Harper woke up the next morning to see Knox in the rocking chair that had been placed beside their bed, gently rubbing the back of the swaddled sleeping baby resting on his chest. And her heart just melted. Yep, right into a puddle of goo.
Eyes of dark velvet met hers, and Knox smiled. There was pride, contentment, and… peace there. “Morning, baby,” he said quietly. “How are you feeling?”
She sat up as she took stock of herself. “Good, all things considered.” A little sore, but she knew that wouldn’t last long, since demons healed fast. “Tell me I didn’t sleep through him waking up for a feed.”
Knox shook his head. “You’ve both been asleep for a long while.”
Which was no doubt why she no longer felt drained, she thought. Demons didn’t need much sleep, after all.
“You literally dropped to sleep like you’d been dealt a blow to the jaw,” Knox told her, unable to hide the amusement from his voice. He hadn’t initially found it amusing, though. “I was worried at first, but then I figured it wasn’t such a surprise, given that you’d not only been through labor but were probably psychically exhausted after using your gifts.”
Harper nodded. “Psychic burnout is never fun.” She’d fed the baby shortly after he was born – though it had taken a little work since he’d simply refused to cooperate and suckle – and no sooner had Knox taken him to have another hold than Harper lost the battle she’d been fighting against the need for sleep.
Standing, Knox said, “Shuffle over.”
Once she did so, he slid onto the bed beside her, careful not to jostle the baby. Unable to get rid of the silly grin on her face, Harper shifted his little hat slightly just to press a quick kiss to his downy head. His hair was as dark and silky as Knox’s was, to her utter delight. She inhaled deeply, taking in his baby fresh, sweet scent. Few things smelled better than a newborn baby, she thought. It made her want to gobble him up.
“Where’s mine?” Knox asked, mouth curved.
“Right here,” whispered Harper before giving him a soft, lingering kiss that he quickly took over – deepening it, yet keeping it gentle and almost… reverent.
Pulling back, Knox curled her hair behind her ear and stroked his thumb over her cheekbone. “I needed that.” Moving the baby from his shoulder to his chest so that she could see his little face, Knox said, “You do realize that we still haven’t settled on a name for him yet, don’t you?”
“There was only one name we agreed on, remember. That name still good for you?”
“Yeah.” Knox looked down at their son. “He looks like an ‘Asher’.”
Harper nodded. “Then Asher Knox Thorne it is. Damn, he’s just you with a lot less hair.”
The resemblance was clear to see, Knox thought. And that only fed the pride he felt each time he looked at Asher. “I still hope he has your eyes.”
“Then you’re an idiot.”
Knox shot her a mock glare. “Your eyes are unique and beautiful.”
“They’re a pain in my ass – that’s what they are.” She stilled as Asher shifted, but he didn’t wake.
Knox sighed. “He keeps pulling his knees up and trying to curl into a ball.”
“Like he’s still in the womb.” Harper stretched, yawning. “I really need coffee. And food.”
“I told Meg that you’re awake. She’ll bring us breakfast soon and formula for Asher, since it’s likely he’ll wake up soon too. While we wait, you can tell me what happened yesterday.”
Her stomach plummeted. “Do we have to talk about it?”
He breezed his thumb along her jaw. “I need to know, baby. I can understand why you wouldn’t want to talk about it, but —”
“Not knowing is driving you crazy, I get it.”
“I know a little from McCauley.” He quickly relayed the child’s version of events to her. “I need to hear the rest.”
“Okay.” So, she told him how Nora had taken her, and how Linda had then stayed inside the circle with her while the incantors chanted, infecting her with magick and inducing labor. “Nora wasn’t working with the other Horsemen. She said they wanted to lie low for a while. Unfortunately, that was all she said about them. I got the feeling she didn’t want the attention being taken from her.” Harper cocked her head. “How did you get to me?”
“Thatcher reopened the portal.”
She blinked. “Thatcher?”
“I didn’t like accepting his help. For all I knew, he was stalling for Nora. That was why I had Levi contact his incantor-friend. She said that Thatcher was doing exactly what she would have done, only he was doing it faster, so I didn’t interfere and just hoped to God he wasn’t playing me.” It was the fear in her telepathic voice that had made Knox take the chance. He hadn’t been able to bear it.
