Every day, I see a little bit more of the boy he’s supposed to be.”
There were a few rough challenges they had to handle. About a week and a half into living with them, Kaden woke up late evening with a nightmare. Elain didn’t think she would ever forget it…
Azriel was on his side, head propped on his fist as he spoke to her belly. It was something he did every night, wanting the babies to hear his voice as much as possible. Sometimes he read them stories, sometimes he sang, and other times he just told them about his day and how much he couldn’t wait to meet them. Whatever it was, Elain always had to choke back tears at the love and joy that shone on his face when he talked with their children.
It was nearing eleven o’clock when they heard Kaden’s desperate scream.
Her husband launched out of bed, tearing down the hallway to reach their son’s bedroom. Elain hurried behind him, though her waddling—yes, she was fucking waddling now—slowed her down a bit. When she reached his room, Az already had Kaden’s crying form tucked into his chest.
“You’re okay, Kaden. You’re safe. Nobody will ever hurt you again,” he murmured, pressing kisses to the top of his head. His golden eyes met hers, blazing with a fury she only saw when his family was threatened. “Love, can you get some clean sheets out?”
Her brows raised in surprise, but with the hallway light on, she could see the dark stain on the bed where their son had wet himself from fear. Elain’s heart ached, but she nodded, slipping to the cupboard just outside the door and pulling out new linens.
She set the bedding on the dresser and then headed into the bathroom to start the water in the tub. “I’ll trade you,” Elain said, indicating for the child.
With one last kiss on his head, Azriel placed Kaden into her arms and began stripping the bed of its soiled sheets.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you cleaned up.” She rubbed his back in comfort, hoping it would slow the tears still rolling down his red cheeks. Once he calmed down enough, Elain helped him out of his pajamas and got him into the bathtub.
As she was gathering his clothes from the floor, he asked her, “Is Azweel going to punish me?”
Her head snapped up, catching Azriel in the mirror whirling around in shock at the question. She could read the devastation on his face. The hurt of being associated with that monster. Knowing she had to carefully address this, Elain knelt by Kaden at the edge of the tub. “No, sweetie,” she murmured, running a hand through his soft hair. “Azriel isn’t going to punish you, sweetheart. It was an accident.”
It became clear that this wasn’t the first time Kaden had an accident and received corporal punishment for it. A level of anger she’d never felt before kindled in her gut as Kaden’s bottom lip quivered.
Gathering his clothes, she stepped out of the bathroom, finding the bed already remade, and Azriel standing there looking as if he’d been slapped.
“He thinks I’m going to punish him?” he asked in disbelief.
But that wasn’t quite right. “No, he believes that he will be punished for an accident because he likely has been before. You are stepping into the role of his father, Az. It’s going to take some time for him to see the difference in how you respond to things versus the man who sired him. He will see it, though. I promise you that he will.”
Az chewed on his bottom lip, a habit he did when he was anxious about something. “Should I go in there?” he worried.
“I think it’s important that you do.”
He nodded, picking up the clean sleepwear for his son, and stepped into the bathroom.
Elain tossed the soiled pajamas into the hamper before leaning against the wall, just outside the bathroom to listen to her husband.
“Hey, buddy. You ready to get out now?” Azriel kept his voice whisper-soft, not wanting to give Kaden anything to worry about.
Water sloshed and she heard the distinct sound of the drain popping.
“I heard you ask momma if I was going to punish you…” there was a pregnant pause and she held her breath for the rest of that sentence. “No matter what, Kaden, I will never punish you like that. Whatever happens, I promise you that you won’t ever have to fear me, okay? I love you so much, Kaden. And I will always, always protect you.”
A wave of tears washed over her, rolling down her cheeks. Damn hormones. She glanced into the bathroom, catching Kaden as he slipped his arms around Az’s neck, hugging him tightly.
Her husband rose to his feet, still clutching their son in his arms. He turned, catching her watching them, and shot her a pleading look.
Elain knew what he was asking her for. Could read his desire to continue holding his son. So, she reached out a hand for him. “Come on. Let’s go to bed.”
They walked back down to their bedroom, Az lying down on his back so Kaden could sleep on his chest. Elain snuggled in next to him, her hand rubbing up and down their son’s spine until he drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
“You’re good with him,” she whispered.
“We’re good with him,” he amended. “I don’t think I could let him go, now.” He left the rest unspoken. How, if social services didn’t approve of the adoption, they would fight until their dying breath to change their minds. Because like hell were they letting anyone take their boy away.
But she didn’t doubt that they would be seen as the best thing for Kaden. And she would use that confidence to power through their interview which could change their lives forever.
Much like the little boy sleeping on her husband already had.
Elain blinked, drawing herself from her memory. They were on their way to the adoption interview, and though she had confidence that this would go their way, it didn’t stop the butterflies from erupting in her stomach from her nerves.
Almost as if he could sense it, a large, scarred hand reached across the console to squeeze her knee. Az glanced at her once before returning his eyes to the road. His touch instantly soothed the anxiety running through her.
“Ewain,” Kaden called from the backseat.
She twisted her head to look at him over her shoulder. “Yes, sweetheart?”
“Can we get ice cweam?”
Azriel let out a chuckle as she smiled at the little boy. “I think we can do that after the interview.”
“Yay!” he cheered, throwing his arms into the air and kicking his feet wildly in his booster seat. Despite fall having rolled in a few weeks earlier, summer had yet to lessen it’s hold on the city and a cold bowl of ice cream did sound appetizing.
At that, her husband laughed, deeply and so full of love as they pulled into the parking lot of the social services office. Azriel collected Kaden from the back who grabbed both of their hands, nearly swinging between them as they walked into the building.
“Mr. and Mrs. Archeron-Knight. Welcome,” a woman said from behind the front desk. “Please follow me.” She escorted them to the back into a private room. Half of it was set up with a couch, desk, and two chairs, while the other half was clearly designed for children, including a small table with coloring utensils and a cubby holding various toys. “The interviewer will be in shortly. Please make yourself comfortable.”
They moved to sit on the couch together, Az gripping her elbow to ease her down. The joys of being pregnant with twins.
“Can I go pway?” Kaden asked, shooting them those puppy-dog eyes that neither could resist. They were definitely in for trouble with that face.
“Of course,” she told him, brushing a curl behind his ear.
He went straight to the table, grabbing a coloring book and some crayons to occupy himself, humming lowly while his feet swung beneath his chair. Kaden had a love of art; something his Aunt Feyre would go nuts for.
“We’ll have to get him more coloring supplies,” Azriel murmured, pressing his lips to the side of her head.
A knock sounded from the door before it was opened, revealing a young woman with dark hair braided back, and a beautifully tanned complexion that could only be from her heritage.
She smiled brightly at them. “Hello Azriel and Elain. My name is Nesryn. It’s lovely to meet you both.”
At the sound of a new voice, Kaden’s head whipped up and he quickly made his way back over to them, wiggling to place himself between their bodies.
Her brows raised in response to his shyness.
“Kaden is still a bit uncomfortable with strangers,” Elain said, running her hand along his back as he buried his face into her torso. “We’re taking it slow in introducing him to people so he doesn’t feel overwhelmed.”
Nesryn’s lips turned up at the corner. “I can’t say that’s entirely a bad thing, or surprising for that matter given his history.” She took a seat opposite of them, using the table as a buffer between her and their son. “I took a look through his file and, frankly, the number of past injuries is highly concerning. I know that Emerie was originally on his case, and she will be conducting his interview because I believe she may have a better chance at working with him but given her close relationship with you, Elain, she’s asked me to conduct your interviews to prevent any biases.”
She nodded. “I think that’s fair.”
Flipping open the file in front of her, Nesryn leaned back in her seat and asked, “So, why do you want to adopt Kaden?”
They shared a look before Azriel responded. “To put it point blank, he’s our son, without a doubt.”
“When Kaden was first brought into the hospital, I connected with him instantly,” Elain added. “He seemed timid with the nurses and other doctors, but with me, he relaxed. I knew from that initial meeting that he was brought into our lives for a reason. Even with his nervousness around men, he opened up to Azriel fairly quickly too. Almost as if he knew he could trust us to love him.”
Nesryn nodded, noting something down in her file. “And how has he progressed with you since he’s been living with you?”
“He’s communicating with us, will tell us what he wants to eat, and asks if he can do something. His food intake is good and I can see he’s beginning to put on some healthy weight,” Az explained. “He’ll sit with us as we read bedtime stories and let us kiss him goodnight.”
She smiled. “It sounds like you have a solid routine for him, would you agree?”
Elain tucked her foot behind her ankle. “Yes. We try to keep a set schedule with him as much as possible. Dinner time, bedtime, when we wake him up to get ready for the day.”
“How’s he sleeping?”
Azriel glanced at her, a question in his eyes and she nodded. “There was an incident the first week. He woke up one evening with a nightmare so terrifying for him that he wet the bed.” Nesryn’s brow cocked, but she didn’t interrupt. “We comforted him, cleaned him up, and put new sheets on his bed, but it was a question he asked that concerned us…”
“What was the question?”
He sighed, lips parting. He hated having to admit this, but it was important to be honest with the social worker. They had discussed whether or not to talk about that night earlier and decided if it was brought up, then they would. “He asked Elain if I was going to punish him.”
Nesryn noted that down and he fought the hackles that rose as a result. “Did you punish him?”
The question caught him off guard. “No! Of course not. He didn’t do anything wrong and I would never punish him in the way he was asking.”
“What way is that?”
“We believe corporal punishment was used on him in instances like this,” Elain spoke up, seeing how the question twisted at Az’s insides. “After he asked me that, Azriel went to speak with him and reassured him that he would never punish him like that. That he would always protect him.”
The woman smiled. “That was probably the best thing you could’ve offered him at that moment.” She turned her dark eyes onto her husband. “I don’t ask these questions to pry or to insinuate anything, Azriel, but just to get a feeling of how well you two respond to it. I could see that you were upset by that question and I wanted to make myself clear. You both have shown me that you would make excellent guardians for Kaden already.”
She flipped through her file, checking off a few boxes. “Now, I do need to address the obvious.” Her eyes flashed to Elain’s rounded stomach before returning to meet their gaze. “You’re expecting in a few months. That’s a hefty change for you both. How do plan to balance having newborns with a newly adopted child at the same time, along with the additional financial obligations that come with it?”
“You don’t need to worry about the financial aspect. We are more than capable of handling whatever expenses come our way,” Az told her.
Nesryn huffed a knowing laugh. “True, but I’m still required to ask it.” It was no secret to her how wealthy they were.
“As for balance, I think it’s important to note that even though Kaden will not be our biological son, at no point will he ever feel like there’s a difference in the love we show him in comparison to the twins. He will always be our son, no matter what. And we will do everything we can to ensure that he’s settled, included, and as much a part of our family as anyone else. There is no limit to the love we can give him.” Elain said each and every word with her whole heart, feeling Azriel take her hand as they huddled closer to the little boy still sitting between them.
“While Elain will be taking a generous maternity leave, I will also be taking two months off from work to be at home after the twins are born. And then will work from home for a good portion of the few months after while we establish a rhythm, to settle with our three children, and to make sure that Kaden is as comfortable as possible.”
Her whole face lit up with a smile. “I’m happy to hear that. Many fathers aren’t able to take time off like that and adjust their schedule to help out, so knowing you plan to, I believe will make all the difference in adjusting to your new life.” She skimmed through her notes and then closed the file. “Well, I must admit that you two would make wonderful parents to Kaden. I don’t have any concerns with approving your adoption of him.”
The air whooshed from Elain’s lungs in one giant breath. Relief and happiness and so many other emotions rushed through her until her eyes grew misty. “Thank you, Nesryn. That means a lot to us. Truly.”
“Always a pleasure.” She stood from her seat. “I’ll send Emerie in for Kaden’s interview now. You two will need to step out of the room for it, so we can try and get unbiased answers from him.” She indicated to the mirror on the side of the room. “You’ll be able to watch through there. His interview won’t be as extensive as yours was.”
“And if he doesn’t answer her questions?” Az asked, nervous for the same reason she was. Would that affect their ability to adopt him if he refused to speak?
“His questioning is just to get an idea of how he’s feeling. If he doesn’t respond, then we will notate that and go with just your interview.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief.
A moment after she bid them farewell, the door opened and Emerie walked in. “Good morning,” she beamed, stepping up to the coffee table. “I was hoping that perhaps Kaden and I could chat over there,” she pointed towards the area where he’d been coloring earlier.
Elain glanced at the boy, still tucked against her side. “Do you want to go color again?” she asked him softly, brushing his hair back.
Kaden peeked up at her, his green-speckled eyes wide. He dipped his chin in confirmation.
They got him set up at the table to continue his drawing from earlier when Az knelt next to him. “All right, buddy. Emerie here wants to talk with you for a minute by yourself. Momma and I will be right outside the door if you need us. Okay?”
Elain kissed the top of his head on her way out the door. They made their way to the side room where the one-way glass was, watching as Emerie made attempts to communicate with their son.
“Do you like living with Elain and Azriel?” she asked him as she worked on her own drawing. Nesryn explained that it helped reduce the anxiety of feeling interrogated.
Kaden nodded, not looking up from his drawing.
Silent communication was better than no communication, she thought, relieved to see that he did like being with them.
Azriel gripped her hand in his large, warm one.
“What do you like about living with them?” she encouraged, picking up a new color.
He was quiet for a moment, then told her, “They’re nice.”
“He’s talking to her,” she breathed, throat constricting with emotion. They had done that. They had broken through his barriers to help him speak.
“Nice, huh? Was your dad not nice?”
Az shot a look at her, puzzled by the question.
Kaden shook his head, grabbing a yellow crayon, but didn’t elaborate. Not that she expected him to. Elain realized early on that Kaden didn’t like to talk about his biological father, even with them. She hoped that in time, he would open up about it, but they weren’t going to push the subject with him.
“Did he hit you?” Emerie asked quietly.
His coloring slowed, eyes never straying from the paper in front of him.
She reached out to touch his hand, but he snatched it away from her. “You can tell me, sweetie. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
“I don’t fucking like this,” Az growled, tensing as she pushed their son into speaking.
“Did he hit you, Kaden?”
His head snapped up, crocodile tears rolling down his cheeks. “Where’s Azweel? I want Azweel!” he shouted, voice cracking in desperation.
Elain felt that pain in the pit of her stomach; her husband already moving.
“Fuck this shit,” he snarled, throwing open the door to the interview room and hurrying to collect his son.
“Azriel!” Emerie started.
“This interview is over,” he snapped, cradling Kaden’s crying form to his chest.
Elain reached his side, her palm running along Kaden’s arm in comfort as he clung to his father’s neck
Emerie rose from her chair, arms crossing. “I know that it’s hard to watch, but if we can get a verbal statement from him, admitting to his father’s abuse, we have a stronger case against him!”
“Do not raise your voice in his presence,” he said forcefully. “What you’re doing isn’t helping him. He’s not ready to talk about what he went through and I will not stand by and watch him have to relive his abuse when he is not ready for it.” Azriel was a force to be reckoned with when it came to his family. “I don’t think you understand the trauma a child goes through after living in an abusive household. We have worked so hard to get him to open up to us, to progress forward, and if you push him, we’re going to lose all the growth we’ve made.”
“If and when he’s ready to talk, we will be there for him, but we’re not going to continue like this,” Elain added, standing with her husband on this.
Footsteps sounded behind them and Nesryn walked in, skin turned a ghastly pale color. She held her phone in her hand as she looked at them all. “We don’t need to worry about building a case against him…”
Emerie frowned. “Why?”
“Because they just found Lorenzo’s body.”
~~~
They were silent in the car, the last hour replaying over and over in her mind. After hearing the news about Kaden’s biological father, chaos broke out. Phones were ringing and both Emerie and Nesryn were arguing with their superiors about how nothing changed their minds.
Elain, for a brief second, thought she was going to lose her son in the madness. Only Azriel’s strong presence at her side kept her from breaking down completely. But when the dust settled, they received the stamp of approval for Kaden’s adoption.
She had wept with joy, kissing her husband, still holding their son to his chest, before she descended upon Kaden’s head until he giggled at her.
But now, as they were headed home, having stopped to grab an ice cream to go, she couldn’t stop the question from passing her lips. “Did you do it?” Elain asked, glancing at Azriel behind the wheel.
His eyes shot to hers for a brief second before returning to the road. “No,” he told her honestly. “No matter that he deserved it and I should’ve.” Azriel’s words held a dark and dangerous tone and she knew that he would’ve ended that man if the opportunity had presented itself to him. Not just for their son, but for the time Lorenzo nearly attacked her too.
She breathed out a sigh of relief. Elain couldn’t exactly blame him for wanting Lorenzo dead. The man had tortured the sweet boy in the back seat for years. Left hurt, scared, and to fend for himself. She saw a lot of her husband in him and she knew Az saw himself too—saw the trauma of his childhood in those green and golden eyes.
“Should we be worried?” If he didn’t end Lorenzo’s life, somebody else did. And the timing was just too coincidental for her not to have concerns.
Azriel let out a heavy breath. “I don’t know,” he admitted.
Elain looked over her shoulder at the boy humming while he ate his ice cream, most of it smeared on his lips. His feet kicked happily over the edge of his booster seat.
“No matter who did it, nothing will ever happen to him, El. I promise you that.”
She looked back at her husband. “I never doubted that. I’m just worried at why it was done.”
He grabbed her hand, kissing her knuckles. “Let’s not think about it right now and focus on our growing family.” Az ran his thumb over the back of her palm. “We need to let our siblings know.”
Elain pulled her phone from her purse. “I know. I was thinking of dinner. What about tomorrow night? You could barbeque again—ooh, barbeque…” Her mind wandered to Az’s grilled specialties, which he made for her three times a week to curb her cravings.
His chuckle pulled her mind back from thoughts of food and the growl in her stomach. “I can barbeque, my sweet.”
“You spoil me.”
Az’s head tipped back in a laugh. “You’re the one growing two babies inside of you. I think making your food is the least I could do.”
Her grin split her face as she typed out a message to her sisters. HerH
“Momma, I’m all done!” Kaden shouted from the backseat.
Elain whipped her head around at the name, sucking in a sharp breath. For a moment, she just stared at the little boy, replaying the sound of him calling her momma. Tears welled in her eyes and it took her a minute to realize he was holding out his empty paper bowl and spoon for her to take. With a shaking hand, she reached out and collected the carton, heart hammering in her chest.
“Tank you!”
“You’re very welcome, sweetie,” she managed to spit out, still in shock.
Azriel pulled into their parking spot in the penthouse garage, turning off the ignition to smile broadly at her.
He called me momma, she mouthed at him.
Leaning across the console, he kissed her, cupping her jaw and letting his thumb swoop over her cheek. “You’re his momma,” he whispered only to her.
Her phone dinged twice and she lifted it to read the text from her sisters. “Dinner for tomorrow is a go,” she told him.
They glanced back at their son, oblivious to the shared moment. Tomorrow, their siblings would find out they had a new nephew. And she couldn’t wait to share the news with them.
~~~~~
Azriel was on the balcony, checking on the two chickens he had on the grill. His wife’s obsession with anything barbeque still made him smile. He did his best to mix up the way he prepped it so he and Kaden didn’t grow tired of it, but Az didn’t dare to tell his wife no when it came to whatever she was craving.
It was a quarter till six when he heard the elevator ping and made his way back inside to greet his siblings. “How do you all manage to show up at the exact same time?” he asked, sliding the glass door closed behind him.
“Impeccable timing?” Cassian supplied with his signature shit-eating grin.
Az simply rolled his eyes, calling for his wife. “Elain! Everyone is here!”
“Be right down!” she hollered back.
They had decided to have Elain bring Kaden down to meet everyone at once, hoping it would be less intimidating for him. He wasn’t sure how their family would react to the adoption, but he didn’t believe they had anything to worry about.
“We brought wine,” Feyre announced, heading towards the kitchen in search of glasses.
There was nothing he could do but let her further into the dining area, watching as she paused at the table, brow furrowing. “Az, do we have somebody else joining us? The table is set for seven.”
Before he could answer, absolute silence descended upon the room as Elain appeared at the top of the stairs, carrying what looked like a sleeping Kaden in her arms. She managed to take only three steps down before Az reached her, taking the little boy from her arms. “Come here, bud. Momma shouldn’t be carrying you right now.”
Even in his sleepy state, Kaden willingly went into Azriel’s embrace, arms sliding around his neck.
“He was asleep on the floor when I went into his room,” Elain told him, taking his elbow as they made their way down the stairs to where their gaping family awaited.
“Question,” Cassian started, looking utterly bewildered. “Did you two have a previous child that we don’t know about?”
Elain laughed softly, running her fingers through their son’s dark locks. “Everyone, we’d like for you to meet our newly adopted son, Kaden.”
Azriel turned so he could see his aunts and uncles. “Kaden,” he murmured quietly, running a hand down his back. “Kaden, this is your Uncle Rhys and Aunt Feyre,” he said, then turned towards their other siblings. “And your Aunt Nesta and Uncle Cassian.”
Those green eyes peeked out from his chest, glancing at the four new adults before he turned his face and buried it into his neck.
He chuckled, hoisting him up higher in his arms. “He’s a little shy.”
Their siblings remained frozen like statues. Much to his surprise, it was Nesta who managed to snap out of her reverie first, stepping forward and presenting her daughter propped on her hip. “Hello, Kaden. It’s nice to meet you. This is Sutton,” she told him, angling the almost one-year-old so he could see her better. “She’s your cousin.”
That had him turning to look at the little girl in his aunt’s arms. “Baby,” he whispered, fingers grappling with the collar of Az’s shirt.
He kissed the top of Kaden’s hair. “That’s right, buddy. She’s a baby, like what your brother and sister will be.”
“Does anybody want to explain what is going on?” Rhys demanded, startling the boy in his arms.
“Lower your voice,” Az said fiercely, taking a step back from the group to murmur words of comfort into his ear. “Would you like to go color before dinner?” he asked, already moving towards the coffee table where Kaden had left out coloring books from earlier.
He gently set his son on the floor, kneeling to kiss the side of his head before rising and ushering the adults further into the dining area to give Kaden some space.
“Kaden was brought into the hospital a while ago with a fracture to his arm that required surgery,” Elain explained. The cast had come off the previous week and his surgical site was healing well. “X-rays showed that it wasn’t his first fracture.”
“Or his second, or his third,” Az practically growled, still furious at how much the boy had suffered at the hands of his biological father.
“Four fractures?” Cassian breathed in horror.
Elain touched the back of her head. “He had one on his skull, here. Likely the result of being pushed into the corner of a low-lying table.”
“Oh, my god.”
“Because of the obvious abuse he suffered, he’s very timid around adults, particularly males. Despite that, he connected with me in the hospital. Clung to me,” his wife told them, looking at their son with such love that he had to wrap his arm around her waist and tug her close to him, wanting to bask in the warmth she radiated.
“We were approved for the adoption yesterday, and go to court in a few weeks,” Azriel announced.
Silence descended one more before Cassian cleared his throat in obvious discomfort over what he was about to say. “Not that we aren’t truly happy for you both, you do remember you’re having twins in just a short while, right?”
Elain’s eyes snapped to her brother-in-law, going impossibly dark. “Well, fuck me, Cash. I’m pregnant? Who would’ve thought?”
Azriel snorted in amusement at the hostility.
Cassian’s tanned face went pale. “I didn’t mean it like that, Elain—”
“Then how did you mean?” she snapped, not even letting him finish his sentence.
It surprised him that Cash, of all the siblings, made a comment. He had always been the more accepting of the group to changes and surprises.
His brother scratched the back of his head, knowing he’d dug himself into a hole. “I just meant that newborns are a lot and you have two on the way. Taking on another child could be more than you anticipate.”
Jesus Christ his brother was burying himself in a grave.
Elain stepped out of his grasp, shooting daggers at Cassian. “Azriel and I are well aware of the responsibilities that will come with adopting a child and having newborns. We’ve discussed things endlessly to ensure that Kaden feels welcomed and loved even with the twins’ birth.” She crossed her arms as she stared him down. “But I’m curious, would we not see the level of support that we have shown you since Sutton’s birth?”
At that, Cash blanched. “Of course you would.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Forgive me, Elain. It was not my intention to question your ability to parent and raise three children. I know you’re more than capable of it.”
She turned her attention on the rest of the group. “Does anybody else have any opinions they’d like to address?”
A chorus of declines sounded from the rest, making him chuckle.
“Good.” Elain turned to face him. “How are we doing on the chickens?”
Azriel glanced down at his watch. “They should be done. We can start bringing stuff to the table and I’ll carve.”
His family went to scatter, Nesta slowly approaching Kaden with Sutton in her arms and asking to join him on the floor. Nesta laid her daughter on her stomach, sitting back against the couch with some toys. He watched as his son cautiously stepped toward his niece. A smile touched his lips, already seeing a life-long bond between the two children.
Feyre and Rhys followed Elain to the kitchen, helping her pull dishes from the fridge and finish setting the table.
Cash took a half-step toward his wife when Azriel reached out and snagged him by the crook of his elbow, forcing him to look back at him. He lowered his voice to ensure the others couldn’t overhear him. “Don’t you ever speak to my wife like that again,” he warned.
Regret flashed in those hazel eyes so much like his own. “It won’t happen again.”
He nodded, releasing Cash’s arm. “Good. Now help me with the chicken.”
Gathered around the table, the family welcomed their newest addition, growing more and more excited for all the new changes coming their way.
~~~~~
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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 44
This part fought me at every corner, but I said screw it. Let's post and move on. 😅 It's crazy to think there are only 5 more parts left and an epilogue. The end of an era is arriving soon. I'm excited though, to have this one finished because I've got a lot of other goodies in the works right now. Stay tuned!
My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics
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Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕
Catch up here.
Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW
Word Count: 5,852
It had been a month since the car accident and their family found out about the pregnancy. The first week after the wreck had been rough, always worrying over whether she would eventually start bleeding as a late-term consequence of the crash. Azriel, her blessed husband, was doing everything in his power to keep her calm.
But she didn’t. Not a speck of blood.
Elain thanked every god for the safety of her babies knowing she wouldn’t have survived losing them.
She and Az hadn’t discussed any further on his retaliation tactics, hoping that he would drop the whole issue. Escalating right now when they were about halfway through her pregnancy didn’t seem like the best idea.
Elain did trust Azriel’s decisions, even if she didn’t necessarily agree with them.
A sigh escaped her lips and she rubbed her palm over her more prominent belly. She was beginning to round out now, rather than just looking like an oversized, carb-based pudge. Her scrubs were starting to get tight and it was only a matter of time before she had to invest in a larger size. At least in the top. The bottoms still had some stretch available.
“Doctor Archeron,” her boss called and she whirled around to face him. “We have an incoming pediatric patient who needs a surgical consult. Are you up to being my second?”
Pediatric surgeries didn’t come often, so when they did, he always made sure she had the opportunity to assist—especially since she was the Attending and would be taking these cases on with the team of residents here soon.
She was already moving to his side. “I’m in.” With her nausea and dizzy spells, Elain had to cut back on some of her surgical procedures, unable to give her best results to the patient. She was sure it was the combination of the stress and the constant standing that always had her head feeling woozy. So, she took what she could, and then made rounds for surgical consults in the pit. Having built a strong bond with the residents, they were always eager and willing to grab her a snack or craving when she needed it, even when she profusely told them they did not need to do so. But Elain had to admit, it was nice when they did, and she made sure to reward them with her knowledge and expertise when handling difficult cases.
They slid open the glass door where the young patient was held and she stopped in her tracks. The little boy couldn’t have been more than four years old, with dark hair that brushed over the tops of his ears, and golden-brown skin. His eyes flashed when they entered revealing a green and golden gaze.
Elain recognized his heritage immediately.
He was Illyrian. Like Azriel.
She also read the fear plastered on his face, in his movements as he cradled his broken arm to his chest. Large tears littered along his lower lash line; something inside of her cracked at that desperate look.
“Hello, Kaden,” Thesan said in a kind voice, lowering the iPad to his side and looking directly at the boy. “We’re going to help take care of that arm for you.” He took a step forward and Kaden flinched, crying out softly as the movement tugged on his injury.
Her boss stopped his approach; a level of uncertainty crept into his gaze as he glanced at her for assistance.
Elain cleared her throat, capturing the boy’s attention. She moved the rolling stool closer to his bedside and slowly sat down on it, making sure he watched her every move. “Hi, Kaden,” she spoke in a soft voice. “My name is Elain.” She shuffled slightly closer, relieved when he didn’t balk at her approach. In fact, it almost seemed like his eyes flicked down to her swollen stomach before returning to her face. “I see that your arm is hurt. Would you mind if I took a closer look?” Elain held out her hand, letting it lie on his bed palm up in a calm, welcoming gesture.
When he hesitated, she added, “You’re safe here, sweetheart. We won’t hurt you.” She wasn’t sure why she said it, but something in her gut told her that it wasn’t just strangers he was afraid of. It was people altogether. And that concerned her, more so than just from a physician’s standpoint.
Finally, he moved his arm over to her, those tears falling down his cheeks as he whimpered in pain.
“I know, baby. I know. You’re doing so well,” she cooed, gently examining the injury between her fingers. From the disfiguration, it was obvious that it was a transverse complete fracture, the radius and the ulna having stacked on top of each other, and somehow not penetrating through his skin.
Elain sat wondering how the hell this child had such a severe injury, and it was then she noticed the scar on his other arm from a different, extensive wound. She frowned, glancing up at Thesan through her lashes. “Without a proper x-ray, I can’t be definitive on how extensive the damage is, but I’m certain he’ll need this surgically repaired.
The other doctor crossed his arms.
Kaden flinched.
Her mouth parted. Because that wasn’t just a flinch of fear. It was a flinch of abuse. Elain had no doubt in her mind about his home life. A lump swelled in her throat at the thought of it, and she watched as Thesan slowly lowered his arms to appear less intimidating toward the young boy.
Without thinking, she reached up to trace the pads of her fingers across his temple, sweeping his hair back before brushing away the tears that still stained his cheeks. Elain released a breath she wasn’t aware she had been holding when he didn’t shy away from her touch. “I’m going to put your arm in a brace to hold it still until we can fix it, okay?”
He didn’t speak, didn’t even shake his head to indicate that he understood her, but he watched her, those green and gold-speckled eyes wary, but curious too.
She slid the stool back, reached into one of the drawers on the moveable cabinet, and grabbed what she needed. Getting him into the brace was a whole thing on its own. He cried and screamed as she tried to be as gentle as she could, and every sound he made felt like a knife in her chest. “I know, sweetie. I know. But this will help, I promise,” she murmured, trying to calm him.
His pain broke her heart. Shattered it into a million pieces. Because no child deserves to suffer like that.
Once she finally got him strapped in, Elain released his arm but didn’t step back. No, she couldn’t leave him in this state. Instead, she brushed more tears away with her thumb, cupping his cheek in comfort. It was completely out of line in that patient-doctor relationship, but frankly, she didn’t give a damn. Elain wouldn’t leave him like this—refused to. So, she gave him the gentleness of her touch, the security she knew he didn’t receive from his parents, wherever the fuck they might be.
“Elain,” Thesan said, catching her gaze. “Can we speak in the hall?”
She nodded, swiping her thumb over his cheek one last time. “We’ll be back, Kaden,” she murmured, resisting the urge to kiss the top of his head. Those damn hormones were really getting to her.
He slid the door shut behind them, turning to face her. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
She knew he didn’t mean her actions. “The severity of his fracture looks like it came from a large fall. Maybe down a staircase. Did you notice the scar on his other arm?”
“I did,” Thesan told her, eyes going hard. It wasn’t a look she saw on him often, but child abuse cases were always difficult. “It looked like something that required stitching but didn’t receive it. It’s too harsh to have been healed properly.”
She grunted in agreement. “I don’t think we’ll be able to get an x-ray from him. Not when he’s this terrified. I know he needs surgery without it, but maybe we can grab an x-ray after we put him under?” Her boss nodded his head in a way that said he was on the same wavelength as her. “Where are his parents? How did he get brought in here?”
“I’m about to go find out from Viviane. Hopefully she or one of the other nurses can give us more detail.”
“I’ll reach out to social services and see if I can get our social worker from child protective services down here quickly. I suspect child abuse and we’re going to need somebody to sign off on his surgery,” Elain said, already pulling her phone from the front of her scrubs.
He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “You did good in there, Elain. He wouldn’t have let me get near him, but you connected with him.” He paused, eyes flicking between hers. “It was that maternal instinct coming out. I could see it in how you handled him—comforted him. Excellent work.”
She couldn’t stop the blush from rising to her cheeks. “Thank you, Thesan.”
Gripping her once more, he strode away, heading for the nurses’ station to speak with them about their patient.
Elain glanced back over her shoulder at the child in the room behind her, his body curled up on his side as best as he could with his arm braced. His little hand fisted the sheets, eyes having drifted close. Her heart hammered in her chest. What else could he have been through that they didn’t know? Scrolling through the phone, she tapped on the name of their CPS contact.
It rang twice before she picked up. “Hey,” Elain said quietly. “I need you at the hospital. Now.”
A pause before she said. “Give me fifteen minutes,” and hung up.
