Born of Night (The League #1)(61)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

One corner of his mouth lifted. “I’m willing to accommodate her.”

She gave him a wicked once-over. “Me, too. At least as long as I don’t have to raise them without you.”

His arms tightened around her. “I’m retired. I swear I’ll never take another mission again.”

Kiara gave him a doubting stare. “Not even if Syn comes in and begs you?”

He kissed her lightly on the lips. “Not even Syn can tempt me. I love you, mu shona, and I will never again leave you. Not for anything.”

She started to speak and then gasped.

He pulled back. “Are you all right?”

Biting her lip, she nodded. “I think Adron wants to join us now.”

Nykyrian paced the floor even though his leg shot pain through him. He couldn’t stand this. Kiara had gone into complications during the birth and he’d been rushed out of the room to wait.

What was taking so long?

His parents were here, along with Syn, Shahara, Caillen, Darling, Hauk, Jayne, and Kiara’s father.

Thia came up to him slowly. She was still intimidated by him at times. An encouraging smile curved her lips. “It’ll be all right . . . Dad.”

His heart clenched as she finally called him by something other than his name.

Dad . . .

It was a good sound and he couldn’t believe he actually had a family.

Returning her smile, he pulled her against him and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Thia.”

She squeezed him tight. “I love you, too.”

Those words warmed him as he held her close. But the fear was so hard to deal with. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing Kiara now.

If she lives through this, I’ll never touch her again . . .

“Highness?”

He turned at the sound of the doctor’s voice. Everyone came to their feet as dread hung heavy in the air.

The man smiled wide. “Your son and wife are doing fine. Would you like to see them now?”

Was he an idiot? What kind of stupid question was that? “Of course.”

His father came forward. “We’ll give you two a few minutes alone before we bombard her.”

He inclined his head in gratitude before he followed the doctor down the hallway to Kiara’s room. Relief tore through him as he realized how much he hated not having complete control over everything.

But as the doctor opened the door and he saw his wife and child, all thoughts scattered. Kiara looked exhausted, but stunningly beautiful, as she looked down at the tiny baby in her arms.

Love and joy ripped through him with such sharpness that it actually brought tears to his eyes.

Kiara met his gaze and the smile on her face slammed into him. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He made his way over to her, wishing he could run. Uncertain, he reached out to pull the blanket back so that he could stare at the smallest being he’d ever seen.

His son.

Nykyrian couldn’t believe it. After all the lives he’d taken . . .

He didn’t deserve this. That baby was too perfect and too beautiful to have come from something like him. His hand shook as the baby made a gurgling sound.

Kiara watched Nykyrian closely, wondering what thoughts were in his head. “Meet your son, Nykyrian.” She held him out toward him.

Nykyrian stepped back as if afraid. “I don’t think I should.”

She arched a brow until she realized something. “You’ve never been around a baby, have you?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t know they were that small.”

She laughed. “He won’t be for long.” Reaching out, she pulled him toward her. “You won’t hurt him.”

Nykyrian swallowed as she put the baby in his arms. It was the most surreal moment of his life. He was a father . . .

While he’d grown used to the title with Thia, it wasn’t quite the same as looking down at this tiny infant, and it made him ache that he hadn’t been there when his daughter had been born.

He’d missed her entire childhood and he hated that fact. But he would never miss a second of Adron’s. He met Kiara’s gaze. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving me a life worth living. I know I’m not worth it, and that I don’t deserve it, but I swear to the gods I finally believe in that I will spend every moment I have left making you happy and trying to be worthy of you.”

Kiara’s eyes filled with tears. “Nykyrian, you are worth everything to me. And you always will be.”

And when she pulled his lips to hers and kissed him, for the first time in his life, he truly understood love. It wasn’t just an intangible emotion, it was when his own happiness was found by making her happy. It wasn’t something found in a grandiose gesture. It was found in the simplest form.

A single smile that made a cold-blooded assassin weak in the knees.