“So, you no longer suspect him of being one of the Horsemen?”
“I didn’t say that. I’ll never dismiss any of them as potential suspects. Not when that would put you and Asher at risk. Did Linda happen to tell you why she helped Nora?”
Harper took a moment to gaze at her son again before answering, “She promised Linda she could have Asher. As you know, all Linda wanted was a child.”
Knox frowned. “I don’t think Nora would have handed him over to anyone.”
“Neither do I.” Harper fiddled with her rings. “I said as much to Linda, but she didn’t listen. So I killed her,” she added a little too cheerfully.
Knox chuckled. “I’m jealous.”
“Hey, you got to kill Nora, remember.”
“No, my demon did.” He exhaled heavily. “I was really hoping it wouldn’t kill her. She could have told us who the last Horseman is.”
“She wouldn’t have told,” said Harper. “And, honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted to let her live. She was too powerful. I’d have worried that she might escape, especially since it’s highly likely that she was able to help Crow escape your prison.”
Knox rubbed her thigh. “Then I’m glad she’s gone so you don’t have to waste another thought on her.”
So was Harper. “Does Wyatt know about Linda yet?”
“He knows that she’s dead and that she was working with Nora to some extent, but he doesn’t know the full story yet. He will soon. Keenan and Larkin will pay him a visit later today.”
“On the one hand, I feel bad for him. It’s going to be hard for him to accept that his partner pretty much betrayed us all, but he betrayed her first. Talia was one of the people he cheated on Linda with.”
“And yet, she wanted McCauley?” Knox asked, incredulous.
“She wanted a kid.” Harper lightly stroked Asher’s leg over his fleecy white blanket. “How was McCauley when you last saw him?”
“Same as always, but he seemed glad to get back to Elena. I think he’ll settle there.”
“Good. He might be weird and creepy, and it’s true that his demon sent him to warn me for selfish reasons, but he still helped you work out what was happening.”
Knox nodded, slightly distracted by how stiffly she was moving. “How sore are you?”
“Not as sore as I thought I’d be.”
“Maybe that’s because you weren’t in labor for very long. According to Sharon, first pregnancies usually… why do you have an odd look on your face?” But she didn’t answer him. “Harper,” he prodded.
“Okay,” she relented. Harper hadn’t wanted to tell him this, but she didn’t like keeping things from him. “Time was different there.”
Knox narrowed his eyes. “Different how?”
“A minute to you was… an hour to me.”
He quickly calculated the time in his head. “You went through that agony for over fifteen hours on your own? You were trapped there all that time?”
She took his hand and squeezed it. “I knew you’d come.”
Knox swore under his breath. “I hate that you went through most of the labor alone – Linda might have been there but she doesn’t fucking count.” He clenched his jaw. “I hate that I wasn’t there for you.”
Leaning forward, she rubbed her nose against his. “Don’t go beating yourself up about it, Knox – it wasn’t your fault. I wish you had been there, because I feel like you were robbed of the experience. But most guys will tell you that the labor itself is pretty boring anyway.” Hoping to shift his mood, she quickly added, “On another note, we’re gonna have our work cut out with this kid. He protected me.” A faint smile played around the edges of Knox’s mouth, to her relief.
“Yes, I remember the shield that slammed up in front of my demon when it tried to get to you. I wasn’t sure if it was really Asher, though.”
“Oh, it was definitely him. Your demon knew he’d be powerful, didn’t it?”
“It would seem so.” His demon still wasn’t being very upfront about it. He rubbed her thigh again. “Baby, about my demon, about what it did to you —”
“Don’t you apologize for it. The pain it inflicted was necessary to make sure I lived, just like all that labor pain was necessary for Asher to be born.”
“Intellectually, I know that.” Linking his fingers through hers, Knox kissed her hand. “I wish I could say my demon feels bad about it, but it doesn’t.”
“Of course it doesn’t – our inner demons feel no guilt.”
“It does wish you were spared the pain, but it doesn’t regret what it did.”
“Neither do I,” she said truthfully. “Just like I don’t regret absorbing the vortex’s energy to help me use my gifts – which incidentally also helped Asher to use his. It was a risk, but I had to take it. I was out of options. Things might have ended very, very differently if I hadn’t done what I did.”
