Pregnant With Alpha’s Genius Twins

#Chapter 199 – The Long Night

Rafe carefully places Victor on his side of the bed while I pull back the sheets. The two brothers cheerfully joke about the battle and the siege, about what happened next and how poor Rafe had to clean up Victor’s mess while Victor had what Rafe calls a “nice four-day nap.” Victor laughs at this and teases his brother, but I can see that his heart isn’t in it.

He just wants to sleep, I know.

But he’s honestly so sick, so tired that…I don’t know if he’ll wake up.

It’s a horrible realization to come to as I tuck the blankets in around him. I see that Rafe comes to it as well and does his best to keep the knowledge of it off his face. As Victor looks between us, I know that we’re both failing.

“Thank you,” Victor says, smiling at Rafe. “You’ve been a good brother to me. I’m glad that we have…fixed things. Between us. After so many years.”

“Yeah,” Rafe says, a little awkward, running his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry that I…poisoned you during chess. And hung you upside down from a tree. And all that.”

Victor and I can’t help laughing at this and Rafe smiles at us and then heads for the door. I walk with him to it.

“The boys?” I say quietly, looking towards their room where I can hear them playing. “Will you put them to bed? And…stay with them?”

He nods quietly to me and I can see the grief plain on his face now. No need to hide it anymore – not now that he’s out of Victor’s sight.

“Thank you,” I whisper, and then press the door shut. I turn back to Victor, leaning against it.

Victor sits in the bed, his face still so pale, but he smiles at me. He glances quickly at the closet. “Will we be expecting any…phone calls? Tonight?”

I can’t help the laugh that bursts out of me. “I mean,” I say, shrugging. “I can hook it back up, if you want to. Who knows who might call.”

his arms. “No,” he says. “No interruptions.

arms, my home. He wraps them around me as I rest my head against his chest, which rises faintly. I can feel a slight tremor in the muscles of his arms. God, I’ve never seen him

mouth against my hair. “If this all…ends. I want you to know how grateful I am to have had you in my

even if he can’t

whispers, “all right. Come and give me a kiss, and then we’ll go to

he gives me – it sweeps through me, the first real kiss we’ve had since…god, I can’t even remember. Since the big house burned down, at

a moment, as I close my eyes – he feels as strong and willful as he’s ever been – a

to me, though. His love for me is

I can see that his eyes are

and change into my pajamas. When I come back to bed and turn off the light, I can see that he

curl up next to him, ready for

pass, Victor

from his lungs, his chest rising less and less with each passing breath.

Finally, eventually, I panic.

had thought – hoped – that being home would invigorate him, bring him the peace and comfort he needs to heal. But things are progressing faster than I thought

me up when I can barely feel the pulse at his wrist. “No, Victor.

shoulders, shaking him. I have no idea what I’m doing, obviously, and I am sure that the

else am

just falls to the side. “Wake up!” I say. “I need you

does nothing – still asleep, or worse. Passed out? Crossing over some

own breath starts to come faster as my panic overtakes me. s**t, s**t –