I don’t recall anything from the past two hours, other than watching my little bird fight the dawn. She won’t open her pretty green eyes for me, still unconscious and far away, yet so close. The police let me ride in the ambulance, and then they took my statement as the doctor whisked my lady away from me. I growled through clenched teeth, having to let the cops and doctors separate us. But I gave them access to my security footage and the contact through the security company without a blink. 

The only thing I am laser-focused on is being wrapped up in Lizith and nursing her back to health. My stomach ties in knots as I stare down at her angelic face lost in the slumber of her subconscious, and for the first time in a long time, the spiritual man inside me comes forth as I beg the gods, the heavens, and the universe, whoever the hell will listen, to heal my girl. I would even beg the devil and sell him my soul if he would breathe life back into my only reason for existing. 

“Xander.” A voice I wasn’t expecting calls me from my lost thoughts, and I turn toward the door of Lizith’s private room. 

“Dennis. I’m glad you came.” I stand and button my jacket. My hair is a disheveled mess, but I still try my best to look like a guardian over my broken angel. Even though I am anything but. I am a man gone, fucking lost, dying internally because the woman I would lay my life down for is fighting to come back to me. I bet in that mind of hers she is chasing me, trying to catch that fading light I stand in the center of. And I have faith in our love, and even more faith in my little bird. She wouldn't leave this earth before me. She’ll likely leave it the day after me. Because she’s my very blood, bones, and flesh. Our souls are intertwined, and not even death can part us. 

Fight, little bird. Fight, and I will reward you with a lifetime of everything you’ve ever dreamed of and more. 

“I will be honest, Stine. I’m surprised you called me at all.” He looks over my shoulder, and I watch the tortured expression overtake him as he watches the most precious thing that graced this earth lie there helpless. 

“I’ll always do what my Lizith would want, and that means calling you and bringing you here.” He nods in understanding. I’m nothing but clear—this was not for him; this is for her. 

“My little girl,” he whispers, walking around me to stand at her bedside.

I watch carefully, making sure he doesn't move her in the slightest. In my mind, any movement could hurt her. She looks so fragile. 

“Oh, honey,” he exhales, his eyes welling with tears. He leans over and kisses her forehead, and I resume my seat at her side, taking her thin hand gently in mine. I bring her fingertips to my lips, kissing each one repeatedly. She still tastes like my bird, and I’m even more eager for her to wake.

Feel me, bird. Keep running to me, and I will lick your wounds after days and days of rest. 

“I’m really sorry, baby girl. I let you down. My choices put you here.”

I don’t say anything, knowing he needs this. This wasn't all his fault; this was both of us. His poor choices and my lack of protection put my queen in this position. Lizith has been a martyr for us since the moment she fell under my spell, and I should have known one day that would put her in danger. I owe her all the riches in this world. 

“Her mother must be so disappointed with me,” he murmurs, and even though he is looking at her, I know he’s speaking to us both. “When I met Jacqueline, I didn't fall in love with her. I was blinded by the idea of her. The hope that she could stop the pain I felt from losing Briana, but she never did. Within months, I knew she was never going to be able to fill that hole in me. No one will ever take her place.” 

Dennis peers up at me, and I nod knowingly. Lizith is a product of Briana; she has told me that multiple times since we fell in love. And I would never be able to replace Lizith. Not even in death, nor thereafter. 

“She threatened to find whatever I loved most and destroy it in the palm of her hand. Turn it to ashes,” he confesses. 

I growl, her threat broad but hitting me right where my jugular is. I hate that woman.

“But with time, she forgot about me. Years went by, and I knew I could finally breathe. But then I found out about you two, and so did she. When she called me and told me she found a way to hurt me, I started planning. I watched her, followed her for days, and the moment I slipped up, she got to my daughter—my life.” 

“Mine,” I rumble, reclaiming my woman within seconds. 

“Easy there. She was mine first, and I may be opening up to you, but I still don’t think you're good enough for my little girl,” he says with no trace of deception. He is serious. 

“I’m not. No one is, but if she is going to settle, I will gladly be that placeholder.” 

