Born of Ice

Paden turned his head to their father. “I would die for you guys. You know you can believe that. Does anything else really matter?”


Devyn looked at Alix as he realized that he felt the same for her. “No, no, it doesn’t.”

His mother moved forward and tugged gently at Paden. “We’re going to step out and see Paden back to bed before he collapses. You two have some things you need to say to each other and I’m sure you don’t want an audience for it.”

They carefully took Paden out, along with Omari and Vik.

Alix didn’t speak again until they were alone. “Devyn, I want to say—”

“Alix, I’ve been meaning—”

They laughed as they talked over each other.

“You first,” Devyn said. As always, he was a gentleman.

Alix took a deep breath as she stared at him. “I wanted to say thank you for everything you did. Really. Thank you.”

Devyn arched a brow as her words cut through him. “That’s it?”

She looked confused by his quesion. “What? Were you expecting me to say that I love you?”

Well, yeah. Especially since that was what he’d intended to say to her.

But he’d be damned if he was going to say it if she didn’t feel that way toward him.

So he dropped his gaze away. “No. Why would I expect that?”

She wrinkled her nose in an adorable way that actually made him hard. “Maybe because I do?” She leaned forward over him until they were practically nose to nose. “I love you, Devyn Wade Kell, with everything inside me. But it’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I know I’m just a piece of trash in your world, and I don’t expect you to share my feelings.”

He cupped her face in his hand and gave her an angry stare. “Don’t you ever say that to me again.”

Alix felt tears sting her eyes at his reaction. Though she’d been scared to tell him how she felt, she’d never thought her love would actually anger him.

When will I learn?

Still, his eyes shredded her soul with his anger. “Trash is something people throw away, Alix. I intend to keep you for the rest of my life.”

His words stunned her as her hurt melted away. “What did you say?”

He flashed that disarming grin. “I love you, baby. And I want you to stay with me. Always.”

Laughing, she smiled and kissed him soundly. “Believe me, there’s no place else I’d rather be.”

“Me, either, but I would rather we be naked.”





EPILOGUE


One year later



Alix stood aside as Devyn, Paden, Omari, Sway, and Vik helped the rebels at Paradise City unload the supplies they’d brought for their wives and children while her mother helped hand out clothes.

Never in her life had she seen a happier group and she was thrilled to be a part of it.

She understood why Devyn did this for free. There were things in life that no one could put a price on, and with every day she spent with him, she learned that more and more.

Tempest came running up to her, holding a link. “You’re buzzing.”

“Thanks, runt.” She placed it in her ear and answered it while Tempest went to help give out supplies, too.

“How’s my daughter doing?”

She smiled at the sound of Shahara’s voice in her ear. “Fine, Mom, how are you?”

“Worried about my babies as usual. Am I interrupting?”

She smiled at the two things Shahara always said whenever she called. “You’re never intruding, and I’m looking at your babies right now and they’re all good.”

Devyn came up and kissed her on the cheek. He dropped his hand down to touch her stomach. “Did you tell her the news?”

“News?” Shahara asked.

Alix bit her lip before she spoke. “We’re going to have a baby.”

The happy shout in her ear almost deafened her. “All right, you guys take care. I have to go make calls. If you thought the wedding was big, wait until you see the baby shower.”

Alix laughed as she hung up and put her arms around Devyn. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For everything.”

He rubbed his nose against hers. “Trust me, I’m the one who’s thankful. I thought I had everything until you stuck your nose in where it didn’t belong.”

And she’d had nothing until the day she’d found him. Now . . . now she had a life worth living and she intended to spend the rest of it loving all of them.



Read on for an excerpt from

Sherrilyn Kenyon’s





BAD MOON RISING

St. Martin’s Press

“Stay out of it, Fang,” Vane said under his breath.

His anger snapping, Fang narrowed his eyes on the Sentinels surrounding Aimee. “It’s a threatened female.”

“She’s not one of ours and we need the bears on our side. You break Omegrion sanctuary laws and they’ll refuse to help us. Ever. They’ll refuse to help Anya.”

Fang heard those words and he was willing to abide by them. His sister was the most important thing. . . .

Until he saw the knife.

Vane cursed as he saw it too. Anya or not, it wasn’t in their nature to let that go and since the bears seemed to be in over their furry little heads . . .