“You think I’d ever blame you for that? You did what you had to do.”
“And so did your demon,” she pointed out. Knox opened his mouth to say something else, but then his brows snapped together and she sensed him speaking to someone telepathically. “What is it?” she asked.
“Meg told the sentinels that you’re awake. They’re asking if they can come up here.”
Harper blinked. “They’re downstairs?”
“They camped out in the living room with Jolene and the girls.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised. Have they seen Asher yet?”
“No. We both stayed here with you.” Knox hadn’t wanted her out of his sight; probably wouldn’t for a while, he thought. “Honestly, I figured he’d wake after a few hours. Maybe he psychically tired himself out trying to protect you.”
Harper bit her lip, nauseous all of a sudden. “I don’t like that idea.”
“He’ll be fine. He is fine.”
“How’s your demon doing?”
“Fascinated by Asher, and it’s no longer stressing now that you’re awake, which is good. What about yours?”
“It seriously adores the sight of you holding Asher.”
His mouth curved, but then he sighed again. “Apparently, your grandmother woke up and is now also pushing to see you.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “I need to use the bathroom and stuff; then they can come in.” After she’d done her business, Knox curled an arm around her waist and brought her to sit on his lap on the chair, careful not to jar Asher. “Thank you for giving me my son.”
The wealth of possession in his voice made her smile. “Thank you for giving him to me.”
“You were amazing yesterday. I’m fucking proud of you. You went through a lot for the three of us to be right where we are now. I love you, baby.”
She brushed her mouth against his. “And I love you.” At the knock on the door, she let out a long breath. “Brace yourself.” Getting back into bed, she propped herself up against the headboard. She held her arms out for Asher, wanting to have a little hold before they came in and took him, but knuckles again rapped on the door – this time impatiently.
Knox opened it wide, still holding Asher. Jolene entered first and literally melted as she got a good look at the baby. “Knox, he’s just you with a lot less hair.”
Harper smiled. “That’s what I said.”
Jolene wasted no time in taking Asher from him and, nuzzling his head, then made a beeline for Harper. She kissed her hair. “You did good, sweetheart. He’s beautiful. Does he have a name yet?”
“Asher,” Knox told her.
“Asher,” Raini echoed as she walked in. “I like that.”
“Very appropriate, all things considered,” said Levi, no doubt remembering the shield of embers, sparks, and ashes.
Everyone filed in, kissing Asher’s head and then giving Harper a brief hug, but none succeeded at getting their hands on the baby. Jolene was determined to have her moment with him.
“He smells so good,” said Khloë.
“I hope you know that male sphinxes are a handful,” Jolene told Knox. “Worse than girls. Hopefully he won’t share Harper’s ability to infuse hellfire into things. She ruined at least three sofas and once set fire to her own cradle because she wanted out. That’s not counting the times she burned her way through the safety straps of her stroller, car seat, and high chair. Really, I pity you if Asher has that ability.”
“He’s powerful,” said Devon. “I can feel it.”
Tanner nodded. “We had a peek at the kid in action.” He briefly described what happened.
Jolene grinned, proud. “He’s definitely a Wallis.”
Knox’s jaw clenched. “He’s a Thorne.”
Jolene waved that away, as if the surname was a mere technicality. “You know what I mean. Oh, he’s waking up. Well, hello there.” As a unit, everyone crowded around Jolene, whispering and cooing at Asher, all the while ignoring Jolene’s glowers.
Harper smiled as Asher’s mind slid against hers – it was a questioning touch, like he was wondering where she was. She gave his mind a reassuring stroke. “This kid is gonna be demanding.”
Knox raised a brow. “You expected anything else?”
She shook her head. “No, not at all.”
“Grams, stop hogging him,” Khloë complained. With a huff, Jolene passed him to Khloë. Soon, the baby was passed around from person to person.
“His demon just surfaced and took my measure,” said Keenan, grinning. “I think I passed my assessment, because it retreated.”
Taking Asher from the incubus, Raini turned to Harper as she stroked her finger over Asher’s cheek. “Does he look like the baby in those dreams you told me about?”
“No,” Harper replied. “Those weren’t premonitions. Those were my subconscious telling me to wake the fuck up and realize I was pregnant.”
