Page 31 of Queen
It was real. He was real, and he was really here. "Bishop," Ella said, her voice breaking.
"If you want to return it, it won't hurt my feelings," Axel said flatly.
Ella gave him a disbelieving look. She went from wanting to kill him, which wasn't really all that uncommon, to wanting to kiss him until she couldn't anymore, but all she could do was stare as Bishop came over to the foot of the bed.
"Hey," he said quietly.
"Hey," Ella answered. She couldn't think of anything else to say. There was so much shewantedto say, so much she had imagined she would say as soon as she got the chance, but in that moment, all she wanted to do was look at him.
No. When he came over to the side of the bed and reached for her hand, the familiar spark she felt at his touch reminded her that wasn't all she wanted. "If you don't want me here—" he began.
"No," Ella said immediately, tears stinging her eyes. "I do. Of course I want you here. Always."
Surprise lit up his gaze, but the guilt soon washed it out again. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Then I will be."
The simple words filled her with more joy and relief than she had known in months. There was so much more she wanted to say, but when another contraction came, it became clear her focus was being demanded by another.
It turned out, Ella was right about her instinct that it wouldn't be long. An hour later, she was holding their newborn daughter in her arms. The pain and exhaustion seemed to fade away as she looked into a pair of bright blue eyes, wide with wonder.
For the last year, the idea of becoming Empress had seemed so overwhelming and all-encompassing that Ella had been sure she would never feel up to it, and so far, she was right. But in that moment, she realized she was a thousand times more prepared to lead the colony than she was to be responsible for the tiny person in her arms. All the weight of the past, future and present came crashing down on her all at once, and while it should have culminated in a panic attack, it somehow took the shape of overwhelming joy.
It helped that she wasn't alone. Her mates had helped her shoulder the burden of power, and they would share in this gift, too. For the first time in so long, it felt right. Even though they were in a hospital room miles away, it was the first time since Ella remembered that she had truly felt at home.
Of course, Axel declared that he should be the first to hold the baby, since he was the first one who had marked Ella. As if that made any sense. When she passed the baby into his arms, the change that came over him made her heart ache in a way it never had before. He was all hard edges and untamed fire, but in that moment, as he gazed down at the newborn baby, he was soft. Strong and soft and proud, and for the first time in her life, Ella saw tears in his eyes.
When Axel finally agreed to share the baby, Sterling melted in his own way.
"Hello, little princess," he said in a gentle tone she hadn't heard before. "You look just like your mama."
Ella couldn't help but smile. It wasn't long before the serene, heartwarming moment turned into an argument as Axel declared Sterling was “hogging the baby.”
The whole time she was in labor, Bishop had been at Ella's bedside, stroking her hair and offering soft reassurances to get her through the grueling pain, but now she found him standing off to the side, like he was trying to disappear into the shadows.
When she had the baby back in her arms, Ella called to him softly. "Bishop? Would you like to hold her?"
He looked like she had just asked him to defuse a nuclear bomb. He looked at the infant, and the guilt that had been permeating his gaze for so long darkened his eyes. "I…I don't know if I should."
Ella gave him a tired smile. "Come here."
He did reluctantly, approaching the baby like he expected her to bite. Ella carefully placed her in his arms, and as the newborn stared up at him, her faint fussing turned to soft coos of curiosity.
Bishop stared back at her like he was every bit as mesmerized. "Hi," he said, his voice almost too soft to hear. In that moment, Ella realized he wasn't afraidofthe baby. He was holding her like he was afraid he would break her just by looking at her.
When his eyes finally met Ella's once more, the love in them reassured her that no matter how long and difficult the process of becoming the family she had always wanted might be, it was actually within the realm of possibility now. That night, she felt like they had taken one step closer.
"Well, she's going to need a name," Sterling said, looking over at Ella as she nursed the baby. "What is it going to be?"
There it was. The question Ella had been dreading. She had no idea what name to give such a perfect creature, and now that the baby was there in her arms, the task seemed even more daunting. "I don't know. Nothing I can think of seems to fit. It should be perfect, something that describes her."
"She’s kind of small," Axel mused. "We could call her Minnie."
Ella stifled a laugh, but Sterling didn't bother to hide his.
"What?" Axel demanded. "It's a good name."
"For someone who lies constantly, you really do lack imagination," Sterling scoffed.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
