Both of them looked up as Casteel and I neared the doors. My senses were open, and their emotions immediately stretched out, the cool splash of surprise I felt from Kieran as the orange ball of yarn fell from his hand and rolled across the rug caught me a little off guard. If Kieran had been aware that Casteel and I had witnessed his…activities in the shadows, he showed no sign of it as we’d ridden back to his family home under a sky blanketed by endless stars.

Even if he did, I didn’t think that was the source of the surprise. I had no idea what it was as I focused on the woman beside him.

His mother was utterly beautiful—the spitting image of Vonetta from her deep, rich brown skin and broad cheekbones to the full mouth that seemed to hint at a laugh. What I felt from her also reminded me of her daughter. The taste of smooth vanilla was as comforting as a warm blanket on a cold night.

I realized I had seen her before when I first arrived here. She’d been in the crowd of wolven and had smiled as Casteel and I bickered.

“Kieran,” Casteel drawled. He squeezed my hand as we stepped through the doors and then let go. “Are you knitting me a shirt?”

The wolven’s expression smoothed out. “That is exactly what I’m doing,” he replied, his tone flat.

“He’s actually very good with the needles,” Kirha said, placing the basket aside.

The syrupy-sweet taste of embarrassment radiated from Kieran as his cheeks deepened in color. His gaze narrowed on his mother. My brows lifted as the image that had been branded in my mind was now replaced by one that included Kieran knitting a shirt.

That was something that would never leave my mind.

Kirha started to rise as Casteel rushed to say,” You don’t need to get up.”

“Oh, but I do. I’ve been sitting for so long, I feel like my legs have gone numb,” she replied as balls of yarn spilled from Kieran’s lap and tumbled across the carpet. He took hold of his mother’s arm, aiding her.

Kirha murmured her thanks as she straightened. Under the lavender, sleeveless gown she wore, her swollen stomach pulled at the light material. She pressed a hand behind her hip and stretched her back. “Good gods, this better be the last baby.”

“Yeah, well, someone needs to make sure your husband gets that through his thick skull,” Kieran muttered.

“Your father will when he’s constantly changing diapers again. I birth them, he cleans them,” she remarked, grinning when Kieran wrinkled his nose. “That’s the deal.”

“I’ll have to remember that,” Casteel murmured.

My stomach dropped so fast I almost toppled over as my wide eyes shot to Casteel. For some reason, I hadn’t even thought about…babies since the cavern—since I had thought he didn’t want to have children with me. I’d been hurt then, which had been irrationally silly, considering we hadn’t even admitted our feelings to one another yet. He was still taking the herb that prevented pregnancy, and as a Maiden, I’d believed I would Ascend. Having children was never something I’d ever considered, so it wasn’t something that lingered in my mind. But now it was dancing at the center. A baby. Babies. Casteel’s and my baby. Casteel holding a small, swaddled infant. My lips parted on a thin inhale. That was really something I did not need to think about at the moment.