Page 86 of Bound By Love
For now, he would bask in the miracle of her, and he did it as often as possible. Saber could barely stand to have his daughter out of his arms.
He knew the cruelties of this world too well and had delivered many of them himself. Some nights, he worried his payback for all the death he’d caused would be the loss of his daughter and Caro, but he tried not to dwell on it.
He’d never let them out of his sight if he did, which wasn’t a way for any of them to live. But for now, while Mary Rose was still so little, he could shelter her from the brutality lurking beyond these doors.
One day, she would venture out into the world, but that was many years away, and by then, he would have taught her a hundred ways to kill a Savage. She’d know how to protect herself.
As he rocked, he studied the night while humming softly. He’d never believed himself capable of loving anyone again until Caro entered his life.
Then he’d been sure he couldneverlove anything as much as her. He was proven wrong again as he swore his heart grew larger the second he set eyes on his child.
When he lifted his head from her perfect face, he studied the forest. Over the past year, he and Caro had worked to remove all the traps they’d set in the woods. They’d cleared them all and filled the holes so the woods would be safe for his children to play in.
They’d also caved in the tunnels the demons had carved near the still-closed doorway to Hell. They’d set up cameras and security systems that they relentlessly monitored.
So far, nothing had stirred, and there were no signs of the demons anywhere. That could all change, but things were calmer than they’d been in years, and he was enjoying it.
Saber blinked as the world changed and blurred before him. His breath caught when the trees, as if years had passed, grew taller and swelled around the trunks. The birds sang, and laughter reverberated across a land that was noiseless only a second ago.
He didn’t know how, but he was certain that laughter came from all around the world as it reverberated around him. The sun shone so bright, he could feel its warmth though the sky was dark only a second ago.
And then, like the fire he once saw destroying the world from these doors, the laughter and sun vanished. He was back to staring at the night as the birds stopped singing and the laughter died away. The trees returned to their normal size.
He had no idea what to make of any of it, but it left him with a feeling of peace and a certainty his daughter would grow up in a better world than the fiery one once revealed to him through these doors.
Beside him, his phone vibrated. He lifted it to read Brie’s message.Did you see that?
Shifting his hold on Mary Rose, he typed out,I did.
Do you know what it meant?
He almost said no but decided against it. This vision was as unexpected as the last, and he now understood why he was granted them.
I do.
There were still Savages to battle, and as long as vamps existed, there always would be, but he’d glimpsed a different future than the last one he saw. That future filled with fire was the one ruled by demons and Savages; this future, the onetheyhad created, was full of love and laughter.
He’d been granted these visions because of his connection to Brie. This one had assured him the world would go on and his daughter would have the chance to become a beautiful, smart, strong, vibrant woman... like her mom.
With Caro at his side, they would watch their sacrifices come to fruition in a better future. By joining against the demons, they helped change the world.
His phone vibrated again, and he lifted it to read Brie’s message.Good.
He stared at the screen before typing,Get some rest. I love you.
It was still difficult for him to say those words. He had yet to speak them to her, but he’d sent her this message, and it was something.
I love you too, she replied.I always have and always will. Kiss my beautiful niece for me.
Saber set down his phone and shifted his attention back to his daughter’s perfect face. He gently poked her tiny nose as he breathed in her fresh, baby scent.
“I love you,” he whispered.
She didn’t react to his words, but he would make sure they never came as a surprise to her. She would hear them from him every day for the rest of his life.
Rising, he returned to the bed and settled her into her bassinet before lying beside Caro. He drew his mate into his arms and kissed her cheek.
Her labor hadn’t been easy; she’d lost more blood than he would have liked, but she’d healed fast, and he’d helped with that. He couldn’t heal wounds with a touch, but over the past year, he’d learned Brie wasn’t wrong.
