CHAPTER 20
(Jules’ Point of View)
As I look down at the baby whose health and happiness were entrusted to me and feel Ethan wrap his arm around the small of my waist, a sense of finally finding my place in the universe fills my soul, causing my heart to ache, but in a good way.
“Why do you think he was born with wings?” I ask Ethan, gently stroking one wing with my free hand and finding its feathers softer than velvet against the tips of my fingers.
“I don’t know,” he replies, sounding as mystified as me over the small miracle cradled in my arms. Ethan looks at Desmond and says, “Do you have any idea why, Desmond?”
“I have a theory, but that’s about all it is at the moment,” he tells us with a small shrug. “I don’t believe there’s any way for me to actually prove it.”
“Tell us what your theory is,” Anna urges, obviously as intrigued to hear the answer as we are.
“Well,” Desmond begins thoughtfully, “Helena has always had the power to make all manner of creatures in Hell. Considering she made her own body and basically her own genetic material, my theory is that she was able to manipulate the baby’s genetic code into what she imagined her and Cade’s child should look like. I don’t even think she was aware that she was doing it, because when she visited me and we looked at him with a prenatal hologram device, she seemed as surprised as I was by his wings.”
“He’s so gorgeous,” Anna croons, unable to stop herself from smiling at the baby in my arms.
“What are the two of you going to name him?” my mom asks, joining our little group as we all stare in awe of Cade and Helena’s child.
“I understand why she doesn’t want him to know who his real parents are,” I say, “but I think he should have something of her and Cade in his name.” I pause for a moment before I settle on the perfect one. “I think we should call him Calen, Cal for short.”
“Cal,” Anna says, trying the name out. “I like that. Will it be Calen Grace or Calen Knight, though?”
“I think Calen Grace Knight has a nice ring to it,” I reply, giving Ethan a sideways glance to see his reaction to the combination of our last names.
His response is a smile, so I take that as a good sign that he heartily approves.
As Cal snuggles in closer against my breasts and falls asleep, I begin to wonder about Helena’s other request.
“But where are we going to raise him?” I ask the group. “Helena wants us to take him to a place where no one can tell him about his true origins. Does a place like that even exist in the universe?”
“I have a suggestion,” Anna says, looking warily at me as if she’s not sure how I will respond to her proposal. “I actually spoke with Ethan about my idea before the party, but he said he wanted to wait and think it through first. Ethan,” she says, looking at him, “my suggestion seems like a fortuitous one considering the current circumstances. It might be the safest place for all of you to go.”
“Go where?” I ask, looking between Ethan and Anna.
“Laed-i,” Ethan tells me. “Apparently the people there want me to rule them since I killed Manas, at least that’s what Zane reported back to us. But I know you hated it there …”
“I just disliked the pompous aristocrats who were in the palace,” I correct him. “If the regular people there are anything like Verati, I think we would be happy on Laed-i. Besides,” I look over at my mom, “didn’t you tell me that none of the rebellion angels were ever sent to that planet?”
“Yes, that’s true,” she replies, looking thoughtful. “And because of that, it might be one of the most secure planets for you to raise Cal on. If we can keep the rebellion angels ignorant of his whereabouts, he’ll be a lot safer. I would hate to know what Hale would do to Helena’s baby if he found him. I’m sure he would try to blackmail her in some way, and I think we can all agree that scenario would not play out well for any of us.”
“Agreed,” we all unintentionally say in unison.
“So what do you think, Cal?” I ask him. “Does Laed-i sound like a good place to make our home?”
Cal smiles in his sleep. I’m sure he didn’t understand a word I said. It was probably just the soft timbre of my voice that caused him to smile. Whatever the reason, I know now that he has officially captured my heart.
“Would you all mind excusing us for a moment?” Ethan says like a question when it’s really more of a statement. “I would like to speak with Jules alone.”
“I need to perform a thorough examination on Cal today,” Desmond tells us. “Do you plan to come back here afterwards?”