She stared through that glass door, lips pulling down into a sad frown. Something drew her toward him, and Elain was determined to figure out why.
~~~
Elain was waiting for the CPS worker at the front of the nurses’ station. She and Thesan had a quick convo where he informed her of everything they knew about their patient, which turned out, wasn’t a whole lot. He had been sent over from the hospital in Illyria, not having a pediatric surgeon on hand to help him. Technically, she and Thesan also weren’t pediatric surgeons, but they’d been trained in those patients to be able to provide him the care he needed.
Her attention snagged on the tall woman walking into the building, her pace quick and determined.
Elain met her halfway. “Emerie,” she murmured, shaking her hand. “Thanks for coming so quickly.”
“You sounded urgent on the phone.”
They strode through the hospital to the elevators. “It is. My patient’s name is Kaden. He has a transverse complete fracture that requires surgery.”
Emerie flicked her thick, dark plait of hair over her shoulder. “Parents won’t sign off on it?”
“Parents aren’t here,” Elain said, pressing the button for floor three to take them to the pediatrics department. “His neighbor called it in when she got home from the grocery store. Told the EMTs that she heard his screams and just called for help.”
“How old is he?”
The doors slid open and they stepped out of the elevator. “Just over four.” She directed them toward his door. “There’s something else,” she started, looking over at the boy in question. “He won’t speak and seems very intimidated by people. Fearful of them. I suspect he’s a victim of child abuse. I was barely able to get the brace on him, so we haven’t attempted an x-ray yet.”
Emerie pursed her lips in contemplation. “What’s your plan?”
“We want to do the x-ray while he’s under. It’s obvious he will need his facture repaired surgically, but we won’t get a clear picture of the damage until we get him prepped.”
She nodded. “I can get on board with that after I try and talk with him of course.” Emerie looked in at the child lying on the bed. “You said he’s just over four?” she asked.
“Yes. His chart shows his birthday was a few months ago.”
Those dark eyes found hers. “He looks awfully small for a four-year-old.”
Elain’s heart ached in her chest. “Yes, we were thinking he appeared a bit malnourished.”
“Do me a favor. When you get him in for x-rays, get some of his body. I want to see if any previous injuries can sanction the abuse.”
Elain’s chin dipped in confirmation as she grabbed the handle of the door and slid it open. “Hello, Kaden,” she said, voice softening. “I’ve brought a friend who wants to talk with you.”
His head turned to look over at them, eyes going straight to Emerie. He shuffled on the bed, curling into himself.
She shared a glance with Elain before moving forward, cautiously. “Hello, Kaden. My name is Emerie. I’m here to help you.”
He blinked at her, not unfurling from his fetal-like position.
Emerie frowned, returning her attention to her. “Do you think he might be deaf?”
Elain’s brows shot into her hairline. She hadn’t thought that at all. “He seems like he can hear us, but let me see,” she said, turning to sign can you hear me at the little boy.
No response.
She shook her head. “I don’t think he’s deaf. Just mute.”
The social worker’s mouth turned down further. “I’ll sign off on the surgery. I can see the injury from here. Has anyone tried to contact his parents?”
“There’s a number for a father, but it’s been disconnected. I can give you his file to see if there’s anything you can pull from it.” Emerie gripped her arm in thanks, moving to sit down on the rolling stool that she sat upon earlier. “I’m going to call up to the OR to get a room prepped. A nurse will be in with the forms to sign in a bit.”
She gave Kaden a small smile, hoping it would bring one to his face, but he just stared at her, little hands fisting the bedsheets. Elain felt an undeniable pull toward the child. A deep-seated need to help him—care for him. She just needed to figure out how.
~~~
Four remodeled fractures.
Elain sat in the chair next to Kaden’s bed as she looked through the X-rays they took of him. She pulled out four, severe remodeled fractures—now five with the one they just repaired. How the fuck did a child of four have five fractures in his lifetime already?
Anger, unlike anything she’d ever experienced before burned inside of her like a volcano readying to erupt. It was obvious that this boy had experienced such tremendous pain and horrors in his young life. She couldn’t help but compare him to her husband, born into cruelty. Abused and neglected. Left to fend for himself.
It left a dangerous spot in her heart. One where she wasn’t sure if she could untangle him from.
The door slid open and Emerie popped in, her dark eyes glancing toward the sleeping child. “How’d it go?” she whispered. Getting him under had taken some work. The anesthesiologist ordered him to be held down so he could put the mask on his crying face when she entered.
“Do not hold him down,” Elain had growled, storming into the operating room after having scrubbed down. The surgical nurses seemed to back up at the look on her face. Even the two residents assigned to the surgery hesitated. She’d moved to his side, fingers stroking his soft cheek. “Hi, sweet boy,” she murmured, voice softening. “I’m going to fix your arm now, but you need to go to sleep first. You don’t want to be awake for this.” Her thumb made a gentle caress back and forth on his face. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
She made quick work wiping his tears away, humming under her breath a simple lullaby. Elain waited until he was calm, silver-lined eyes drying as his eyelids slowly lowered without her even using the gas on him. She knew he was likely exhausted, having gone hours without much sleep. The constant crying would’ve drained him too. So, only when he finally shut his eyes, did she take the mask from the anesthesiologist and place it over his face.
The door clicking shut behind Emerie pulled her from her memory. “Getting him under was rough, but I managed to get it done.” She held out the X-rays for her. “He’s had four other fractures that I found. Two hairline ones on his third and fourth ribs, one to his left femur, and one…” her words trailed off, unable to spit out the location of that last injury.
Emerie took a seat on the stool, facing her. “Where was the last one, Elain?”
She took a ragged breath. “On the back of his skull.”
“Any ideas on how he got it?”
Elain sat back in the chair she’d brought in. “Looks like he might’ve collided with something. Probably pushed backward and fell into a table or something similar.”
“They were set properly, though?”
She nodded. “Yes, the last one looks to be about a year old now. The others are about two.” Elain frowned. “The first four were cared for, but this time he was left alone to deal with it. What changed?” she wondered more to herself than anything, but it appeared the social worker had the answer.
Emerie handed her another file. “His mother died. It wasn’t in his medical report, but I had some people do a little digging and found the name of his birth parents. Lorenzo and Anastasia Salazar.” Her lips turned down in the corner. “Reviewing everything you’ve given me and the reports I’ve pulled, I’d theorize the abuse came from the father and when he left, the mother took him to seek medical attention off books.”
“Off books?” Elain asked, brows furrowing.
“There’s nothing in his medical history about the abuse. No flags have ever been attached to his profile in the system. So, either they paid off whatever doctor they used, or they had somebody private doing at-home calls.”
Like Azriel’s personal medical team…She was careful to keep her face neutral, but Elain had a feeling that Lorenzo was a part of some gang, if not the Illyrian Mob itself. Sighing, she looked back at the sleeping boy, her heart racing in her chest.
“Should I be looking into other options for him aside from foster care?” Emerie asked carefully, eyes flicking down to her pregnant stomach and then back up.
Elain’s dark gaze met hers. “I don’t know,” she said earnestly.
The social worker seemed to understand. “Tell you what. I’ll prepare both options for you and then you can decide what you want to do after you talk to your husband.”
Something inside her chest unlocked at her words.
A groggy sigh caught their attention and they twisted to see Kaden’s eyes fluttering open. His small whimper had Elain moving, sitting on the edge of his bed to run her fingers through his dark hair.
“Hello, sweetheart,” she murmured.
He looked at her with large, hazel, and green eyes before curling into her side, cuddling close to her.
It took all of Elain’s willpower to not sob in elation that he felt comfortable with her now. How long had he gone without love or affection that he would cling to a near stranger who showed him any sort of warmth?
Emerie smiled, rising from her chair. “I’m going to go start handling some paperwork. Call me if you need anything in the meantime or if anything changes.”
She waved her off, resituating herself on his bed as she gave herself a few more seconds of snuggling this precious boy.
~~~~~
Azriel knew something was bothering Elain the moment she stepped through the elevator door. He could read it on her face, in the half-assed smile she shot him. In the way she picked at the food on her dinner plate.
It frustrated him that when he asked her about work, knowing something was wrong, she lied to his face and said it was fine. It wasn’t fine. Nothing about the way his wife was acting was fine. He just wished she would tell him what it was.
“You need to eat, El,” he tried, keeping his voice soft.
She pushed her plate back. “I’m not hungry.”
He tried not to get irritated—he knew Elain was carrying a lot on her plate with her job and the pregnancy. But he was done with her not being honest with him. Azriel sighed, setting his utensils down on his plate with a clank. “All right. I need you to tell me what’s going on.”
Her dark eyes glanced at him, before returning to stare at her meal. “It’s nothing.”
“Bullshit, Elain. I can tell something is wrong without you even having to say it. It’s written as clear as day on your face. I am your husband. You’re supposed to confide in me. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s the matter.”
Az expected her to relent. To sigh, eyes rolling to the sky and finally tell him everything. What he didn’t expect was for her to burst into tears.
Her face fell into the cradle of her palms as a heart-wrenching sob tore from her throat.
For a moment, he froze, blind-sighted by the sudden emotion. And then the panic swept in. He was out of his seat a second later, moving around the edge of the table to pull her chair back and kneeling in front of her seat. “Hey,” he murmured, rubbing his hands on her thighs. “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He kissed her kneecap, squeezing her legs gently to show her he was there for her.
Elain sniffed, running the back of her hand under her nose. “You didn’t upset me.”
His brows furrowed in confusion. “Then what did, love?”
She let out a shaky breath, hands falling into her lap. He took one in his, gripping it tightly. “I had a patient today with a fractured arm that we had to surgically repair. He was only four, and was brought in alone—no father and the mother died last year.” Elain sniffed again. “I found four other remodeled fractures on him from over the last two years. One of them was on the back of his skull.”
Azriel had a feeling about where this was leading. “Abuse?” he asked, voice carefully soft.
Elain nodded. “It would appear so.” She wet her lips, finally meeting his gaze. “Az, he looks like you. He could be your son.”
His eyes widened, unsure of where she was going but he had a hunch.
“I picked out his Illyrian heritage easily enough, but his circumstances, the way he’s been brutalized…they all remind me of you. Of your past.”
He couldn’t argue with her. Just hearing about the pain that had been inflicted on him reminded Az of his childhood. In how his father and half-brothers tortured him. It took an effort to not glance down at his scarred hands, a physical reminder of the trauma he’d endured. “What’s going to happen to him?”
“I’ve been in touch with Child Protective Services and he will likely go into the foster care system. But, looking at what’s been done to him, in the fact that he refuses to talk, and is terrified of adults, I’m concerned he won’t even be considered for adoption…” She let the words hang there, hoping he’d pick up on the unspoken ones she hadn’t yet said out loud but was hinting toward.
Az cocked his head to the side. “You want to adopt him.” It wasn’t a question—it didn’t need to be one. He could see Elain’s every desire as if it were written on her forehead. She had fallen in love with that child.
She dipped her head in confirmation, lower lip trapped between her teeth.
He squeezed her fingers again, thinking over his next few questions. “Love, I need to ask you something, and I want you to promise me you won’t get upset with me for it. Because I think this question needs to be asked.”
Her tongue darted along her lip, but she nodded for him to continue.
“Could the desire to adopt him have anything to do with your pregnancy? I know you have a lot of hormones running through you right now, and your maternal side is going to be very potent. This isn’t just because of that, right? You truly want him?”
Elain was already shaking her head. “No, it’s not that. He was brought to me for a reason, Az. I can feel it in my gut.” Her small hand cradled her stomach in emphasis.
He kissed her knuckles. “And it’s not because he reminds you of me?” He needed to hear her say it. That she wasn’t trying to save this child because of the similarities, but because she truly wanted to take on another kid.
“I’ve never been one for higher powers, but there’s something about Kaden that has completely unraveled me. He fears people but he trusts me. I know, deep in my heart, he was brought to my hospital because I could give him the life he deserves. That we could offer him something better and love him so fully, he’ll never remember a time where he suffered.” Elain wiped the tear from under her lashes. “He is supposed to be our son, Az. I just know it down to my bones.”
It was a lot to consider. She was halfway through her pregnancy with twins and adopting a third child right now would be insane. But he knew they could do it—that they had the means and the love to give to three children. People might call them mad, but looking at her, he had never seen such determination in her eyes and he could feel it buzzing under his skin. “All right,” he said, squeezing her hand again. “I’ll come to the hospital tomorrow afternoon to meet him.”
Elain’s brown eyes brightened like rays of sunshine. “Really? You mean that?”
“If he’s important to you, then he’s important to me, love. That’s the only thing that matters.” And he meant it too. Azriel would lay the stars at her feet if she asked for them.
More tears ran down her cheeks as she slid off her chair and threw her arms around his neck. He held her close, one hand cupping the back of her head, fingers threading through her hair, and the other running lines up and down her spine.
“Thank you, Az,” she cried, dampening the skin of his throat.
He hushed her sobs, pulling back to hold her cheeks in his palms. “I love you, Elain. All of you. And I would give you anything your heart desires.” His words had her crying in earnest, enough so that it took him a while to calm her down.
Thoroughly exhausted, Azriel carried his pregnant wife up the stairs and put her to bed; a hum of excitement stirring in his chest at what was to come.
~~~
Azriel pulled into a parking spot outside of the hospital at exactly three o’clock. His heart was racing in his chest like he’d just run a marathon, his gut swirling with anxiety. Elain had told him that the boy—Kaden, he reminded himself—was fearful of adults. In particular, males.
What if he didn’t like him? If he was scared of him? The questions had been daunting him all day and if he was being honest with himself, he was worried. He was worried that he wouldn’t be able to form a connection with this child. That he’d only bond with Elain and would resent Az’s presence.
It was fucking irrational, he knew that. But still, the thoughts invaded his mind and refused to let go.
He pulled out his phone and checked the messages from Elain.
Third floor, children’s ICU.
He’s been exceptionally clingy to me today.
Az smiled down at his phone at the second message, picturing the little boy snuggled into his wife’s side when she visited him. Which, was every chance she got.
Taking a deep breath, he climbed out of the vehicle and headed to the front entrance.
The Moonbeam twins had taken up residence in the lobby and spotted him immediately, rising from their seats to greet him.
“Mr. Knight,” Fenrys spoke. “Is everything all right?” he asked, looking over his shoulder into the emergency room concerned.
“Everything is fine. I’m just meeting Elain for an appointment.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. They had decided to forgo telling anyone about the potential adoption until much further into the process, not wanting anyone to try and talk them out of it.
“Of course,” Connall said, stepping aside. “We won’t keep you waiting.”
He offered them a quirk of his lips before heading for the elevator, but he stopped on his way, spying the hospital gift shop. In particular, the stuffed teddy bear in the window. With a glance over his shoulders to make sure nobody had spotted him, he turned into the shop and plucked the bear out of the window display, taking it to the cashier.
A few minutes later, he was riding up to floor three, the soft, plush toy in his grip. Az tugged on the knot of his tie, loosening it around his neck. His hazel eyes spotted Elain across the floor, sitting on the edge of a bed. Her mouth was moving, but she was behind a closed door so he couldn’t hear what she was saying.
Like a moth to a flame, he moved toward her, his heart hammering in his chest as he approached the glass slider and knocked.
Elain’s head snapped up, the most radiant smile pulling on her lips as she beckoned him in with a wave of her hand. Fuck, she was so gorgeous. Even made more radiant by the pregnancy as she entered into the second-trimester glow.
Azriel slid the door open, catching the end of her sentence.
“—someone I’d like for you to meet.”
Her fingers threaded through a dark mop of hair, and he finally let his eyes roam over the small child clinging to her waist.
“Kaden, this is my husband, Azriel. Azriel,” she said, gaze flicking to his with a soft smile. “This is Kaden.”
He looked at the young boy, meeting his stare and offering him a calming smile. “Hello, Kaden. It’s nice to meet you.”
Not a sound. Nothing from him other than turning to bury his face further into Elain’s side.
His heart broke, but Azriel was nothing if not determined, placing the teddy bear on the bed against the railing.
Elain grinned at him, thumb rubbing over Kaden’s cheek. “Did you see what Azriel brought you?” she murmured.
A green eye, flecked with gold peeked out from Elain’s waist, glancing at the plush toy but he didn’t reach for it.
Az sat down on the rolling stool, sliding over to the opposite side of the bed as his wife.
“We were just reading a story,” she announced, handing him the book. “How about Azriel finishes for me?” she murmured, brushing Kaden’s dark hair away from his face. “How does that sound?”
He thumbed open the book, going to the page she indicated they left off on. Clearing his throat, he began to read, using the inflections of his voice to aid him in his efforts to make it engaging. Kaden didn’t move away from his wife the entire time he spoke, but he did eventually turn his head to watch him.
Azriel took in the child in his peripheral, seeing the resemblance of himself. He could see why she had claimed he could’ve been his son. Bearing nearly his identical coloring and many similar markers of his Illyrian heritage, Kaden could easily be mistaken as his biological child.
And yet, it was obvious that Kaden was terrified of him.
He sat there for an hour, reading with him, trying to converse with him, and nothing. Azriel felt like a failure. Rising from his seat, he bid the boy farewell, shooting his wife a sad smile.
“I’ll walk you out,” she told them, ruffling Kaden’s hair before following him out of the room.
“He hates me,” he groaned, stopping in his tracks and scrubbing the heels of his palms over his eyes.
Elain moved to stand in front of him. “He does not hate you, Azriel. He’s just intimidated by you—”
“How is that better?”
She ran a hand up his bicep to grip him around the back of his neck. “You can make yourself less intimidating, Az. You in a suit is a force to be reckoned with, and frankly, I have a feeling his father wore similar attire.”
His brows furrowed. “What makes you say that?”
Her thumb traced over his jaw. “The woman who found him refused to give the paramedics her name. They said she looked terrified to even be talking to them. He’s Illyrian, Az…” her voice trailed off, leading him to the answer.
“You think his father is in the Illyrian Mob.” Not a question but a statement of fact.
“Lorenzo Salazar,” Elain confirmed.
The name didn’t immediately register anything in his brain, but he had something to go off of now. Azriel would look into him, find every single detail about the man’s life, and then decide if he deserved to die for the pain and suffering he put his son through.
“Come back tomorrow in jeans and a plain shirt and I’m sure it will help,” Elain told him, bringing his attention back to her face. Her eyes glanced over his shoulder to the boy in the room, a smile tugging on her lips. “Az,” she whispered, nodding toward the room behind them.
Something warm flared in his chest as he turned, and saw Kaden clutching the teddy bear he brought tightly to his body.
Elain stepped up to his side. “If he was afraid of you, Azriel, he would not be touching that toy. You connected with him, even if you can’t physically see it, but you did.”
A sense of awe washed over him, followed by an overwhelming urge to love and protect that boy. He wasn’t sure how long they stood staring at his sleeping form until he breathed, “I want him, El…I want him to be a part of our family.”
Her soft hand slipped into his, fingers lacing. “So, let’s bring him home.”
With joy and love, they stood watching the boy who would one day soon become their son.
~~~~~
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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 43
It's aliveeeeeee!!! 🙌 I can't even begin to describe how off my game I've been trying to write. I've had the entirety of IDBTWY written for months, but I honestly hated my writing, and editing was such a chore. I'm still not completely in love, but we need to push past so we can finally close this beast. I am slowly working through my creative drought, and hope to have some consistent content coming soon!
Also, credit to @123moiaussi for the "superseed" comment. 😉
My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics
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Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕
Catch up here.
Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW
Word Count: 6,187
Elain was sitting in the waiting room of the OBGYN office, knee bouncing nervously. This was her first-trimester check-up and she just wanted to make sure that everything was okay. Her nausea had been pretty awful over the last few weeks and she had grown excessively tired—to the point that she had to talk with Thesan about reducing her surgical procedures so she could keep a clear head.
She hated having to do that, not wanting to disappoint her boss just after she reached her attending level earlier that year. But Thesan took it in stride, helping to arrange her schedule to fit what she was comfortable doing and ensuring she had time to take proper meal breaks and rest when she needed it. He rearranged schedules and let her take on leading the resident interns full-time, allowing her to take some of the stress off by guiding them through procedures and running the ER.
He had come into her hospital room after she collapsed to check on her, and she knew she couldn’t keep it from him after what had happened in the operating room. Her boss had been ecstatic, congratulating them both.
It had been about a month since they found out they were pregnant, and she was now sitting at around seven and a half weeks along. She and Azriel decided to keep the news to themselves until she reached week twelve, just to play it safe, and Elain wished she could say they had been successful in their endeavors. But, her boss knew, and Viviane knew. The Moonbeam twins found out two weeks ago when she and Fenrys had exited the elevator of their building and Connall’s breakfast sandwich sent her hurdling for the nearest trashcan. Fen had been quick to slide her hair back, holding it above her head as she heaved. Stepping off the elevator a few minutes later, a startled and confused Azriel took in the sight of Connall and then heard her retching. He instantly was at her side, taking her hair from Fenrys, and running his hand down her back.
“What is in that sandwich,” he demanded.
Blind-sighted, Con rambled out ingredients. “Bacon, cheese, spinach, and egg.”
Elain gagged at the word egg, her stomach violently rolling from the name. “Get rid of it,” she moaned, still leaning into the disgusting garbage.
The dark-haired twin had swallowed the remains of his meal in three large bites.
It took effort to push herself off the trash bin, falling into the comforting embrace of Az’s strong arms that he wrapped around her.
He cupped the side of her face, tucking her under his chin, and let her thumb swoop over the apple of her cheek, the touch gentle and soothing. “Do you want your tea,” he murmured, lips pressing into her hair.
Unable to voice it answer, she dipped her chin.
Fenrys was already on the ground before them, pulling her coffee mug from her bag that she dropped and handing it to Azriel.
Her husband brought the mug up to her lips and allowed her to sip, the peppermint hitting her stomach and calming the raging sea. His hazel eyes glanced at her, a question simmering in them, and read the answer she didn’t even need to speak. “Elain’s pregnant,” he told the twins. “It’s still very early and we’re trying to keep it close to the chest for now, but please don’t bring eggs anywhere near her.”
Her body shuddered at that damn word again, but she managed to gain enough strength to pull herself from Azriel’s arms as she faced the Moonbeam brothers. “Sorry about that,” she said and felt her husband tense as she apologized for being sick. He’d been wildly adamant that she not apologize for the nausea, the cravings, or anything else she needed of him or anyone else. Not after having a meltdown because he went and got her something she asked for, only to start craving something else when he was out and feeling utterly ridiculous about it.
Connall seemed to snap from his shock first. “Congratulations to you both. And I apologize for the sandwich. I won’t bring anything around that has—”
“Please don’t say the word or I might hurl again,” she interrupted, fingertips touching her mouth like she’d hold it back. Fuck, even just the name of it sent her body quaking from the queasiness.
Fen chuckled. “Noted. Is there anything else that sets you off we should be made aware of?”
She shook her head no. “Nothing else that I know of yet.”
He nodded, a charming smile spreading his lips. “Let us know if anything changes. And congratulations on the pregnancy. I’m so happy for you both.”
And she could see it, the joy radiating on both of their faces. It made her heart swell with love for the two men who would likely become Uncle Fen and Uncle Con to their child.
The door opening caught her attention, pulling her from her reverie, and she met the gaze of the nurse who’d come to collect her. Elain glanced back at the elevator, waiting for her husband to show up. He was running late—something that was so very unlike him, which only added to her anxiety. She returned her attention to the nurse. “Can you give him another couple of minutes?”
It wasn’t the first time she asked to delay her appointment and knew it couldn’t continue much longer.
The nurse—Maria as her name badge read—gave her a sad smile. “We really can’t delay much longer. There are a few appointments behind you.”
“Just a couple of minutes,” Elain practically begged.
Maria hedged, shuffling from foot to foot, uncomfortable by the request, but was saved from having to deny her by the elevator door sliding open and Azriel rushing out.
He was at her side instantly, taking her arm to help her stand as if she couldn’t do it herself. Elain had to remind him on occasion that she was not yet showing and could still move about the house without his assistance. “I’m so sorry I’m late. There was an accident downtown and I got caught right in the middle of traffic. I’ll leave a half hour earlier next time.” He leaned down to brush his lips to her cheek.
His presence immediately calmed her and she leaned into his touch.
Azriel, always in tune with her feelings, didn’t miss how she settled into him as they followed the nurse back, his arm slinking around her waist so he could touch his mouth to her ear. “Are you all right?” he asked her. Nothing ever got by him.
She nodded but knew he hadn’t bought it. Still, he let it slide, caressing her arm in a soothing gesture. The nurse took all her vitals and then handed her a gown to change into before the doctor arrived. Az helped her slip it on, tying the strings together for her before assisting her onto the table.
“You’re nervous,” he commented now that they were alone.
Elain blew out a breath. “A bit.”
He swept his thumb over her cheek. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know to be honest. Just want to make sure everything is growing healthy in there,” she said, patting her still-flat stomach. “No surprises.”
Az chuckled, kissing her temple. “I have no doubts that we have a healthy baby, love. Try not to fret.” His words seemed to calm her as she relaxed back onto the table.
A knock on the door announced the arrival of her doctor and she took a moment to introduce herself to her husband, shaking his hand.
“Okay, let’s get started. Elain, if you wouldn’t mind putting your feet into the stirrups.”
She took out the ultrasound wand, spreading lube on the tip, and Elain couldn’t help but smile at her husband’s confused face.
“All right, my dear. You should feel a little pressure,” her doctor said.
“I’m sorry, but I thought she was getting an ultrasound. What is that?” Azriel questioned.
Elain snorted lightly. “Az, it’s a transvaginal ultrasound. It goes inside, not on my belly.”
His eyes widened. “Well, the three baby books I’ve read didn’t discuss the differences in ultrasound types.”
Doctor Chen raised her brows. “You’ve read three baby books already?”
He shrugged. “I just like to be prepared.”
“You’re going to be a great father.”
The comment seemed to startle her husband. “Just because I’ve read a few books?”
Chen’s lips turned up at the corner. “Mr. Archeron-Knight, I can barely get most fathers to read one, let alone three. And before she’s even through the first trimester. Believe me when I say that I can tell who’s going to be well-adjusted to handling fatherhood.” Giving him a wink, she slipped the wand inside, making Elain’s grip on Azriel’s hand tighten slightly.
“All right, here we are,” Doctor Chen said, clicking a few buttons on the keyboard to bring up the monitor. A pitter-patter sound filled the air as she located the baby’s heartbeat.
Tears sprung into her eyes as that beautiful, perfect, innocent noise washed over her and she glanced up at her husband to see him sharing the same look as her. He leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips, the special moment between them growing with the touch of his mouth against hers.
“And here is your baby,” Chen announced, pointing to a little blip on the screen.
Elain’s dark gaze stared at that spot on the screen, feeling like her heart was about to burst with happiness. But when her eyes slid to her doctor, seeing the furrow in her brow, that joy dropped like a rock in her stomach.
Her doctor let out a small noise of contemplation, enough to catch Azriel’s attention. “What is it?” he asked, voice laced with demand and worry.
A few clicks on her keyboard had the screen adjusting, zooming out just slightly. She repositioned the wand inside of her, making her body tense. “Well, I think we should discuss multiple births. Because that right there,” she said, pointing to another blip on the screen, “is a second fetus.” She clicked a button again and two very distinct heartbeats surrounded them. Chen turned to look at them with a smile. “You’re having twins.”
If Elain thought her heart was racing before, it was absolutely pounding now, the sound rushing in her ears. Because there was just no way, no way, right? Twins? Twins! Her head swiveled to look up at her husband. “You and your fucking superseed!” she snarled.
“Elain!” Azriel chastised, looking torn between being guilty of impregnating her with two kids and amused about her foul language in front of the doctor. Mostly the latter.
Chen just laughed. “I’ve told many expecting parents they’re having twins over the years, but that was, by far, the best reaction I’ve ever seen.”
She had the decency to at least look embarrassed as she apologized to her doctor for her outburst, but she just waved her off.
After snapping a few pictures, she pulled the wand out, cleaned her up, and set the printed sonogram photos on the counter for them. “Everything looks good, Elain. You’re growing at an optimum level. I’ll go ahead and prescribe you some anti-nausea medicine that you can take in the morning and before bed for as long as you need it. Unless there are any concerns, you’re free to get dressed. The nurse at the front will schedule you for your next appointment.”
The door clicked shut softly behind her as she left and Elain felt the silence between her and Azriel like a weight on her chest.
He helped her sit up, but before she could slide off the table, he stepped in front of her, finger hooking under her chin to force her gaze to his. “Hey,” he said softly like he was afraid anything louder might startle her. “El, love, I know this is scary, but we can do this.”
“Twins, Azriel. Two kids. As in one whole being more than we even were planning for.”
His mouth quirked up at her zealous explanation. “I’m well aware of how twins work, baby.”
She glared at him for the comment.
But he ignored it, leaning down to capture her mouth in a sweet kiss. “Twins mean two beautiful children of our own. Twins mean twice the amount of love we will have. Twice the amount of joy they will be bringing into our lives. If there is anyone who can take on the challenge of having twins, it’s us. Don’t ever doubt that.”
His words settled inside of her, soothing the jagged worries of her heart into something perfectly beautiful. His confidence, his strength…it was exactly what she needed at that moment and he knew it.
Elain let out a heavy breath. “You’re changing all the diapers.”
He barked out a laugh, folding her into his arms. “I’m okay with that.”
~~~
They decided to wait until she reached the fifteen-week mark before they told their family the news. Azriel was ready to burst at week nine, but she managed to hold him off until now with just a little bit of persuasion.
A surprise to both of them was when Elain didn’t have her head in the toilet, she was horny as fuck. Azriel was running hard to keep up with her impressive sex drive. And that was saying something.
He reached out and took her hand across the center console, thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Are you nervous?” he asked, bringing the back of her palm to his lips.
She glanced at him, a soft smile pulling at her mouth. “No. I’m excited. I want to tell everyone about them.” Her hand rubbed over her swollen belly. Swollen was probably the best way to describe her appearance. Truthfully, she looked like she indulged in a very large, carb-based meal of pasta and was extremely bloated from it. Which, to be fair, with Azriel’s amazing skills in the kitchen, it was a fair assessment.
Elain opened her purse and slipped out the sonogram she had a few days before. The one that told them what they were having. Her eyes welled up with tears as her fingers stroked the black-and-white image. She was so blissfully happy. “I’m glad that they’re healthy. That was all I cared about.”
Az kissed the backside of her palm again. “Me too. And I’m happy they’ll be close to Sutton’s age so they can grow up together.”
“Do you think Feyre and Rhys will start thinking about having kids?” she asked, curious if he thought their other siblings might be feeling a touch of the baby fever.
He shrugged. “If they weren’t talking about it before, I’d say they will be now. Rhys has been wanting kids since practically in high school. He always wanted to be a father; better than his, though he wasn’t anything compared to mine.” The words hung between them for a minute before he asked her, “Do you have concerns about me becoming my father?” His voice dropped to a near whisper. Almost as if he were afraid of her answer.
Elain looked at him in shock. “Azriel, gods no. I know exactly the kind of father you’ll be, and it will not even remotely look like what you were given.”
His lips quirked up at the corner. “Yeah? And what kind of a father do you think I’ll be?”
She twisted in her seat to face him better. “You’re going to be the most devoted father because you’re already the most devoted husband. You’ll dote on those kids until they never have a wish or dream unfulfilled. You will love them fiercely—I mean, you already do and they’re still in my stomach,” she giggled lightly, rubbing her belly. “They are going to be the most spoiled children.”
At that, he laughed. “I can’t say you’re wrong. I don’t think I will be able to say ‘no’ to them at all.”
“Azriel, you can’t even tell me no,” she deadpanned.
“It’s just not in my vocabulary when it comes to you.”
Elain shook her head, eyes rolling as she twisted back in her seat to face forward again. She could see the restaurant down the street where they were meeting their siblings for lunch to tell them the news. “Well, I’m not going to take on the mean parent role just because you can’t say no.” She fiddled with her purse, sliding the image back inside. “We may need to find an alternative—” Screeching tires caught her attention and then she screamed, “Azriel! Watch out!”
The car lurched, sending her head sideways to slam against the side window. The last thing she heard was shattering glass as another car collided with them before everything went dark.
~~~~~
Azriel’s eyes blinked open, ears ringing loud enough to make him wince. His body ached across his chest and waist from the seat belt and as he shifted himself, he could tell nothing was seriously injured. Thankfully. He looked over at his wife, fear locking his heart in a deadly force. “Elain,” he murmured, voice hoarse.
Her head lay against the back of the seat, lulled to the side. She had a gash on her forehead, blood dribbling down her temple, and most of her right arm was scratched up from the shattered glass.
He tried to unbuckle his belt, but the damn thing was stuck. Pulling the knife Ruhn had gotten him from his pocket, he cut the fabric, releasing him, then reached over and did the same to Elain’s belt. A scarred hand slid to her cheek, cupping it gently, and then moved down to her throat, searching for his worst nightmare.
The relief he felt when her heartbeat pattered against his fingertips was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. “Elain,” he tried again, moving his palm back to her face. “Elain, sweetheart, open your eyes for me.” His tone took on a desperate sound as he willed her to wake.
