She snorted. “I don’t think you’ll be doing much of the having, Lion-O.”
He winced at the nickname. “Cut it out with the cat jokes in the realm, beauty. They have claws.”
She raised a brow. “And?”
He just shook his head and picked her up. “I’m here for you to beat up on and call names during the birth. It’s kind of my job.”
She just held onto him and knew that this was one moment she’d never forget. Honestly, she hadn’t thought about what it would be like to be with him forever because she’d been so afraid to fall. But now that she’d fallen, she couldn’t help but think that this man would be there for her and the baby. She had to trust in that even if trust didn’t come easily for her. The fact that it did now with him should scare her, but she was too worried about the baby to do anything about it.
She closed her eyes and leaned on him as they made their way through the wards and into the lion realm. Later, when she wasn’t in pain, she would study the place where Malik had grown up and where she would evidently be raising their child, but for now, she just let him carry her and her burdens.
Soon she found herself in a private room that looked like a hospital room but much warmer, more inviting.
“We’re at a healing station,” Malik said calmly. “It’s not a hospital since we’re at the part of the compound where the royals live. We have personal healers, doctors, and nurses to care for you.” He sighed. “I’ve spent most of my time away from you here. My father is two doors down.” He shook his head. “I want him to make it long enough to meet his grandson or granddaughter. I don’t even know why I’m thinking that since it’s not like he truly raised me.”
She gripped his hand during another contraction. “Tell me,” she gasped. “Why didn’t he raise you?”
Malik let out a breath and kissed her sweaty brow. “You should be focusing on yourself.”
She shook her head. “I’m trying to focus on you and not the pain because, apparently, they don’t have drugs for me.” Something she was not happy about, but apparently her new body chemistry wasn’t conducive to drugs—which they hadn’t told her until they’d gotten her on the gurney.
“My mother died giving birth to me,” Malik said softly. “I was the first born and father never found another woman to marry. As he mated my mother, he couldn’t ever find another mate, and I figured that finding someone else to be with in that way would be too hard for him. But I think the fact that he lost the mating bond broke him. He ended up giving me to nannies and tutors so he could reign over the realm.”
Malik took a deep breath, and Eliana reached out to cup his face. “You aren’t your father,” she whispered. “You’d never do that.”
“But if you…” he stopped. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“And you won’t have to worry about that.” She didn’t want to think about that at all, but Malik had his own demons. Just as she had hers.
Loud voices sounded from outside the door and Eliana frowned. “What is that?”
Malik growled. “I think I have an idea. Stay here.”
She raised her brows and pointed at her belly. “Can’t really leave.”
But he didn’t say anything as he stormed out. The man had to stop telling her to stay places when she couldn’t leave—and, frankly, he just had to stop ordering her to stay as it was.
The noise grew louder, and Eliana strained to pick out the different voices.
“I don’t care who the fuck you think you are, your furriness, but you better get out of my way before I get all pixie on your ass.”
Eliana pressed her lips together to hold back a laugh at Faith. Her friends were there, thank the goddess. But, apparently, there was someone in the way.
“You little mongrel freak. You are not fit to be near the Leo or his family. Get out before I have you thrown out.”
Whoever owned that shrill voice needed to get a hand to the face or something because there was no way Eliana’s friends were going to be barred from seeing her. Plus, Malik had promised her the others would be able to be there. Maybe not in the room during all of it, but she wanted them there. No matter what she had said before about being alone even surrounded by them, it was all a lie. She was scared and wanted her friends.
She wanted the family she’d made.
“Aunt Prudence, you have no right to bar them,” Malik’s deep voice flowed over her and the baby seemed to calm down some. Prudence? Really? What a bitch of an aunt name. “I allowed them to come here for the birth of my child, and you will not stand in their way.”
“Child?” the woman gasped. “You cannot have a child. You’re not mated. You’re just trying to get around the rules of succession.”