Page 130 of Blood Red Rage

“Fuck off.”

Volken checked the time too. “Bryn's appointment?”

“Twenty minutes.”

Draugr looked genuinely offended. “You're leaving a war council for an ultrasound.”

I stared at him raising a brow. “Yes.”

He nodded then winked, “Correct answer.”

I left because war could fucking wait twenty minutes but my children couldn't. Bryn was already in the medical wing when I arrived. Dragan stood beside the equipment. She was lying back with her shirt lifted enough to expose her stomach. The sight stopped me, every time. She was now seven months, my woman, my children.

Bryn looked over when I approached. “You're late.”

“By thirty seconds.”

“Late.” I walked to her and kissed her forehead, then her mouth. Then I crouched and kissed her stomach.

“Traitor,” she muttered.

“To who?”

“Your children.”

“How?”

“You greet them before me.”

“I kissed you first.”

“Forehead doesn't count.”

I kissed her again, longer. She smiled against my mouth. “Better.”

Dragan cleared his throat, I turn my head to look at him and smiled as he looked deeply unimpressed. “Can I proceed?”

“No.”

Bryn slapped my arm. “Yes.”

He started to scan her large stomach, I held her hand the whole time. Then the room filled with those heartbeats. Two. Fast and strong. I stopped breathing at the wonder of my children’s heartbeats. Bryn looked up at me, there were tears in her eyes. “Every time,” she whispered.

“Yes.”

Dragan moved the scanner. “There.”

I squinted at the screen. “Which one?”

“The girl.”

I stared at a tiny face, or part of one. I had no fucking idea how humans understood these things but that was her. My daughter. My throat closed.

“And the boy?”

Dragan moved again. “There.”

Another shape, another heartbeat. My son. Bryn squeezed my hand, I didn't realize I had a tear running down my cheek until she touched my face. “Viking.”