Movement caught his eye, the sound of tires crunching on glass flooded him and he looked out the window to see the car that hit them, pulling back and fleeing. “Motherfucker,” he cursed, realizing that this was an intended accident. He had managed to jerk the wheel so Elain didn’t take the brunt of the impact, but it still slammed into the back door, shattering all the windows on her side.
A burning rage built in his gut, one that could not—would not—be stifled without blood. Whoever ordered this hit…
They were as good as dead.
Azriel refocused on his wife, fingers sweeping over her skin. He shoved that wrath building inside of him down until it was a flickering ember, something for him to let rage once he knew she was okay. “Elain, come on. Open your eyes for me.” He gently tapped her cheek, trying to get her to look at him. “Please, love. I need you to open your eyes. Elain.”
A groan passed through her lips, sending tears of relief cascading over his cheeks as her eyelids began fluttering.
“El, baby,” he cried, swooping his thumb across her smooth skin. He collected the soft sounds coming from her parted lips like precious gems, thanking every god for each one.
“Az.” Her voice cracked on his name. “What happened?” she asked, still coming into consciousness.
He shuffled closer, leaning over the center console to kiss her temple with a gentleness he reserved only for her. “We were in an accident, love. I need you to stay still until help gets here.” He felt her pulse kick up under his palm.
Elain’s breathing turned short. “Azriel…” her voice shook in fear. “Az, the babies.”
His heart wrenched, hoping and praying that everything was all right. After all that they had been through, he didn’t think he could handle the world taking something else away from her. From them. But despite his fear, he remained calm, knowing she needed to as well. “Everything is going to be okay,” he promised. “I hear the sirens, love. Help is almost here.”
The words didn’t seem to abate her as she continued to shake. “Please,” she cried, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes and dribbling down her cheeks. “Check if I’m bleeding.”
Azriel knew she needed to know—would not breathe steadily until she did. He placed his hand on the inside of her thigh, sliding up until he reached her panties. Feeling her for any sort of wetness. Any stickiness that would confirm to him there was blood.
She was dry.
There weren’t words to describe how thankful he felt for that confirmation. “No blood,” he told her, pulling his hand out from underneath her dress to show her his clean fingers.
Elain released a sob, her tense body relaxing slightly.
He shushed her, kissing her temple again. “You’re okay,” he murmured, wanting to do everything in his power to reassure her. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Two firetrucks pulling up snagged his attention, as he continued to stroke her cheek soothingly.
“Sir, are you both okay?” one of the responders asked as he approached his side of the car.
He glanced at the man. “We’re conscious but she needs to be looked at.”
The guy rapped his knuckles on the top of the car. “We’ll get you out in a second—”
“Her first,” he told him in a tone that brooked no room for argument.
Another firefighter moved towards his wife’s window. “Ma’am, can you tell me your name?” she asked.
“Elain,” his wife answered.
“Are you in any pain?”
“My head hurts a bit.” Those doe eyes looked at the other woman. “I’m pregnant.”
She turned her head and yelled, “Get me the jaws!” Looking back at Elain, she reached in and wrapped a C-collar around her neck. “How far along are you?”
“Fifteen weeks.”
A nod. “All right, Elain. We’ll have you out in a jiffy and get you over to the hospital to have your baby checked out.”
Neither of them bothered to correct her on the number of babies. It wasn’t relevant, only that they needed to get her out. Once the door was opened, they began moving her onto a backboard. Azriel wrenched the driver’s side open, wanting to get to her as quickly as possible.
“Sir! You need to be checked by the paramedic,” somebody called out but he ignored them, rounding the vehicle to where Elain was being placed on a stretcher. Just before he reached her, another voice called his name—one he couldn’t ignore. He turned, finding Cassian running over to him, flashing a badge to one of the firefighters to get past him. Rhys, Feyre, and Nesta stood just beyond the scene at their cars, all watching his wife being checked out.
“What the hell happened?” Cassian demanded, eyes flitting over to where Elain was being hauled towards an ambulance.
“Hit and run. Fucker took off after T-boning us,” he snarled, tone murderous. They would not get away with this. Not with his pregnant wife in the car with him. Az glanced up and saw the street cameras, angled just right to have caught the entire accident. “Cash, get me the film from that camera,” he indicated with a nod of his head before swiveling on his feet and prowling toward his wife.
Cassian kept stride with him, took in the responders on the scene, and lowered his voice to not be overheard. “Az, the police will investigate. Just let them do their job.”
Azriel whirled on his brother. “You either get me that tape, Cassian, or I’ll get it my way. Either option, I will find out who did this to her.” There was no arguing when he stepped into this role. This wasn’t a brother asking for a favor. This was the head of the Velaris Mob Boss demanding it.
His voice turned deadly, taking on the dangerous threat he used to get what he wanted.
When it looked like his brother was about to argue, the female firefighter shouted, “Victim is fifteen weeks pregnant. She needs to be checked out by a doctor.”
Elain called Az’s name and he turned, striding towards her but not before he caught how Cassian’s face paled. Or the shocked looks from their siblings. Well, that’s one way to find out, he thought to himself as he reached his wife’s side and took her hand.
She clutched his fingers, her face still scrunched with worry. He gave her a reassuring squeeze, placing a kiss on her forehead before they loaded her into the back of the ambulance. Az climbed in after, sitting down on the bench and gripping her hand once more. He glanced back out the door and found Cassian standing there.
“I’ll get you that tape,” he said quietly; fierce determination blazed in his hazel eyes to help his brother wreak havoc over the person who went after his pregnant wife. Only Cassian could understand the fear of something like this, having already gone through a pregnancy with Nesta. Without another word, he shut the doors to the ambulance.
Elain looked up at him, his name falling from her lips. He brushed a thumb over her forehead. “Everything is going to be fine, love. Just try to relax.” It was empty words, they knew that. Knew neither of them would settle until they heard both of those heartbeats on a monitor.
He just hoped he was holding it together enough for her until they could confirm she was still pregnant.
And may God have mercy on the fucker who caused this, if she wasn’t.
~~~
They ushered Elain into a private room, hooking her up to a fetal monitor. The doctor moved quickly, shoving her dress up to reveal her bare stomach while a nurse covered her hips with a blanket.
She flinched slightly when the cold gel was applied to her skin and Azriel brought her fingers to his lips, kissing her across the backside of her knuckles.
It was like the world held its breath as they searched for those two heartbeats.
“Baby number one looks good,” the doctor said, clicking a button and sending the hummingbird’s wing pattern of a heartbeat into the room.
Elain squeezed his hand, a soft sound passing between her lips in relief.
The wand moved on her belly, searching for their other little one. “And, there they are. Hiding behind their sibling.”
When the second heartbeat reached their ears, Elain twisted, sobbing into Az’s chest with utter joy. He wasn’t very far behind her, letting tears of relief slip from his eyes as he cradled her against his torso. His hand rubbed her shoulder, lips pressing to the crown of her head, offering comfort to her through his presence and touch.
The doctor cleaned her off, smiling at the two of them. “Everything looks good on the monitor,” she started after giving them a moment. “We’ll keep you here for another hour or so just to be safe before we discharge you. If you have any bleeding in the next few days, come in right away.”
Elain seemed unable to answer, so he did it for her. “We will, thank you, doctor.”
“There also appears to be a group of people waiting for you guys in the lobby. Would you like me to send them in or give them a message?”
He crouched, putting himself at her eye level, wanting Elain to make the decision. Az cupped her cheek, thumb brushing away the tears under her eyes. “Love, do you want to see the family now?” he asked, voice low.
She sniffed, eyes still flooded with silver. The subtle shake of her head told him she wasn’t quite ready for the company yet.
Azriel rose, perching himself on the edge of her bed, and tucked her back into his chest. “Can you tell them that we’re okay, and I’ll come to get them when we’re ready for visitors?”
“Of course. Page the nurse if you need anything.” Without another word, she slipped from the room, the door clicking shut behind her.
Elain fisted his shirt, taking in his cedar and mist scent deep into her lungs. He gave her whatever time she needed, letting her get herself together. “I was so scared,” she whispered, burying her face further into his embrace.
Azriel was grateful that she seemed to find comfort in him, in his touch, his scent. He held her tighter against him, murmuring, “Me too.”
She held onto him for a few more precious moments before pulling back to look up at his face. “I didn’t see the other car when they pulled me out.” Her brows furrowed as she tried to put the pieces together. “Were we in a hit and run?”
“Yes,” he said, brushing his thumb back and forth over her cheek.
Her eyes flicked between his. “Do you think we were targeted?”
He wouldn’t lie to her—refused to, but also didn’t want her to be even more frightened than she already was. “I do.” Az saw that kid look directly at him, his eyes widening in understanding that he was, in fact, not dead, before taking off from the scene. He didn’t recognize him, but if he had to place a bet, he’d say it was one of Frankie’s lower levels who crossed to Elias’s side.
Az didn’t think either of his brothers would call a hit like that. Middle of the day, busy street. It wasn’t their style. But Elias was careless, greedy, and a poor decision-maker. He sighed, brushing his lips to her forehead. “The kid looked me dead in the eye before leaving. He was scared that I was still alive.”
“How old do you think he was?” Elain asked.
“I’d say we have at least a decade on him. Seventeen, maybe eighteen.”
“So, just a kid then.”
He cocked his head to the side. “You say that like it’s excusable.”
She shook her head. “I’m not excusing what he did, but we both know how young kids are trapped into joining those gangs. Through manipulation and fear. There’s a reason you won’t allow anyone that young to be brought in, Az, and you know it. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to question if it was his idea or he was put up to it.”
His lips quirked up as she spoke like a true Mob queen. “If you had to guess who would put him up to it—”
“Elias, no doubt. We both know he’s been itching to strike at us since he showed up at the hospital. And you said he was trying to recruit kids from Frankie. Perhaps he offered this kid a way out from under Illyrian rule.”
“There is only one way out from Frankie’s Mob,” he told her, letting the words hang heavily between them.
Elain let out a deep breath. “I know. Either way, he’s dead. Elias is likely to kill him for failing, or Frankie and Nick will for attempting to leave.”
It floored him to just how similar her train of thought was to his. She observed and listened and picked up on every single thread laid down. Understood all of the connections and bloodshed as if she’d been a part of it her whole life. He couldn’t say that the revelation was thrilling, but it also made his chest ache. Az never wanted her to be so in tune with his world. Didn’t want her to have to think about the worst-case scenarios and determine ways around them. But here she was, doing just that and not shying away from it.
To think he couldn’t love her any more than he already did.
“I have to agree with your assessment. Elias will not get away with this; with what he’s done to you.”
She didn’t balk at the threat in his tone, simply took his hand in hers and squeezed. “Despite what he’s done, is going after him the best idea? Things could escalate.”
“We can’t let this go without repercussions, love. Others will hear about this and wait to see how I respond. If it’s not a show of force, they’ll think I’ve gone lax and more will come. I need to be aggressive with my actions.”
It looked like she wanted to argue some more, but decided against it, bringing his hand up to her mouth to kiss his scars. “Do you want to go get the others now? I’m ready to see them.”
He smiled down at her, cupping her cheek one more time. “I’ll be right back.” Az pressed his lips to her forehead before he slipped from the room, knowing that that conversation was far from over. But he’d let it go for now. She had been through enough today without him pushing her on it. But this was one thing he would not, could not budge on. Not if he didn’t want to keep her safe. Especially now with their growing family.
Azriel wasn’t even to the edge of the lobby when Nesta shot out of her chair.
“Is she all right?” his sister asked, face drawn with worry.
His eyes glanced to Cassian behind her, cradling a sleeping Sutton in his large arm, Feyre and Rhys next to him. “She’s fine,” he told them, sensing their relief. “They want to keep her here another hour or so, just to be safe, but you guys are welcome to come back with me if you’d like.”
“Does she want company?” Feyre asked, edging to her eldest sister’s side. “We don’t want to intrude—”
“She asked for you all. No intrusion,” Az interrupted her.
Cassian swallowed, his eyes looking down at the small thing in the crook of his elbow. “You know we all heard the firefighter…is the baby okay?”
He had a feeling one of them would ask, but he wanted to make sure Elain was present for it. So, he said instead, “Everyone is fine. We can talk more in her room.” Turning on his heel, he headed back toward Elain’s private room, knowing they’d follow him closely.
Opening the door, he caught Elain looking intently out the window, seemingly oblivious to the world around her. “Love,” he called out to her, making her snap out of her reverie and turn to face him. “Our siblings are here.”
Her smile lit up his entire chest, despite the current circumstances. Gods, she was radiant when she smiled at him like that.
He held the door open, letting their family shuffle in. Nesta and Feyre made a beeline right to either side of her, gripping her in a firm hug.
“Are you all right?” Nesta asked again, cupping her cheeks in her palms.
Elain laughed slightly. “Yes, I’m fine.” Her eyes landed on his at the foot of her bed and he nodded at her, answering her silent question. One small hand swept down over the slight swell of her belly. “We’re all fine,” she added, a bit more shyly.
“I can’t believe you two are pregnant already,” Rhys stated, resting a palm on her lower leg.
Az laughed. “Strong swimmers,” he boasted.
“Asshole,” Cassian muttered. It wasn’t a secret that he and Nesta had struggled a bit to get pregnant. His wife was, apparently, just incredibly fertile.
Elain just shook her head, eyes rolling at the exchange.
“How far along are you?” Feyre asked, interrupting what she knew was going to be another ridiculous argument.
“Fifteen weeks. Or just over,” she answered.
Nesta blinked in surprise. “Do you know what you’re having?”
Her lips quirked up in the corner as she eyed him. “A boy.”
Their family erupted into congratulatory shouts for them both, grabbing them into hugs. Az waited until they quieted down before announcing, “And a girl.”
All four heads swiveled to him.
Silence descended upon their family for a few tense moments before Rhys finally demanded, “Explain!”
“We’re having a boy and a girl.”
He could see the lightbulbs going off above their heads. It was rather humorous to watch them connect the dots.
“You’re having twins?” Cassian breathed, eyes wide as saucers.
Elain chuckled at their expense. “Yes, my husband infested me with his superseed for two babies.”
Azriel barked out a laugh. “You’re one to talk miss fertile as fuck.”
Their family erupted into a fit of hysterics at the exchange and that brought the largest smile to his face. Elain caught his grin, offering him one of her own. Fuck, he loved her so damn much and he couldn’t wait to have his two little ones welcomed into such a loving family.
He still had to handle Elias, still needed to confirm who else was involved in the hit on them, but he pushed that aside and focused on this moment with his pregnant wife and their siblings. Az would get his revenge…just not today.
~~~~~
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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 48
One part left and an epilogue to go!! 🎉 What is lifeeeee? The fact that this story is literally almost over is just insane to me. Thank you to everyone who kept up with this one. I know it's been a long, long ride. Your patience and kind words have meant the world to me. 💜
My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics
My ao3 account: tswaney17
Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕
Catch up here.
Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW
Word Count: 8,481
Elain’s consciousness tugged at the front of her mind, slowly trying to pull her from her slumber. Warmth radiated from the other person she shared her bed with, his cedar and mist scent a balm to her soul. As she slowly came to, she realized that Azriel was not the only one in their bed that morning, her son’s voice catching her attention even though her husband tried to keep him quiet.
“Not so close, buddy,” Az murmured, and she felt Kaden’s small body being pulled slightly away from her. “We have to be careful of Momma’s tummy.”
A little body shuffling jostled her but she kept her eyes firmly shut, simply enjoying the tender moment with her boys.
“Like this, Daddy?”
Her heart melted. The night before came perfectly clear in her memory—how Azriel’s face morphed into quiet joy from Kaden finally calling him daddy. She saw every emotion behind his eyes, every prayer being answered: that their son would finally view him as his father and not just a guardian.
“That’s perfect, bud,” he choked out in a hoarse whisper. It was obvious how much it meant to Azriel to hear that name coming from Kaden’s lips.
Elain knew that her husband was aware of her being awake; he always seemed to sense her presence even before she opened her eyes. He confirmed it when Kaden tried to whisper, “When is Momma going to wake up?”
Az’s answering chuckle was the first indicator, followed by “Soon, I’m sure.”
She took that as her queue, stretching out her aching body—pregnancy really was a bitch—yawning until she opened her eyes.
“Momma!” Kaden shouted in glee, throwing his arms around her shoulders.
Elain let out an “oomph,” laughing as Azriel chastised their rambunctious four-year-old.
“Easy, Kaden.” He scooped his son back into his arms, kissing him all over his face and making him burst out into a fit of giggles.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, smiling at the sweet display. “What time is it?”
Az settled their son between them, his bright eyes glancing at her. “Just before seven. The Moonbeam twins will be here at nine to collect you and Kaden to head to the baby store in Hewn City.”
Elain could see the change in her husband as he spoke. How he wanted them to go with them and that it made him nervous to stay behind while they were in another territory. She reached out, cupping his cheek in her palm, and let her thumb swoop over the apple of it. “We’ll be okay,” she whispered, hoping to reassure him.
He sighed heavily, twisting his head to kiss the inside of her hand. “I’ll be better once you’re both home and safe.”
“Momma, I’m hungry!” Kaden announced, breaking the spell that had woven over them.
Azriel rose from the bed, turning to face them. “I’ll make breakfast. What do you guys want?”
“Pancakes!” they said in unison.
Her husband huffed a laugh, eyes rolling because that’s what Elain always wanted for breakfast. “Why do I bother asking?” And then he swooped down to toss their giggling boy onto his shoulder. “Alright, free-loader… you’re going to help me make pancakes this morning,” he called out as he threw a still-giggling Kaden over a shoulder and muscled his way out of their bedroom.
“Bye momma!” their little boy called waving at her enthusiastically.
She wiggled her fingers at him, giving herself another moment to lounge in bed. One of the twins stretched out, their little foot pressing against the inside of her stomach hard enough to see the outline of it. She could even make out their little toes. Elain let out a breath, running her hand over her belly to soothe the child. “Make yourself comfortable, little one,” she teased in a soft breath.
Shuffling herself off the bed, she waddled into the large bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.
Forty-five minutes later, she padded her way downstairs to the kitchen in a pair of leggings, one of Azriel’s oversized sweatshirts—because it was the only thing warm enough that fit her at the moment—and sneakers. She found her boys at the stove, Kaden pouring the last remnants of the batter onto a hot skillet while Azriel flipped pancakes to perfection.
Elain took out her phone and snapped a photo of the two of them, intending on getting it printed and framed for the house. She glanced down at the finished pancakes, noticing the wonky shape from her boy’s pouring skills. Her lips turned up into a smile as she made her way to the fridge to grab the carton of orange juice for herself and milk for Kaden.
Azriel caught her movement, eyes quickly looking in her direction before returning to the stove. And then his whole head snapped toward her, taking in every inch of her and what she was wearing.
Truth be told, Elain knew what wearing Az’s clothes did to him. He had always had this masculine pride whenever she paraded around in his t-shirts and such. But she typically wore them around the house, unless he happened to drape something on her while they were out. His eyes darkened, and he stepped away from the stove to prowl over to her.
The look he shot her had a pleasurable chill running down her spine. How Elain could be seven months pregnant with fucking twins and still be turned on by this man was beyond her. But he took advantage of her raging hormones when they could.
A scarred hand reached out to run down the length of her sleeve. “You’re wearing this out?” he asked, voice low and sensual.
She felt herself twinge between her thighs. “It’s big and comfy,” she told him. “Is it all right if I wear it?” Elain knew the answer before he even voiced it.
A growl rumbled from the back of his throat. “Fuck yeah, you can wear it. Look at my wife, knocked up and wearing my clothes. Do you know the kind of message that sends to people?”
She huffed a laugh. “That you’re territorial and a caveman.”
Azriel claimed her lips in a heated kiss, stepping into her space until her rounded belly was pressed against his abdomen. It was obvious he wanted to finish what they started last night, the way his tongue slipped into her mouth and how his palms cradled her body indicated it.
Frankly, she did too. Elain didn’t think Az could be more attentive to her needs, but while pregnant, he managed to kick up his wicked talents until she passed out from coming so many times when they got hot and heavy.
His mouth moved dominantly over hers, prying her lips apart so he could stroke his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss.
It took a splat sound, followed by an “Oopsie,” from their son for them to break apart.
Azriel whirled around while she stepped to peer around his shoulder at their son holding the spatula in his tiny fist, a guilty look spreading across his face in the form of a blush.
Her eyes glanced down at the floor, finding a half-cooked pancake staining the wood.
“Kaden,” Az started, voice alight with humor. “Watcha doing there, bud?”
Those tanned cheeks turned an even brighter shade of pink. “I was trying to flip, Daddy!” he says exasperated.
Her husband let out a chuckle, moving to help their son climb off the stool he was standing on. “Well, it looks like we might need to practice that next time. Go sit down at the table, Kaden.”
Azriel cleaned up the mess in their kitchen while she finished setting out dishes for breakfast.
Elain loved mornings like this. The three of them—soon to be five—sitting around eating their breakfast together. She wanted to make this a weekend ritual, especially when the kids were young. Weekdays were difficult to get all of them around the table and she and Az took turns preparing breakfast for Kaden before he went to school and they to work. Actually, Azriel typically took care of it most mornings now since she was running slower, but this, this sweet family time…Elain wanted nothing more than to have this with her husband and children.
The doorbell ringing pulled her from her reverie, Azriel announced he’d get it, then dropped a kiss on the top of her and Kaden’s heads.
She heard the tale-tell sounds of the Moonbeam twins entering their foyer.
“Good morning, Elain,” Fenrys bellowed, dropping a kiss to her cheek followed by his brother more politely. Both men ruffled Kaden’s hair and took a spot around their breakfast nook.
“Morning, boys. Thanks again for taking Kaden and me to Hewn today.”
Connall flashed a brilliant smile. “It’s always a pleasure, Elain.”
She gestured to the table still full of food. “Please help yourself to breakfast. Kaden helped make the pancakes this morning.”
Fenrys twisted to the little boy. “Kaden, you made the pancakes?”
Her son beamed at the question. “I did, Uncle Fen!”
He grabbed one of the oddly shaped flapjacks and bit into it, groaning. “Well, that’s the best pancake I’ve ever had, isn’t Con?”
Connall took one as well. “I think we’ve got a little chef on our hands,” he said, earning a little blush from Kaden.
She grinned at the conversation, loving how her boy had become more comfortable with their security team over time. One of the babies sent a swift kick to her lower stomach causing her to wince. The conversation stalled as all three men at the table took notice.
Az’s large, scarred hand slid across her belly. “Are they kicking?” he asked with a sweet, hopeful look in his amber eyes.
She nodded, a grin playing on her lips. “They’ve been making their presence known this morning,” she murmured, looking down at her pregnant stomach.
Fenrys rounded the table, looking at where the baby was moving beneath her skin. “May I?” he questioned.
Elain took his hand and placed it right where one of the twins sent two jabs.
The golden twin’s smile took up his entire face. “That’s a strong one you got there.” Both Fenrys and Connall had grown even closer to her since she got pregnant. They often asked to feel the babies kicking if they happened to be active whenever they were around. She was surprised that Azriel showed no displeasure or territorialism when they did. He’d been particularly protective of her, especially around others, and didn’t like when others touched her without asking first.
Rhys found out the hard way a few weeks back, having had his hand snatched off her by the wrist in Azriel’s brutal grip. “Ask first,” he growled at his brother, a lethal look in his eyes.
She had been a bit blind-sighted by the interaction, as was the rest of their family, but not a single one of them touched her again without getting her explicit permission first.
Luckily, both the Moonbeam brothers always asked and she never had an issue with them.
The commotion around her fluttering belly grew the attention of Kaden who pushed his way around Fenrys’s legs. “Momma, can I touch your tummy too?” His little lip quiver had her reaching for him and tugging him closer.
“Of course you can, sweetheart.” Kaden was the only other person freely allowed to touch her stomach, Azriel often encouraging him to feel them or listen to her stomach so he could connect with his siblings early on. She gripped his small hand and placed it right where one of the babies had been kicking. Up until that point, Kaden had missed every time they kicked; the twins already giving their older brother a hard time.
His brow furrowed in concentration. “I don’t feel anything,” he said, deflating.
Her lips quirked up. “Give it a second.” And as she predicted, a hard kick was sent straight to his palm.
He whipped his hand back, shock plastering his face. “Why are they kicking you, Momma?”
She felt the attention of her husband and security detail on them, listening to his curious mind. “They’re not trying to kick me, baby. They’re just trying to get comfortable with the little room they have in Momma’s tummy.”
His green and gold eyes dragged from her stomach to her face. “Can’t they come out here?” He threw his arms wide. “There’s lots of room!”
The adults chuckled and she reached out to lightly tuck a curl behind his ear. “They’re not ready to come out yet. But they’ll be here before you know it.” Elain tapped his button nose with the pad of her finger.
His face scrunched up adorably. “Why are they in your tummy, Momma?” he asked, head cocked to the side as he studied her moving stomach.
She leaned back in her seat. “Babies need time to grow big and strong. Mommas help them by keeping them safe in their tummies for a while until they’re all ready to come out and join us.”
He seemed to think about that for a minute, then asked, “How’d they get in there?”
Azriel choked on his coffee.
Silence descended upon the kitchen. She glanced at her security team across the table, both of them wearing shit-eating grins, and then her husband who looked conflicted in answering at all. Fucking traitors. “Well, Daddy put them in me so I can grow them.”
There, that was safe, right? Truthful but not explicit.
But of course, their curious son had too many questions and wondered about too many things. “How?”
“I’ll tell you when you’re older, son,” Azriel finally swept in with the saving remark.
Seemingly appeased with that answer, Kaden leaned forward and lightly patted her stomach. “I can’t wait to meet you,” he whispered, kissing her roundness like he’d seen his father do so many times.
There was a collective aww from the group before her husband rose from behind her. “Come on, Kaden. Let’s get you ready so you and Momma can go with Uncle Fen and Uncle Con into the city.” He leaned down, whispering in her ear, “Nice save, Mom.”
She shot him a menacing glare as they strolled for the stairs.
Fenrys poured himself a glass of orange juice, snickering behind the cup. “Well, that was fun.”
Elain turned her glare on him. “Oh, yeah. So much fun for me. Thanks for the help, guys.”
“One,” Connall, started, flicking a finger up, “he’s not our kid. And two,” his middle finger joined the first, “I really wanted to hear the sexual education course from an actual doctor.” He took a bite of his pancake, smirking.
She groaned. “It’s far too early for the sex talk.” Elain threw back her orange juice like it was a shot of tequila. “Azriel can have the talk with the boys. I’ll give it to our daughter.”
“Unnecessary because our daughter is never having sex,” Az announced, striding back into the kitchen.
“Is that so?” she questioned, leaning back in her seat.
He nodded affirmatively. “I’m officially joining Cassian on the ‘our daughter is never dating’ pact.”
Elain rolled her eyes so far back into her head, she swore they nearly stuck. “You do realize you can’t physically stop her from having sex, right?”
A thick brow rose. “I’ll scare off anyone who so much as looks in her direction.” He said it so casually, she was starting to get concerned he was serious.
“What if he’s just like you?”
He let out a harsh laugh. “Then he’s definitely dead.”
Elain glanced at the Moonbeam twins for help, but they were dutifully ignoring her pleading looks. Yup, fucking traitors. She pushed herself from her seat. “Azriel, we cannot hold our daughter to a different standard than our son’s. That’s not fair and you know it.”
His eyes flicked back and forth between hers. “Fair enough.”
“Good.”
“None of them are allowed to date,” he announced like it was the most obvious answer.
“Azriel!” she hissed, swatting his shoulder. “You overbearing, protective man. Stop this.”
He tugged her in his arms, a grin fighting its way onto his lips. “I can’t help it, El. They’re my babies.”
She reached up to cup his stubbled cheeks in her palms. “They’re mine too. But they’re going to need to spread their wings eventually. We can’t protect them from everything and we can’t stop them from living their lives.”
“I know, I know.” He sighed heavily. “A man can dream, can’t he? That they’ll stay little and dependent on us forever?”
Elain laughed softly. “You’re a perfect father, my love.” She pressed her lips to his, sighing into his mouth when he deepened it.
It took a very subtle, but very prominent, throat-clearing to pull them apart. They turned to look at the twins, both wearing mischievous grins.
“Sorry, we weren’t sure if you wanted to give us a front-row seat to the live-action, baby-making ritual,” Fenrys tossed out.
“Jesus Christ, Fen,” Elain muttered while her husband shot him a death glare. “Where’s Kaden?” she asked him instead, regaining his attention.
“I left him to brush his teeth and get dressed. He said he could do it on his own.”
Her eyes widened. “Did you pull clothes out for him?” Kaden was in his stage of throwing on whatever he found first, which meant his outfits of choice would sometimes consist of long pants, a tank top, one rain boot, one flip flop, and the occasional beanie. And somehow, everything was always a different color.
A few weeks back, Kaden had decided to dress for school and ended up in a full meltdown when she said he couldn’t wear his pajama pants with one slipper and a light-up sneaker. She ended up being late for work and Azriel had to leave an early morning meeting from his home office to come help handle the situation when she grew lightheaded enough from the stress.
“His entire outfit is lying on his bed and I told him to put it on after he finished his teeth.” Az planted a kiss on her cheek.
“If he comes down in a T-rex costume, you’ll be dealing with it on your own.”
A brow raised. “Does he have a T-rex costume?”
She shrugged, sighing. “I don’t even know.” They really did spoil their children.
Fenrys and Connall snickered at the exchange. “Do you want us to take the SUV?” the latter asked, redirecting the conversation to her husband.
Azriel guided her back to her chair and helped her sit. “Yes, anytime they leave the city they must be in the SUV.”
Elain nearly rolled her eyes. A few weeks before they bought the house, she and Az had agreed to get a new car since their current one wouldn’t be able to handle the size of their growing family. Elain left it up to her husband, not caring about what he got, but he had some specific requests. It had to have high safety reviews, fit their whole family, and be luxurious. Frankly, she only cared about the former two, but he insisted they should always ride in comfort.
What she did not expect was for him to upgrade every window to bullet-proof glass. The damn thing was safer than what a president or the royal family would be escorted in.
“Just a precaution,” he had told her. “More like overly excessive,” she shot back.
She just huffed out a breath, finishing her juice. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?” she asked her husband, eyeing his casual attire.
He flicked her nose, making her hiss. “Meeting’s at ten. I’ll change when you guys head out.” Grabbing her dishes, he padded to the sink to wash them, always taking care of her.
Twenty minutes later, they were loading into the car, Az getting Kaden into his booster seat while she slid into the back. He kissed his son’s cheek, eyes finding hers. “Be safe. Call me if you have any problems.”
Elain offered him a reassuring smile. “We’ll be fine. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” He leaned farther in, stealing a quick kiss from her lips, then shut the door.
She watched him speak with the Moonbeam brothers outside of the vehicle, likely giving them the protection order for her and their son. After a couple of minutes and a few nods, they took their respective seats in the front.
Fenrys flashed a grin from the driver’s side. “Ready, fam?”
About an hour later, they pulled into a parking spot outside the large baby store Elain had been dying to get into. She tried to keep most of her purchases to local businesses in Velaris, but there were just some things she couldn’t get there and had to resort to one of the chain stores.
The minute the car was in park, the men jumped out, opening their doors. Connall unclipped Kaden from his booster seat and helped him out, taking his hand until they met on the other side of the car and she could take over.
Their focus was the double-seated stroller, but she did want to look at the pack-n-play for when the babies started to really move around. They still had their co-ed baby shower the following month at Feyre and Rhys’s for any last-minute items.
They slowly made their way into the massive store, Connall disappearing to grab a cart. As they walked, they passed the toy section, and Elain saw how Kaden’s eyes lit up like it was Solstice morning.
“Momma, can I go look at the toys, please?”
She glanced at the golden twin, then back at her son. “Sure, sweetheart. Why don’t you and Uncle Fen go pick out something small for your brother and sister?”
The little boy squealed, taking Fenrys’s large hand in his and pulling him away.
“We’ll be in the stroller area when you’re finished.”
She and Connall continued their perusal through the isles until she found what she was looking for—of course, the prams were at the back of the store. Elain already knew which one she wanted; the stroller was top-of-the-line, grew with the babies, and had the best reviews on the market.
But when they stopped in front of the shelves, she realized their mistake. “I think we’re going to need a flatbed. These won’t fit in the cart.”
Connall stepped up to her side. “Yup, I’m realizing that right now. Damn. Sorry, Elain. Let me go grab the other cart. You okay here?”
Elain huffed a laugh. “Well, I can tell you I’m not walking back to the front of the store and back, so I think I’ll survive the few minutes of your absence,” she teased, flashing him a cheeky grin.
He rolled his eyes at her, a smile toying on his lips. “You’re so sassy pregnant.”
“You’ll do well to remember that.”
Connall chuckled, heading back to the front of the store. He left the cart at her request, just in case she needed it.
She grabbed one of the large boxes from the lower shelves and yanked. The box barely budged. “Oh, come on,” she muttered, trying again.
“Can I help you with that?” a male voice asked, coming up behind her.
Elain whirled, taking an involuntary step back at his proximity,
His lips curled up in the corner. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Her eyes ran over the length of him. He was an attractive man. Older than her, likely close to forty if she had to guess. He was tall, well over six foot with golden brown skin and dark hair. He looked familiar in a way that tickled the back of her mind but couldn’t quite place.
