Royal Wolf Box Set by Haley Weir
Chapter Seventeen
When it was time for the baby to be born, Cassandra insisted on going into the forest to birth the baby, and Aeron now agreed. He went with Rubius as Rubius carried Cassandra out through the secret corridor exit that led to the edge of the forest, and then the three of them slipped quietly into the trees.
Theo had been already tucked into bed, with several servants close by to keep watch over him. He had asked his parents if Marquette could stay in the room next to his so that they could do puzzles together until it was time for bed, and both Cassandra and Aeron had agreed to it. Theo fell asleep dreaming about Marquette’s big brown eyes staring back at him.
In the forest, the midwife met Cassandra and her two men in a deep clearing at the center of the woods. When the moment came for the baby to be pushed into the world, both men stayed by her side until the child was born. The midwife delighted in the fact that the baby was healthy and perfect, as was demonstrated by its shrill cries as the child sucked in its first harsh breaths of air in the nighttime cold.
“It’s a girl,” the midwife said as she smiled and handed the baby to Cassandra before leaving to let the family enjoy their first few moments of life together. “If you need me, just call into the night air. I won’t be far.”
Cassandra thanked the midwife as she laid between the shoulders of both Aeron and Rubius to hold the baby to her cheek. When she pulled the child away to look at her, she was breathtaken by the tufts of reddish hair that the child had – the same red tinge that Rubius had in his wolf coat while in his shifted form. There was no doubt that the baby was his.
As much as they had prepared for this outcome, she could almost hear the disappointment in her husband’s breaths. Aeron had still held out a small hope that if the baby had been his, then perhaps Cassandra would somehow be able to come back to him and they would add a daughter to their already perfect family. But now, it was obvious to him that Cassandra was being called to a new family now, and a new lover that had a hold of her heart.
“Theo was right,” she said teasingly as she tried to lighten the mood around them. “It is a girl.”
“She’s beautiful,” Aeron said tenderly. “What will you name her?”
Cassandra stared into her daughter’s bright green eyes that seemed to pop against the backsplash of her red hair and milky skin.
“Holly,” she said.
“It’s a perfect name,” Rubius said with a grin wider than his entire face.
Cassandra carefully handed Holly to Rubius so that he could hold his baby daughter in his arms. She was too full of happiness to be tired. Aeron got to his feet to leave.
“You’re leaving?” Cassandra asked. “Where are you going?”
“Back to the castle,” Aeron said. He smiled at her gently, but there was a look of sadness that lingered at the corners of his eyes. “Theo will want to know that he is right about his prediction.”
Cassandra giggled at his humor, but she knew what Aeron was doing. He was giving her, and Rubius, and their new child, a night to be alone together – their first night.
“Thank you,” she said as she reached up to Aeron and took his hand. His shoulders were a bit hunched with disappointment, but he squeezed.
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said. “I will give you as much time as I can, but you will likely need to return to the castle tomorrow, and so will she.” Aeron tilted his head toward the child.
Rubius handed the baby over to Cassandra and then stood up and squared himself in front of Aeron. Then, he extended his hand to him.
“No matter what tomorrow brings,” Rubius said, “you have given us tonight. You have given me a chance to spend a tender night in the forest together with the woman who calls to my soul and our precious newborn child. I never forget my gratitude to you for that – thank you.”
Aeron shook his hand and then gave Cassandra one last look before turning to disappear into the darkness of the forest.
As Rubius and Cassandra sat curled up together on the forest floor with the cooing baby between them, all they could think about was the precious child in their arms. Rubius leaned his back up against a thick tree trunk and carefully pulled Cassandra to lay against his chest with him. She held the baby in her arms close to her breast, and Rubius wrapped his arms protectively around them both.
“Did you know that this was how things would end up when we first saw each other?” he asked her.
“You mean years ago at the moon celebration before even Theo was born?” she asked.
“No,” Rubius chuckled. “I meant when we first really saw each other. When we first knew that there was something pulling us together. Did you know that we would end up together, and with a child?”
Cassandra laughed, and it woke the drowsy baby, who had just fallen asleep against her mother’s warm skin.
“No, of course not,” she said. “I didn’t know exactly how things would go. I didn’t know that we would be here right now, in the forest together, while the kingdom carries on its business for a night and I hold our child in my arms. But I did know something.”
“What was it?” he asked with ripe curiosity.
“I knew that I wouldn’t be able to live without you.”