“He’s so tiny,” said Devon. “He didn’t need an incubator?”
Knox shook his head. “Rodgers thought he might, since he was born early, but he’s kept up his own body temperature just fine.”
“Of course he has,” said Jolene. “He’s a Wallis.”
Knox glared at her. “He’s a Thorne.”
Jolene again waved that away. “How much does he weigh?”
“Asher Knox Thorne made his grand entrance weighing five pounds two ounces, which isn’t bad at all for a premature baby,” said Harper.
“Not bad at all,” agreed Jolene. “Well, Harper, how does it feel to be a mom?”
Harper couldn’t help but smile. “Like everything’s right in the world.”
Knox took her hand. Everything is right. “I’m hoping he’ll have Harper’s eyes.”
She sighed at him. “Knox, why do you hate our son?”
Jolene scowled at her. “There’s nothing wrong with your eyes. They’re beautiful.”
“That’s what I said,” said Knox.
Harper shook her head. “Forget it. How about we just – oh God, no.”
Knox frowned. “What?” He tracked her gaze, and could only sigh.
In the doorway, Lou thrust his arms up in the air. “We have ourselves a baby.” Stalking forward, he pushed through the crowd until he reached Raini, who was still holding Asher. “Girl? Boy?”
“Boy,” Raini told him.
He turned to Knox and raised his hand. “Hey, up high!”
“Well, hello, Lou,” Jolene said from behind him.
Lou’s mouth tightened and he dropped his arm. “I’m still not talking to you, evil woman.”
Jolene rolled her eyes. “You really need to stop holding grudges. Besides, taking things personally when you’re dealing with an imp is utterly pointless and —”
“La, la, la, la, la, la, deaf ears.”
Harper just looked at him. “I can’t imagine what a joy it must be up there in your head.”
Lou stroked Asher’s cheek. “Hey, little guy. You remember your Uncle Lou, don’t you? Of course you do. Who’d ever forget me?” He peered at Harper. “I don’t suppose you did the right thing and named him Lucifer.”
“His name is Asher,” Knox told him.
Surprisingly, Lou grinned. “I like that. It’s a good name for a boy who might one day decimate the universe. His demon is taking my measure.” He held his arms out. “I want a little hold.” But Raini frowned.
“Just let him have a hold,” said Knox with a sigh. “It’s the fastest way to make him leave.”
Lou’s grin widened. “I always feel so welcome here.” He carefully cradled the baby. “You look just like your daddy. Yes, you do, but don’t be upset; we all have crosses to bear.”
“Don’t think I won’t hurt you,” said Harper.
Lou’s brows drew together. “I was comforting him.”
“You were being an ass.”
“And this surprises you why?”
Harper just sighed. “I can’t do this with you. I don’t have the energy.”
“I heard labor is tiring work.” His brow creased, as if something only just occurred to him. “Hey, I thought the baby wasn’t due for another month.”
Harper scratched her head. “Yeah, well, the deadline got pushed ahead by one of the Horsemen.”
Lou scowled. “Seriously? What happened? What did the —?” His scowl morphed into a look of utter distaste, and he peered down at Asher. “Ew, he just farted right on my hand.”
At that moment, the door again opened and Meg strolled in, carrying a tray. “Visiting time is over,” she declared. “Mom and baby need rest.” She placed the tray on the nightstand, and the scents of coffee, biscuits, and gravy made Harper inwardly sigh happily.
Meg carefully took Asher from a cooing Lou and handed him over to Harper. “There.” She then gave her the bottle of formula from the tray. “He’ll be hungry.”
“Can’t I feed him?” begged Devon.
Looking rather fierce, Meg shook her head and waved her hands at the others, urging them out of the room. “Time to leave.”
Smiling at Harper, Khloë jerked her thumb toward Meg. “Does she know she’s an employee?”
Harper chuckled. “I wouldn’t mess with her if I were you.”
“Come on, out, they need rest,” Meg insisted. “You can come back tomorrow.”
Ignoring her, Lou spoke to Harper, “Wait, you haven’t told me what happened with the Horse-person yet.”
Jolene took his arm. “I’ll tell you all about it. Meg’s right, they need rest.”
He shrugged her off. “I told you, I’m still not talking to you.”
Saying their goodbyes, everyone filed out. Apart from Knox, of course. Meg gave him a pointed look.