He nodded at the stroller box. “Did you want me to grab that for you?” he asked again.
“Oh. Yes, that’d be great.”
The man stepped around her, reaching for the handle of the box and slid it out for her to inspect, the suit jacket he wore stretching over the defined muscles of his shoulders and back. “Here you go.”
She ran a hand over the box, double-checking the name and product code. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Of course,” he said, leaning a hip against the shelves and crossing his arms over his broad chest. “How far along are you?”
Elain tucked her hair behind her ear, looking back up at him. Again, the prickling sensation rubbed at her mind, almost like in warning. “Right around seven months,” she said. It wasn’t too personal to admit to a stranger. Carrying twins, Elain looked ready to pop anyway. “Is your wife pregnant? Girlfriend?” she asked, redirecting the attention from herself onto him.
His lips turned up again. “Sister-in-law.” He let his eyes rove over her form, sending a chilling sensation running down her spine. “I’ll admit it’s been a while since I bought anything from a baby store…any suggestions?”
Her brow furrowed. It seemed odd he’d come into the store without having any inkling of what to get. “What is she having?”
Again, a smile touched his lips, but Elain thought it looked a little more sinister than genuine.
“Twins,” he announced carefully.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Her heart began racing in her chest as she started to connect the dots of who this man was. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any suggestions for you.”
He huffed a rough laugh. “No?” His thumb rubbed his lower lip in contemplation. “I would’ve figured you could’ve given me a good idea of what to give her and her husband.”
Elain took a very subtle step away, putting the stroller box between them, but of course, those fucking hazel eyes zeroed in on the movement, his mouth pulling up. “Nope,” she said, popping the p sound. “Can’t help you.”
The man stuffed his hands into his pocket, a casual look of grace and sophistication, but he also radiated a dark and dangerous vibe. A lethal combination…just like her husband. “What was your name again?” he asked casually, head cocking to the side in a predatory-type of way.
“I didn’t give it,” she snapped back. Her red alert sensors were going off in her mind, and here she was, all alone with her son somewhere else in the fucking store. But Elain didn’t dare take her eyes off the man who was looking at her too closely.
He chuckled, the sound sending nerves flooding her stomach. “Smart girl. You’ll have to tell Azriel that Frankie says hello. It’s been a very long time since we last saw each other.”
And there it was. The truth of who had somehow managed to track her down in a baby store in Hewn City. What her gut had been screaming at her since he said he was buying something for his pregnant sister-in-law. She knew she recognized him, he bore some similar markers of her husband and Nicklaus too. The same jawline, the same nose. But where Azriel’s hazel eyes had flecks of emerald, Francisco’s were much lighter, giving him an almost feline look.
Elain took another step back, one he countered with a casual step in her direction. “You shouldn’t be here,” she stated, trying to keep her voice calm and not betray her terror. Because this man, this man was utterly lethal. He wouldn’t hesitate to grab her or her son.
“Shouldn’t I be?” he asked cooly. Too cooly which only made her more anxious. Yup, there went her blood pressure. “After Nicklaus met you, I was quite curious myself about the woman who captured my brother’s black heart.”
“You know nothing about his heart,” she snarled. Her voice turned venomous, something he seemed pleased about.
He chuckled again. “I know he keeps very little in it. You.” Frankie flicked off an invisible piece of lint from the sleeve of his suit jacket. “Your adorable little boy, Kaden.”
Elain froze, true terror turning the blood in her veins to ice. “Keep his name out of your mouth.” She had to find Fenrys and her son. She had to get out of this goddamn store. Elain just prayed Fenrys was vigilant in Kaden’s protection, but she knew he would be.
“I’m sure you already know, but in case you don’t, Lorenzo won’t be a problem for you anymore.”
She blinked, the words rattling around in her skull. Lorenzo showed up dead just before Kaden’s adoption approval. “What did you do?” He’d been a part of the Illyrian Mob. It made no sense to kill one of their own.
He shrugged. “I took care of a problem.” His eyes seemed to look through her and directly down into her soul, the filth of his sins leaked from him like blood upon the tile floor, staining her from the inside out. She didn’t like that one bit. “Consider it my present to you and my brother on the adoption of that sweet boy.”
“We didn’t ask for that.”
Again, he raised his shoulders in indifference. “Azriel is my brother—”
“You are not his brother,” she hissed.
That seemed to irritate him, a crack in his calm demeanor for the deadly male to peek out from beneath the mask. “We are of flesh and blood.”
It may have been the most reckless thing she ever did, but Elain squared her shoulders, looked him dead in the eye, and said, “Blood does not make you brothers. Where was this brotherly bond when you held him down as a child while Alec mutilated his hands? While you allowed him to be tortured and burned.” She let out a humorless laugh. “Azriel has two males he calls brothers, but neither of them is by blood.” Where the fuck was Connall?
He crossed his arms. “And here I thought we were making headway, Elain. Perhaps when my gift for the twins arrives, you’ll reconsider.”
“We don’t want anything from you,” she snarled, face going warm in fury.
“They’re going to want to know their Uncle Frankie,” he murmured, quickly taking too many steps forward and reaching out as if to touch her rounded stomach. But a tanned hand shot out and gripped his wrist.
“Do not touch her,” Connall growled, fingers tightening.
A dangerous glint flashed in Frankie’s eyes. “Remove your hand from my presence before I put a bullet in your head.”
Elain thought she was going to pass out. Her chest ached from the racing of her heart. Blood rushed in her ears drowning out everything around her. And then she heard him.
“Momma?”
She chanced a glance as Kaden and Fenrys came around the corner of the aisle, toy in hand. Elain shook her head at Fen, a silent order to keep her son back. She didn’t know what she would do if Frankie tried to grab her boy.
Reading her request, and the fear in her eyes, Fenrys snatched Kaden into his arms when her son tried to get to her, toy clattering to the floor.
“Momma!” he cried, sensing the seriousness of the situation but not understanding what was going on.
Knowing her son was as safe as he could be, Elain returned her attention to Frankie, who was eying the little boy trying to push his way out of his protector’s fierce grip.
Her hackles rose and she took a deliberate step in front of him, forcing his gaze to return to hers. “Connall, let him go.” It was an order, one the dark-haired twin obeyed immediately. She kept her eyes on Frankie; let the frost she felt in her blood come out in her words. “We are not interested in whatever it is you want. If you come for my family, I will kill you myself without even blinking.” His eyes widened imperceptibly, but she didn’t let him get a word in edgewise. “Let’s go.”
Connall moved to cover her back, ready to take a fucking bullet for her and her babies.
Kaden was still crying in Fenrys’s arms and though she knew he was too heavy for her to carry, she took him anyway, propping her as best as she could on her hip while the latter took his place close to her side and protecting her son’s back. Kaden sobbed into her neck, his arms tightening around her neck. “You’re okay, sweetie,” she murmured kissing the side of his head and running a hand up and down his back.
“Are you two packing?”
“Always,” Connall answered gruffly, clearly pissed off at the situation.
She nodded. “Good. That was the head of the Illyrian Mob and I can guarantee there are more in here. Get Azriel on the phone, now.”
Fenrys was already pulling the device from his pocket while Connall stepped up close enough to tell her, “I’m so fucking sorry, Elain. I should’ve had Fenrys come back to you. I should’ve—”
“Connall,” she said, interrupting his apologies. “This wasn’t a coincidence. He sought me out and he would’ve shown up whether you two were there or not,” she told him earnestly. They didn’t have time to dwell on the what haves. “Let’s just get out of here.”
He swore under his breath, still pissed with himself.
“Yes sir, they are both with us. We’re heading back out to the car,” Fenrys said into his phone. He looked at her. “She’s holding Kaden right now. I’ll hand her the phone once we’re securely in the car.”
Something prickled at her skin as they reached the parking lot, eyes darting around the asphalt. That’s when she saw them. One man by the entrance, another near one of the cart returns; two were next to identical-looking SUVs. Everywhere she looked, she saw a suit-clad man just standing there. Waiting… And every single pair of eyes were on them. On her and the distressed child she was carrying.
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. “We are being watched,” she announced to her security team.
Both of the men reached for their weapons as Fenrys relayed the information to her husband.
Elain threaded her fingers through Kaden’s thick locks, holding his head tucked into her neck so he couldn’t see what was happening.
Not a single man moved toward them, but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to try anything. The Moonbeam twins were deadly accurate, but it didn’t matter though. They were outnumbered. She had already counted ten of Frankie’s associates, and those were the only ones she could see.
Something flashed in the corner of her eye. She twisted her head to catch a bike flying toward them, coming to a screeching halt right in front of them.
Fenrys and Connall had their guns drawn as the person took off their helmet, platinum white hair swishing as she shook it out. Golden eyes turned on her. “Mrs. Archeron-Knight?” she asked.
Elain blinked, but Fenrys snarled out, “Who the fuck are you?”
She flashed a deadly smile. “My name is Manon Blackbeak. Your husband,” she nodded at Elain, “has asked me and my team to escort your SUV back to Velaris.”
A roaring sound echoed in the distance and then there were twelve other bikes, paired up as they flew across the parking lot to stop behind Manon.
“I—” she stuttered, not knowing what to say. “Who are you?”
“We’re called the Thirteen. He will explain what we do once we get you home.”
Elain was about to demand more of an explanation, but then she saw the men retreating. Every single one of them. Her eyes slid back to the woman in front of her, then down the team she had with her, all women if the body shapes were anything to go by. But then a phone was being placed against her ear and her husband’s voice was speaking.
“Elain.” He sounded terrified. “Love, Manon and her team are on my payroll. You can trust them to get you and Kaden home safely. Please get into the car.”
Just hearing his voice sent relief washing over her. Because if he trusted this woman and her team to keep them safe, then she knew she could too. “Let’s go,” she commanded, moving forward. Only once they were all inside the vehicle and back on the highway did she speak to her husband, reassuring him they were okay and giving him a lowdown on what happened.
He was in the garage when they pulled in, Manon and her team circling the driveway once and then departing with a salute to Azriel and her.
She was crushed in his arms, his mouth kissing her fiercely. “Are you guys all right?” he breathed, holding her at arm’s length and inspecting every inch of her.
Connall pulled Kaden from his booster seat, the little boy running around the car and slamming into his father’s legs.
Azriel wasted no time in lifting him onto his hip, kissing his temple before pulling her back into his embrace.
“We’re okay. Startled and anxious, but otherwise fine,” she reassured him.
He pulled them into the house, the twins slipping in behind them on silent feet. Az set them in the living room, tugging her down beside him while Kaden clung to his strong shoulders.
“How’d you get a team there so fast?” she asked, still trying to figure it out. Fenrys approached from the kitchen, handing her a cup of hot, peppermint tea. She smiled up at him in thanks.
“They were in Hewn for another job. I sent Manon an SOS text that took priority over what they were doing.
She raised a brow. “What other job?”
Azriel took her hand and placed a kiss across her knuckles. “Handling the remaining members of Hybern’s gang. I’ve had them hunting down the last of them since that night in the warehouse. There were rumors they wanted to seek revenge for the killing of their leader.”
The words were bloody and brutal, but she didn’t flinch. Not when those men held her captive in a warehouse, stabbed her thigh leaving a permanent scar on her pale flesh. No, she understood why her husband continued his pursuit of those animals.
She squeezed his hand in the reassurance that she understood why he was doing what he was, that she was okay with it, and that she agreed with his methods. His grip tightened in response.
They spent the following hour going over the next steps in how to handle the situation. Thoroughly exhausted from the ordeal, Kaden had fallen asleep on her husband’s shoulder and was now lying across one of the plush chairs with a blanket. The twins departed not long after Kaden fell asleep, leaving them to figure things out.
“I know you want to keep us safe, Az, believe me, I get it, but we need to figure out a compromise with them. I don’t want our children growing up always looking over their shoulders, just waiting to be attacked or kidnapped.”
He was hunched over, elbow braced on his knees. “There is no compromise with them. Frankie and Nicklaus are utterly ruthless.”
She gripped his bicep. “Everyone has a compromise. We just need to know—” Elain froze, the words falling from her lips.
Az swiveled his head to look at her, sitting up straight at whatever was showing on her face. “What is it, Elain?”
Brown eyes blinked, going back to the conversation she had with the eldest brother. Something he said was starting to tingle that sixth sense of hers. “He has a kid,” she breathed.
Brows furrowed. “Frankie?” Azriel asked, clearly confused. “No, he doesn’t. I would know if he had a kid. There’s not even a whisper of him having an heir.”
She shook her head. “Even if the child was over ten years old? You weren’t involved in their doing when we graduated high school, Az. And even the first few years after. What if he had a kid before then?”
He was looking at her now, eyes flicking between hers as he contemplated her words. “What did he say to make you think he has a kid?”
“He was trying to hint at what to get us,” her husband growled at that and she squeezed his arm again to stop him from interrupting. “But he said it had been a while since he bought anything from a baby store. I can’t see him buying baby things for somebody else, but I can see him doing it for his flesh and blood.”
Az was out of his seat and pacing the length of the living room. “That has to be it. He’s got a kid.” He stopped and turned to look at her. “If they were born when my father was alive, Frankie would’ve done anything to prevent him from finding out. He’d never let the bastard get close enough to hurt something so precious to him.” A colorful curse passed from between his parted lips. “I need to call Ruhn. If there’s a child, he has to be sending money to them and their mother. There’s no way he’d just abandon them, not if he took caution to hide them.”
“Azriel,” she said, rising from her spot on the couch. “If he does have a kid, what are you going to do with the knowledge?”
He met her gaze, and read the underlying question she didn’t need to say out loud. “I’m going to offer him a deal.”
~~~~~
Azriel rode up the elevator to the top floor of the building where the Illyrian Mob gathered to conduct their business. It wasn’t as large or fancy as his empire, but they also didn’t make the money that he did. He couldn’t help but feel a little smug about that.
In the metal box with him were four armed guards. He was stripped of his weapons upon entry and patted down indecently enough that he told the man to at least buy him dinner first. The comment, it seemed, wasn’t appreciated.
Nobody else was with him. He hated thinking about how hard Elain cried last night when he told her that he was entering the metaphorical lion’s den defenseless. Azriel knew that a lot of Elain’s emotions were hormone-based, which was why she couldn’t see his reasoning behind the need to go alone.
“Take the twins. Take Ruhn for fuck’s sake, Az! Just please don’t go in there alone.” Tears ran down her cheeks.
He stooped down to kneel in front of her. “Love, I have to go alone. If anyone else comes with me, they’ll deem it a threat. You know it has to be this way.” He reached up to wipe the tears away with his thumbs.
“I need you, Azriel,” she whispered, terrified. “Kaden needs you. Our babies need you. Please don’t go alone.”
There was nothing he could do but hold her as he whispered, “I’m sorry, Elain.”
It was the only time he’d ever disappoint his wife. Because here he was, weaponless and alone entering the office of the two men he hated most in the world. One of the guards knocked on the large doors, waiting for the snarled, “Enter.”
Like he was the motherfucking king, the guards gave him a double-door entrance, catching both of his brothers off guard.
Surprise, motherfuckers, he wanted to say, instead, settling on a lazy grin.
Nick reacted first, drawing his gun.
But Azriel threw up both of his hands in surrender. “Relax, Nicklaus. I am unarmed. Your guards downstairs made sure of it.” He dropped his arms when his brother lowered his gun slightly. “Do they always manhandle your visitors or am I just special because they know I got the impressive size of the family?” He was asking for trouble, but after getting his cock cupped by the fucker and still hearing his wife’s desperate pleas in his head, he was in a mood.
They ignored the quip. Damn.
Frankie leaned back in his seat. “Well, this is a surprise.”
Az cocked a brow. “Is it, brother? After you went after my wife and child?” He couldn’t stop the iciness of his tone, still raging over what happened a few weeks before. It had taken some time to track down what he needed to have this conversation and since then, he’d been on fucking edge.
“Did I actually go after them?”
He didn’t dare let his mask waiver. “Seeking her out at a baby store, sending an assault-sized team there, seems like an attempt to go after my pregnant wife and son.” He moved to take a seat across the desk from them, unbuttoning his suit jacket as he sat. “But I am willing to let that go.”
That had him frowning, the other looking equally as puzzled. “All right, I’ll bite,” Frankie said at last. “Why would you let that go?”
Azriel slipped his phone from the inside pocket of his jacket, unlocking it and bringing up the image of Frankie’s best-kept secret. “Because of her.”
Silence wrapped around them like a shadow of discomfort as he waited for the other shoe to drop.
Frankie shot out of his chair, gun raised and poised to fire. “What the fuck is this, Azriel? Have you come to threaten me on my own turf? Because I swear to God I will fucking end you here and leave your wife to raise those spawn by herself.”
He let the threat roll right off his back, already expecting that reaction, which confirmed what he knew to be true. “Relax, Frankie. Nobody’s threatening anybody.” Az swiveled his phone to look at the girl on the screen and then began reciting the information he had gained about the girl. “Anya Velasco, sixteen; daughter of Delilah Velasco and,” he paused, glancing up at his fuming brother, “Francisco Matteo. Nice try in the change of the last name. Even on the birth certificate too. As if you could wipe your tainted image from her record” His eyes flitted back to the screen. “She’s pretty. Looks just like her mother, thank fuck, but I can see you there too. Her cheek structure and coloring. That’s all Illyrian.”
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just kill you here,” Frankie snarled, finger never wavering from the trigger.
Az sighed, like this was the most inconvenient part of his day, tapping on the video call for a number labeled as “Rico’s Pizza.” It was Ruhn’s number, answering the call so that it showed Anya walking between classes at school. “You did a pretty thorough job in trying to hide her, Frankie, I’ll give you that. It took a lot of digging into your financials, but something stuck out to me. A random off-shore account that has been linked to your empire making very large donations and monthly payments to a private school housed deep in the northern mountains.” He grinned; letting a little bit of that darkness out with it. “Well, I for one, thought that seemed suspicious.
“Here’s what I think happened. You got the girl pregnant in high school. Wanting to protect her from father’s wrath, you hid her, I’m assuming with help…” he eyed Nick briefly, but he would’ve been fifteen at the time. “Alec if I had to take a guess. He was father’s right hand and you his. You could trust him. So, you paid off the girl and sent her up north to some remote area, paying her handsomely for her troubles and keeping her hidden for the last sixteen years. How am I doing so far?”
Frankie’s tanned face was flushed red in fury.
Checkmate brother.
“Choose your words wisely, brother,” Nick snapped, gun held tight in his grip. “They may be your last.”
He raised a brow. “Would be a shame if that happened,” Az muttered, clicking the end button on his video call. “Because if I don’t give the all clear to my associate in the next ten minutes, he’s to take both Anya and Delilah and run. And believe me, his resourcefulness means you will never see them again.”
“I thought you said you weren’t threatening,” Frankie demanded.
“I’m not. I said take, not kill.”
The brothers shared a look. “Why are you here?” Nicklaus finally asked.
His mouth curled up in the corner. “I’m here to make a deal. But first, you two need to lower the fucking guns before I get pissed off.”
It took them a few heartbeats, but finally, Frankie lowered his gun, setting it on the table so it still pointed at him. Nicklaus followed not a second after. “What’s your deal?” the former questioned.
Azriel reclined in his seat, fingers steepling together. “No harm will ever come to Anya and Delilah. Not by me or anyone on my crew. And they would have the full protection of the Velaris Mob. Between the two of us, they’d be untouchable.”
Frankie considered this. “And in exchange?”
“You provide the same promise and protection for my wife and children.” Az didn’t expect an agreement immediately, so he tossed out there, “If I found them, that means somebody else could as well. I know you like to keep your cards close to your chest, Frankie, but I’m sitting here with a royal flush and you know it.”
He ran his tongue over his teeth. “If somebody threatened them—”
“Then you would have my full support to wage war against whoever did so. Just as I would have yours if the roles were reversed.” And he meant it. Azriel had no desire to see harm come to that child, and he’d never allow Ruhn to hurt her or her mother just to get Frankie to agree to this. They would live in hiding, but they would be well cared for. And anyone who tried otherwise would face his wrath.
His brother looked at Nicklaus and sighed. “All right, Azriel. You have yourself a deal.” He reached across the desk, taking his hand in a tight shake.
As he rode down in the elevator, collecting his weapons and making his way to his car, Az sent Ruhn the all-clear signal. He called Elain on the way home, letting her know he was safe. She sobbed into the receiver, her overwhelming relief that he was returning to her. He soothed her as best as he could, but during that call, Azriel saw an image of his life in the future. He and Elain stood watching their little ones running around the backyard of their home, happy and laughing and full of so much life and love that his chest physically began to ache.
Because for the first time in a very long time, the dream Azriel pictured for himself was finally coming true.
~~~~~
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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 46
Sorry all, the last week got a way from me. But here is the next part of IDBTWY as we count down to the finish. Can't believe we're almost there. 🥺🌸💙
My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics
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Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕
Catch up here.
Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW (minor descriptions)
Word Count: 5,177
It had been a long day and it was only noon. Elain leaned against the nurse’s station, swigging from her water bottle. She already attended three surgical consultations, two patients who required stitches, one who needed theirs removed, and a laceration of an abscess.
The work wasn’t hard, but at six months pregnant, the almost five hours on her feet were putting her through it. She knew her ankles were swollen, and even with Azriel’s daily foot massages, the swelling wasn’t going anywhere until after the birth of the twins.
If she were being honest with herself, Elain was predicting her OBGYN to advise her on beginning her maternity leave early, rather than waiting till the week before her due date, which was the last thing she wanted. Elain loved her job, even if it made her sore and achy by day’s end. She wasn’t quite ready to go on leave just yet. But the swelling was concerning and she knew her blood pressure was up higher than it should be, so she was likely going to be left with no choice in the matter.
Setting her water bottle down, she grabbed the iPad, checking the charts for her next patient when she heard Fenrys calling her name. Elain glanced up to see the golden twin jogging over to her, two police officers following behind with Connall.
Her brows furrowed in confusion as she made her way over to her security detail. “Fen, what’s going on?” she asked once he reached her.
“They’re here to talk to you. They have a few questions for you.”
That surprised her. Eyes widening, Elain realized one was the same man from the bank robbery nearly two years prior. And if the way he was watching her, she knew he recognized her as well. “They didn’t say what they wanted?”
Fen shook his head. “No, said it was confidential.”
She pursed her lips. “We’ll see about that.” Elain stepped around her security detail, approaching the two officers. “Hello, can I help you?”
The one she recognized stepped forward. “Miss Archeron, can we have a word in private? We have some questions to ask you.”
“It’s Mrs. Archeron-Knight, but I’m sure you knew that,” she corrected, a warning in her tone to not make that mistake again. Motioning for them to follow, she led them to the employee break area, shutting the door behind them.
Both officers looked at the two men standing behind her warily. “This may be better off in private,” the younger one said. He looked even younger than her, maybe mid-twenties if she had to guess, and most likely fresh out of the academy.
But Elain waved off their concern. “Fenrys and Connall have signed non-disclosure agreements with my husband and are my protection detail. Whatever you have to say can be said in front of them.” A pillar of force, those two were. She could feel the intensity they radiated, dedicated to her safety as they stayed close to her backside, guarding her even if it was from the police.
The older man shrugged as if whatever he had to say to her wasn’t worth arguing about the privacy of this conversation. “What was your relationship with Elias Hewn?”
The warning bells in her head sounded and she felt both of the twins tense behind her because the question sounded more like an accusation about something else. “Excuse me?” she demanded.
“What was your relationship with Elias Hewn,” the fucker repeated like she was deaf and not in utter shock.
“There was no relationship between Elias and myself. He was my husband’s business partner, and now he’s not.”
The younger officer, wrote down her words before asking, “So, you weren’t in a physical relationship with him?”
“What the fuck did you just ask me?” Elain hissed, taking a single step forward before Fenrys’s large hand came down on her shoulder and halted her movements.
The kid looked taken aback by her hostility like he didn’t just accuse her of infidelity. “Apologies, ma’am. We’re just trying to collect all the pieces.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” she snarled, growing angrier by the second. How dare they come in here asking such vile questions. Azriel would have a field day once he found out.
The elder officer crossed his arms. “Elias Hewn was found dead by a private investigator a few days ago.”
She stopped in her tracks. He was dead? That was news to her. But Elain has a sinking feeling it wasn’t news to her husband. “How did he die?” she asked instead.
“We’re still determining the cause.”
Lie. Elain could smell the lie on his tongue. They knew exactly how Elias was killed and were just seeing if she’d reveal something to them. “So, why am I being questioned?”
The older officer nodded at his protégé. “We found a connection between Elias Hewn and the teen involved in your car accident a few weeks back. A wire payment transferred through multiple offshore accounts in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars.”
Was the floor moving beneath her feet or was she swaying? Her world tilted throwing her off her axis. Words were being said but she couldn’t hear anything but muffled sounds like she was underwater. Her chest constricted; she couldn’t get in enough air. Was she suffocating?
“Elain,” Fenrys voice broke through the fog. “You need to sit down.” His careful hands guided her into a chair that Connall brought over for her, both twins fluttering around her like two fussing hens.
She was definitely swaying then. Elias paid a teen half a million dollars to kill her and Azriel. She was going to be sick. Her chest grew heavy.
The younger officer stepped forward. “Elain—”
“You do not address her like that,” Connall snapped.
His face turned red, but before he could correct himself, Elain asked, “Where is the teen now?” She had a feeling she already knew the answer to that question.
“He turned up dead a week ago,” the older one replied.
Her heart ached for the boy, not because he was innocent, but because she knew he likely had no choice and was searching for a way out. She sighed heavily, feeling her racing heart slow as she took a few careful, measured breaths. Elain turned over the information in her head, still trying to determine why, exactly, they were here asking her questions. “Why are you here?” she asked, finally looking back up at them.
A pause before the older man gave in. “I know the kind of man you married.” He said it so casually, that her temper flared. “Did he kill Elias Hewn because you were sleeping with him, or because he tried to kill you?”
Elain launched herself from her chair and sent it toppling backward from the force. “Are you asking me to incriminate my husband?”
“Are you willing to protect a murderer while maintaining your oath as a doctor?” he shot back, head cocked in a predatory way. She knew after that first conversation, he had it out for her, but more so for Azriel. He’d be recognized for his work in taking down an organization. That’s all this was for him.
But then she realized why they were here, asking her questions without Az’s presence. Because they had nothing on him and were looking for her to slip up. Elain’s lips turned up at the corner in a menacing grin, something she’d learned from watching her husband work. “You’re here because you have no evidence to back up your wild claims.” She shook her head, laughing to herself. “Let me go ahead and tell you that this conversation is over. And the next time you even dare come to question me, you will have to go through my husband’s team of lawyers first. And if that doesn’t scare you, perhaps tossing in my sister, Nesta Mazaei, will. I know the havoc she wrecks in your cases and she’ll tear you to shreds when she finds out about this.” Elain flicked her chin towards the door. “See yourselves out.”
Connall moved without her asking, flinging the door open to escort them out.
She would be eternally grateful that the Moonbeam twins had her back without question. Through the glass, her eyes found Thesan, watching as the two officers were escorted out of the employee area. His gaze caught hers and then he was moving, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him.
“Elain…is everything all right?”
No, not really. But she wasn’t going to tell him that. “Is it okay if I take an hour to run an errand?” she asked instead.
Her boss saw the deflection for what it was but let it slide. “Of course. I’ll have the residents come down for consultations. Take whatever time you need.”
~~~
Twenty minutes later, she was riding up the elevator at Knight Securities to her husband’s private floor, the doors pinging open to announce her arrival. Like a woman on a mission, she strode—okay, she waddled with a purpose—into the lobby area.
“Elain!” Nuala started. “What are you—”
“Is he in his office?” she interrupted, storming past the reception desk.
“Er, yes.”
“In a meeting?”
Keyboard clicks, then, “No. Nothing scheduled till this afternoon.”
She was entering the hallway that led to his closed doors. “Good. Block his calendar for the next hour and ensure nobody enters this floor.” That was all she got through before swinging open the heavy oak door to his office.
Azriel looked up from his desk, surprise dawning on his face. “Elain, love. What are you—”
“Did you kill Elias?” she demanded, stopping in the middle of the room across from his desk and crossing her arms over her heavy breasts.
His mouth dropped open before he caught himself, leaning back in his seat to steeple his fingers. “Yes.”
He said it so casually that she saw red. “What the fuck, Azriel? How could you be so careless?”
Despite her attitude, he kept his composure calm. Azriel never dared to raise his voice at her no matter how mad she got over something. “Careless? No, love. Killing him wasn’t careless. Letting him live after what he did to you, to us, was careless. I should’ve gutted him when our merger ended but I didn’t and look what happened. He went after you. He tried to kill you while you were pregnant.”
“He didn’t know I was pregnant,” she said feebly.
“Do you think that would’ve made a difference? Because I don’t.”
She sighed in frustration, knowing most of her emotions were hormone-driven but was still angry anyway. “We are about to have three children, Azriel. Three! Kaden’s adoption is finalized in a matter of days and the twins will be here before we know it. This life does not bode well for them if we don’t play this smart.”
His face softened at the mention of their children. “I am playing this smart, El. Elias would always be a threat to us, to our kids. He had to be eliminated and now that he has been, it’s over.”
Her fury resurfaced. “Only it’s not over, Azriel. Whatever you did, wherever you tried to dispose of the body didn’t work.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean the police came to question me. I mean that they are looking at you and are trying to use me as leverage to point the investigation in your direction.”
That had him rising to his feet. “What did they ask you?” he demanded.
For a second, a split second, she debated whether or not to tell him the truth because she knew it would set him off. But she couldn’t do that to him. They were a team through this even if she wanted to scream when he made decisions like this without consulting her first. “They asked if I was having an affair with Elias, which pushed you over the edge in blinding rage.”
Azriel’s face darkened to a deadly place she had only seen once before. When they were in that warehouse fighting for their lives. “I will fucking rip that police force to shreds,” he growled viciously, storming from around his desk as if he would go there to do just that.
But Elan stepped into his path, forcing him to stop. “Az, look at me.” He did. “I handled the officers. They won’t get to me again without going through the lawyers, but you cannot take the bait. They want a reaction from you. It will help their case. Let it go.”
His temper flared. “I will not let it go!”
She placed a calming hand on his chest. “Please, Az. For me. Let it go.” Elain saw the internal turmoil behind his raging hazel eyes. She knew what strings to pluck to bring him back down when he became this angry. Because right now, the last thing they needed was for him to add to his kill count.
He let out a heavy breath, dropping his forehead to rest on hers. His body shuddered with restraint, his need to defend her overwhelming his every thought. “I’m still furious that they accused you of that,” he murmured, cupping her face between his scarred palms.
Elain twisted her head to kiss the rough, damaged flesh. “I know, I am too. But whatever they want to believe doesn’t matter. We know the truth and they can’t prove otherwise. Besides, we have other things to worry about.”
Azriel’s brows furrowed. “Like what?”
She stepped out of his embrace, aiming for a chair to get off her aching feet. Az was instantly there, hand under her elbow and guiding her into the leather seat. “The police told me that a private investigator found Elias’s body,” she said, giving him a moment to take in her words.
His eyes widened in the realization of what she was hinting at.
“Somebody was looking for him.”
Az swore, running a hand through his thick hair. “It has to be the Illyrian Mob. Nobody else would be searching for him.”
“I’m assuming he didn’t have a wife, though it wouldn’t surprise me if he did and still acted that way.” She leaned back in her seat. “No other family that could have hired somebody?”
His head shook. “No, he pushed his parents away when he followed in his Uncle’s footsteps. And where he was found would’ve only been something that somebody in my…line of work would’ve figured out.”
She was almost afraid to ask. “Where did you dispose of his body?”
Hazel eyes bore into hers. “I buried it,” he said matter-of-factly. Well, that wasn’t very unpredictable. “On top of Kier Hewn’s body in his grave.”
Oh. Elain pursed her lips. He was right. A private investigator wouldn’t have looked in a grave unless they were prompted in some way shape or form. And that prompting had to have come from the Illyrians if not Nicklaus or Frankie themselves. She said as much out loud. “Which means—”
“Which means killing Elias may have just started a war with the Illryian Mob,” Az breathed. “Fuck,” he swore, leaning against his desk.
Fear clenched her heart in a vice-like grip, threatening to choke her. “Azriel, I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me that the Illyrian Mob follows the same morals as you do. That they won’t go after our kids as an act of revenge against you.”
Devastation lined his beautiful face. “I can’t.”
The emotions spilled out of her before she could think about reining them in, tears welling in her doe-eyes. “I can’t let anything happen to them, Az,” she croaked. “Oath be damned, I’ll torture, maim, and kill anyone who comes for our babies.”
He was on his knees in front of her in an instant, hands gripping hers in comfort. “That won’t ever happen, Elain. I promise you that nothing will ever touch our children.” He brought her knuckles to his lips, brushing them in the lightest of kisses. A reassurance to her no matter how ineffective. But still a reassurance nonetheless. “I’ll figure something out, Elain. I promise you I will.”
She sniffed, releasing his hand to wipe under her nose. “No offense, Az, but you ‘figuring something out’ is what put us in this spot,” she huffed a laugh. “You once said I was a Mob Queen…perhaps it’s time you start letting me help you make decisions for it too.”