“I love her, Xander. I know my presence has been nonexistent since her mother passed, but we all cope in our own ways. And unfortunately, I did it wrong, and it nearly cost me the only part of Briana I have left. Our daughter.” 

“Then be in her life,” I mutter, not wanting to share her, but knowing she needs him. Lizith claims I am all she will ever need, but I know better what my little bird needs. 

“I want to. I just didn't know how to before. I do now, seeing her like this.” 

“You should see what it is doing to me. It’s dark and hollow in there.” I don't look at him, but I feel his eyes burning into me as I place my hand over my heart. 

“You love her, don't you?” 

“What kind of foolish question is that? I don’t just love her, Dennis. I fucking live and exist only for her. You will never understand the ties we have or the way she and I were born as two parts of a whole. We walked this earth with the same soul. Only in our meeting did I feel like I had finally lived.” I hear his gulp and I don’t even bat a lash. I will let everyone who crosses paths with Lizith know what she means to me, no matter the consequences. 

“Don’t let her go. Don’t ruin my little girl, all right?” he pleas. 

Finally, I tear my eyes from Lizith, and with no expression, I tell him with surety, “I already ruined her.”

He blinks a couple times, and I swear I feel the shiver up his spine all the way from here. 

“Xander? Daddy?”

Angels sing in my ear. I stand, and the chair goes flying back, but Lizith’s hand stays in mine. Her soft green eyes open and close slowly, lazily, squinting in pain. 

I push the button beside her bed and signal for the nurse. Grabbing her ice water from the side table, I bring it to her lips, nursing her already. My heart is in my throat. I can feel it pulsing through me at an uncharted rate. She takes a few little sips, smiling up at me as best she can in her groggy state. 

“What happened? Did you stop her?” Her eyes suddenly grow wild, and I see fear etched in every part of her body. Her tense shoulders, her wide eyes, and her tight lips. 

“She’s dead. She tripped and impaled herself on the knife she was going to attack me with—”

“Stop,” she interrupts. “She’s gone, and I don’t care to know the details. She could have killed me, Xander. She could have killed our child.” She takes her IV-connected hand and rubs circles on her stomach. I watch her eyes fill with pools of tears. 

“No, no, our little one is fine. They did a test earlier and said everything looked good.”  

“Yes, your little girl is doing just fine. Her heartbeat is as strong as ever,” the doctor announces, and we both freeze, our eyes locked. I reach for her hand and bring it to my lips as a soft whimper leaves hers. Dennis takes her other hand and gives it a squeeze, and I sneak a glimpse at him to see him watching her adoringly. 

“It’s a girl?” Lizith asks, and the doctor rolls a seat up to the foot of her bed. 

“Yes, she’s a healthy baby girl.” 

“Xander!” she exclaims, pulling my hand to her lips this time and peppering it with soft kisses. I feel my chest puff out and my lion mane ruffle with pride. She’s made me a father. 

“You gave me a little girl, huh?”

She stops, and uncaring that others are in the room, she looks remorseful, her eyes dropping. “Is that not okay? Did you want a son, my keeper?” 

I growl and lean in suddenly, everyone in the room fading away. “Do not say such terrible things, little bird. I want whatever you will give me. A little one just like you is more than enough. My perfect family.” I brush my lips against hers, and she tries to pull me in deeper, but I stop, not wanting to share too much of our passion with others around us. 

“Your mother would be so proud.” Dennis steals her attention and I let him, reluctantly stepping away and freeing her hand from mine while I stand to speak to the doctor after he checks over the monitor and all her vitals. 

I listen in closely though. 

“I heard everything. I could hear you and Xander talking. Daddy, this wasn't your fault, and I may have been mad at you, but I understand the pain of losing what you love, losing your everything.” I know she’s referring to the day I left her. 

“But I still shouldn't have let you down. You needed me after your mother died, and I grew selfish and let you walk around alone and broken. I was the worst father.”

I do my best not to agree or say anything, letting them have this moment. 