“Sorry, Meg, you’re not kicking me out,” he told her, sinking into the rocking chair. “I’m staying with my family.”
The latter comment seemed to melt the woman. Smiling, Meg nodded and left the room, softly closing the door behind her.
“He latched on with no problems this time,” Harper told Knox, watching the baby drink the formula.
Knox leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the mattress. “That’s good.” Ignoring the sound of his cell chiming, he added, “We need him to grow and get stronger.”
“Aren’t you going to answer your phone?”
“It’ll probably just be another of the Primes. We’ve had dozens of congratulatory calls and emails from them.”
Harper tipped her chin toward the phone that had been placed on the bedside cabinet. “Any texts sent to my cell?”
Knox checked. “A lot. There’s one from Kellen,” he added, barely able to hide his annoyance.
“Saying?”
Knox opened the message. “It says, ‘Congratulations. I know you’ll be a better mom than ours is’.” Relaxing slightly, Knox cupped her face and breezed his thumb along her lower lip. “He’s right. You will be.”
“You wouldn’t let me be anything else.”
Knox lightly skimmed his hand over the baby’s hat-covered head. “There are no messages from Lucian, so I’m guessing he doesn’t yet know that Asher’s been born.”
“I’ll speak to him later.”
“Just be aware that if he calls our child the spawn of evil again I will hurt him.” It would be the perfect excuse to finally get his hands on the son of a bitch.
“I think you’ll be surprised by his reaction.”
“How so?”
“He wasn’t happy that I was pregnant, but now that Asher’s actually a person – someone who he can see and touch – Lucian won’t be such an ass. He likes babies. He just doesn’t like caring for them because he’s no good at it.”
“I’m very aware of that,” Knox rumbled, thinking of her upbringing. “I didn’t understand his behavior before, and I especially don’t understand it now that I have Asher. I know I could never abandon him. I know I could never do anything to harm him.”
“Do you really want to talk about Lucian?”
“No.” Knox touched Asher’s little fist. “I’m more interested in knowing if you’re going to give me what I asked for.”
“Knox —”
“I want to give you my name, baby. I want us all to share the same one.”
Her mouth slowly curved. “So do I; you don’t have to try to persuade me.”
Satisfaction coursed through him, and he kissed her palm again. “Thank you, Harper Thorne.”
“That’s going to take some getting used to.” She looked at Asher. “So is being a parent. I still can’t believe we made this little person.”
Knox smiled. “He’s perfect. Amazing. Just like his mom.”
“Just like his dad,” Harper corrected. Seeing that he’d drank half his bottle, Harper gently pulled it from his mouth and handed it to Knox. She then sat Asher upright, gently curving her hand around the front of his neck to hold him up while she rubbed his back.
“I can’t get over how tiny he is,” said Knox. The baby’s eyes opened, and his blue eyes bled to black. The demon stared out at him, and Knox’s own demon rose to the surface for just a moment before both entities retreated. They had done it once before, shortly after Asher was born. Both times, Knox’s demon chuckled – it was a sound that held a secret. “I still think there’s something my demon isn’t telling us.”
“Probably, because this kid’s as powerful as people expected he would be.” That unnerved her in ways she didn’t want to think about. “Do we hide that he’s powerful so no one sees him as a threat?”
“We can only hide that for as long as we keep him here, where he can’t be reached or seen. It’s easy to sense all that power. I’m good with keeping him here for a little while.”
“Me, too. I don’t think people will be suspicious of that, considering I was recently kidnapped by Nora, who wanted to take the baby.”
Knox rubbed her leg. “I didn’t think I’d ever have this. Someone who was mine. A child. A family. Didn’t see it coming.” His face hardened as he added, “I’ll fight to the death to protect and keep what we have.”
“So will I, and so will our demons. And if anyone out there decides to test us on that, they’ll find out that there are much worse things than death.”
Knox had to smile. “Have I mentioned that I love how bloodthirsty you are?”
“Once or twice. Never hurts to hear it again.”
He chuckled. “You are bloodthirsty, Harper. And beautiful. And smart. And so fucking strong. There’s no one like you, and I love that you belong to me.”
“Then kiss me and shut up, because you’re making me blush.”
Chuckling again, he did.