Azriel gazed at her, thumb running along the back of her hand. “I didn’t want this life for you, El,” he said carefully.
Elain released his hands to cup his face, his stubbled skin scratching her palms. “I walked into this relationship—this marriage—with my eyes open, Azriel. There is no part of you I can’t handle. That I don’t love and admire.” She leaned forward to kiss him softly. “You vowed to share your life with me, Az. So, share it. Let me help you wade through your burdens, the messes. Whatever it is, I’m here for you.”
Tears lined his eyes as he surged forward, capturing her mouth in a heated kiss. “I love you,” he breathed against her lips, the words sending sparks cascading down her spine until they found a home in the depths of her soul.
Oh, how his words made her burn. His touch could set her on fire, but nothing could compare to how his words branded her very being, marking themselves into her essence so she lived and breathed him.
Just as their kiss turned deeper, more passionate, his phone rang from inside his pocket. Azriel groaned, dropping his forehead onto hers as he fought to catch his breath.
Elain giggled at his expression, tipping her head up just slightly to kiss the tip of his nose. “You should get that.”
“I should throw it across the room,” he growled, but still slid the device from his pants and checked the caller ID. A contemplative noise escaped him before answering. “This is Azriel.”
She sat back in her chair, readjusting her scrub top that had been skewed from her husband’s wandering hands as she listened to the one-sided conversation.
“Really?” he said to the other person. “Yes, we’re interested. No, not Friday, but we can come Saturday.” He glanced at his watch. “Yes, ten AM should work. Great. We’ll see you then.”
Her brows furrowed at the odd phone call. “Who was that?” she asked when he hung up.
His eyes locked on hers, the hazel brightening to pools of amber. If Elain could describe her husband with a single word at that moment, it would be giddy. Which was peculiar because Azriel was anything but giddy. “That was Amren, our realtor…She has a house for us to look at.”
~~~
Elain earmarked a few moments from her life in her memory bank. Special occasions she never wanted to forget. The day she graduated from college and earned her doctorate. Her first day as a resident. When she and Azriel got back together. The day of his proposal and then their marriage. When they found out she was pregnant. And the day they decided to adopt Kaden.
Today was one of those days that would get earmarked forever. Because today was the day they got to officially make Kaden their son. They had a court appearance at eleven that morning, but seeing as it was Friday, both Elain and Aziel took the day off to celebrate the momentous occasion with their boy, starting with breakfast.
“How are your waffles, Kaden?” she asked, seeing the syrup smeared across his pink lips.
The sweet boy flashed her this biggest grin. “They’re good, momma!”
She leaned over to press a kiss to his hair, loving every time he called her that. It had only been about a week since he started, but he had yet to give Azriel a fatherly name—her husband being equally happy for her and jealous at the same time.
“We are adopting him tomorrow and he still won’t call me dad,” he had complained the night before while getting ready for bed.
Elain was already tucked under the sheets, watching the bathroom doorway where her husband had disappeared. “You know how he is about men, Az. It’ll come at the most random time, but it will come. I promise you.”
The bathroom light switched off and then he approached, crawling up the bed to plop down next to her. “I know what else could be coming tonight,” he teased with a wicked smile, digits trailing over the swell of her stomach. His mouth began to place featherlight kisses along the delicate skin of her neck.
She laughed softly at the terrible innuendo, melting under his machinations. “Is that so? Pretty cocky are we?” Elain’s fingers threaded through his dark hair, tugging the inky strands until he was groaning into her throat.
“Who said anything about a cock?”
That had her freezing. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have sex with him. Her drive was still fairly high and even with the new kid in the house, they still had sex pretty regularly—just typically at night after Kaden had gone to bed. But Elain’s stomach was large enough that grooming had become too difficult to manage. She was a bit embarrassed and had been avoiding letting Az go down on her ever since.
He noticed her hesitation immediately, bringing a scarred palm up to cup her cheek. “Talk to me, Elain.”
She sighed, feeling heat rush to her cheeks and making a blush spread across her body. “I can’t exactly reach down there anymore.” At his blank expression, she added, “To maintain…”
Azriel blinked at her in confusion. “So, what’s the problem?”
Elain groaned, head falling back into her pillow. “Because it’s embarrassing!”
He shoved himself up to look at her better. “Do you think I care about that? I told you that what you do with your body is up to you. I don’t care either way.”
“I know you don’t,” she admitted, feeling her emotions rise until she had to blink back tears. “I’m just uncomfortable with myself right now, is all.” It was more than that. Even though Az consistently showed her how much he loved her pregnant, told her how gorgeous she was, Elain was at the point in the pregnancy where she felt like a beached whale. And it was messing with her head.
Her husband stared at her, reading between the lines of what she was saying, and what she wasn’t. “Elain, you know that you have always been, and always will be, the most beautiful creature to ever walk the face of this earth, right? That I’m practically on my knees whenever you enter a room? I mean, fuck, El, you’re glowing right now—”
“That’s sweat, Az,” she muttered.
He waved a hand. “Semantics. The fact remains, you are gorgeous, and I want nothing more than to let my mouth show you just how much I mean that.”
Well, it was hard to resist when he put it that way. She gave him a single nod, just a small dip of her chin, before he pounced, crushing his lips to hers in a bruising kiss; slowly making his way southward until he made a home between her thighs.
Azriel spent a good half hour feasting on her, bringing her over the edge several times until her body went limp with pleasure and she dragged him up her body to taste herself on his mouth.
Too tired and sensitive to fuck, Elain reciprocated by leaning her head off the edge of their bed until he spilled down her throat.
“Elain?”
His voice drew her from her memory and she found him smirking at her, having already picked up on where her mind had wandered. “Hmm?”
His deep chuckle had goosebumps erupting over her skin. Fuck, maybe she was hornier than she thought.
“I asked if you were ready to go?”
Her face heated. “Oh! Yes, I’m finished.”
Azriel grabbed the bill to sign the receipts, slipping his black card back into his wallet.
“Kaden?” she refocused her attention on her son. “Do you have to go potty before we head to the courthouse?”
He was already nodding. “Yes, pwease!”
“I got it,” Az said, lifting the boy from his seat. “Come on, Bubba.”
“Clean off his face, too. I think he has syrup on his temple.” His answering laugh made a smile bloom across her face. He was such a doting father already. Elain had never questioned the amount of love he could give, even when he had. Wiping her hands clean, she took one last sip of her decaffeinated coffee—oh what she would give to have a cup of the real stuff again—and shoved her way out of her chair.
She turned her back to the crowd to grab her bag, the bell over the door dinging to announce a new customer when she heard a voice that she hadn’t heard in nearly seven years.
“Ellie-belly.”
Elain whipped around, brows raising as she beheld her father. “Dad,” she breathed. “Wha—what are you doing here?” The last time she had seen her dad, he was being placed in handcuffs for convicted DUI manslaughter and was sentenced to ten years in state prison.
He grabbed her shoulders, pulling her into a stiff hug. “Sweet baby,” he said, his brown eyes lighting up—her eyes. Elain was a spitting image of her father. “Look at you, all grown.”
When he tried to kiss her cheek, she stepped back, bumping into her chair. “What are you…how are you…” She couldn’t quite catch up with her mind, his presence shocking her to her core.
Her dad didn’t seem to notice the tenseness of her shoulders, launching into a casual conversation like it was normal. “I got out for good behavior about six months ago. My weekly sobriety meetings are just up the street. I like to come here after for the cranberry-nut muffins.”
He stepped closer into her personal space, an endearing smile pulling at his lips. “Look at you so pregnant.”
She glanced over his shoulder, spotting Azriel stepping out of the men’s room with Kaden’s hand clutched in his. He paused, immediately recognizing the man in front of her, and raised a brow in a silent question of if he should interfere.
But before she could signal yes or no, her father reached out to try and touch her rounded stomach. Elain pushed his uninvited hand away, and that was enough to have her husband moving across the room.
Seemingly oblivious to her obvious discomfort, he asked her, “And how is my son-in-law, Graysen?”
“They’re not Graysen’s.”
That had his eyes snapping up to look at her face. “I beg your pardon?”
He didn’t know—hadn’t seen the engagement blasted on the front page of every magazine and newspaper in the city. Didn’t see the press release Azriel’s PR team dropped the day they left the Summer District for their honeymoon, announcing that they had been wedded. Or the single wedding photo that she and Azriel agreed to be a part of the announcement that was headline news for two solid weeks.
It had been a tactical plan to reduce the likelihood of them being ambushed by paparazzi on their return—and it worked. But as Elain stood staring at her father, she realized he had been released after they returned home from their honeymoon, therefore missing the tabloids and believing she had married that scum of an ex.
Either way, it needed to be corrected. “I’m not carrying Graysen’s children. I never married him.”
A look of confusion crossed his features, followed by what could only be described as disdain. “Well if they’re not his, and I’m assuming you didn’t let some bastard impregnate you because you have a ring on your finger, then by all means, tell me who my son-in-law is.”
The corner of her lips turned up in a smirk as she indicated to the looming presence behind him, “You remember Azriel.”
Her husband stepped around her father to take his place at her side and gently tucked Kaden between their bodies. “Mr. Archeron,” he said, voice deep and threatening. “Lovely to see you again.”
From his tone, it was obvious that was a lie.
Her father looked him over, taking in the man Az had grown into, from the size of his body to the expensive clothes. “Didn’t you break her heart some decade ago?”
“Dad,” she hissed, but Azriel just waved a hand.
“It’s fine, love. It’s no secret that I hurt you back then,” he said, taking her hand in his to let his thumb brush over the back of her knuckles. “But I am doing everything I can to make up for that mistake.”
He scoffed. “Like taking her from a perfectly good man.”
“That man,” she spat, “attacked me. Good is not an adjective I would use to describe him at all.”
“A mistake he could’ve made up for.”
Elain blinked in shock. “Why are you defending him? I am your daughter.”
“His father and I are good friends, Elain. We had set you two up as a perfect match. And then you blow it for this?” he waved a hand in Azriel’s general vicinity who so much as didn’t even flinch at the remark.
Actually, her husband looked quite bored with the conversation, and well, she was finished with it too. Elain knew how stubborn her father was, alcohol or not. If he was set in his ways and opinions, there was no swaying him.
“I think there is nothing left to discuss here. We have a family court appearance to get to.” She turned to walk away when his hand reached out and snatched her around the crook of her elbow.
“I can fix this, Elain. Let me talk with Nolan and make this right?”
Azriel’s scarred fingers shot out to encircle his wrist. “Take your hand off my wife,” he spoke with a deadly calm she’d only seen used on Elias.
But it worked, her father’s grip loosening until he let go of her completely.
“Here’s the thing, Dad. There is nothing for you to fix here. I am the happiest I have ever been with Azriel and this family we’ve grown together.” Her hand settled on the swell of her stomach. “If you cannot find peace with that, then you are not welcome to be a part of it.” Elain looked down at her son who had been quiet the entire exchange to ruffle his hair and then back up at her husband. “Let’s go.”
Azriel wasted no time in swooping to lift Kaden onto his hip, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her toward the entrance. Not a single one of them looked back at the man she once considered her father.
~~~~~
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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 47
Hello my lovelies. 😍 The next part is here. Only 2 more and an epilogue to go!! 🎉
My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics
My ao3 account: tswaney17
Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕
Catch up here.
Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW (minor descriptions)
Word Count: 6,988
Azriel reached across the center console to take his wife’s hand. At his touch, she turned her head and offered him the most brilliant smile.
They were on their way to look at the house Amren found, his stomach a tangle of knots and nerves. When they bought the house in the Summer District, it was more about convenience and nice haves. It wasn’t a house they would live in for long periods, so it didn’t matter if it lacked certain things—though there was very little he would change if he were being honest with himself.
But this house was to be their home. This would be where they lived for a good portion, if not, their entire lives. This would be where they raised their children. Unlike their vacation home, this house had some requirements. Okay, extensive requirements, but he couldn’t put a price on the happiness of his family or their safety.
“Are you nervous?” Elain asked, sweeping her thumb over the backside of his fingers.
He glanced at her before returning his eyes to the road. “A bit. I want this house to be perfect.”
She laughed a breathy sound that made him fall in love with her more and more every time he heard it. “I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think that the perfect house truly exists.”
“It can be updated to be perfect,” he told her, feeling her questioning gaze on his profile. “If we decide to buy this place, I need you to tell me about anything and everything you want to be changed or modified. I have a team on standby to make updates.”
Elain’s hand ran over her rounded belly. “I don’t think we’d even have time for that, get moved in and settled, build the nursery—”
“They could have it done in a matter of days, love.”
She looked at him then. “What if I wanted a wall taken out to open up the floor plan and an entirely new floor put in throughout the whole house?”
A grin turned up his lips. “It’ll be done within four to five days.”
He didn’t need to look at her to know her jaw was hanging open. “You have an atrocious amount of money,” she muttered.
At that, he chuckled, bringing her hand to his mouth to kiss the back of her knuckles. “We,” he corrected, “have an atrocious amount of money.” No matter how many times she’d call it his, Az would correct her immediately. Maybe one day she’d get out of that habit and remember that everything he owned, especially now that they were married, was hers too. Both mentally and legally. Frankly, Az started viewing the penthouse as her home the day she moved in with him before they were even together. But until that day, he would just continue to remind her that what was his was also hers.
Elain huffed in exasperation.
They drove out past the city limits where houses became few and far between. One of the things Azriel had requested was privacy and security. He wanted the home to not be in close range of neighbors. “Everybody is always in everybody’s business,” he had said and his wife agreed. Next was security. The home needed some defensible space and was fenced off in some manner. Security cameras could be added to monitor the yard, and a private entrance to even get onto the property was also necessary.
He pulled the car into the drive of a closed, rod iron gate, rolled down his window, and typed the code Amren had given him into the little keypad. Groaning, the metal doors slid open, allowing the car to pass through. The entire property was protected by a concrete, sound barrier, which did a lot to ease his anxiety about letting his kids run free in the yard.
“It’s beautiful,” Elain breathed, leaning forward to take in the massive trees that lined the driveway. Branches over-reached in the canopy, creating an arch-like effect leading up to the sprawling, two-story home.
She gazed at him in awe as they pulled out in front of the house, parking behind Amren’s sleek-black car. Their realtor stood at the bottom of the wrap-around porch; a small force of nature that very few barely five-foot people could obtain. Amren had a way about her that made even the scariest of men cower.
They climbed out of the car, Elain moving slower at six months pregnant, while he unclipped Kaden from his car seat, setting him on the ground and taking his small hand in his.
“Where are we, Azweel?” his son asked, looking up at the dark blue door and side windows. His big green and gold eyes glanced up at him like he was the most important thing in the world.
Azriel’s heart soared in his chest from that look alone. “We’re looking at this house to see if we want to live here.” He squeezed his small hand, hoping to send his excitement down to the little guy.
But Kaden took one look at Amren and immediately tucked himself into Az’s leg, his fingers clutching the denim of his jeans.
Chuckling at the dramatic effect Amren had on him, he lifted Kaden onto his hip, his son burying his face into his neck and wrapping his arms around him in a vice-like grip. He was much heavier now than when they first brought him home, having packed on some healthy weight. It brought him such joy to see Kaden eating like a growing child should, asking for seconds when he cleaned his plate of everything they put on it. He was turning into such a curious kid too, always questioning things. Azriel loved being his father, even if he still didn’t call him as such. However, something in his gut told him that he was close to blessing Az with a fatherly name.
Elain waddled up to his side and took his hand in hers, noting how their son was reverting to his old habits in Amren’s presence. It had been years since the two women had seen each other. Amren wasn’t always present during their get-togethers in high school and went off on some adventure after graduating. To this day, he still couldn’t tell you where she went, only that she wound up with a realtor’s license and had been owning the industry ever since.
She eyed his wife, from her make-up-free face to her rounded stomach. “Elain. Good to see you again.”
Elain smiled. “You as well.”
“Amren,” he greeted, having been ignored completely. “Pleasure as always.”
Those slit eyes finally settled on him. “Family life suits you, Azriel.”
The statement took him by surprise, but he nodded his head in thanks anyway.
“The house,” Amren waved her hand behind her, “was built in the 1950s. It’s your traditional, white-picket-fence home, perfect for growing families. It’s been with the same family since its establishment and has gone through extensive remodels in the last ten years, the most recent being just over a year ago. The inside is modernized but still has the touches of originality in a bit of the structure.” She began walking up the front porch steps, indicating that they should follow. “The security wall was completed last year, which provides ample privacy and protection, as per your request. While the gate is rod iron, it can be updated to something solid to prevent any prying eyes.”
Elain glanced at him. “I kind of liked the gate, myself. It gave it some old charm.”
“I agree,” he said, running a thumb over the back of her knuckles.
“Now,” Amren turned to unlock the front door, “inside has a grand entryway—”
“Pardon me, Amren,” Elain spoke, interrupting whatever their realtor was about to say. “I don’t mean to be rude, but do you think we could tour the house by ourselves? Kaden is a bit nervous around strangers and I’d like for him to be a part of this process.”
He saw the snipe on the tip of her tongue, but before she could voice it, he spoke her name, the warning clear in his tone.
Amren sighed. “Of course. I’ll be in the backyard when you’re ready to go over things.” She opened the door, disappearing inside.
Once they were alone again, Azriel slid Kaden back to his feet between them, each taking one of his hands. He leaned over to kiss Elain’s cheek. “Ready, wife?”
Her answering smile stopped and restarted his heart. Fuck, he loved that woman.
They entered a large open foyer. Gorgeous grey, wooden floors greeted them, extending throughout the house. The walls, white featuring wainscoting gave off that originality vibe that Amren had discussed and Az was sure the house had been built with it. Just off the entryway was the staircase, which separated the living areas with the kitchen, living room, and formal dining room on the right side of the house, and then the den, library, and game room on the left.
Elain stepped forward, taking him and Kaden with her. “It feels so open,” she murmured, looking up at the wooden banister that lined the second-floor landing and hallway.
“The half bath is under the staircase,” he indicated with a nod of his head. “The six bedrooms and three full baths are upstairs.”
They toured the first floor of the house, finding the pristine, white and blue kitchen with a full breakfast bar, and a nook for a round table that they would eat at as a family. A large fireplace dominated the living area, creating this cozy vibe that Azriel knew Elain loved. After making rounds through the other rooms it was decided that Az would take the den as his home office.
“I plan to be working more from home after I return from my paternity leave,” he had told her.
Elain couldn’t mask her surprise. “You want to remote?”
He nodded. “I know we’ve discussed extensively about getting a nanny to at least help watch the kids once we’re both fully back at work, rather than sticking them in daycare, and I think I’d be more comfortable being present even if they’re vetted to the fullest extent.”
She ran a hand over her pregnant belly. “I can’t say I’m surprised by that, truthfully. Or that I’m opposed. I’ll admit I’m a little nervous about letting someone else care for the kids, especially with the life we live.”
Az cradled her face in his palms. “Believe me when I say our children will never be left alone with somebody we did not fully trust. Any person who wants to be a part of our lives will go through various background checks, rounds of interviews, and be bound by a contract. Their safety is my utmost priority, my love.”
He meant it too. Azriel would burn the world to ashes when it came to his wife and children. He didn’t care who went down with it just as long as they were safe.
Like Elain could read his every thought, she tucked herself into his body, kissing him softly.
As they moved further along and up the stairs, Kaden began to get more comfortable, running into each of the bedrooms.
His wife smiled at their son. “Which bedroom do you want, sweetheart?”
He turned to look at them, tapping his chin in contemplation. And then promptly pointed to the double doors at the end of the hallway, proudly announcing, “That one!”
They both laughed, Elain reaching out to ruffle his unruly hair. “Sorry, sweetheart. That’s Momma and Daddy’s bedroom. What about one of these?” she asked, pointing to the other rooms that were not the master.
Little feet took off down the hallway, inspecting each of the smaller, though not small at all, bedrooms. And then he peeked out of the doorway from one of the rooms next to theirs. “Can I have this one?” His lower lip jutted out in that puppy-dog look that Azriel could not resist.
“Of course, you can, son,” he said earning a shout of glee before Kaden disappeared into the bedroom again.
Elain waddled over to the room across, glancing inside. “I think we could make this one the nursery. I was thinking it might be better to do one nursery for them both, separate cribs, of course, but then everything is centralized. I don’t want to have to go from one room to another to nurse them in the middle of the night.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist, palms spreading along the underneath side of her belly and gently lifted.
His wife moaned at the relief in her back, head falling against his shoulders. “Az.” Her breath turned heavy, the sounds she made making his cock hard in his pants. It should not turn him on, but Az knew Elain’s body ached a lot and when he did this for her, she turned into a mewling mess as if he was pleasuring her.
Pressing his lips into her neck, he began to slowly lower her pregnant stomach back down, but she gripped his arm, nails digging into the scarred flesh. “Just a few more seconds,” she whimpered, taking every ounce of relief she could get.
He kissed her sweetly, giving her what she wanted. “I got you, love,” Az whispered into the shell of her ear, delighting in the way goosebumps broke out across her soft skin.
When she finally gave him the okay, he carefully released her, his hands catching on the swells of her hips and squeezing. “I think a joint nursery is a wonderful idea. Then we can turn the next two rooms into their bedrooms once they’re toddlers and need their own space.”
She went languid in his arms, leaning heavily into his embrace. “We could put the cribs in either corner over there,” she pointed. “And then the changing table between them under the window. A rocking chair in that corner.” Elain twisted slightly, reaching out to brush her fingers along the wall. “And a dresser here.”
Azriel grazed his lips over the curve of her jaw. “And the color scheme?”
Elain was still looking at the blank wall where she indicated the dresser should go. “Actually, I was thinking perhaps Feyre could paint something for us. Maybe something forestry with cute animals peeking out behind the trees. At dusk, the sky shaded in beautiful blues, pinks, and oranges.
His smile pressed into her neck. “Like our wedding,” he said.
Her fingers ghosted over his arms, still wrapped around her. “I thought it might be a sweet testament to us in here too.”
“I love it. It’ll be perfect.” Turning her in his arms, Az brought her lips to his in a slow, sweet kiss. She melted into him, sighing into his mouth in bliss. It was tender and gentle and full of so much love, it felt as if his heart would beat its way out of his chest.
He could’ve spent the rest of the day standing there, kissing his perfect wife, but the sound of little feet followed by a “Momma!” pulled them apart, just in time to see Kaden dash into the room.
Elain tucked herself into his side, facing their son. “What is it, sweetheart?”
“Momma, there’s a pool!”
Her face morphed into astonishment. “There is? Well, let’s go see it.”
Az chuckled at his wife’s antics, taking her arm by the elbow and following their son down the hallway. “Kaden, can you swim?” he asked, genuinely curious. There hadn’t been an opportunity to determine that since his adoption.
The little guy turned on the step. “No.”
Elain glanced at him. “He’ll need to take swim lessons soon.”
But Azriel was already pulling his phone from his pocket, going to the notes section where he kept track of things and added a comment about swim school. He used it to monitor Kaden’s progress in school, already seeing a huge difference since he started class and working with his speech therapist. There were reminders for teacher conferences, and appointments, links to things he wanted to buy for his birthday that were more appropriate once they moved, and things he needed to look into.
Brown eyes peeked at his phone, the corner of her mouth lifting. “You’re an excellent father, Az,” Elain whispered, kissing his cheek once they reached the bottom of the stairs and made their way out to the backyard.
The words were still sometimes a shock to hear, both because he never thought he’d ever get to be a father, and that he’d be good at it. “Don’t get too close to the pool, Kaden,” he shouted when his son got near the edge.
Ever the good listener, he took a step back, peering closely at the turquoise waters.
“We’ll definitely need to get him into those lessons sooner rather than later,” Elain said quietly, watching how their curious son inspected the pool.
He grunted his agreement, taking in the entirety of the backyard. The back patio was covered by a structured overhang, large enough to house an entire patio set including outdoor couches and a full table. A huge yard awaited them down the single step from the patio deck. The pool was surrounded by concrete to fit multiple lounge chairs and featured a rock waterfall and diving board.
Carefully, Az guided Elain onto the grass to get a better view.
“We could put in a play structure over there,” Elain said with a point of her finger toward the small patch of grass on the other side of the pool. Her head twisted to look in the direction of the yard. “I know the kids will want to eventually put a treehouse up in that tree there. And a tire swing,” she smiled. “Oh, I think they’d love that.”
Azriel kissed the side of her head. “What else can you picture?”
Her eyes landed on the small shed. “That could be expanded a bit to become your working shed.” She looked up at him then. “I know you used to love tinkering around when you worked at the mechanic’s shop in high school. It’d be great for you.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Love, everything you just said was for either the kids or myself. What, out here, would you like for yourself?”
Elain’s head cocked to the side, her confusion shown in the furrow of her brows. “I have everything I could ever want right here.” The words were spoken so softly, that he almost missed them, but he understood her intent. Them—meaning him and the kids—were the only things that mattered to her.
And he just couldn’t accept that. “El, this is your home too. I want you to have a space just as much as the rest of us.” When he saw the rebuttal forming on her lips, he silenced her with a look, taking her hand, fingers lacing, and walked her through the yard towards the side of the house. “When we sat down together and discussed our needs and wants for the house, I was surprised that there was not something specific on the list for you. Something I truly expected to see. So, when we finished, before I sent the list to Amren, I added something for you.”
They reached a small gate, coming up to just below the chests. Az reached over to unlatch it, opening the door for her and escorting her into, well, it was a dirt patch with two raised planter boxes.
Elain gasped, hand reaching out to cover her mouth as she realized what he was showing her.
“In high school, you had always said you wanted a house with a garden that you could maintain. So, I made sure to add a gardening area to the list and brought it to the top as a requirement.”
“Az,” she breathed, looking at him with tears shining.
He guided her over to the large, concrete-built boxes. “I thought these could be used for growing vegetables, herbs, and spices,” he told her, having already imagined what she would build. “You could line the wall with roses. And perhaps a garden path in the back. There’s plenty of room for it. Even a water fountain of some sort if you’d like.” He turned to face her, cupping her cheek in his scarred palm; his thumb brushed away a stray tear. “I know we’ve got a lot going on right now, and that this may not be a project to tackle till after the twins are born, but this area will remain untouched until you decide what to do with it. As long as it’s for you. I don’t want you to try and expand the kids’ area here. They have plenty of room. This is solely for you. Whatever your heart desires, it’ll be yours, Elain.”
She was full-on sobbing now, clutching him as much as her protruding stomach would allow. “Azriel, I love it,” she cried. “I love this house. I love the property. But most of all, I love you, for even thinking about me like this. For gifting this to me.”
His grip on her face tightened. “You have given me everything, Elain. You, and Kaden, and the twins,” he laid his hand on her belly, just in time to feel one of the babies kick, “you’re my everything. And I want this to be our home where we raise our children.”
Elain was already nodding, a grin overtaking her beautiful features. “I want that too, Az.”
He smiled softly at her, bringing her mouth to his for a sweet kiss. “Then let’s go put in an offer.”
~~~~~
Two, short weeks later, they got the keys to the house. Since the day they put in an offer, everything had been a whirlwind. Amren had told them the owners already received three offers prior to their showing, so Azriel being Azriel, swooped in with one at fifty thousand more than the asking price. Elain still had whiplash with how quickly he placed it on the table, not even having determined what the other bids were for.
“My wife wants this house,” he had said to their realtor. “We’re going to get it.” And that had been the end of it.
The sale closed and they were moving in. Or had been the last few days. Since their offer was accepted, she and Azriel had been non-stop packing at the penthouse, going through things that they could get rid of, and determining what they needed to purchase.
The kitchen in the house now featured brand-new state-of-the-art appliances. They ditched the leather couch in favor of something more family-friendly and comfortable, especially with Elain now seven months pregnant. Azriel would do anything to make sure she was as comfortable as possible, which was difficult since she was a beached whale with legs.
They unpacked essential rooms first, the kitchen, Kaden’s, and then their own. While they hired an official moving company for the furniture, the unboxing was up to them.
Moving was such a chore, but moving while heavily pregnant, well, Elain was over it hence why she was “taking a break” in the grey rocking chair, per her husband’s request while he worked on putting together the few things they had purchased for the nursery.
She ran a hand over her protruding belly as she watched Azriel attempt to build the first crib. He was sitting on the floor, his tool kit spread around him, looking so out of character that she couldn’t help but giggle.
The noise had him glancing up at her. “What’s so funny?” he asked, cocking a curious brow at her.
She grinned. “You look so out of sorts right now. I’ve never seen you so disorganized.”
He huffed a laugh. “I’m pretty sure these directions are in a different language.”
“I’m sure Cassian could’ve helped you. He put together Sutton’s crib and it was fairly similar, if not the same, as these two.”
Azriel glared at her affectionately. “I don’t need Cassian’s help. I’m perfectly capable of putting together the cribs for my children.”
Elain rolled her eyes, muttering “stubborn man” under her breath.
“I heard that,” he said, not bothering to look up from the document in his hand.
“I wasn’t trying to be subtle,” she admitted, pushing herself up from the rocker. The world swayed and Elain felt her knees start to give out on her.
Azriel dropped the screwdriver from his fingers, jumped to his feet to grab her by the elbow, and drew her into the safety of his arms. A swear word passed his lips, attracting the attention of their son who had been driving his little trucks on the floor, oblivious to the world.
“El, love, are you all right?” Worried, hazel-colored eyes, flecked with strands of green and gold, peered down at her.
Azriel’s level of fussiness since she had gotten pregnant amplified ten-fold. And while it normally made her huff in annoyance—she was carrying two babies, not an invalid—this time, she was grateful for it, knowing she would’ve hit the ground if he didn’t have the reflexes he possessed. “Just got a little lightheaded is all.”
His eyes flicked over her face. “Maybe you should lie down for a bit.”
It wasn’t a question.
“I’m fine, Az,” she told him, attempting to pull herself from his embrace, but he refused to let go.
“If the doctor thought you were fine, she wouldn’t have ordered you off work and recommended bed rest already. This doesn’t look like bed rest.”
Elain sighed in frustration, knowing he would’ve used that against her. Her blood pressure had risen too high and her OBGYN was concerned about preeclampsia, which, all right, was a valid concern. But it didn’t negate how much they still had to do before the babies’ arrival. Not to mention the baby shower coming up next month.
“Azriel, there’s too much to do,” she all but whined. “There’s still nursery furniture to put together, and then determine what else I will need to purchase tomorrow at the baby store. I have two boxes of baby things that need to get unloaded in the dresser once it’s finished.” She had begun nesting over the last two weeks, buying an assortment of items for the twins already. “Kaden has a box of summer clothes that need to be put away. I’ve got two boxes in the kitchen still waiting for me. And—”
“All of which,” he interrupted, “I can take care of. The furniture shouldn’t take me too much longer, then I’ll start unboxing things while you nap.” Az brushed his thumb across her cheek. “I know you want it to be finished, love. I get that. But rushing to do it this instant isn’t going to help with your blood pressure.” He leaned in for a soft kiss, effectively melting away her desire to rebuttal. “Everything will be done before their arrival. I promise you.”
Elain knew he was right, but it was that motherly instinct growing inside of her that wanted to get things taken care of now.
Before she could voice her insistence, Azriel said, “I’m not asking you, Elain. I’m telling you.”
Her gaze narrowed at the command, hating that he knew she’d comply when he used that tone with her. She huffed out an exasperated breath. “Fine! You win. Only for an hour though.”
His grin turned infectious and it took all her willpower to resist its charm. “Of course. Only an hour,” he repeated unconvincingly as he guided her from the nursery and toward their bedroom.
“I mean it, Azriel. One hour. Singular. I want you to wake me up after.”
“Promise.” The glint in his eye told her he was lying and she muttered some curse words under her breath knowing there was no chance in hell that he’d be waking her after an hour if she was still soundly sleeping. He pulled the sheets back, tucking them over her once Elain climbed into their bed, curling up on her side. “Sleep well, my love.”
But she was already gone; the raging storm outside pulling her into a blissful slumber.
~~~~~
Azriel was finishing up getting ready for bed, his wife already lying down and waiting for him. He spent the majority of the day building the nursery and unpacking the kitchen so they could eat a proper meal. Despite how much their son loved eating pizza the last two nights, he knew his wife and the children she carried needed proper nutrition.
A smile turned up the corner of his lips at the thought of how Kaden had been so concerned over his mother earlier that day. Bless his heart. He followed them into their bedroom when Elain went to lie down for a nap, concern shining in his green and gold eyes. “Is momma sick?” he’d asked him as Azriel lifted him into his arms and carried him from the room.
“No, bud. Momma’s just tired. She’s growing your brother and sister in her tummy and it makes her sleepy.” He kissed his dark hair, dropping him off in his bedroom to play while he finished up his work.
When Az went to check on his wife later, he found their son curled up against her chest, sound asleep.
Rain crashed heavily against the windows, lights flickering in response.
“The storm is getting worse,” Elain mentioned as he entered their bedroom. Her eyes were on the balcony doors, lightning flashing across the sky. “I hope it passes by morning so I can get to the baby store. I want to finish the nursery by this weekend.”