“I forgive you, Daddy. Just, please, be in my life more. I want our daughter to have a grandfather. I want her to know about Mom, and I can’t do that if you aren't there sharing all the stories and giving her love. I don’t have many people in my life, Daddy. It’s just you and Xander, and I am okay with that, but I want her to have an abundance of love.”

Oh, my little bird, so gentle and nurturing. I peer over my shoulder at her, and in that split second, I want to flip the roles, crawl to her on my hands and knees, and beg for her love and fucking affection. 

“I will be there. We will mend what I broke, and I will be there.” He makes this promise to her, and I store it away for a day when he may try to forget it, but I will never let him. You make a promise to my queen and I will see that it is followed through. 

“All right, her vitals are normal. We want to keep watch on her for the next couple hours, and then we will release her later this afternoon. Do you have any questions?” Her doctor snaps me from my eavesdropping, and I shake my head. Giving him a curt nod and thank you, I shake his hand and let him leave.

“I would like to let our girl sleep. She needs her rest, Dennis.”

He nods in agreement, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead and saying a gentle goodbye. “Call me when she is awake and doing better.”

This whole sharing thing is going to be the death of me. “I will call you when she’s had a couple days of rest, and then you can stop by and have dinner with us.”

His eyes glint, hope sparking in them, and I almost tell him to not get too excited, but when I look to Lizith, I see the softest, most thankful smile she has ever worn on that delicate face, and I puff up my chest. I would give her anything. 

“Thank you. Sounds good. Call me if you need anything, sweetie,” he says to her one last time before disappearing and leaving me alone with her. 

“You were so kind to him, Mr. Stine. Whatever did I do to deserve such niceties?”

I grin and climb onto the small, stiff bed, and then I move her gently, making sure not to hurt her. “You just fought our biggest battle yet, and I think you deserve much more than me being kind to your father.” I place her chin between my thumb and pointer finger and tilt her head up to me carefully. “Do you want to talk about it, my love?” I change the subject, and I watch terror and pain pass through her eyes. 

“I never want to talk about her again. Not this day, not the past, and I certainly don’t want her tainting our future,” she whispers. 

“Anything you want, baby. I will never utter her name again.” 

I leave out the part that, while trying to occupy myself, waiting for Lizith to gain consciousness again, I’d sent my lawyer an email asking what would happen with my filed divorce paperwork. I received a response stating Jacqueline’s and my marriage ended upon her death. Instead, I keep that to myself and make my own plans. I will marry Lizith soon, while she is still pregnant with our daughter, growing our life and starting ours. 

“Xander, we are going to make it out of this, right?” she asks, looking around. 

“We always do. I promise to never let another day go by with pain or secrets or regrets. I will protect you from here on out, little bird. Trust in me.” I kiss her lips softly. They are dry from her being unconscious and dehydrated, but instead of offering her more water, I wet her lips with my tongue. She moans into my mouth, and we spend minutes kissing with a softness I am growing to love. I want to be gentle with her when she is heavy with our child. I want to safeguard her and spoil her with things she has never had before me.

“I love you so much. Thank you for being pleased with a little girl.” She blushes, her lip catching between her teeth. 

I nearly take her on this bed right here when she does this. “I believe you know what it means when you get pregnant with a girl.” 

My smart girl smirks knowingly. “Why yes, my keeper. They say men with higher testosterone create girls.” Her hand travels down my abs, and she plays with the belt around my expensive suit pants. I growl and feel her feeding my ego, and it starts to boil out of control. 

“You know how to bring me to my knees. You know my weaknesses, little bird.” 

“The tables have turned, and that terrifies you.” Lizith grows bold and grabs my cock over my slacks, and I react.

Grabbing her wrist with force, I lean in and bite the soft skin of her blushed cheek. “Do not mistake my gentleness for loss of power. I still own you.”

She whimpers. “But the only difference now is I own you too. We own one another, Xander.” 

I smirk at her wit. “Yes, we do. Now shut those eyes, Lizith, because you need rest. Do not make me tell you twice.” 

“Yes, my love.” She does as told, and for the next few hours, I hear those steady breaths and feel that strong heartbeat against my side where she is curled into me. 

I love you, Lizith, and soon you will be tied to me.