Chapter 40

Weston

My body froze. No. This couldn’t be. I looked down at her: not Alex, not the same scent—just a stranger in my arms. And yet my soul reacted as if I’d found what I’d been searching for.

Then I felt it: a tiny kick beneath my hand. My breath caught. Her eyes widened. “Are you okay?”

I couldn’t answer—my entire being focused on the life growing inside her. Nox went still, then rumbled low: not a warning, but… love. My hand trembled. The child. My child. For an impossible moment, I felt like I was touching my future—something I’d already held, already loved, already protected. My chest ached because I knew that feeling… but I didn’t know how.

She looked at me. “Sir?”

I released her. “I’m sorry.” My voice sounded distant. “You’re okay?”

She nodded. “