Two nights later, Loki lay awake in his bed, staring up at the beams in his bed chamber with his hands behind his head. Bella tossed and turned, something that had become more frequent in the later part of her pregnancy. Though he loved Lucas and Kenzie, Loki couldn’t help but hope they’d have a wee lassie this time. Poor Bella’s house was overrun with lads.
Loki had been awakened by another dream of the man in furs. This time he’d asked, “Where are you, Loki? I need you.”
He’d awakened in a cold sweat, but he’d decided not to move about for fear of awakening Bella. Still no closer to understanding the meaning of the man in furs, he couldn’t sleep. Kenzie hadn’t complained about any more dreams, but only a couple of nights had passed.
Bella rolled over and stared at him. The dark made it hard to see, but the look on her face told him that if it were daylight, he’d see that gleam in her eyes he loved so much.
She gave him a sweet smile, and he knew exactly what was on her mind.
“Restless, my wee one?” he asked.
“Wee one? Who do you think you’re talking to, husband?” She rolled onto her back and tossed the covers off, pulling up her night rail to expose her belly. “Does that look wee to you, because I think not.”
He laughed and rolled onto his side, leaning over to capture her lips with his own, delving into her sweet mouth with his tongue. “Are you trying to torture me, lass? You know I cannot climb aboard you at this point.”
She laughed and drawled, “Mayhap ‘tis my turn to enjoy the climbing.”
“I’m all yours.” He kissed her again and his hand crept down to the vee between her legs. “I see you’ve been thinking on me, aye?”
She pushed against his chest until he was flat on his back, grinning. She loomed over him and said, “I’ll show you how much I’ve been thinking on you.” Bella lifted her leg to straddle him and he grabbed her hips, guiding her to the right place. She began to ride him, the friction immediately making him hard, but then almost toppled off of him.
“Whoa, lassie, you’ll not be leaving me after starting that.” He repositioned her and said, “Hold on to my hands. I’ll keep you just where you want to be.”
Bella grabbed his hands to anchor herself, then began to writhe her mound against him. It didn’t take long until she lifted herself, panting, and took him inside, sheathing him completely with a deep sigh and a moan. “Loki, I do love you so.”
“Come for me, my Bella.”
She moved while he pleasured her every way he could.
“Your breasts are so full and beautiful. I love holding them.” As he caressed them and tweaked her nipples, he felt her sheath tighten around him. She let go with a moan and he followed, climaxing with her.
When they finished, he helped her into a position next to him, her head on his shoulder and her belly braced on his hip. “You must have wanted me,” he said. “You sure went fast, love.”
She giggled. “Happens every time you call this big body beautiful.”
“You know ‘tis only the bairn making you big, and you are still beautiful.”
A loud knock interrupted their intimacy, though they were fortunate it had not come a moment or two sooner.
“Come in,” Loki shouted after he helped Bella settle her gown, afraid it was Kenzie again. He pulled the covers up past his waist.
Kenzie bounded inside and threw himself across the bed.
“What is it, Kenzie?”
They didn’t have to wait long for his answer. Words spilled out of his mouth as fast as a falcon diving after its prey. “The man with furs came again. Make him stop, Papa. Make him go away. He scares me. I hate him. I…”
“Slow down, lad. You have not taken a breath after five sentences. You had another dream about the man in the furs?” He’d told Bella a bit about the dreams that had been plaguing him and Kenzie, though not in enough detail to concern her. She was too far along to be worrying about such things.
“Aye, and he told me something this time. Now I’m more afraid than ever.”
Bella moved away from Loki and motioned for Kenzie to come lie between them. “Come rest with us and tell us all about it.”
He did as she asked, maneuvering his wee body between them and then rolling over onto his back.
“Good. Now take a deep breath and start anew,” Bella whispered.
“The man with the furs came to me in my sleep again. This time, he told me something different.” The tears slid down his cheeks as he glanced from his mama to his papa. “I could see my true sire standing behind the man of furs. ‘Tis the first time I’ve seen him since he passed, and he did not look happy. I fear he does not want me to have two families. What have I done wrong?”
“Naught,” Loki said, reaching down to ruffle the lad’s hair. “You’ve done naught wrong, Kenzie. I do not think your true sire is upset with you. Did he say aught?”
