Page 271 of What We Become

Micah nods, still holding on to me tight, and I have a death grip on him, and Milo is hopping up and down on the spot.

“A hundred percent,” Micah says, turning to the others. “She’s really having our baby.”

Micah lets go of my hand as Knox reaches for me, his arms closing around my waist. He lifts me right off the floor, spinning me while he buries his face in my neck and makes a sound so deep and raw I feel it shudder through both of us. When my feet hit the tile again, he just stands there for a second, holding me close, heart hammering wild and unguarded against mine.

“Is that . . . are you okay?” I whisper.

He pulls back, his eyes wet. “I’m so fucking okay.” He kisses me, quick. “You’re incredible, Fury.”

Milo launches himself at us both, arms slinging around my back and squeezing until my ribs protest. “Congratulations, parental unit! Does this make me the fun dad?” he asks, looking between the other men with absolutely no chill.

“You’re going to be the most embarrassing,” Holden mutters. His hand settles against my back, and when I turn toward him, he’s smiling. “Congratulations, wildcat.” He kisses my temple and stays there for a moment.

He’s the one who said it was probably food poisoning.

“You told me you bought that house thinking you’d have kids by thirty,” I say.

“I did.” His thumb moves once against my spine. “Might as well fill it until it bursts.”

Knox eases his hold as Eli comes closer. Micah settles beside me again, and Eli wraps his arms around us both. His hand opens and closes against my back before he speaks.

“You’re sure you’re okay with this?” he asks, words breathed into my hair.

I lift my head and look at him, at all of them—Milo grinning so hard it looks like his face might split, Knox’s hand steady on my back, Micah with the heel of his hand pressed under one eye, and Holden’s smile sharp and shaken at the same time.

“Yeah,” I say, voice breaking on the word and then reforming stronger. “I’m sure.”

Eli’s mouth finds mine, and he kisses me with this wild, trembling devotion, like if he kisses me hard enough he can brand his name into the baby at a cellular level.

Holden moves closer, his hand warm between my shoulder blades. “She’s going to need rest,” he says. “And fluids. And less French toast, apparently.”

Milo immediately salutes. “Switching to pancakes! Or eggs! Or bagels! Sweet or savory, kitten, your wish is my command. Also, we need a family photo with the sticks. Right now.”

Milo gathers all three tests, then hands them to me and fishes his phone out of his apron pocket. I lift the tests beside my face as he stretches his arm to fit us all into the shot. Micah presses close on my left, Eli beside him, and Holden leans in behind Milo. Knox ducks over my right shoulder, grinning like he’s forgotten how to stop. He presses his mouth to the top of my head.

“Ours,” he murmurs against my hair as Milo snaps the picture.

EPILOGUE 2 — ODIN

The lawyers leave at three in the morning.

Two are from the firm. The third is an independent specialist whose hourly rate could fund a small country. He pauses at the door as though there might be one more thing to say.

There isn’t. My mind is made up.

“You have my number,” he settles on.

“And you have my instructions.”

His gaze shifts to Thor, who’s standing beside the door, holding it open. The man leaves without looking back.

Loki waits until their footsteps fade before stretching out on the sofa.

“I liked the little one.”

“You frightened the little one,” Thor says.

“I asked him a question.”