Winter was in full effect if this storm was anything to go by. “I wish I could go with you guys tomorrow.” Azriel had a check-in with Tarquin and a planning session with his executives tomorrow that he was unfortunately unable to get out of. The Moonbeam twins would be escorting Elain and Kaden to Hewn City so she could purchase the last of the nursery items, and he hated the fact that he could not be there with them, especially with them going into Hewn City territory.
She turned to look at him, hearing the unspoken thoughts running through his head. He was worried, of course, he was. His wife was seven months pregnant for fucks sake and Kaden was going with her without his protection. It put him on edge. She reached out a hand for him. “C’mere, my love.”
He went willingly, crawling over her body and kissing her first on her belly, and then again on her lips. Az had taken to kissing all his babies goodnight recently, including his wife. “You need to be safe tomorrow. Anything you feel is off, come straight home.”
Elain’s lips quirked up. “You’re so fussy,” she teased, kissing the corner of his mouth. “We’ll be fine. Fen and Con are both nearly as protective as you over me and Kaden. Nothing’s going to happen, but I promise you we will come home if anything feels off.”
“Nobody is as protective of you two as me, but that does make me feel a smidge better,” he said, making her chuckle. Az attached his mouth to the junction where her neck and shoulder met, letting his tongue swipe over her sensitive skin. As predicted, her body shuddered, a delicate moan slipping past her sweet lips. “Fuck, you sound so pretty when you make little noises like that,” he groaned, nipping at her throat.
Her fingers traced up the swirling ink of his biceps.
They had only been able to christen the new house a handful of times since they moved in, Elain being far too tired in the evenings for anything other than sleeping. But it seemed that her nap earlier that day abated her need for sleep that evening as she arched her body into his.
“Azriel,” she sighed when he licked the sensitive spot behind her ear. She slid her hands into his hair, mussing the dark locks at his nape.
Slipping his shirt from her body—they’d become a staple for her to wear at night this late in her pregnancy—Az used his mouth to map her pale flesh, dutifully avoiding her breasts and nipples knowing they were extra sensitive now and typically caused more pain than pleasure.
He kissed his way down the valley of her breasts, over the swell of her stomach, growing with life, until he reached just above her slit, groomed to her liking with his help. And just when he was about to taste the sweet wetness between her thighs, they heard it.
The sound of Kaden’s door opening and his little feet padding quickly to their bedroom door.
Azriel glanced up at his wife with his mouth hovering over her just as their doorhandle jiggled—thank god he locked the door before crawling into bed.
“Daddy!” Kaden called out.
Az was pretty sure his heart stopped at the name. Kaden just called him Daddy.
Elain was staring at him with tears glistening in her eyes.
Stunned, it took Kaden’s next cry to snap him into action. Because that was a cry of distress. “Daddy!”
Shoving himself off the bed, Azriel grabbed Elain’s t-shirt and tossed it to her. “I’m coming, buddy,” he called out.
“Hurry!”
Panic flooded his blood, filling him with an overwhelming need to remove whatever had terrified his son. He quickly made his way to the bedroom door in his boxers, unlocking and throwing it open.
His son crashed into his legs, face wet with tears. “He tried to grab me!” he burst out, clinging to Az’s knee.
He wasted no time in sweeping him into his arms, shutting the door, and relocking it. “You’re okay, Kaden,” he cooed, patting his back. “You’re safe.” He met his wife’s fearful gaze, carrying their son onto their bed. “What happened Bubba?” he asked, voice soft.
Kaden sniffled, burying his face into the crook of Azriel’s neck, his tears dampening his bare skin. “He tried to grab me,” his son repeated, terrified.
“Who, Kaden?” Elain asked, reaching out to rub his back.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I saw his hand.” His head tipped back and he peeked up at his father’s face. “Don’t let him take me,” he cried, lower lip wobbling.
Lightning cracked outside illuminating their bedroom and causing Kaden to whimper in fear, tucking himself further into Azriel’s embrace. He hugged his son, comforting him and whispering words of encouragement into his hair. “Nobody is going to take you away from us, buddy. I promise you, you’re safe here.”
Azriel had no desire to step away right then, knowing that his son needed him and his presence, but he needed to confirm there wasn’t anyone in the house. He looked at Elain who nodded in understanding and reached out to take their son from his arms.
“Come here, sweetheart.”
Kaden went willingly into her embrace, Elain shuffling him in her lap so his head was faced away from Azriel while he opened his nightstand drawer, tapped his four-digit code into the small gun safe he kept there, and pulled out his nine-mil, clipping in the magazine.
“I’m going to sweep the house,” he said, grabbing the bedroom key and making his way to the door, gripping the handle. “Stay here.”
Azriel started in Kaden’s room, checking every nook and cranny for anything amiss, but found nothing. The window was shut tight and locked, the closet empty of everything but clothing and boxes, nothing under his bed but a stray toy or two. Then he moved to the nursery, followed by the other bedrooms that were currently being used as storage and the bathrooms.
He made his way downstairs, sweeping the entirety of it. Az knew nobody had slipped out through a door or window, all of them were set to chime if opened and he would’ve heard that. Confused, he slipped the gun into the back of his boxers, returning to his son’s bedroom to determine what, exactly, had set him off. He stood for a few minutes, listening to the rain crash outside, and just as he was about to leave, he heard it.
The branch from the tree outside smacked into the window from a gust of wind, scraping against the glass. Lightning flashed, lighting up the room and he caught the shadow of the branch on the wall above Kaden’s bed. It looked like a disfigured hand reaching out. Realization dawned on him at what had terrified his son.
Slipping back into their bedroom, he found Elain still cradling Kaden to her chest.
She looked up at him with worried eyes and he shook her head, easing her concerns. Casually, she placed her hand on the side of Kaden’s face, covering it while Az removed the clip from his gun and replaced it in the safe.
They both agreed that if he kept a gun in the house, which, they needed given the threats they still faced, it had to be unloaded and locked away somewhere where the kids would never be able to get into. Azriel had picked a random set of numbers as the combination and verbally spoke them to Elain should she ever need to open the box. They had gone back and forth on the location of the small safe, but ended up deciding closer access to the bed was likely more ideal in an urgent situation.
“I promise you that he will never see it unless we’re under some sort of attack and I have to defend this family.” He cupped her face between his palms, letting his touch soothe her anxieties. “But I will do everything in my power to make sure that Kaden, and the rest of our children, will not be exposed to the violence my life brings. That is my promise to you.”
“There’s nobody in the house,” he said, closing the drawer of his night table. Padding his way around the bed, Az lifted Kaden into his arms, kissing his temple. “I want to show you something,” he murmured, carrying his son out of the room and back to his.
Kaden’s hold tightened around his neck and shoulders.
“You’re safe, son,” he breathed, tucking him closer to his chest as he made his way to the window. “Do you see the tree outside?” he asked, tipping his head down to confirm whether his son was listening.
Those green and gold eyes, still wet with tears, were looking at the swaying tree just outside the glass panes.
“The branch scratched the glass. And then when the lightning flashed, it illuminated the shadow of the tree branch to look like a hand reaching out for you.” He ran a hand down his back. “Nobody was trying to get you, bud. It was just the storm playing tricks.”
Not a second after he finished speaking, lightning flashed and a gust of wind sent the branch raking down the glass.
Kaden shrieked in fright, throwing his arms around Az’s neck and burying his face into his warm chest.
He carried him back to the master bedroom, repeating that he was safe and that nobody was going to hurt him.
Elain was leaning up against the headboard when they returned, a knowing smirk on her face letting him know she knew their son was going to be coming back to sleep with them. “What was it?” she asked as he settled onto the bed, sliding Kaden down his chest to lay more comfortably on top of him.
“The branch outside his window. I’ll call somebody to come remove it in the morning.” Grabbing his phone, he armed the motion sensors in the house, just in case. They typically kept them off, worried Kaden would creep downstairs in the middle of the night for some unknown reason and set it off. But with him in their room for the night, he decided it would be okay to leave them on.
Dropping his device on the table beside the bed, Azriel flicked the light off, tugging a pliant Elain closer to his side. “I’m sorry about earlier,” he whispered into the darkness.
Even without being able to see her, Az could feel her gaze on him, assessing his words. “Why are you sorry?”
He sighed. “Because I wanted to make you feel good and I didn’t get to finish. I know we haven’t really gotten to take advantage since the move and I just wanted to show you my appreciation.”
She huffed a laugh, feeling her reach out to thread her fingers into their son’s hair—the boy already sleeping peacefully to his father’s beating heart. “Az, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but our life will be nothing but constant interruptions from now on. Please don’t apologize for having to step away and be a father. Because that’s what you were doing tonight. Being a father and taking care of our child who needed you. I will never begrudge an interruption like that.”
Azriel snagged her fingers, bringing her hand to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. “It’ll take some getting used to not being able to enjoy ourselves like that whenever and wherever we want.”
Her palm spread across his cheek. “We’ll figure it out like everything else.” Elain let her thumb swoop across his stubbled skin. “I love you, Azriel.”
Wrapping an arm around Kaden and cradling the back of his head, Az leaned over to kiss her softly, tucking her against his side so that her swollen belly rested on him. “I love you more, El.”
Az fell asleep that night with his family wrapped around him and dreamt of the future he couldn’t wait to see come to life.
~~~~~
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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 42
Happy @elainappreciationweek! 🌸 My contribution for the Lovers Day prompt is an update to this beast. Hope you enjoy! 💕
My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics
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Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕
Catch up here.
Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW
Word Count: 7,229
Azriel was dreading going back to work tomorrow. Frankly, the time he had off, spending his honeymoon with his wife, was the best three and a half weeks he’d ever experienced.
The places they saw, the food they ate. It was all indescribable.
Not to mention he got to fuck her all over the world until she was a limp, sated mess. His favorite escapade was when Elain rode him under the northern lights, her golden-brown hair alight with colors. Her pale skin shimmered in blues and greens and purples.
She only allowed herself to ride him once while they stayed in the Winter District. Their dome-like cabin retained the cold and it turned out that Elain was always freezing. Even while they had sex, she could only remain above the sheets for about ten minutes before she started to shiver.
He didn’t mind, spending a great deal of time covering her body with his own, keeping her warm as best as he could, though he’d be lying if her blue lips didn’t cause him to worry. They never seemed to regain the pink color until they were in the Spring District to visit their massive gardens.
Now all he wanted to do was spend every waking moment with her.
“What’s got your face all frowny?” Elain asked, leaning a hip on the door frame of his office. “Don’t tell me you’re working already. You still have,” she glanced at her watch, diamond rings catching the sunshine from his floor-to-ceiling windows, “another seventeen hours before we’re back on the clock.” Her lips pulled up into a teasing smile.
“Not working. Just catching up on a few of the other things. I didn’t touch any of the messages I was sent during our honeymoon and there’s quite a few to go over and respond to.” Meaning, he didn’t look at anything regarding his half-brother’s movements or the details Ruhn had pulled for him. He’d been content to just enjoy the time they had together and didn’t want to let anything take away from that.
She seemed to understand his underlying meaning, stepping further into the room. “Anything I should be made aware of?”
He shook his head. “Nothing that stands out, but I’m going to catch up with Ruhn in an hour to go over some details.”
Elain closed the distance between them, coming to perch on his lap. She ran her fingers through the hair at his nape, scratching the back of his scalp with her nails.
Az slung his arm around her waist, holding her close. “Why don’t we go to dinner tonight? I’ll make us a reservation at one of the nice restaurants in the downtown area. Let’s celebrate the last night of our honeymoon before we go back to our normal routines.”
She leaned in, kissing him softly. “I’d like that. I’m going to miss having you like this. Seeing you at every moment of the day.” Elain nuzzled into his neck, breathing in his chilled mist and cedar scent. “Thank you for taking me on the most epic honeymoon, Az. I love you so much.”
His large hand cradled the back of her head, tucking her under his chin. “We will have many more adventures, love. But I’m happy you enjoyed our honeymoon. I wanted to do everything your heart desired.”
“Well, you succeeded. Even if I did almost lose my toes,” she laughed, voice twinkling.
He pressed his chuckle into the side of her head, kissing her temple. Gods, he loved his wife.
An hour later, Azriel was sitting at the bar of his club, waiting for Ruhn. It wasn’t open yet, so he decided to just meet him there. Lorcan was standing outside waiting for his guest while Elide was behind the counter, prepping for the evening.
He felt his presence join him without even having to turn his head. “Drink?” Azriel asked him.
“Sure. Whatever you’re having,” Ruhn said, sliding onto the barstool.
“Elide,” Az waved down his employee. “Same for him,” he indicated with a raise of his glass.
She was quick to move, pouring a knuckle’s worth of whiskey into a glass and sliding it on the counter. “I’ll be in the back if you need me,” she said, stepping through the door to offer them privacy.
Ruhn picked up the glass and clinked it on his. “Congratulations, man. Happy for you and Elain.”
Azriel dipped his head in thanks. “What’s the entail?”
The other man took a sip of his drink. “Frankie told Elias to stand down.”
Hazel eyes widened in shock. “He what?”
“You heard me. He told Elias to stand down and not make a move against you or Elain.”
His heart pounded in his chest. This—it wasn’t right. Frankie had leverage against him. His brother had been looking for a way past his defenses and when he finally had it, he was just going to let it go. It didn’t make sense. “Why?”
Ruhn shrugged. “If there’s any reason, they’re keeping it tight-lipped. I would say nobody other than Nick would have any idea why Frankie isn’t pursuing this.”
Azriel took a swig of his whiskey, letting the burn coat his throat. He needed to feel something other than the anxiety rolling in his gut. “And what about Elias? How’s he taking the order?”
His informant snorted into his glass, swallowing the golden liquid. “As well as you’d expect. He’s furious. Was shoved down the ranks and now even Nick won’t speak with him. Word on the street is that he’s been trying to rally some low-level kids out of Frankie’s mob.”
He stared at Ruhn dumbfounded. “He really thinks he’ll be able to pull from Frankie? Frankie? The guy is even more ruthless than I am.” It took an effort not to glance down at the scars that adorned his hands. “Any kid that steps out is as good as dead.” Once you were in his brother’s clutches, the only way out was by death.
Az never collected kids. Refused to let any of his associates broach them. But Frankie had boys as young as twelve doing low-level work. Running drugs and cash. Making drop-offs on their bikes. If they were good at what they did, they’d be smuggling guns at fourteen. Sixteen the latest.
And if they weren’t good at it, well, let’s just say the Sidra River was notorious for being a good body disposal method. Most of the time, when somebody was dumped, they weren’t found, but every once in a while, he’d hear about a fifteen-year-old turning up dead in the river.
“Let’s hope that those kids know it,” Ruhn murmured, slinging back the rest of his drink. “I’ll keep my ears down for anything else.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin, wrapped box, sliding it across the bar over to him. “For you and the Misses.”
Azriel blinked at the black-wrapped package. “What is it?”
The other man just grinned. “Matching pocket daggers. I had your names engraved on them. I thought that with everything going on, it might be wise for Elain to have something on her for protection.”
His lips quirked up in the corner. “That was very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Ruhn.”
Ruhn nodded, sliding off the barstool and making his way out of the club.
Az thumbed the black package, grinning to himself at the idea of handing Elain the present to carry around in her purse. He was already mentally preparing himself for her hesitation with the weapon.
He was pulling out his wallet when Elide slipped in from the back.
“Everything okay, sir?”
“Yeah, we’re good, thanks Elide,” he said, dropping a large bill on the counter.
Her dark brows furrowed. “You know you own this place, right? You don’t actually have to pay for your drinks.”
He chuckled, returning his wallet to his pocket. “It’s not for the drinks. It’s for you. For being on top of serving us and giving us space. I appreciate having good employees.”
“Azriel…” she started, but he held up a hand.
“Just take it, Elide. You deserve it.” He headed toward the door, calling, “I’ll send Lorcan back in. Have a good night.”
Tugging his phone out of his pocket, he dialed Velaris au Château—the French restaurant Az wanted to take Elain to that night. “Pierre, it’s Azriel Knight.”
“Mr. Knight,” the man on the other line said, his French accent heavy. “What can I do for you?”
“I need a table for my wife and me tonight. Is your private room available?” he asked, climbing into the car.
~~~
Azriel was tying his midnight tie when Elain slipped out of their closet in a blush-colored chiffon gown. It framed her slightly tanned skin perfectly, matching the color that he loved to see on her cheeks. His fingers paused on the fabric, looking her up and down. He breathed heavily. “El, my stunning wife. You look gorgeous.”
That pretty blush crept along the high arches of her cheeks as she smiled up at him. “Thank you, husband.” She crossed the room, taking the tie from his hands. “Let me.” Quick as a flash, she had it knotted and was securing it up to his neck. “Perfect. You look very handsome, Az.”
He dropped a kiss to the tip of her nose, making her scrunch it up in the cute way she always did. “I have something for you,” he told her, pulling the wrapped box from his pocket. Az handed her the present from Ruhn.
Elain’s brows raised. “What’s this for?” she asked, carefully unwrapping it.
“It’s from my informant, Ruhn.” She glanced up at him then, confusion etched into her face. “It’s a wedding gift.”
“Oh,” she said surprised, looking back down at the box. Elain flipped the lid, a small gasp escaping her parted lips. “Oh, wow.” Her finger skimmed the smooth handle. “They’re beautiful.”
Az gently plucked the one with her name engraved on it from the box and held it between them. “He thought that you should have something on you for protection.” Flicking open the blade, Azriel showed her how to maneuver the small weapon.
Her dainty fingers closed around the knife handle. “Please tell him thank you for this the next time you see him.”
Now it was his turn to raise a brow. “You’re not hesitant about carrying this?”
She shook her head, golden brown hair swishing over her shoulders. “No, I’m not actually. I think it’s a good thing to have on me. Just in case.”
Cupping the side of her face, Azriel brought her in for a slow, sweet kiss. “I love you, my sweet.”
Elain sighed into his mouth, melting into his embrace.
Taking his knife from the box, he slid it into his pocket before reaching for her hand to lace their fingers together. “Come on. We’ll be late for dinner.”
The couple arrived at the restaurant and got seated in the private room that had a large window overlooking the glittering Sidra River. Azriel ordered a bottle of champagne and translated the menu for Elain.
“I didn’t know you could speak and read French,” she murmured after their orders were taken.
He took a sip from his flute of champagne, smiling behind the glass. “I speak a lot of languages.”
Her lips curved up at the corner. “Perhaps you should take advantage of that later tonight.”
Az chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “Are you looking forward to tomorrow? Being back at work?”
Elain breathed in deeply, considering her words. “Yes…and no. Am I looking forward to getting back into my routine, checking in with patients, and performing surgeries? Yes, of course. I love my job, and I love the people I work with too.” She reached across the table to take his hand. “But I’m going to miss this. All this time together we’ve shared, just the two of us. I loved spending every waking moment with you for the last three weeks.”
He tightened his grip on her fingers. “I did too. Frankly, I don’t want it to end.”
She smiled at him, the one she reserved only for him. It was this soft, upturn of her lips, brown eyes sparkling. He loved that smile.
Elain took a swig of her champagne. “Do you feel different?”
Azriel cocked his head to the side. “Different how?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, just different. Like something’s changed, I suppose.”
“Well, something did change,” he grinned, making her laugh.
“I know that. I’m talking about something else.” She shifted back in her seat. “I can’t explain it—I can feel it in my gut that something has changed. I just don’t know what.”
He was going to ask her to elaborate, but the door opened, revealing their waitress with their dinner. Az watched her eyes widen at the gorgeous dish set in front of her, and then in front of him.
She pointed to her plate, glancing up at their waitress. “Is the flower edible?”
He chuckled. “Everything on your plate is edible, love.”
“What he said,” the woman grinned. “Anything else I can get for you?”
Azriel shook his head. “No, we’re good, thank you.”
The woman dipped her head, excusing herself and leaving them to their meal. He watched his wife cut into her plate, forking the beef.
“Wow,” Elain moaned after her first bite. “This is delicious.”
“Yeah?” Az smiled. “Are we going to have to make this one a regular, too?”
She laughed, sipping her drink. “Most likely. How many other restaurants do you have up your sleeve?”
He winked at her, tilting his glass in her direction. “A few.”
Elain popped another bite into her mouth, humming in contemplation. “We may have to visit those other places, just to see how they compare.”
“Noted,” he teased, cutting into his food.
They chatted about anything and everything while they ate. Their favorite places they visited, what they were looking forward to and were dreading the most in their return to normalcy.
Sipping on the last of their champagne as they waited for her dessert—crème brûlée. It was one of Elain’s favorites and he would stop at nothing to give her all of her heart’s desires.
When the door opened and it wasn’t their waitress who stepped in with their dessert, Azriel went rigid—his heart thumping with fear.
Because that was Nicklaus, setting the plate with the ceramic bowl in front of his wife.
Elain immediately noted his tension, her dark eyes flicking between the man who had entered and himself. She had never met or seen his biological brothers before. Wouldn’t know who exactly had joined them.
“Aren’t you going to try it?” his brother grinned down at her. “It’s specially made by the chef just for you.”
She didn’t touch the spoon, instead pushing the plate away from her. “I’m actually not hungry anymore.”
Good girl.
He knew she had no idea what was going on, but he was eternally grateful that Elain could read the room.
Nick’s mouth turned up at the corner. “Azriel, aren’t you going to introduce me?” he asked, not bothering to look in his direction. No, his eyes remained on his wife and Az did not like her receiving that attention at all. Not when it came from someone as deadly as Nicklaus.
She met his gaze and read the minuscule change in his expression telling her to move. Elain slipped from her seat, using the table to provide a barrier between her and Nick, and perched herself onto his lap, an arm wrapping around his neck.
His brother never lost that self-satisfied smirk, simply claiming Elain’s now vacated seat.
“What do you want, Nicklaus?” he all but growled.
Elain tensed on his lap, finally putting a name to a face.
Nick leaned sideways, pulling a gun from the back of his pants, and placed it on the table, facing them.
His wife went rigid, breathing harshly through her parted lips. He could sense her fear, practically taste it on his tongue. Azriel slid his large, scarred palm up her body until it lay directly on her chest, over her heart.
Not a second later, he felt Elain’s hand cover his own.
He casually gripped her hand in his other one, bringing it up to kiss her knuckles, and replaced it on her lap.
She turned her face a fraction, shooting him a questioning look.
Az would sacrifice his life for her if it came down to it. Any twitch from his brother and he’d cover her, his hand his last resort to protecting her most vital organ. But like fuck was he going to let a bullet ruin her career by shattering her hand. He couldn’t explain it to her, not right then so he subtly shook his head instead, urging her to listen to him.
Nick reached forward, sliding Elain’s crème brûlée toward him. He cracked the sugar-crusted top with a spoon, taking a mouthful. “This place makes the best dessert.” He winked at them, at her. “Shame you’re too full to enjoy this.”
“Nick,” Azriel snapped. “What the fuck do you want?”
He picked up Elain’s napkin, wiping the corner of his mouth. “Do you know how difficult it is to see you, to meet with you?”
“You could make an appointment like everyone else,” Elain muttered.
Az gripped her hip.
But Nick’s smile grew, looking closely at his wife.
Too closely for his taste. Azriel ran a possessive hand over her curves, lips descending upon the exposed skin of her neck. He never took his eyes off his brother, not even as he kissed her.
“Pardon me, sweetheart. But men are talking.”
Elain’s head cocked to the side at the tone—the dismissal. There wasn’t anything Azriel could do to stop her from lurching out of his lap, snatching his steak knife from the table, and slamming it between Nick’s spread fingers.
Az grabbed her around the waist, hauling her back onto his lap as she snarled, “Pardon me, but his wife doesn’t take well to being talked down to.”
His brother was quick to mask his stunned expression, though he didn’t reach for the gun still sitting on the table. A low chuckle escaped Nick’s chest, plucking the knife from the table. “Well, I have to admit it Azriel, you didn’t pick a meek one like I thought you might. One who kept quiet and hid when things got rough.” He twirled the blade in his fingers before setting it back on the table.
“Frankly,” he started, “I really just wanted to see what all the fuss was about.” Nick sipped from Elain’s flute of champagne. “You’ve caused quite a stir, Elain. Everyone is talking about the Velaris Mob’s new queen. We even had someone approach us with information about you two—”
“Yes, we know all about Elias Hewn’s movements,” Az snipped.
His brother chuckled. “He was rather thirsty for vengeance, brother. You managed to piss off your only ally. Rather poor decisions if you ask me.”
“Elias was a useless ally; something I think you’re well aware of or you wouldn’t have sent him to your lower ranks.” At Nick’s surprised face, he smirked. “Yes, you’re not the only one who knows things, brother.”
Nicklaus’s jaw feathered. “Careful, Azriel, in how you speak to me when I’m holding the gun.”
“I think it is you, who should be careful, Nicklaus. You come in here, interrupt my dinner with my wife, speak to her in such a manner, and think you can threaten me?” He moved so quickly, that Elain barely jostled on his lap, slamming his weapon on the table. “You and I both know who will get the draw first.” His scarred fingers laid on top of the grip, the metal singing under his touch to be used. To kill his horrid brother now.
But Azriel also knew that by doing so, he’d start a bloody war with Frankie. No matter that both of them deserved to be dropped to the bottom of the Sidra, he had to think about the safety of the woman still sitting on his lap. Because the last thing he wanted was to drag Elain into the middle of fucking bloodbath.
He watched Nick take in his words; knew he was correct in his assumption about who’d get the first shot off. Azriel’s reputation was built on the fact that he never missed his mark. And like hell would he miss when it came to his brothers.
Elain didn’t dare move, her body tensed and primed under his grip.
Nick looked between them. “It appears we have nothing left to discuss.”
Azriel didn’t bother to deign him with a response.
Sensing the conversation was over, Nick rose from his chair, grabbed his gun, and slipped it back into his waistband. Az didn’t dare remove his finger from his trigger.
He stopped halfway to the door, turning to look back at them. “I’ll give Frankie your greetings.”
“Tell Frankie,” Az growled, “that if either you or he come waving your guns around my wife again, your life is forfeited.” He watched the warning take in the twitch of Nick’s brow; the slight curl of his lip. But he left without another word and Azriel wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not.
~~~~~
Elain hadn’t felt fear like that since she was kidnapped by Hybern. The icy dread that had swept over her body left her skin cold and her heart racing. She knew when Nicklaus had entered, they were in some sort of trouble—Azriel’s rigidness told her that whoever had joined them was a threat to him. To her.
And then she found out it was his biological brother. The one who watched as Alec and Francisco burned his hands.
His beautiful, perfect, strong hands.
She wanted to kill him. Elain wanted Azriel to put a bullet in him.
But she also knew that doing so would open up a brutal and deadly war between the Velaris Mob and the Illyrian one. So, she took the knife from the table and stabbed it between his fingers. Both for speaking to her in such a manner and for the abuse he inflicted and allowed her husband to endure as a child. She had never felt vengeance like what she wanted to unleash on the man sitting across the table from her, eating her crème brûlée…drinking her champagne.
The audacity.
When he left, she released a breath she wasn’t even aware she had been holding, sucking in air as if she had been drowning. Her emotions took over: tears running like rivers down her face, body shaking. Elain buried her face into Azriel’s neck, taking his rich chilled mist and cedar scent deep into her lungs.
Or what she could get during her gasps.
His arms slid around her form, holding her close to him, but not close enough.
No, she needed to feel him. Needed to make sure he was here with her; that they were safe. “Az,” she cried out, fingers moving down his broad torso to fumble with his belt buckle. “I need you. Please, I need you.”
Those golden eyes churned with fear and comfort and wrath, the green fissures swirling in the warm depths. It was such a mix of emotions she read there. But he seemed to grasp what she needed from him.
Elain saw that same need reciprocated by him.
“I’m here, love,” he murmured into her hair, lips pressing to her skull. “I’m here.” Hefting her off his lap, he set her on the edge of the table, rising from his seat to stand between her spread thighs.
There would be no foreplay in this. Not at this time. The desire to be as close as their bodies allowed was too great to tease and touch. This would be raw, animalistic fucking.
He placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her down to lie on her back, legs dangling off the edge.
Elain’s arms went wild, searching for something to grab, and in their haste, sent dishes and drinkware flying.
The shattering glass didn’t stop Azriel from sucking a mark into the smooth, creamy skin of her neck. A purple bruise blossomed under his machinations. His large palms slid her dress skirts up her thighs to her waist, revealing the white lace.
A few quick moves had her bare, her panties tucked into the pocket of his dress pants. His belt buckle clinking made her body shudder in anticipation.
“Hard and fast, baby,” he muttered into her throat before sheathing himself to the hilt.
Elain threw her head back, fingers grasping the cloth and edge of the table. “Fuck,” she moaned.
Azriel didn’t give her a second to adjust, pulling his hips out and slamming back in. He set a vicious pace, balls slapping against her.
Her legs wrapped around his trim waist, urging to fuck into her deeper. She let go of the table, clutching him at his shoulder and around the back of his neck. It forced more of his weight on top of her, but that’s exactly what she needed.
He pressed into her harder like he couldn’t bear any part of them not touching.
She needed everything from him. Everything he gave her and more. Elain felt her toes curl in anticipation of that glorious, blissful drop into her pleasure. “I’m so close,” she cried out.
Az’s mouth traveled down her body, sliding fabric out of the way to suck a pert nipple between his lips.
Up, up, up, she climbed, delirious in the friction of his strong body against her clit, the relentless pounding into her.
Trapped in their bubble, neither of them heard the door open until Ruhn voiced an “Oh.”
Azriel released her breast, twisting his head to snarl at the intruder. “Get out!” The door clicked shut softly as he looked back down at her, took in her little gasping breaths, the way her chest heaved, and said, “My neck, Elain,” he groaned. “Bite my neck. Mark me as you come.”
She surged up, ripping his tie loose. Shoving the collar of his shirt aside, she clamped her teeth at the junction where his neck and shoulder, and came hard. Her moans were muffled against his skin, body spasming around his cock.
He grunted, thrusting into her to ride out her orgasm as he chased his own. A hard suck from her lips had him cresting, strokes becoming sloppy until he slammed home one last time and stilled, spilling himself inside of her.
His pants fanned over the skin of her neck, lips pressing light kisses to the underneath side of her jaw.
Elain released him from her teeth, carding her fingers through his damp hair. “Ruhn saw us fucking,” she murmured, humor dancing in her tone.
He huffed out a laugh. “Better him than traumatizing our poor waitress.”
She had to agree, even though they were caught at all. Holy fucking shit! She just had sex with Azriel in a public space where anyone could’ve walked in on them. The door wasn’t even locked, for fucks sake! They had had sex in some pretty open places before, but Az had always made sure they had their privacy either by a locked door or enclosed in their own space.
The thrill from the risk of being caught just added to the fire burning inside of her.
Az kissed the corner of her mouth, her cheek, her forehead, anywhere he could as he pulled out of her. “Hang tight,” he whispered, tucking himself back into his pants.
To be honest, Elain was too exhausted to move. The adrenaline from their earlier visitor had faded. She lay, sprawled out on the table, still trying to catch her breath. What she didn’t expect was for Azriel’s tongue to delve between her thighs. “Azriel!” she squealed, lurching up into a sitting position to glare at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Those amber eyes glowed with mischief. “Cleaning you up, now relax.”
She mumbled something about how that did the opposite of cleaning her up, but after a few more swipes with his tongue, he placed a kiss on her clit and rose back to his feet.
His glistening mouth had her muttering, “Insatiable,” under her breath.
“Always for you,” he grinned, dropping a kiss on her plump lips before helping her off the table and fixing her dress.
“Azriel,” she chastised.
“Elain,” he shot back.
She rolled her eyes. “Azriel, my underwear. It’s still stuffed in your pocket.”
“Your point?”
Oh, this wicked man. “You expect me to go commando,” she demanded incredulously.
Az opened his wallet and dropped what looked like eight, hundred-dollar bills onto the table. “It wouldn’t be the first time,” he said, shoving the leather into his back pocket with a little smirk.
He kissed her cheek, took her hand, and tugged her to the door.
She grumbled the whole way there but stopped when she saw Ruhn leaning against the wall opposite of them, a smirk toying on his lips. Her entire face lit up like a flame, a red color splotching her chest.
“Good evening, Sir,” Ruhn said, then nodded at her, “Mrs. Archeron-Knight.”
Elain acknowledged him with a dip of her chin, before stepping slightly behind Azriel in embarrassment.
“To what do we owe the pleasure?” her husband asked, voice carefully neutral.
It didn’t escape her that Az bypassed stating his name out loud completely.
“I received notice that you were going to be receiving a visitor tonight and I wanted to check in when you didn’t answer my call.”
“I keep my phone on silent when I’m with my wife. But, yes, we got an unexpected visitor tonight.”
Ruhn pushed himself off the wall, stepping closer to them. “What did he want?”
Azriel shrugged. “To make a statement, I suppose. He didn’t really tell me anything I didn’t already know. I think he just wanted to try and get a rise out of me. And get close to Elain.” He tugged her hand, bringing her to his side, and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Where were you?”
The other man slid his hands into his pockets. “I was following Elias. He had a few of the lower ranks with him.”
She didn’t like the way Az’s brows furrowed.
“What’s he up to?”
Ruhn shrugged. “I can’t figure it out. But I doubt it’s any good. I’m just waiting for word to get up there that he’s snagged a few younglings.”