“Nay. ‘Twas the look in his eyes that worried me.” He sat up and glanced from one of them to the other. “And then the man in the furs told me that I must bring you to Ayr, Papa. I think my true papa must want it, too, or he would not have been there.”
Bella looked at Loki, her gaze full of love, and said, “Then you must go.”
***
The next afternoon, Loki sat near the warm hearth beside Bella, his sire Brodie, and his mother Celestina. Wee Lucas was cuddled on his grandmama’s lap.
Loki cleared his throat before he began. “I thank you both for coming. I know not if I’m chasing something foolish, but Kenzie is so upset by these dreams that I’m hoping he’ll settle if we take him seriously. I…have to admit it troubles me that we’ve seen the same person in our dreams.”
“And will you go as far as Ayr?” Bella asked.
“I cannot say, but I’ll do my best to return as soon as I can, lassie. You know I’ve no desire to leave you. I’m only glad that Mama and Papa can stay with you while I’m gone. I’ll take this one day at a time, see if the lad and I continue to have the dreams after we depart.” He lowered his voice. “I cannot allow our son to believe ‘tis wrong to love two fathers. You’ve seen how distraught he is.”
Bella’s eyes teared up right away. “I know. I’ve not seen him this upset before. I thought he’d get over it when the sun rose, but it has only worsened.” She grasped Loki’s hand and squeezed it. “Do not worry. I’ll be fine.”
“Poor Kenzie. I can see the worry in his face. It unsettles me, Loki.” Celestina ran one hand over the sleeping bairn on her lap with a shake of her head. “Do what you must. Your brother will bring the girls over later. We’ll all be here to help Bella.”
“Mama, do you believe the dreams mean something?” He valued both of his parents’ opinions, but he’d heard his mother discuss the significance of dreams with his aunts. It seemed likely she might know something. Besides, his adoptive mother was an angel, more ethereal than anyone he’d ever met. If any living person knew of matters beyond this world, he trusted that she did.
His mother thought for a moment, then reached for his sire’s hand. “Loki, I for certes do not understand why the man asks about your name, but the fact that you’ve both been visited by a similar vision makes me think there is more to it.”
“You’re sure you’ve never discussed your dreams in front of him?” his father asked, glancing back and forth between him and Bella. “‘Tis most unusual that you’ve dreamed of the same man. You know of Avelina Ramsay and her powers. There are some aspects of this world that cannot be explained. This could be one of them.”
Both shook their heads in unison. He wouldn’t even confess how many times he’d hidden his dreams from Bella, not wanting to worry her during her time. But he could no longer ignore them. It would seem someone had a message for him and his son.
The door leading outside flew open and Kenzie bounced down the steps toward them. “We brushed down your horses, Grandsire. You’ll take good care of Mama while we’re gone?” Kenzie moved over to hug Bella fiercely.
“We will. I promise you.”
Kenzie stared at the floor for a moment before he whispered, “Do you think I’m daft, Grandmama? Do you think my true sire hates me for loving Mama and Papa?”
“Oh, Kenzie.” She handed Lucas off to Loki and patted her lap. To everyone’s surprise, the lad settled sideways on her lap, resting his head on her shoulder. “Your sire left this world too soon. He could not see you become a man, but I think he would be thrilled that you found Loki and Bella. Love is what makes us happiest, and have you not heard that the more love you give, the more you will receive?”
Kenzie sat up to stare into his grandmother’s eyes, his expression serious. “I’ll have to think on that. You do not think my true sire is upset with me for loving all of you?”
“Nay. I think if he were here, he would thank us all for taking you in and loving you as though you were our verra own. We do not ask you to forget your parents, which is also important. You do not believe your parents would be pleased to think of you living alone on the streets of Ayr, do you?”
“Nay, they would not want me to live there. That is true, but I must find out for sure. And I must find out about why the man in my dreams is so interested in Papa. ‘Tis strange that we’re having the same dreams, is it not?”
Brodie stood up and clasped his grandson’s shoulder. “Our hope is that you’ll find the answers you seek quickly so you can return to your mama and help her with the new bairn.”
They left the next morning.