“Let’s meet up at Zane’s house on Laed-i,” Ethan replies. “I promise we’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Without waiting to see if anyone else has something to say or has a request to make, Ethan phases Cal and me to the planet with the magenta ocean. As we stand inside the white gazebo together, I naturally lean back into Ethan with Cal still slumbering comfortably in my arms. Ethan kisses the top of my head and hugs me close.
“I just thought we could use a few minutes alone,” he tells me. “I don’t think either of us were planning to become parents on our third date.”
I have to smile at that. “No. Definitely not, but look at him, Ethan. He’s absolute perfection.”
“And he’s ours,” Ethan says proudly. “Cade talked to me before he brought me to your cabin. When he told me what his intentions were—that he wanted you and me to become his son’s parents—I couldn’t believe our luck. I knew how much you wanted to have children, and this little one was like an unexpected gift for us.”
“Tomorrow is my birthday,” I tell Ethan. “And I don’t think I could have ever asked for a better gift.”
“We’ll need to move to Laed-i right away,” he tells me. “It will be safer for Cal if we keep him off of either of our home worlds.”
“Where will we live there?”
“I know one of Manas’ castles is on the mainland, not too far away from where Zane and Verati live. If you want, we can make it our home.”
“Well, I hate to tell you, King Ethan of Laed-i, but you still have to court me if you expect me to marry you one day,” I state firmly. “But I’m okay with us living together under the same roof for the time being. We just have to have separate quarters.”
I think we both know exactly where our relationship is headed, but even knowing that, I don’t want to rush things with Ethan. I want to take all the little steps in between with him and enjoy those moments to the fullest. I never really dated. Timothy and I were just always together. So getting married was simply a natural progression of our relationship. Now, I have a man who seems to want to make me happy, and we’ve been given the most unique and precious child in all existence to love and protect.
“I fully intend to court you, Jules Grace,” Ethan promises, dropping his hands away from me so he can turn to stand directly in front of me and Cal. “Not only do I plan to court you, but I also plan to marry you, make you my queen on Laed-i, and raise our son in a happy home just like Anna and Malcolm are doing for their children. I pledge to make our life together one that you will never regret living, and that our son will feel lucky to be a part of. The only family I’ve ever had are my brothers, but now I want to share the rest of my life with you and Cal. The two of you are my world now, and I want you to know that there is nothing that you can ask of me that I won’t do.”
“Then kiss me, Ethan Knight,” I say, unable to suppress a happy smile after hearing his words, “and let our first kiss mark the beginning of our life as a family.”
Ethan grins before leaning down to kiss Cal on the forehead first.
“I know I can never fill Cade’s shoes, and I would never try to replace him,” he whispers to Cal. “But I want you to know that I love you and will take care of you and your mother until the day I die. The two of you are my everything, and that will never change no matter what the future throws at us.”
Ethan lifts his head and raises his right hand to caress the side of my face.
“I’ve never considered myself a lucky man, but in the last few days, I’ve met my soul mate, earned the right to rule a world that desperately needs a strong leader, and been given the unexpected gift of a beautiful son. If those aren’t sure signs that my luck is changing, I don’t know what is, Jules. And now, I get to kiss the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen and possibly share my life with her, if she’ll have me.”
“Hm,” I say with my lips pursed, like I’m considering his request thoughtfully. “I just don’t know. It really all depends on how this first kiss goes, so you better make it a good one.”
Ethan’s smile broadens, and I know he’s beginning to understand my sense of humor.
“It’ll be so good you’ll never want me to stop,” he murmurs with the promise of love and happiness dancing in his eyes as he comes as close to me as he can without crowding Cal.
“Bold words,” I say, feeling my whole body ignite with breathless anticipation.
“True words,” he replies back confidently before pressing his lips against mine and making good on his promise.
My life has never been this sweet and perfect before, and I thank Helena for entrusting me with her most precious gift to the universe. I know the life Ethan, Cal, and I will have together may not be free of hardships (almost no one is blessed with such a fairy tale ending), but I do know that Ethan and I will make sure our son feels safe, happy, and, above all else, loved.