Koda;

The scent shifts, and that tells me that we’ve gotten close to Nagari.

I stick my head out of the window to watch, and awe consumes me. Nagari rises from the horizon like a dream.

It’s more beautiful than I can remember.

The first time I saw the serpent kingdom, I thought its towers looked like something carved from ancient artefacts.

They are white, massive stone pillars that rise upward, with carved serpents curved along each one.

They meet high above with a warning hanging.

It’s written in old Nagrian tongue, but no soul doesn’t know what they mean.

"Do not cross this threshold without an invite. Nagari’s venom is merciless."

I step out of my carriage and walk towards one of the pillars. And the snake around the pillar lights up with green light.

I stay in place as the stone being moved.

Its head drops to look at me, and it slithers down the pillar.

It studies me at eye level and then looks back at the convoy behind me.

Soon, it pulls back and regains its position against the pillar, and a pathway opens between the pillars.

I smile because I know this is Queen Selthia permitting me to come into her kingdom.

I walk back to my carriage and get in. As we move into Nagria, my heart starts racing.

I’m just a little distance away from my Elian.

I’ll see him soon.

I stare out of the window and stare at the stone houses decorated with vines and flowers. I stare at the long bridges suspended over flowing water.

The beautiful blue sky, and all the snakes slithering around under the hot sun.

Now I understand what Elian meant when he said there were snakes everywhere here.

Nagari is beautiful.

But despite all its splendour, I can not focus on that. My heart has been pounding for the last mile.

Every turn of the carriage wheels feels too slow, and every breath feels like it takes too long.

Elián is here... Just a little distance away.

My mate... My feisty little husband. The mother of my child.

My heart skips a beat so fast it’s almost painful as the thought settles again.

I can barely keep it together as Ngari’s massive, stone castle comes into view.

My knee starts bouncing, and my heart starts pounding.

The carriage rolls onto the castle grounds, and when it stops, I am already moving before the guards open the door fully.

"Alpha—" Rowan begins as I dash down from the carriage.

"I know where to go," I note with my voice coming out rough.

The courtyard stretches before me, lined with flowering trees and the quiet hiss that has been in the air since we set foot into Nagari. Somewhere in the distance, I hear water flowing, but that’s not my concern.

My boots strike the stone faster than I intend, and excitement bubbles mercilessly inside me.

I don’t know this place, Neoither do I know exactly where Elian is, but the one thing I trust more than anything to find him.

Is his scent. The one I can already smell, even though I haven’t seen him.

Two months. Two months since the night I was forced apart from him.

Two months since the night we were married... and separated before the sun rose.

Two months since I last smelled him.

The memory presses against my heart like something sharp.

I wish I could have kept him with me, but his safety was more important.

I would have followed him, but Gravemaw needed its Alpha.

So I let him go.

And I’ve been away for far too long.

I keep walking so fast, I’m practically running.

I get the entrance of the castle, and the two guards there, step aside immediately they see me.

They open the door, and I hesitate.

My heart is suddenly pounding so hard it feels like it might break through my ribs. But I can’t wait another second.

I step in, and the world stops.

My heart freezes over, and my knees buckle so swiftly that I need to grab the door frame to stay upright.

There he is. Elián.

For a moment, I cannot breathe...

His beautiful red eyes lock onto me, and breath slowly abandons my lungs.

He looks the same... and completely different at the same time.

His hair looks much longer, styled differently from what I remember. But it suits him. His skin glows faintly in the light pouring through the open windows around us.

My eyes drop immediately to his stomach.

There isn’t a dramatic bulge, but the gentle curve beneath his robes tells me it’s true.

It’s the smallest swell. Barely noticeable to anyone who didn’t know him.

But I know him. And I know he’s pregnant.

My breath leaves me in a single... sharp exhale.

He’s truly pregnant.

My mate is pregnant... With my child.

I take a small... nervous step towards him, and when our eyes meet again, his eyes go moist.

"Koda..." He breathes in a whisper, and my heart skips.

The way he says my name breaks something open in my chest.

Two steps.

That’s all I take before he is in my arms.

He crashes into me like someone who has been holding himself together for far too long.

My arms wrap around him instantly.