“How young are they?” Elain asked before she could think better of it.
Those dark blue eyes looked at her. “Early twenties, thankfully. I was concerned he’d go after the teens.”
Her brows raised. “He has teens in his crew?” she questioned, keeping her voice low.
Azriel’s thumb swiped over her knuckles. “Unfortunately. I’ve refused them that young but my brother thinks kids are expendable.”
Elain couldn’t stop the shiver, feeling her stomach churn with nausea. She had always sought the good in people; believed people could be redeemed with the right motivation. But she was beginning to think that neither Frankie nor Nicklaus had any redemption qualities in their souls.
“We’ll figure it out,” Az said, though she wasn’t sure if it was more for himself than the rest of them.
And that was concerning for her.
~~~
It had been just over two weeks since she returned from her honeymoon and she was going through the motions.
As the resident attending, she had quite a bit to take care of upon her return, and she had been on top of it. But now…she felt like she was underwater and couldn’t focus.
Which was not a good thing considering she was assisting Thesan with a complicated surgery, giving the new residents the ins and outs. It was a long procedure, having spent nine hours in the operating room already.
Elain’s head was dizzy, vision blackening at the edges. She knew she should’ve taken a break when Thesan asked her—he must’ve been able to see the exhaustion on her face. But she wouldn’t let herself be coddled, even if nobody knew the reason why she was so tired.
However, when her eyes fogged over completely, Elain knew she had fucked up in not taking advantage of the break she was offered. “Take the forceps,” she told the resident working across from her.
Stunned, the young female did what she said, just before Elain’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed onto the floor of the operating room.
~~~
When consciousness tugged at her mind, the first thing Elain realized was that everything ached. Her head, her hips, her legs. Her body felt unnaturally weak, and she knew it was because she hadn’t eaten enough that day. Fuck, she was so damn tired. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the harsh, fluorescent lighting.
“Elain,” came a relieved voice.
She twisted her head to the other side, finding Viviane sitting on the edge of her hospital bed. Too many emotions flashed across her friend’s face to be able to decipher, though worry was at the forefront of the list.
“Oh, thank god,” she breathed, placing her pale hand on Elain’s covered thigh. “You’ve been out for almost half an hour.”
Groaning, she sat up in bed. “What happened?” she asked, wincing as her head spun dizzyingly.
Viviane stood up, arms crossing in a way that told her she was about to get a scolding.
Oh, shit…
“You collapsed, Elain. In the middle of surgery! You’re very lucky one of your residents was standing behind you and caught you before your head hit the ground.” Briefly, she wondered which resident it was, but saved that question for later. Not when she saw the nurse’s face soften, knowingly. “Ellie,” she started in a hushed whisper, “did you know you were pregnant?”
For a moment, it seemed like the world paused as it waited for her answer; as Viv waited. Yes—yes, she knew she was pregnant. Had known since Monday and was still trying to wrap her head around it. Finally, she sighed, unable to meet her friend’s gaze, and looked down at her tangled fingers in her lap. “I know,” she whispered.
It was the first time she had admitted it to herself out loud and she felt the weight of that secret lift off her chest.
There was a pregnant pause before Viviane asked, “Does Azriel know?”
They’d only been married for almost two months and Elain had already fucked up. How she managed to not realize her birth control shot that was scheduled the week of her wedding was already the last week in the timeline she had to get it was beyond her. So, when she came in for her postponed appointment on Monday, having rescheduled it a second time like an idiot and realizing how late she was in getting the dosage, she had to get a pregnancy test.
The shock she felt that day still hadn’t completely worn off.
She shook her head, finally answering her friend. “No, I haven’t told him yet.” Truthfully, she was scared to. Not because she thought he’d react badly, but because they’d never even remotely toed the line about whether they wanted to have kids, and frankly, she was concerned he didn’t.
Elain whipped her head to look back up at the head nurse, eyes wide with fear. “Viv, I need you to keep this between us. I’m not ready for everyone to know yet and I still haven’t even talked to Az about it yet.”
Her friend pursed her lips. “Well, you might want to figure out how to tell him soon.”
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You didn’t call him, did you?” At Viv’s silence, she pushed, “Viviane, please tell me you did not call my husband.”
“What did you want me to do, Elain?” she snapped. “You collapsed in surgery! Thesan was worried sick! Of course, we’re going to call your hus—”
“Where is my wife?” came that deep, panicked voice that Elain knew all too well.
“In—in there, sir.”
Footsteps sounded and then he appeared, all six-foot-four, still stressed to the nines of him. The worry on his face made her chest ache. “Elain,” he breathed, rushing around Viv who stepped out of his way and to her side. He cupped her face between his palms, kissing her gently on the forehead before taking a seat on her bed. “Love,” he murmured in such a heartbreaking manner that she nearly burst into tears. “Are you okay? What happened?”
“I’ll, uh, I’ll give you two a minute,” Viviane said quietly, closing the door behind her as she left.
Azriel let his thumb skim across her cheek. “What’s going on?”
She tugged her head from her hands, feeling like she couldn’t bear to let him touch her while she harbored this secret from him. Even though she knew it was time, her gut churned with anxiety. “I’m fine. They really shouldn’t have called you.”
His brow furrowed in confusion and hurt at her distancing herself. “Elain, you collapsed in surgery. And you’ve been acting odd for the last few days.” He paused, looking at her closing. His gaze felt like a brand on her skin. “I was hoping you would talk to me without me having to ask, but now I’m asking.”
The pain in his voice nearly made her flinch. She looked down at her hands, taking a slow, steady breath. “I’m pregnant,” she whispered so lowly, that Elain wasn’t even sure he could hear it. They sat in the silence of her confession until she finally dared to look at his face.
His eyes were searching her, mouth slightly parted in what she could only describe as shock.
“Say something, please.”
He swallowed, throat working with the movement. “I’m trying to determine if you’re happy about this or not…” the uncertainty clear in his voice. “Elain, do you want to have a baby?”
Her throat ached and there was nothing she could do to stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “Do you?” she asked pathetically as she sniffed.
Az gapped at her. “Is that what this is about? You think I don’t want to have this baby?”
She wiped under her nose with the back of her hand. “I know it’s early for us; I mean, we’ve only been married for a month and a half…And I know you didn’t have the best childhood. I just—” she sniffed again. “I just wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to have kids.”
Azriel moved then, sitting further up on her bed so he could pull her into his chest. His large hand threaded through her hair to cradle the back of her head and tipped it up towards him. He pressed his lips against her forehead. “I’ll admit the timing could be better, that I wanted to share a bit more with you before we had a family. But I would be honored if you had my children, Elain.” His hands slid to cup her face again, thumbs brushing away her tears.
“You’ve never mentioned kids before,” she said, needing to understand why they had never had this conversation until now.
He smiled sheepishly. “To be honest, I was waiting for you to bring it up. I didn’t want you to feel pressured into having kids. I know how hard you’ve worked for your career, El, and I’m so proud of you…I didn’t want you to think I was asking you to stop.”
Elain huffed an exasperated laugh, feeling utterly ridiculous about the whole situation. Having a family had seemed like a distant dream after what Gray—her ex had done to her. “I feel really silly for not bringing this up before we got married,” she said, earning a small chuckle from him. “You really want to have a baby?”
His lips curled up in the corner. “Elain, I don’t think you can comprehend the gravity of my desire to get you pregnant. To have you carry my child. To see you waddling around like a cute duck—”
“I don’t waddle,” she huffed.
Azriel’s smile was like a bright, shining beacon of hope and beauty. “You will.” He paused, seeming to collect his thoughts. “That is if you want to have this baby too. I will support any decision you make; you know that.”
She let out a breath of relief because the truth of the matter was that she did want this baby. Elain wanted nothing more than to have his child. “I’m scared,” she admitted. It wasn’t a lie. Though she was excited for this next chapter with him, there were a few things that worried her, as many expecting mothers go through.
He kissed her sweetly as if he thought she might break beneath his fingertips. “I am too,” he told her. “But we’ll figure it out. Like we always do.”
Her arms went around his neck as she clung to him. When she pulled away, his hand drifted down to her still-flat belly. There was an awe in his eyes that made her chest ache with love.
“Hi baby,” he whispered, leaning down towards her stomach. “I’m your daddy.” His soft kiss on her tummy had her damn hormones in overdrive.
She let out a strangled sound that had Azriel looking back at her face with worry. But Elain just tugged him into her arms and let his embrace soothe her. “Sorry—I just wasn’t expecting that,” she offered as an explanation.
His fingers brushed stray tears from her cheeks. “You don’t need to apologize, love. I know this is going to be an adjustment, but I don’t have a single doubt in my mind that we can do this…If you want to, that is.”
Elain realized she hadn’t answered his question before, and he needed to hear her say the words. Though it was clear he wanted this baby, he was still letting her make the decision. And for that, she somehow managed to fall in love with him even more. “I want to be a family,” she said, watching the way the hope in his amber eyes shone like golden rays of sunshine. “You, me,” she told him, bringing her hand up to cradle her stomach. “And this baby.”
The relief she read on his face made every doubt, every fear evaporate. Because he was right, there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do together.
He kissed her again, once, twice, three times. “We’re going to have a baby,” he whispered against her lips.
Elain let out an airy giggle. “I’m so happy, Azriel. You have made me so happy.”
His fingers stroked her cheek; brushed her loose hair behind her ear. “You’ve made me happier than I could ever dream of. I am so incredibly lucky to call you my wife and the mother of my children.”
“I love you, my husband,” she breathed, lips closing the distance between them.
“I love you more, my wife,” he said back, the words tattooing on the very essence of her soul as they embarked on a new path in their lives together.
~~~~~
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#i do bad things with you#IDBTWY#elainappreciationweek2023#elainappreciationweek#elainweek#elainarcheronweek#elain appreciation week 2023#elain appreciation week#elain week#elriel#elain x azriel#elain x az#azriel x elain#elain and azriel#azriel and elain#elriel fic#elriel fanfic#elriel fanfiction#tswaney17#tswaney17fics#tay writes#my writing#fanfic#fanfiction#acotar#acomaf#acowar#acofas#acosf
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Assriel 😏🍑
A very happy early birthday to me from two of the sweetest people ever. Thank you, @nitecourtfairytail and @elainsweetcobalt for commissioning this amazing Assriel art for my “I Do Bad Things with You” fic! I absolutely love it!! 🥹💙💖
🎨 @/sara_parrenyo on IG.
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I Do Bad Things with You - Part 41
Happy 3rd Anniversary, IDBTWY!! 🎉 I can't believe we're celebrating three years of this fic. This journey has been incredible and I'm so excited (and a little sad) to say that we are close to finishing this story. I'm very close to getting this on a regular publishing schedule. But in the meantime, please check out the art I had commissioned by the incredible SnCinder here. 💙💚💜
My fanfic account: @tswaney17fics
My ao3 account: tswaney17
Please let me know what you think about this update. I love getting your feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. 💕
Catch up here.
Credit to @featherymalignancy for Cassian’s nickname, Cash. 😘
Trigger warnings: violence, sexual assault , language, NSFW
Word Count: 12,145
It was three days before their wedding and the only thing Azriel felt was utter bliss. He couldn’t believe that in just a short time, he would have Elain as his wife. Even though they were eloping to the Summer District, they’d been head down in wedding plans over the last month.
Elain and her sisters went shopping for her dress a few weeks ago, finding—according to El—the perfect dress that didn’t require any alterations. She refused to let him see it, claiming that even though they were eloping, the rules of bad luck still applied. He had to snort at the notion, but Az would admit that not knowing what she was wearing had him curiously wondering what it would look like. He pictured many different styles in his head, all of which Elain was absolutely stunning in.
He had been in charge of the rings, Elain claiming that if he could pick out the most perfect engagement ring, then she trusted him fully to select her wedding band. His jeweler managed to match the style of her ring, adding a few extra smaller diamonds to the set. He selected a titanium, black band for himself, having Elain’s name engraved on the inside of it. Az thought the black and rose-gold colors would compliment each other well, and when he put them together, he knew he was right.
Now they were sitting on the jet, waiting for the rest of their family to arrive. Rhys and Feyre were not far behind them in getting to the airstrip. Nuala and Cerridwen—as he and Elain had decided were family—were also joining them. The Moonbeam twins picked them up from the penthouse and were also coming along, both as security and because Elain considered them like family as well. All that was left was Cassian, Nesta, and Sutton.
The new parents decided that since they could travel by private jet, they felt comfortable bringing their new baby on board—since neither of them wanted to miss their siblings getting married. When they boarded, looking slightly disheveled, they apologized for the delay, claiming Sutton was fussing and they struggled to get her to calm down.
Elain moved towards her sister, taking her niece from Nesta’s arms. “Hello, beautiful girl,” she cooed, snuggling into the baby.
Azriel watched as his fiancée’s maternal instinct took over, soothing the child when she started to fidget.
Cassian approached his side, taking in the scene between his sister and daughter. “She’s a natural mother. You’ll be eternally grateful for that instinct deeply rooted in her when you two have kids.”
He didn’t bother responding, not even knowing if Elain wanted kids. Az had been waiting for her to bring it up, but when she hadn’t even after they got engaged, he started to believe that perhaps she was happy just being an aunt. She had put so much work into her career, he wouldn’t blame her for not wanting to take away from that. Even though he had some deep desire to get Elain pregnant, to watch her grow with life inside of her, their children, he didn’t want to put that pressure on her if it wasn’t something she wanted.
So, he didn’t say anything at all, content to just live with her.
“Do you want something to drink?” he asked his brother instead.
Cash saw the change in the subject for what it was, shaking his head with a sigh, but let it go. “Sure.”
Azriel popped a bottle of champagne, serving everyone a glass aside from Nesta who declined because she was still breastfeeding and took the flute of sparkling cider in replacement.
“To the bride and groom,” Rhys announced, raising a glass.
He wrapped an arm around Elain’s waist, tucking her into his side while she held their niece in one arm and her champagne in the other. It was hard not to picture them as a little family, but he gripped that dream in a fist until it was a fleeting thought. He wanted nothing more than to marry the love of his life and wouldn’t let anything ruin it.
~~~~~
As soon as their flight landed and they arrived at the house—their entire family in disbelief at what they had purchased—everyone was tasked with something for the wedding. Meeting with the caterer, getting the arch and chairs they rented for the ceremony delivered, confirming the photographer, checking in with the florist on Elain’s bouquet, the petals that Nesta would help Sutton toss along the beach, and arrangements for the tables they were setting up on their courtyard.
There was one other thing Elain still had to do, pulling Cash aside before the rehearsal dinner.
“What’s up, Ellie?” he asked, a look of concern on his face.
Pink touched her cheeks, the only hint of her nervousness. “So, I know you’re Az’s best man, but you have been such an important part of my life. You’ve always protected me and taken care of me, especially when I felt utterly alone in the world. I was wondering—or hoping—you would walk me down the aisle tomorrow before you stand next to Azriel?”
Shock rippled across Cassian’s face. It was obvious that he had not been expecting her to ask him that. “Elain,” he said, emotion clogging his voice. “It would be my absolute honor to walk you down the aisle.” Tears lined his eyes as he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.
“Thank you, Cash,” she murmured, trying and failing to hold back her tears.
That night, Azriel and the other men stayed in the guest house, giving the main one to the girls.
“No strippers, boys,” she said as they tugged Az away from her.
“The same could be said for you,” Rhys called out, giving her a wink.
Her fiancé growled, slapping his brother up the side of his head.
Elain laughed. “Believe me, the only man I want to see stripping is staying with you.”
“I’m happily taken, Ellie!” Cash called out flashing the cheekiest of grins.
She could only shake her head at their antics, returning to the main house where the girls were waiting for her with drinks, games, and a bride-sash.
“Since we didn’t have time to host a bridal shower and bachelorette party beforehand, we’re improvising,” Feyre announced, throwing the sash over her head and guiding her to the living room where they had decorated for their little party.
The whole night was perfect, celebrating her final night as an unmarried woman.
The next day was filled with a flurry of commotion, everyone getting ready for the wedding. Feyre had stuck Elain in a chair and was painting magic on her face while Nuala and Cerridwen worked on her hair, curling it into gorgeous beach waves and tying half it up into a knot at the crown of her head. They wove flowers into the knot atop her head and behind her ear.
When she looked in the mirror, Elain gasped. It was beyond stunning the work they had done on her. “Thank you,” she whispered, trying to hold back her tears so she didn’t ruin her makeup. “All of you. I’m so grateful to have you all here with me.”
“There’s nowhere else we’d rather be, Ellie,” Nesta told her, hugging her from the back. “Come on, let’s get your dress on.” Her sister walked over to the garment bag and unzipped it.
Untying her white robe, Elain slipped on the dress behind the partition, coming out only to have help buttoning up the back. The dress was simply gorgeous. The bodice was made up of floral lace, plunging to just above her belly button while keeping her modestly covered. Delicate, thin straps of the same floral pattern went over her shoulders to the scooped back. The tulle skirt gathered at her waist, adding a layer over the lace skirt that sucked into her legs. It gave her this gorgeous silhouette under the gown.
Elain would go barefoot for the ceremony on the beach, wearing jeweled barefoot sandals that hooked over her middle toe and around her ankle. She had a pair of white heels she’d put on for the reception in the courtyard, once she was back on solid ground.
She slipped on the halo sapphire and diamond earrings that Azriel had gifted to her for her birthday—the only jewelry she wore aside from her engagement ring. They were one of her something blue, the other a cobalt garter in testament to Az’s favorite color. Grabbing the perfume she bought specifically for the wedding, Elain gave herself a few sprits, letting the delicate jasmine scent wash over her before making her way downstairs to the living area where Feyre, Nesta carrying Sutton, and Cash were waiting for her.
“Elain,” Cassian said her name with such reverence that she almost broke down right there. “You look so beautiful.”
Her pink lips pulled up into a joyous smile. “Thank you, Cash.” She hugged him, careful not to smudge her makeup on his suit jacket.
“Ready?” Feyre asked, handing her the blush-colored bouquet of peonies. The florist had done a stellar job with the bridal bouquets and centerpieces for the table.
“I’ve never been more ready for anything,” she said. Elain had waited for a decade to marry Azriel. Her excitement to finally get the chance left her breathless.
Though Feyre was Elain’s maid of honor, she walked down the aisle first since Nesta was carrying the flower girl.
Elain watched her sisters walk through the courtyard, out to the beach where they had set up the arch, decorated with more flowers. Where Azriel awaited her.
Cassian helped her out the door, holding a bit of her dress for her so it didn’t drag too much until they reached the edge of the courtyard and waited for the queue with the change of the music.
Elain and Azriel had picked strictly piano pieces to use for their ceremony and reception. It was fitting to them since that was how he proposed and they spent countless hours listening and him playing it.
Her brother fixed her dress one last time before offering her his arm. “Thank you for choosing him,” he said so quietly she almost missed it.
She furrowed her brow looking up at him, waiting for him to continue.
“I always worried that Azriel would never find happiness after high school. I watched my brother enter this cruel world intending to own it, even if it destroyed him in the very process. I thought I was going to lose him for a while…He’d been so depressed, I worried for his life.” Those pain-filled eyes looked down at her.
She knew Az had some internal struggles, but she didn’t know how bad it was. It broke her heart to hear that Cassian had feared for Az’s life.
“The one thing he never lost was his love for you,” he continued, likely noticing her inner sorrow, but needing to tell her this anyways. “And I’m so thankful that you forgave him for his past mistakes. The only time I ever saw Azriel happy was when he was with you, Elain. You are the world in which he revolves around. His entire being is to keep you safe and to love you, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before.
“Thank you for loving him in the way he deserves but never letting himself have.” Cassian’s eyes misted over by the time he finished and she struggled to not let herself cry at the confession.
“He is worth loving,” she admitted, looking out towards the beach like she could see him from where she stood.
“That he is,” Cassian murmured as the music changed, indicating it was time.
The few steps to the beach seemed like a lifetime until she turned the corner and saw him standing at the altar, waiting for her.
Even this far away, she could hear his choked sound at the sight of her. His face crumpled in elation as he wiped tears from under his eyes.
Elain’s hold on her damn broke and she let out a sob, face splitting in the most adoring grin. Only Cassian’s firm grip on her arm prevented her from running down the aisle and leaping into his arms.
After what felt like an eternity, Cassian was leaning over to kiss her cheek, and offering her hand to Azriel before taking his place at his side.
She handed off her bouquet to Feyre so she could take his hands.
Unable to help himself, Az leaned forward to brush his lips on her cheek before he gently pulled her forward until she was facing him. “You look…” he paused, silver-lined eyes scanning her from head to toe. “I have no words to describe how exquisite you look, El. You’re radiant.”
She choked on her laugh, her face morphing into actual rays of sunshine. “Thank you, Az. You look beautiful, too.” And she meant it. He had on a brand-new suit, cut to every defined muscle. He wore a crisp, white button-up underneath the jacket with a blush-colored tie around his neck. Even the peony boutonnière contrasted perfectly with his tanned complexion.
Rhys cleared his throat, recapturing their attention. He gave them a knowing smile. “It brings me great joy to officiate the wedding between Azriel Knight and Elain Archeron. Azriel, my brother, you have been a part of my family since we were kids. Though our relationship started rocky—”
“You beat the snot out of me that first night,” Az muttered making everyone laugh.
Their brother waved a hand. “Semantics. It didn’t take us long to warm up to each other, finding that brotherly bond we both needed. I’m grateful every day that we took you in—that we became family.”
Those violet eyes turned to her. “Elain, my darling Elain. You have always been like a little sister to me. Even before Feyre and I started dating and later got married, you’ve held this special place in my heart to love, to protect. When you and Azriel began dating in high school, I was ecstatic because I always hoped you would one day become a part of my family. And you’re now a part of it in more ways than one.”
She released one of Az’s hands to grip Rhys’s forearm, squeezing it once before returning it to her fiancé.
“I’ve never met two people more perfect for each other. Where one hides in the shadows, the other shines. You two lift each other up in the best of ways and I have no doubt in my mind you will build the most perfect life together. I believe you both wrote your vows. Elain, if you would please go ahead.”
Her brown eyes, reflecting pools of gold in the setting sunlight looked at her husband-to-be. “Azriel, you are the strongest, most considerate man I have ever known. Our love has definitely been tested to limits that most couples never experience, but I know that makes us more solid in the foundations of our marriage.” He chuckled at how true it was. “I know that when in moments of hopelessness, you will lend me your strength. In times of sorrow, you will give me your love. When the world around me becomes too loud, you will hold me close and protect me.
“You are so many things that it sometimes makes my head spin because how could you possibly be every dream I wished for myself to find in a lover? You have broken down every fear; every mark on my life and filled it with joy. I will love you with my entire being because you deserve that from me. You deserve to feel my elation in the life we have created together. I love you more than words could ever express. My life partner. My friend. My soulmate. My husband.” Tears rolled down her cheek and he reached out, swiping them away, ignoring how his face was also wet from waterworks.
Rhys turned to his brother. “Azriel, would you please say your vows?”
He took a steadying breath. “Fuck, I should’ve gone first,” he said quietly to her.
She couldn’t help but tip her head back and laugh.
“Elain Archeron.” Her name curled on his tongue. “You are, without a doubt, the light of my life. A decade ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life by letting you go and the gods know I didn’t deserve your forgiveness for it, but you gave it to me anyways. I sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. To verify you’re actually here with me.” She squeezed his hands in reassurance. “You have the most generous heart I have ever seen; have ever had the pleasure of being held within.
“You claim that I am strong, but my strength comes from you. Your resilience is unparallel. You have made me a better man, one who will love you faithfully even after we are but dust in the wind. I promise to share my life with you. To hold you in times of need and when you require a sturdy presence. I promise to help you pursue your dreams. To take you on adventures and everything else your heart desires. I consider myself the luckiest person in the world to get to call you mine. My light. My heart. My love. My wife.”
Rhys had to wipe a tear from his eye, clearing his throat to rein in the emotion he was feeling. “May I have the rings?”
Cassian slipped behind Azriel to hand his other brother the two rings.
Rhys handed them each one. “Elain, do you take Azriel to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? In sickness and in health? From now and forever?”
“I do,” she said, sliding the black band onto his scarred ring finger.
“And do you, Azriel, take Elain to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? In sickness and in health? From now and forever?”
Az’s dazzling smile lit up the world around them. “I do.” He slipped the beautiful rose gold band onto her delicate finger.
Rhys clapped his hands together. “Well, thank god for that!” he teased. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
The powerful male in front of her stepped forward, slinking one hand around her waist, the other cradling her head, and pressed his lips on hers.
Elain felt her back arch as he leaned them over, gently prying her mouth open so his tongue could slip inside. The kiss was languid like they took the time to learn about each other as husband and wife. Her fingers went to his nape, ruffling the hair there.
Time slowed as if even the world paused for that kiss. The kiss that certified them as one. A unit. And when they finally broke apart, when the sounds of their family’s cheers entered their ears, neither could look away from the other. An unbreakable chain linked between their souls, connecting them in the most intrinsic of ways.
He was hers and she was his. Now and forever.
“I love you, Elain,” he whispered, bringing her back in for another kiss, arms going around her lithe body to lift her off the ground.
She erupted into a fit of giggles, eyes shining with more tears, with love, with devotion for the man in front of her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I present for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Azriel and Elain Archeron-Knight!”
Grabbing her bouquet, she took Azriel’s hand as they walked back down the aisle toward the house. But about halfway back, he leaned down and lifted her over his shoulder, making her squeal. “Azriel!” she shouted, laughter echoing around them. “Put me down!”
He hauled her over his body until he was carrying her bridal style. “No,” he grinned, leaning forward to kiss her as he made the trek back into the courtyard.
Elain welcomed the kiss, wrapping her arms and the bouquet around the backside of his head and holding him there for a few extra seconds. The flash of the photographer lit up their bodies, but they didn’t care as they just held each other’s stare. She traced her index finger over his cheek. “Hi husband,” she whispered shyly.
His smile was too infectious to not beam back at him. It made him look so young, boyish. “My wife,” he murmured, nudging his nose into hers. Azriel set her back on her feet, pulling her close and never letting go.
~~~
Azriel was her husband. Elain couldn’t believe that after everything they’d been through—waiting a decade for this moment—it was finally here. Everything about this moment was completely different from anything she ever shared with Graysen.
Graysen’s priority had always been himself. She didn’t even think she was in his top five important things in his life. Their entire relationship had been based on their fathers’ friendship and a setup—and she had just let it go on, not really living, but simply existing.
It was nothing like the life, the love, she’d built with Azriel. This had been wholly hers. Her decision, her choices, her life.
They’d only been married for a few hours and she couldn’t help but think of how well it suited him. He couldn’t keep his hands off her (more than he normally couldn’t). Taking her hand in his large one, setting one on her thigh while they ate, tugging her onto the makeshift dance floor by the edge of the pool. Whatever they were doing, he couldn’t seem to let her go.
And she had no desire for him to stop. Currently, she was tucked into his arms under the twinkling lights as they swayed to the soft piano music. Her hand was curled in his, head resting on his chest as she listened to his thundering heartbeat.
Every once in a while, she’d let out a contented sigh and found herself somehow melting further into his embrace. He tucked her under his chin, giving him ample opportunities to lean down and press his lips to the crown of her head.
Elain had wrapped her arm around his waist, sliding it under his suit jacket so her palm laid on the backside of his button-up. Her fingers would flex, pressing the pads of them into the strong muscles of his back.
It was late evening. Nesta retired to the house earlier, taking a sleeping Sutton to lay her down, and never returned. Cassian followed shortly after, looking for his wife, and if Elain had to guess, found her asleep still in her dress.
Fenrys and Connall had sat with Cerridwen and Nuala on the porch patio and were chatting. Had been nearly all evening, but not before each of them took her and Azriel for a round on the dancefloor.
Her other sister and husband were twirling next to them, enjoying the soft sounds of the night around them.
Azriel pressed his lips to the top of her head again. “Would you like to head in now?” he asked her quietly.
Elain tipped her face up, a beautiful smile painted on her pink lips. “Sure.”
He gave her a soft kiss before leading her not to the main house, but to the adjacent one. She looked at him with confusion when he glanced over his shoulder at her. “I thought we could take the guest house tonight, so we don’t have to worry about anyone overhearing us.”
A cheeky smile threatened to turn up her mouth. “Azriel Archeron-Knight, are you trying to get into my skirt?” she teased, giggling.
He flashed her a heated look. “Always.” And then swung open the door.
Elain couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped her, taking a single step forward. But before she could even get to the doorway, she was scooped up into his arms and carried over the threshold. She squealed in delight, wrapping her arms around his neck as he carried her in, kicking the door shut behind him.
The whole place was lit up with candles. Rose petals littered the floor, leading up the stairs and, what she assumed would be into a bedroom.
“Az,” she cried, eyes wide in astonishment. “Did you do this?” she asked as he set her back on her feet.
His hands came down onto her shoulders, thumbs swooping over the bare skin. “I had some help,” he admitted. “After our poker game last night, the guys helped me set up the candles. Nuala and Cer came in during the reception to sprinkle the rose petals and light everything.”
“It’s beautiful,” she told him. And it was, completely and totally romantic. Turning to face him, she kissed him hard. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, stroking his.
Azriel gripped her rear end, molding the flesh to his scarred palms and making her whimper. He sucked her bottom lip between his teeth, the sensation pulling a heeding sound from her throat. Breaking off the kiss, Az took her hand and led her up the stairs toward the bedroom.
The bed wasn’t their usual size, but Elain had no doubt he could worship her like how she imagined he would.
Taking his phone from his pocket, Az turned on the same music they had playing all evening.
Her lips quirked up in the corner. “Setting the mood?”
He chuckled. “Something like that.” Azriel flicked his wrist in a circular motion. “Turn around.”
She did as requested, turning to give him access to her back.
His fingers slid into her thick, soft hair, plucking the loose flowers from her locks. He pulled the pin from her knot, letting the rest of her hair drape down her back. Gently, those scarred fingers grazed over her scalp, massaging.
Elain hummed in pleasure.
Azriel swept her hair over her shoulder, giving him access to the line of buttons that ran down her spine. He took his time opening each one, kissing at the patch of creamy skin it revealed as he went until he reached the final one just above the swell of her ass. “May I?” he asked her, fingering the delicate straps.
She nodded. “Please.”
Azriel slowly dragged her dress down her body, offering his shoulder to help her step out of it. His eyes dragged over every inch of the white lingerie she wore, all the way down to the cobalt-colored garter that adorned her luscious thigh. “Fuck me, Elain,” he groaned, moving to hang her dress up before turning to look back at her.
She appreciated he took extra care to hang her dress so it wouldn’t get ruined. Flashing him with a mirthful smile, she said, “I plan to.”
His long, powerful legs swallowed the space between them in two single strides as he crashed their lips together, nudging her toward the bed and carefully laying her down on top of it. He kissed her deeply, with long, sensual strokes from his tongue until their mouths were bruised and swollen. His hands swept over her body, feeling the texture of the lace. “I believe I was supposed to take this off with my teeth,” he mumbled against her lips, thumbing the garter.
He kissed down her body, in the valley between her breasts, over the soft swell of her tummy, across her hip, and down her thigh to where the garter sat, leaving little marks as he went. She squirmed under his machinations, but he didn’t let up, taking his time with each place he sucked a bruise onto. His teeth clamped down on the frilly fabric, slowly dragging it down her knee, her calf, and off her foot, tossing it over his shoulder.
She laughed at the audacity of it.
Gripping her hips, he made his way back up her body, only stopping at her neck to lick and suck at her delicate skin.
Elain’s fingers got to work, shoving his jacket off his shoulders, followed by his tie from around his neck, but he stopped her from tossing it on the floor.
Taking the silk fabric, he smirked, telling her, “We’ll save this for later,” and set it aside on the bed.
Heat pooled between her legs at the promise. As of now, he had yet to tie her up, but Elain wouldn’t lie and say the idea hadn’t crossed her mind. To be immobilized by him and only him made her blood heat.
Sensing her growing need, he rolled his hips into hers, giving her just a taste of what was to come.
Azriel didn’t seem to know where to touch her first, so he kept his hands moving in possessive little touches across her body. Pinching her nipples, gripping her hips, spreading her lush thighs apart so he could settle more firmly into their cradle. No matter what he did, it just made her ache for him.
She needed to feel him. Feel his skin on hers, sliding against the lace of her lingerie. “Az,” she whined. “Take it off, please. I want to feel you.” Elain pushed at his shirt, trying to unbutton it.
He obliged her, rising to shed his button-up, and then flicked open his belt to strip out of his pants. Az seemed to care much less about his expensive suit than her dress, tossing the garments onto the floor. In his boxers only, he crawled over her.
Her hands scratched at his skin, sliding up his sides to hook around his shoulders. Elain prided herself in knowing his body thoroughly. She knew every scar, every ridge, every whorl of ink. So, when he lay back on top of her, she immediately noticed something new on his chest.
“You look so fucking beautiful, Elain,” he groaned into her neck, sucking on her pulse point.
But her hands were on his shoulders, pushing him up to get a better look at whatever he had added to his chest. Her eyes went wide in shock, finger tracing the new whorl of ink on his pectoral, right over his heart. Because, holy fuck, that was her name he added. “When did you get this?” she asked, her eyes flicking up to his in wonderment.
