Page 46 of Saving Nevin
“I don’t care,” I said. “I’m carrying you. Never letting you out of my sight again.”
We went inside. Klei was freaking out over Sevren, who kept assuring his mate that he was fine and that he’d heal. “We’re okay. It’s all over now,” Sevren said, and I felt the knot in my chest loosen a little at his words.
He was right. Rex was dead. It was over. Nevin’s nightmare was over.
I helped Nevin settle in on the couch with a blanket and some cocoa. Xan curled up on the armchair. He looked rough. I was a little worried about him, to be honest. He just kept staring out the window with a despondent look on his bruised face. I tried to talk to him, but he just assured me he was fine, over and over.
But was he?
Later, after Nevin fell asleep with his head in my lap and Mom and the others had cleaned up the mess in the woods, Xan finally spoke to me. He lifted his head, his dark eyes filled with an expression I couldn’t quite place.
“Hey Kace?” His voice was gravelly, roughened no doubt from all the screaming. “I’m sorry. I was reckless. I shouldn’t have taken Nevin out with me to the woods. I shouldn’t have?—”
“No.” I cut him off before he could berate himself further. “You saved his life. You risked everything to save the both of you, and that was very brave, Xan. I owe you so much.”
Xan swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, tears swimming in his eyes as he whispered. “I couldn’t just go quietly. I was scared…”
“I know,” I murmured. “Thank you. I’m beyond proud of you, Xanny.”
He snorted and wrinkled his nose. “Ugh, don’t call me that.”
I smiled. “I love you, Xan.”
“Love you too, bro. Hope life can go back to normal now that that freak is dead. Good riddance.”
“It will,” I said. Of that I was quite certain.
The storm had passed. Only sunshine from here on out.
31
NEVIN
I was wokenup with sweet kisses. Blinking sleepily, I gazed up behind heavy lashes to see Kace smiling lovingly down at me. I smiled back. “Morning.”
“Merry Christmas, honey,” he said, a bit singsongy. “Time to wake up and see what Santa Claus brought you.”
I giggled. Reaching up, I threaded my fingers through his dark hair and pulled him in for a real kiss. “Merry Christmas,” I murmured against his lips.
He pulled back before I was ready, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed like he’d already been up for an hour. “C’mon, baby! I even made coffee.”
“Alright, alright. I’m coming.” I waddled out of bed and down the hall, dragging my blanket with me because the floorboards were cold and the old cottage, while cozy, was a little drafty.
We went out in the living room, and I stopped in my tracks. Nestled beneath the limbs of the Christmas tree were gifts of all shapes and sizes and colors.
“Kace…?” My heart skipped. “Where did all of this come from?”
Kace came up from behind and wrapped his arms around me, his palms gently caressing my baby bump. “I wanted to spoil you a little bit,” he said simply.
“But I didn’t get you anything.”
“It’s okay. Christmas is about giving, not getting. I wanted to make this Christmas special—as well as all the other Christmases we spend together. I love you, Nevin, and I’m never gonna stop, so you’d better get used to it.”
I wiped stray tears from my lashes, tilting my head up so I could kiss him. “I love you too.”
We sat down on the floor next to the tree and I began opening gifts; shirts and a wallet and baby clothes. My heart squeezed with each one.
“Oh, Kace,” I whispered, hugging the little giraffe onesie to my chest. “Kace, this is too much.”