Tight... But I take care not to be too tight as I wouldn’t want to hurt him, or my baby.

His scent hits me like sunlight and honey and something deeper that has always belonged to him alone.

"I missed you," he whispers into my chest, and my throat tightens painfully.

"I’m here," I whisper back.

My voice sounds hoarse even to my own ears... But I don’t care.

He pulls back slightly, his hands still gripping my shirt like he’s afraid I might disappear.

"I’m sorry," he says quickly, and my brows knot.

"I should have told you earlier about the baby, but I didn’t want—" He begins, and my hand rises to his face.

His words stop immediately, as he blinks at me with guilt and tears glistening in his eyes.

"I’m not angry," I note pointedly, and the relief that floods his eyes is instant.

"But you should have told me," I add quietly, and he nods, as he looks away with a tear escaping his eyes.

"I know," he murmurs, and I smile. My gaze drops again.

The curve of his stomach feels like gravity pulling my attention.

Slowly... and carefully, I place my hand there.

It’s warm.... And alive.

The moment my palm touches him... the baby moves.

Hard.

Elián gasps softly, and I freeze.

"Oh—" He breathes, and I look up at him in surprise.

Isn’t it too early for the baby to be moving?? But then again, it seems like he’s not shocked.

This isn’t the first time it’s happened, is it??

Another kick follows immediately, and my eyes widen slightly.

"She’s... reacting to you," Elián breathes, and something deep inside my chest explodes with warmth.

My daughter... She knows me.

My hand spreads gently over Elián’s stomach, and instantly the movement beneath my palm changes.

The restless kicks settle. Almost like she’s leaning into my touch.

Elián exhales shakily, and I look up at him.

"She’s calmer..." I whisper, smiling without realising it.

"Of course she is." Elián laughs softly, and my vision blurs with tears.

"She’s missed her Father." He says, and something about that word stirs something inside me.

My forehead presses lightly against his as I repeat the words.

"I’m her father," I whisper.

The words feel strange... and perfect at the same time.

Behind us, a throat clears, and only then do I glance up.

Only then do I realise the others in the hall with us. The audience.

Zephan is standing near a window, with his arms crossed loosely over his chest.

His dual-colored eyes watch us carefully, and I feel my cheeks burn a bit in embarrassment.

"Koda." He calls, and I nod once.

"Zephan." I acknowledge.

There is a moment of silence before Elián shifts slightly in my arms.

"Koda," he says softly, and I look back down at him.

"There’s something I need to tell you." He says, and I pause.

Just then, my eyes spot something. A design along his wrist.

A serpent coiled around moonflowers... A Nagari mark.

This mark belongs to either Zephan or Zethar... It’s a permanent mark.

I noticed it the moment I walked in, but I said nothing.

Elián watches my expression carefully, and then he speaks.

"I asked him to do it," he explains quickly, and I listen.

"I was unstable, and the baby was restless, and I just wanted—" He begins, and my hand gently squeezes his.

"It’s okay," I assure him, and he blinks.

"It... is?" He repeats, and I smile at him.

"You’re not... angry?" He adds, and my brows crease.

"Elian, you belong to all five of us. Why would I be upset that he marked you?" I ask him, and he blinks at me in silence.

"Zephan helped you." I continue, and then, mvoice softens.

"He helped my child," I add, and Elián exhales in visible relief.

Behind us, Zephan shifts slightly.

"It wasn’t meant to replace your bond," he says quietly, and I look up at him.

"It can’t." I point out, and he blinks at me.

Our eyes meet briefly. There is no hostility there.

Just understanding.

Then my attention returns to Elián.

My hand still rests over the small swell of his stomach.

"She’s strong," I whisper, and Elián smiles softly.

"She’s stubborn." He corrects, and I grin.

"She’s mine," I note.

The baby kicks again. Harder this time.

"She agrees." He laughs.

I drop down on my knees before him and press a kiss against the curve of his stomach.

Something deep and ancient inside me settles the moment I do.

My family. My mate. My daughter.

All here. All alive... All safe.

"Welcome to Nagari, son." Queen Selthia says from the corner of the hall, and I smile proudly as I look up at her and see Zethar standing silently beside her.

"Thank you for having me," I reply.