A smile curved up the corner of his mouth. “A few days ago.” Which, kind of explained why she hadn’t seen it since they agreed to hold off on sex the past week to make tonight more special. And why he wore a T-shirt to bed the last few nights.
“It’s my handwriting,” she deadpanned. How did he have this perfectly done?
A blush heated his cheeks as he looked down at her with such love and devotion, she felt it in the very marrow of her bones. “I took a photo of your signature on our marriage license and sent it to the artist to create a stencil. I wanted your essence imprinted on me forever. Your handwriting, your name, permanently marked over my heart where you belong.”
Elain was desperately trying to swallow the emotion that had choked her. This man. This wonderful, incredible, selfless man tattooed her name on his body to always keep her close to his heart. She didn’t think she could love him any more than she already did, but he continuously proved her wrong.
Leaning her head forward, she kissed him right over that ink, then cupped his face in her palms; let her thumbs trace lightly over the apples of his cheeks. “Make love to me, Azriel.”
He didn’t need to be told twice, taking her hands from his face and lacing their fingers together by the side of her head. He sucked and licked the soft swells of her breasts, plumped up from the lingerie she was still wearing. His mouth attached to her nipple through the lacy fabric, pulling the point deep into his mouth until her back arched.
She raised her hips, rubbing them together. The wet spot on her panties would’ve told him just how desperate she was for him. It matched the one on his boxer briefs.
Az released her hands to work on the straps of her lingerie, pulling the white lace off her until she was completely bare before him. His thumb gently stroked her slit, grazing her clit just so, sending bolts of pleasure through her body.
Elain’s fingers slid into his dark locks, mussing them as she tugged him closer to where she needed him.
“Tell me what you want me to do, El,” he groaned, sliding his nose into the crease of her thigh.
A hot, needy sound tumbled from her throat, but she said the words that she knew would elicit actions. “Feast, husband.”
He growled, lapping at her entrance before plunging his tongue inside of her. He licked and slurped at her like she was the last thing he’d ever eat. It felt so good, she was nearly delirious with pleasure. Sliding two fingers into her, he pumped slowly, stretching her. “You’re so fucking close already, I can feel you quivering around my hand.”
Elain threw her head back, eyes squeezed shut as she focused on the pull, deep in her gut. Her hips undulated into him and she tugged his head down to where she needed him. Wanted him. “Please, Az,” she cried.
Knowing exactly what she was asking for, he sucked her clit between his teeth, finally drawing her to the brink, and pushing her off.
Elain shattered on his tongue, screaming out his name and tightening her grip on his hair hard enough that he groaned against her, the vibrations sending her spiraling.
He didn’t stop until she went limp, licking every drop she gave him. Azriel looked up at her from between her legs, her release dripping off his lips, and fuck, did the sight have her body trembling for more.
Using his hair as leverage, she pulled him up her body until she could kiss him. Elain moaned at the taste of herself on his tongue.
Brushing hair off her forehead, he smiled down at her. “Hi, wife.”
Those words made butterflies erupt in her stomach, her heart pounding against her ribcage. Azriel could’ve made his vow to her from that look alone, with so much love and longing, Elain knew he was feeling the same emotions as she was.
She reached down, cupping him in her small palm and earning a hiss as he pumped into her hand.
“Still need more from me?” he teased.
“I need everything from you.”
Heat flashed in his eyes. Crawling off her, he stripped out of his boxers, that last piece of clothing between them, then resituated himself between her legs. Azriel rubbed himself over her drenched slit, coating him in her release and adding friction to her clit.
Elain’s head tipped back as a moan crested from her lips.
He took advantage of the exposed skin, attaching his mouth to her neck and sucking a bruising mark into her skin. She loved his love bites, loved when he covered her in his marks like he was staking a claim.
Blindly reaching, Az grabbed the tie from the other side of the bed and held it between them. “Do you trust me?”
The corner of Elain’s lips quirked up. “A little late asking me that since I just married you.”
He pinched her butt cheek in reprimand making her squeal.
“Yes, of course, I trust you.”
“Give me your hands.” It was a soft command, but she listened, bringing her palms forward and presenting them to him. Azriel wrapped the small end of his tie around her, binding her arms together at her wrists with the soft silk. “Is that too tight?” he asked, sliding a finger under the fabric.
She shook her head. “No.”
He kissed her fingers. “If you become uncomfortable at all, tell me.” And then he pushed her arms above her head. “Don’t move these.”
Elain felt herself shudder, stretching out her body as he leaned over her again, mouth going straight for her neck. Her husband’s neck kink was out in full force that night and she loved every bite, every swipe of his tongue on the sensitive skin.
His hips rutted into her, sliding himself through her lower lips and coating his cock with her arousal.
It was heavenly. From the sensual tug of his teeth and the friction he applied between her legs, Elain felt herself slicken even further. “Azriel,” she groaned, arms aching to go around his neck but remaining still above her head. “Please. I need you inside me.”
Grabbing her plump thigh, he hefted it onto his shoulder, splitting her open. The head of his cock nudged at her entrance before he rolled his hips, sliding into her with ease.
Her back arched as he entered her, his grunts of pleasure from her clenching around him only enticed her further.
“El, fucking hell. If you keep doing that, I’m going to come before I’m even seated,” he complained, lips pulling her pert nipple into his mouth and sucking.
She couldn’t stop the cry from escaping her as he filled her to the brim. His cock sheathed in her warm heat was better than any feeling. She couldn’t explain how the fullness made her whimper from pleasure but also feel at home at the same time. Elain wrapped her other leg around his hips, urging him to move.
And move he did. Long, slow thrusts had her seeing stars when he hit that spot deep inside her. Everything he gave her was measured, from how far he pulled out, to how fast he pushed himself into her.
She needed him harder. Deeper. “Fuck me, Azriel. Like you mean it,” she growled.
His teeth bit down on her nipple in reprimand and, fuck, did she feel it everywhere. Pain mixed with pleasure. But he did as she demanded, snapping his hips into hers and building her up, up, up until she teetered on the edge of her pleasure.
He released her nipple, lips traveling up her jaw to find her own as he thrust into her again. Az grabbed the large end of his tie, wrapped it around his hand, and pinned it to the wall as he fucked her harder, the headboard slamming into the plaster with enough force to leave a dent.
But she didn’t care. She didn’t care about the goddamn wall, or how her arms ached, or that their family might hear them if they were still outside. All she cared about was the wonderful, delicious feeling that grew low in her belly.
Azriel’s tongue licked up her neck, sucking her delicate skin. He angled his hips up to catch her clit with every thrust. It was what she needed to send her shattering into a million little pieces.
Elain’s cries were smothered by his mouth like he wanted to swallow every sound she made.
It only took a few more thrusts before he careened into his orgasm, spilling himself deep inside her, her body milking him.
Azriel collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily into her neck as she fought to catch her own. He brought his arm down, pulling her hands until he could slip his head between her arms. She carded her fingers through his damp hair, scratching at his scalp. He hummed in contentment.
They lay there for a while, snuggled into each other’s embrace, Elain brushing her lips on the top of his head.
After a few moments, he was tugging himself out of her sensitive center, kissing the wince away before sliding out of her arms and sitting up. Az carefully untied her silk from her wrists, dropping, even more, kisses to where they had been bound. “How was that?”
She hummed, a soft smile painted on her lips as she circled her free wrists. “That was better than amazing.”
“Better than amazing, hmm?” he murmured, nudging his nose into her cheek.
Affectionate Azriel was one of her favorites—his need for physical touch after they had sex always led to some cuddling. So, she was quite surprised when he began climbing off her. “Where are you going?” she complained, reaching out for him, but her weary arm fell to the mattress with a thud.
He chuckled, leaning down to kiss her lips once more. “I’ll be right back.” Azriel walked over to his suitcase, sitting in the corner of the room.
Elain rolled onto her side, propping her head on her fist, and watched him stoop down. “Nice ass, husband.”
Her comment had him laughing, deep and full-bellied. He glanced over his shoulder at her, humor dancing in those dark eyes. Grabbing whatever he needed from his bag, he walked back over to her with a mischievous grin. “Since this is our wedding night, I thought we could make it traditional in that we take your last virginity.”
She raised a brow. “Virginity? Az, what are you talking—” Elain paused, taking in the items he presented to her in his palms. The pink vibrator, a tube of lube, and a plug were cradled in his hands. “You want to take my ass?” she asked in disbelief.
“You make it sound so dirty,” he snickered, kneeling on the bed. “And only if you want to. I know we’ve discussed it lightly before, but I brought everything we’d need if you want to explore it.”
Pink rushed to her cheeks, dripping down her chest. She’d be lying if she said the idea hadn’t prickled her curious mind. Whenever he touched her there, her pleasure always intensified. It felt so forbidden, but so right at the same time. Her eyes traveled from the items still in his palms back to his face. “Okay,” she breathed.
Setting everything on the bed, he kissed her belly, smiling into her skin. “My good girl,” he murmured, the words igniting something inside her. “On your knees.”
Elain rolled over, rising onto all fours. Her stomach clenched in anticipation.
Az placed another kiss at the bottom of her spine, kneading her behind. “You have less give back here, so we’re going to take this nice and slow. But I need you to tell me when it’s getting close to being too much to handle, and when you’ve reached your limit. We don’t go past anything that you’re uncomfortable with. Okay?”
She nodded, flipping her hair over her shoulder to look back at him. “I understand.”
“Good girl. We’ll start with my fingers to get you stretched, then I’m going to try and insert this plug.” He leaned over her to show her the plug again. Elain ran a finger over the cool metal. “First off,” he started, setting the plug back on the bed, “we need to get you stimulated.” Azriel slid two fingers inside of her, wetting them with their combined releases.
Elain moaned as he thrust into her, filling her, stretching her. Pulling his digits from her cunt, her body clenching around nothing, he then slowly inserted the toy. They had only played with it a few times, but it had become one of her favorite things to pull out when they got hot and heavy. She waited in baited silence for that first vibration, jolting at the first flick from his fingers on his phone. Hips stuttering, she bowed her head, moaning.
“Easy, love,” he murmured, stroking up to her rosebud. Az worked her opening with his two fingers. The squeeze was tight, but then she felt him add a generous amount of lube, slickening her hole and allowing him to slip in both digits to his knuckle.
She whimpered, rocking back onto his hand. The sensation of his fingers pumping in and out of her, the vibrations from the toy in her pussy had her sprinting towards her next orgasm.
But as soon as he felt her crest, Az pulled out of her behind.
Elain was close to crying out when she felt the plug being pushed into her gaping back hole. Holy fuck, the plug was larger than his two fingers. She whimpered as her body stretched to accommodate the toy, bordering on painful.
“You’re doing so well, my good girl. Breathe, love.”
She took shallow breaths, eyes screwing shut. “Az,” Elain cried out his name. “It hurts.” Her fingers tightened on the sheets beneath her palms.
Immediately he pulled back slightly, giving her body some relief. “Do you want to stop, Elain?”
Did she want to stop? No—she didn’t. Elain wanted this. “No,” she breathed, head bowing. “Just give me a second.”
He kissed her sweaty back, reaching between her legs her to lazily rub at her clit.
“How much further until the plug is seated?” she panted, glancing over her shoulder at him.
Azriel’s burning gaze was already on her face, the hunger she saw nearly made her quiver. “About a half inch until you reach the jewel. Once it’s in, it shouldn’t hurt anymore.”
Elain swallowed, nodding. “Okay, go ahead.”
“Are you sure, El? We don’t have to do this.”
She reached back, grabbed his knee—the only thing she could grasp—and squeezed it. “I’m okay. I want to continue.”
Adding more lube to her back entrance, he continued, twisting the plug back and forth to add to the pleasurable sensation.
The break was exactly what her body needed, because, after another moment or two, Elain felt the plug settle into her ass. She moaned, toes curling at feeling so full.
“Good fucking girl,” Az groaned, circling her clit with his fingers. “You did so well, my love. Let’s get you to come, shall we?” Kicking up the vibrator, he gently tugged on the plug, not pulling it out but giving her a sensation of a thrust.
Her body shook, teetering on the edge of her orgasm. “Az, I’m so close. Please, please.” Tears rolled down her cheeks from the pleasure she felt. That deep pull in her backside, the vibrations. Everything inside her was pulled taut and ready to snap. So, when he twisted the plug, Elain shattered in a way she had never done before.
She screamed, her body quaking around everything. Wetness poured out from around the vibrator, coating her thighs. Unable to hold herself up anymore, she collapsed, face first, into her pillow, forcing Azriel to let go of the plug lest he accidentally pull it out of her.
Elain shook, and shook, and shook, the aftershocks of her orgasm running up and down her spine like ocean waves crashing along the shore.
His body sidled up behind her, tugging her limp form into his arms to whisper words of comfort into her hair.
“Turn it off,” she panted, the stimulation overwhelming enough that it was too much.
He moved quickly, releasing her to sit up and grab his phone.
Elain whimpered when the toy was switched off, her sensitive center aching. She was gathered back into his arms, her back pressed into his chest. His hard cock was digging into her backside, thankfully not adding any pressure to the plug.
She panted heavily, her entire body unnaturally boneless. It almost felt like she was hovering just outside of her physical form, not quite drifting back down from her high.
Azriel ran his scarred hands over her curves, soothing her to finally come back to him. he planted kisses on her shoulder, her neck, wherever he could reach with his mouth while keeping her secure in his embrace. “I’m here, El. Just breathe,” he murmured into her hair, making sure she could feel his presence.
It could’ve been minutes or hours before she finally collected enough pieces of herself to twist her neck and look at him over her shoulder.
A dopey smile was on his face at her blissed-out state. “Hello, love,” he whispered, gently kissing her lips.
“How long have we been laying here?” she asked, genuinely curious if she passed out.
He kissed her cheek. “About fifteen minutes.”
That had her blinking. She’d been out of it for fifteen minutes? Holy fuck.
His low chuckle had her eyes snapping back to his. “That was a rather intense orgasm for you. It’ll take a while for you to come down from it,” Az explained, reaching over her to cup the side of her cheek. His thumb swooped over her skin and she couldn’t help but lean into his touch. “How are you feeling?”
How did she feel? Elain wasn’t quite sure she could explain it, to be honest, but she tried anyways. “I feel—” she weighed her words, trying to find the best ones, “light, I suppose is a good way to put it. Like I drifted out of my body.”
“Did you enjoy it?” Of course, he would ask her that.
“It was overwhelming, but yes, I enjoyed it. A lot. I’ve never felt anything like that before.” Elain reached for his hand, lacing their fingers together. “Just give me a couple more minutes and then we can continue.”
He squeezed her palm. “Baby, we don’t need to go any further tonight. You’ve already been through a lot and I don’t want you pushing it—”
“I’m not, Az,” she interrupted him. “I want to try it with you. I’ve got one more in me tonight, but that’s it. And I want to share it with you.”
It was obvious he wanted to protest, but she didn’t let him. “You’ve only come once tonight. I want to be the reason you do it again. Please, Az. Just try. I’ll tell you if I can’t handle it.”
Scarred fingers brushed her hair behind her ear. “Okay, let me go get a towel before we attempt to pull the plug out.” He dropped another kiss on her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” Sliding off the bed, Azriel padded to the bathroom, bringing back two bath towels.
She watched him place one at the end of the bed, and then unfolded the other, sliding it partially under her hips.
At her questioning look, he told her, “It might get a little messy and I’d rather not have to change the sheets tonight when we’re finished.”
“You’re not going to put me on my knees again?”
He resumed his position behind her. “No, I don’t think you have the energy for that right now. So, I’ll take you like this.” Propping her knee up, he traced the pads of his fingers over her hip, sliding until her could toy with her clit, lightly circling it. “Tell me when you’re ready. I’ll put the vibrator back on but will keep it low.”
Elain took a steadying breath. He was right, she didn’t have the energy to keep herself upright and she was incredibly thankful that Az could read her body better than she could. “I’m ready,” she said with conviction.
His thick arm slid under her waist, coming up to cup her breast, pinching her nipple just enough to send bolts of pleasure through her body.
She whimpered, pressing herself further into the cradle of his hips.
“Touch yourself for me,” he ordered, taking her hand when she brought it between her legs and showing her just how much pressure to apply. “Good girl. Just like that.” Releasing her, he reached back for his phone, kicking on the vibrator to a low setting.
Elain sucked in a breath, her body still slick with her arousal. When she felt the twisting on the plug, she couldn’t stop the low moan from escaping her throat.
“You’re doing so well, love. Just breathe for me. Nice and slow.”
Doing as he told her, she inhaled slowly, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth as he carefully pulled the plug from her ass. As soon as it was gone, Elain whined, her body clenching around the open air.
Azriel cursed into her shoulder, applying lube to his hard cock. “Your body is begging for me, love,” he groaned, nudging the head at her back hole. He grabbed her thigh, hauling her bent leg into the air and exposing her to the cool air. “Tell me when you need me to stop.”
She didn’t. Elain relaxed her body as best as she could, taking him inch by glorious inch as he rocked himself into her. She reached back, gripping his hair at the scalp and holding him into her neck while he sunk deeper and deeper until she felt her rear end pressed into the cradle of his hips.
“Fuck, El,” he moaned. “You’re so fucking tight.”
Elain couldn’t form words. She was delirious with pleasure, edged with pain, and everything in between. It was life-altering, how full she felt with his cock buried into her ass. Nothing could compare to how good it felt to have him like this.
When he started to move, the only sounds she could form were heavy breaths and low moans. Her mind was a kaleidoscope of color as he thrust into her, his fingers digging into the back of her knee, holding her open for him.
His strokes were measured and deep, sliding nearly all the way out, and pushing in until he hit a spot inside her that had her gasping every time.
She needed more. She needed it faster. She needed to come. “Harder, Az,” she cried out, her face burying into her shoulder.
He picked up the pace, snapping his hips into her, his mouth latching itself onto her the back of her shoulder.
Oh, gods. Oh, gods, it was so good. Her hand left her clit to clutch the edge of her pillow, but he quickly replaced it, releasing her breast to slide his fingers down between her legs, tightening his circles on her.
Elain sobbed in pleasure, climbing higher and higher. It was too much. It wasn’t enough. She couldn’t think straight. Her name…what was it? Oh, fuck, he felt so good. She had no idea it could feel like this. “So good,” she moaned pathetically. Her body had turned to putty beneath his careful hands and his hard cock. Another whimper passed between her parted lips as she climbed up to the top of her orgasms, teetering on the edge of something she’d never felt before.
Azriel brushed his mouth to the shell of her ear. “I’ve got you, baby. Let go for me.”
His gruff words were her undoing as Elain dove headfirst into the largest orgasm she’d ever experienced. She squeezed the hair between her fingers, hard enough that he grunted into her neck, but she didn’t let go—couldn’t let go as she fell, fell, fell, all while he fucked her ass harder and faster, prolonging her pleasure.
Her face was soaked with tears, body pulsing around his cock.
It only took another thrust or so before Azriel came with a shout, pushing himself as deep into her as he could go to spill inside of her, claiming her ass as his. Her body convulsed around him, taking everything he offered her and more.
The sweat between their bodies rolled over her skin, but she didn’t care. She was too far lost in her mind to worry about anything but how incredible she felt.
His hot breath panted over her shoulder as he gently laid her leg over her body, keeping her knee still bent. Grabbing his phone, he switched off the vibrator. Az gave her a while to catch her breath, before he murmured into her ear, “I’m going to pull everything out. Slow breaths, love.” The words rattled in her skull but didn’t fully register. She was too lost in the sensations.
Bringing her leg back up, he reached between her thighs and gently tugged out the toy. It didn’t stop the whimper from escaping her lips.
“Easy, baby. We’re almost finished,” he whispered, his voice velvety soft and covering her like a warm blanket.
Removing himself from her behind was another story. Her body clamped onto him, causing her to cry out from her sensitive hole.
He slowed his movements, stroking her hips soothingly. “Relax, El. I need you to relax.” His hands gently swept over her body, helping her body come down.
She did, inhaling deeply until he managed to pull himself free. Elain felt incredibly empty without him in her, missing it already, but was too exhausted for anything else tonight.
Azriel pulled himself from behind her, leaning over her body to kiss her cheek. “Don’t fall asleep. We need to clean up first. I’m going to start the bath.” Gripping her chin, he turned her head and dropped a kiss on her swollen lips, smiling down at her before padding into the bathroom.
Elain heard the water turn on and then him rummaging through the drawers, looking for something if she had to guess. Frankly, she didn’t care. She just wanted to sleep. But as soon as she started to drift off, Az was hauling her into his chest, her arms sliding around his neck.
The scalding water made her flinch when it touched her overly sensitive butt. She whimpered again, tightening her hold on him.
Az hushed her, murmuring sweet nothings into her ear as he slowly sank into the tub.
Fuck she was so sore, but the heat of the water felt so good too. She nuzzled into his neck before allowing him to twist her on his lap so she sat between his legs. Elain rested her head on his shoulder while he washed her down.
“You did so well tonight, love. I’m proud of you,” he told her, kissing her temple. “Are you feeling all right?”
Elain hummed in contentment. “Fine, just tired.”
His chuckle reverberated through her spine. “We’ll get to bed soon. I need to clean up the mess first and blow out all the candles. Do you think you can manage sitting in the tub a bit longer while I take care of that?”
“Mhmm.” She had no energy for anything else.
His soft laughter chased her in her dreams. Elain felt him climb out from behind her, carefully laying her back against the edge. “Don’t fall asleep, El.”
Good luck with that, she wanted to say but couldn’t. Her eyes had already drifted shut, but she could hear him opening the slider to the small balcony, letting in the fresh air, and then collecting all the items from their bed. She peaked an eye open, seeing him drop the toys in the sink to clean them.
Az didn’t bother to dress, standing nude at the counter as he took care of everything.
Gods, she loved him. He always did everything for her so she never had to worry about anything after sex.
Turning to face her, he grabbed a towel and knelt by the edge of the tub. “All right, love. Can you stand for me so I can dry you off?” He popped the drain, gripping her under the elbow to help her to her feet.
Elain swayed dangerously, making him lurch to hold her under her arm so she didn’t slip.
Az dried her off as best as he could, tossing the wet towel over to the sink before lifting her back into his arms and carrying her into bed, sliding them both under the covers he had pulled down.
She snuggled into his chest, lips pressing over his heart where her name was permanently tattooed. “I love you, Azriel.”
He held her close kissing the top of her head. “Sleep, my beautiful wife.”
But she was already gone, pulled by exhaustion into a dreamless slumber.
~~~~~
Azriel woke to sunlight streaming in from the white curtains across the balcony slider. The rays reflected in Elain’s golden-brown hair, strewn across her pillow. His beautiful, naked wife was curled up on her side, her back pressed into his chest. He was pretty sure his left arm was completely dead, but he didn’t care. Not when he woke up to her every goddamn morning of every day.
She was his wife.
Fuck, she was his wife.
He couldn’t believe he got to call her that forever now. Az didn’t know who he should be thanking for it, but he sent up his prayers to anybody who would listen. His arms were banded around her, one across her chest, the other slung over her waist. He tightened his hold on her, nuzzling deeper into her jasmine and honey scent. She always smelled so good.
The faint laughter of their family told him that they should probably get up soon—join them for breakfast before the jet flew everyone home. He and Elain were going to stay here for a few days before starting on their three-week honeymoon. They were flying to the Winter District first, staying in this dome-like cabin under the northern lights. From there, they would travel to the Spring District to go through its impressive rose gardens. Elain had always wanted to see them and he was obliged to give that to her.
Three whole weeks to themselves. Three weeks of traveling across the country, taking in different sights, sounds, and tastes.
Speaking of tastes, Azriel was greedy for the delicate taste of his wife. Breakfast before breakfast, he told himself, leaning in to kiss her bare shoulder. When she didn’t stir, he moved further into the junction of her neck. He swept his hands over her body, the black band on his fourth finger catching the morning rays.
Elain shifted then, murmuring something in her sleep. Still, she didn’t fully wake.
So, he moved his lips to her nape, kissing her there and nudging his nose into her.
She sighed softly, rolling back into his chest to look up at him. Elain flashed him a sleepy smile. “Good morning, husband.” Her voice was a whisper on the morning breeze.
Gods, when she called him that…he had never felt happiness like this. “Good morning, wife,” he told her, tone husky as he leaned down to claim her lips.
Elain responded to his ministrations eagerly, allowing him to roll on top of her. Her fingers wove into his mussed hair. “What time is it?” she asked as he kissed down her throat to the center of her chest.
Az looked up at her, her brown eyes already dark with lust. “Mid to late morning if I had to take a guess. Everyone else is up. I can hear them.” His tongue darted out to lap at her nipple, sucking the point deep into his mouth.
She sucked in a breath, arching into him and pushing her breast further between his teeth. “Az,” she moaned.
He slipped further down her body, settling between her thighs. His thumb stroked her slit, feeling the wetness that had gathered there already. “Hush, love. You have to be quiet or our family is going to hear you while I enjoy my breakfast.”
At the first swipe of his tongue, Elain clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes screwing shut.
Azriel chuckled against her, throwing her legs over his shoulders and setting a brutal pace. He licked her entrance, plunging his tongue in and out of her, then slid up her slit to suck her clit.
Elain grabbed a handful of his hair, moaning against her palm as she writhed against his mouth, fucking herself on his tongue.
He loved when she took her pleasure from him, rode him to her heart’s content like she was doing now.
With her grip on him, Elain undulated her hips into him, positioning his mouth where she wanted him—needed him. When she tugged him to her clit, he sucked it hard, careening her into her orgasm.
She came with a muffled cry, body going limp into the mattress.
Swiping his tongue up her slit one more time, Azriel kissed his way back up her body, bringing his mouth to hers and letting her taste herself.
Elain hummed, hooking an ankle over his hip and flipping them over. Straddling his waist, she kissed him again. “My turn.” Following a similar path he took, Elain made her way down to his aching cock, at attention and eagerly waiting for his wife’s delectable mouth.
“Fuck, Elain,” he groaned at the first lick.
She smirked at him from between his legs. “Quiet now. You don’t want our family to hear you while I eat my breakfast,” Elain teased, repeating his words back to him.
“Let them,” he growled, sucking in a breath when she swallowed him whole. Fuck, he brushed the back of her throat in her bobbing. Azriel grabbed her hair, holding it at the back of her head and off his thighs. He wanted to watch her suck him.
And suck him she did. Elain’s cheeks hallowed, taking him deep into her mouth and swirling her tongue around his shaft. The warmth was fucking heavenly. “Baby, I’m going to come,” he warned her, feeling the pull low in his belly.
It should be embarrassing how quickly he’d orgasm when she put her mouth on him, but frankly, he didn’t care about staving off when she fucked him with her mouth. It felt too good to stop. “El…”
Feeling him at the precipice of his orgasm, she took him as deep as her throat would allow, finishing him off with a final draw from her mouth.
Az came with a groan, spilling down her throat.
Elain pulled off him with an audible pop, swallowing everything he gave her.
Fuck he loved her. He said as much, grabbing her under his arms and hauling her up his body to kiss her roughly. “You have no idea how much I want to be buried inside of you right now, but we should probably get down there to see the family off. I have housekeepers coming today to clean this place.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “We should definitely put away the toys from last night before they get here.”
He laughed, alerting the others to their woken state because a few minutes later, Cash was banging on the front door, shouting, “Lovebirds, get up! I’ve got breakfast ready.”
“We’re coming!” he growled back, making Elain giggle into his chest. “Come on wife, let’s get dressed.”
Half an hour later, they were cleaned up, dressed, and making their way across the yard to the back patio where his brother had served up a ton of food. Bacon, eggs, potatoes, toast, fruit, and every breakfast drink you could imagine.
Azriel pulled out a chair at the table for Elain, pushing her in before taking a seat next to her. He grabbed platters of food, piling various things onto her plate before his own.
“Elain, you look incredibly well-rested,” Cassian said.
He froze in the middle of scooping fruit, eying his brother in suspicion.
El blinked at his brother. “I am Cash. Thank you.”
He knew it wasn’t a compliment based on the tone of voice. “Cash, if you ever want to have children again, I suggest you not voice whatever is sitting on the tip of your tongue,” he warned.
His wife glanced at him, brows furrowed. “What?”
But Cassian just threw an arm around Nesta’s shoulders, smirking. “I’m just saying, if she’s well-rested, then you must’ve not done your job last night well enough.”
Elain’s cheeks turned pink at the comment, but before he could throw the platter at his ass of a brother, she said, “Cash, perhaps you shouldn’t be so boastful. You should know that women tell each other everything.” Elain propped her cheek on her fist, staring his brother down. “And I mean, everything.”
He glanced at her, unsure of whatever it was she had on his brother, but he was curious. And the look that Cash shot her was not one of pride, but rather one of caution.
“You don’t know anything,” he dared.
His wife’s smile was nothing short of chilling.
“Oh, really? I wouldn’t be so quick, to assume.”
Cassian’s face went pale and he whipped his head to Nesta who was trying not to smile, patting her daughter’s back. “You told her?!” he accused.
Nesta buried her face into the side of Sutton’s head, trying to hold back her laugh.
Feyre raised a glass across the table. “I can back, Elain.” The younger Archeron winked at his wife, sipping from her mimosa.
Cash gaped at the three women. “I can’t believe you told them,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child.
Nesta patted his thigh. “It was years ago, babe. Who cares?”
“I care,” he muttered, looking put out.
Azriel reached under the table to grip Elain’s thigh, pouring her a mimosa from the pitcher on the table.
She slid her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. Picking up her glass, she clinked it on his, her smile brighter than pure sunshine.
He couldn’t stop himself from leaning down to kiss her, oblivious to the whoops and hollers from their family. Az ignored all of that and just let himself enjoy the moment with his gorgeous wife.
~~~
A few hours later, the newly married couple was lying on the beach, soaking up the sun’s warmth. He had dragged out two lounge chairs, sitting them side by side in the sand. Elain looked ridiculously good in her high-waisted bikini.
He had thoroughly ravished her body last night, her creamy skin plastered with his claiming marks. A few were covered by the swimsuit, but the ones on her neck, her ribcage, between the swells of her breasts remained visible.
Fuck she looked sexy covered in his bites.
And Elain didn’t seem to mind them showing, walking out of the house with the confidence of a queen.
Az had groaned at the sight of her. “I did a number on your body,” he’d told her.
She simply smirked, stating, “Perhaps you can add another one later.” Then she handed him the bottle of sunscreen and asked him to lather her back up.
He definitely did more than just her back, kneeling to cover her gorgeous legs, her toned arms, her ample chest, and her lithe waist. She laughed when his fingers slipped into her bikini top, asking him what he was doing. “Making sure my wife doesn’t get burned.”
Elain could only shake her head at his antics.
Laying out, she had tipped her floppy hat down, shading her face as she napped, the book she’d been reading discarded in the sand underneath her chair.
Noticing the pinkening on her stomach, Azriel got up, grabbing the bottle of sunscreen to rub more on her.
She jolted slightly at the contact.
“You’re getting pink,” he explained, spreading the white cream over her body. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Elain hummed, running her hand up his arm. Quick as a flash, she pulled his Ray Bans off his face.
He gave her an exasperated look. “What are you doing?” Az laughed.
“Here, you can wear mine,” she said, holding out her pink aviators to him and pushing his onto her nose.
Huffing, he grabbed hers from her outstretched hand and slid them onto his face. “How do I look?”
“Fabulous,” she said, grinning.
He grabbed her waist, hauling her over his shoulder and making her squeal.
“Azriel! What are you doing?” she laughed.
“Taking my wife swimming, that’s what.”
She smacked him on the butt. “Put me down!”
“No,” he said, popping her on the ass. “And believe me, baby, if you want to start the ass-smacking, I will win.”
Azriel should’ve known that her silence wasn’t her conceding, but that wicked little mind coming up with something truly devious. He hadn’t anticipated her grabbing his hips and biting him on the cheek.
A shout sounded from his throat, and he whipped her back over his shoulder to carry her bridal style. “You little minx. Did you just bite my ass?” He stared down at her in disbelief.
“I told you to put me down. It’s your fault,” she told him, smiling sweetly.
The heated look he shot her had her squirming in his arms. “Oh, I will get even for that later tonight.” His sensual promise had blood rushing to her cheeks. Despite his desire to turn around and carry her right up to the house and fuck her senseless, he continued into the cool water, setting her on her feet about thigh deep.
Elain bent at the waist, dragging her fingers in the waves. Giving him a feline smirk, she splashed him and took off running.
Stunned for a second, Azriel ran after his wife, following the sound of her joyful laugh. When he finally caught her, he kissed her like it was his last.
~~~~~
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Some tags seem to not want to link, which could be related to your visibility settings. Sorry about that!
#i do bad things with you#idbtwy#3rd anniversary#elriel#elain#elain archeron#azriel#azriel shadowsinger#elain x azriel#elain x az#azriel x elain#elain and azriel#azriel and elain#elriel fic#elriel fanfic#elriel fanfiction#tswaney17#tswaney17fics#tay writes#my writing#fanfic#fanfiction#acotar#acomaf#acowar#acofas#acosf
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I already know what I’ll be doing, but for curiosities sake. 😅
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