Chapter 539: Ordinary things

Viola tightened her arms around him and sighed.

"I’m just wondering what will happen if you mark me after the babies are born, considering I already carry a mark from another time on my wolf. And what it all means now that we know we’re connected to them and what happened in their lives. Vaelor was the reason mermaids were discovered to possess powers that were useful to werewolves. I’m just thinking about all of it."

She pursed her lips as she looked at him, her thoughts weighing heavily on her.

"I don’t want anything to come between us. I love my life with you just the way it is, you know."

She rubbed her cheek against his chest like a cat seeking affection, and his hand slipped behind her head, gently cradling it.

"We won’t allow it. If we dig into their past and it starts affecting us... then we stop. Do you promise me that?" Sebastian asked.

But when his wife didn’t answer immediately, worry began to creep into his heart. He feared that, in her desire to bring his sister back, she might become willing to sacrifice things she would otherwise never give up.

"Honey?" He gave her a gentle shake, prompting her to respond.

Viola let out a sigh.

"I promise, but I really need to try my best, at least," she murmured.

Not wanting to push the conversation any further or plant unnecessary fears in either of their hearts, Viola decided to change the subject. She lifted her head to look at him before asking, "Did you talk to Alex last night?"

Sebastian stared at the wall ahead of them and let out a slow sigh.

"Yes."

"What did you two talk about?" She asked, curious.

Sebastian knew his wife had deliberately given him space to talk with his brother the night before, but having so recently lost a sister himself, and understanding that particular kind of pain all too well now, Sebastian had felt something fracture in his connection to Alex too, something that made it nearly impossible to speak freely with him, as though staying close to Alex now carried its own quiet danger, a strain he couldn’t quite name, or a fear...

’I’m sorry, for all the times I blamed you for Natalie.’ Alex had said, and Sebastian had only offered a single nod in return, which prompted his brother to ask,

’Are you still angry at me? I didn’t mean to shove your wife to the ground that day. If I had known her half as I do now, I would never have said half the things I said to her that day. Luna Viola...she is not what I thought at all.’

’I know.’ Sebastian said curtly.

’Then?’ Alex asked, lifting his brows at his brother’s clipped, one-word answers, and Sebastian finally turned to face him.

’Then we’re good, Alexander. And even.’

Alex had let out a humorless laugh, nodding as though he understood something deeper than the words themselves suggested. ’I see. I hope you pull yourself back together soon, dear brother. You’re about to become a father, and you’ll have children looking up to you, following your example someday. You know where to find me, if you ever want to actually talk.’

Their conversation had ended there, and Sebastian looked down now at his wife, waiting expectantly for his answer about how the reconciliation had gone. Not wanting to disappoint her, he pinched her nose gently instead, and she swatted his hand away.

"Tell me," she urged, her kissable lips pouting in a way that looked as though they were practically begging for his.

"Have you done any baby shopping yet?" he asked, changing the subject entirely.

He knew full well that he wouldn’t be sleeping again tonight, regardless. Talking about his brother was only going to disappoint her, and Sebastian couldn’t bear to add to her worries. He couldn’t be with Alex the way he used to be, not anymore. Ever since losing Zoe, he found himself seeing danger everywhere, imagining all the ways he could lose Alex too, and the thought alone was enough to make him anxious.

Viola pursed her lips, clearly aware that he was dodging her question, but before she could call him out on it, one of the babies shifted inside her, rolling beneath her skin and creating a visible movement across her belly. Both of their eyes immediately fell to it, and for a moment, they simply stared, fascinated.

Sebastian went completely still, his gray eyes widening as he watched the unmistakable movement. He had felt the babies kick before, but seeing one of them move so visibly beneath Viola’s belly was an entirely different experience. It was as though he had just been given a glimpse of the little life growing inside his wife, and he couldn’t quite tear his eyes away.

"Does that hurt?" he asked, his brows drawing together as he watched her stomach, his first instinct being to worry about her and if she were in any pain.

Viola let out a soft laugh at his expression and shook her head. "No, it doesn’t hurt. Sometimes it feels a little strange, especially when they roll around like that, but I’m used to it."

Sebastian looked back down at her belly, still visibly captivated. His hand hovered for a moment before he gently placed it against the spot where the baby had moved, as though he were hoping to feel it happen again but it didn’t.

"Do you want to come baby shopping with me? We could go tomorrow, after we visit Zoe." She suggested, knowing that while they worked through everything else, piecing together the truth about themselves, they still couldn’t ignore the practical necessities waiting for them, the babies’ needs growing closer by the day.

Even though they could easily send someone else to handle it for them, Viola wanted to experience these ordinary, everyday moments with Sebastian herself, to hold onto each one while she still could right now.

Sebastian, who had been looking at her belly, slowly lifted his gaze to her face. Unable to resist the sight of her anymore, he leaned down and kissed her lips, his mouth settling over hers with a tenderness that quickly turned into something deeper.

He gently caught her lower lip between his, sucking on it slowly before releasing it and giving the same attention to her upper lip. Viola’s breath hitched, and she instinctively tilted her face toward his, silently inviting him closer. Sebastian smiled against her mouth before kissing her again, this time opening his lips over hers and deepening the kiss.

His tongue brushed hers gently, coaxing her into responding as he explored her mouth with unhurried affection. Viola melted against him, her body relaxing into his embrace as though she had been waiting for this very moment. She slipped an arm around his neck, drawing him closer, her fingers curling against the back of his head as she returned his kiss with equal longing.

Sebastian’s hand settled against her cheek, his thumb stroking her skin as he kissed her until neither seemed particularly interested in being the first to pull away.

When he finally parted their lips, he remained close enough for his breath to mingle with hers, his gray eyes lingering on her face.

"Why not? Let’s go shopping together. Let’s do the ordinary things other couples do," he whispered against her lips.

Before she could answer, he captured her mouth again, kissing her as though he wanted to make the simple words feel like something extraordinary.