Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 113332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
But when Marcel once again let out that tiny whine, he tentatively reached to stroke the tiniest head, so much smaller than even his fist.
The baby’s skin was damp and so soft he feared it might tear if he touched it too hard. He was a tough guy and had always been, but this little being already had such overwhelming power over his life he was left speechless. All the children looked pretty much the same, with wrinkled skin and closed eyes, and he was overcome with the realization that they wouldn’t remain like this forever. That he would see them develop into people in their own right, even if at this moment they felt like pieces of his own flesh and Laurent’s.
He slowly pulled his fingertips over the forehead of each one, unable to resist the need to let them know his scent. He only looked away when the hum of an upcoming car penetrated his fuzzy mind.
Shadow stroked one baby’s ear, and no matter how gentle he was, Beast instantly yearned to hold the baby to his chest and protect it from anyone and anything it might encounter.
But Shadow moved away from the robe when the car parked nearby with a squeak of tyres. “You need to be taken to the hospital,” he said to Gray, and helped him up.
“Is that a car? Hey, who is this?” called out a distressed voice.
“Nao? We’re out here, by Magpie’s tent,” he shouted back, reaching out to the last baby, the one buried in Malachite’s arms. The man stiffened, as if he intended to run off with the child, but after half a second, he released the tiny boy into Beast’s arms.
“His name’s Jasper,” he said in a raspy voice.
Laurent let out a shaky breath and rubbed his eye. “Yes. Jasper.”
Beast frowned, but everything became clear when two sapphires peeked at him from beneath bald eyelids. “Fucking hell,” he whispered and glanced Laurent’s way. No fucking way.
Rev didn’t move from the driver’s seat, eyeing Shadow and Gray, but the men, who came with him, stumbled outside, unharmed apart from some scratches and bruises. There was a minor problem with Fox’s leg, but he didn’t seem in much pain, and approached the gathering with worry marring his forehead.
“Is Violet okay?” was the first thing he asked, but his wife emerged from behind the palisade with Nao, carrying Xavier in her arms, and he ran to her despite the limp.
Nao had mascara streaks running down her cheeks when she spoke. “We were in the kitchen when the quake started. We went out through the window. And then everything collapsed!”
Nick was there to give her a hug, but Beast’s attention was on Knight. He hated having to face his friend’s sunken expression. Lana’s remains had been consumed by one of the holes in the ground, as if Baal wanted to take back what he considered his. There was no body left to mourn. What had happened with Joker still needed to be addressed once everyone was ready to talk, but for now they had to make sure the living were taken care of.
Knight took the baby from Violet and sat in the grass while Elliot tailed him without joy in his step. They remained close, but Elliot didn’t try to get his hands around Knight like he usually would have done, and waited in silence instead. In the background, Rev helped Shadow move Gray into the car, accepting his sort-of-son-in-law’s help.
Everyone needed time to lick their wounds.
Beast kissed Jasper’s forehead and sighed, once again taking in all his children. “I think we should move to Magpie’s tent for now. Then we can think what to do next.”
Only then did Knight wake up from his stupor and stared at the septuplets. “S-seven,” he uttered.
Beast nodded, carefully getting up with two children resting in his arms. “Seven.”
All the survivors who chose not to visit their families in surrounding towns took shelter in the upscale camping site, and soon enough anyone who could was wearing clothes worth thousands of dollars, because nobody was ready to face the carnage left of their clubhouse yet. Beast had watched some baby care videos in preparation for the birth, but faced with the real thing, he was so overwhelmed Fox and Violet needed to take the lead and instruct him and Laurent on how to clean the babies. Thankfully, Magpie’s obsession with Marcel had resulted in a whole tent he’d kept filled with baby supplies, so they were at least covered on that front for now.
Beast was torn about leaving Laurent with their kids even for half a second, but someone had to check on the house.
Laurent once again proved their compatibility when he spoke. “Beast, now that I’m not alone with them, would you go check what happened in there? If there is any chance to save Magpie, we must investigate.”