Traces of Elijah: The Path of the King

Chapter 22

After arriving back home, we pick up the girls from my sister and get ready for bed. They're both fast asleep. Elijah and I decide to put them in their cribs but the both of us lay awake for a while. Eli is quick to lay with his head on my stomach, caressing it with his hand.

"You can't even hear anything yet," I tell my mate, shaking my head.

"Shhh don't talk. Just let me enjoy this. I can't hear with you talking." He hushes me.

"You can't hear without me talking either! It's too early to tell anything babe. I'm barely over a month pregnant." I prop myself up a little to look at him in annoyance at his obsession with this barely present baby bump I have.

"You can hear a heartbeat in utero as early as 5 1/2 to 6 weeks. I just want to hear it!"

"You are a pain in my ass." I chuckle at his excited notions but lay back down and decide to stay quiet so he can listen to the little heartbeat. He's very excited to be a dad to someone new again. He loves it so much like it's the first time.

"Hold on, I think I hear something..." he closes his eyes and smiles. "I think I hear...two. I could be wrong but I think there's two little extra heartbeats inside you." He looks up at me with the biggest grin imaginable. I can't help but just smile at how content he is in the moment. It is just a little bit cute.

"Yeah? You think so?"

"Twin boys maybe?" He tilts his head a little and shrugs.

"Oh! So now you want twin boys?" I tease.

"A man can only hope." He kisses my stomach a few times, making me shake my head again. "I always wanted a son you know. Wanted to raise him and love him like my parents did before they died."

"Okay well that's sweet...I hope we do have at least one boy then." I nod, feeling through his hair. "How big do you want this family, mister? I know you don't believe we're done procreating." I ask the question with a laugh, knowing I'll regret the answer just a little.

"As many as possible. I want a big family."

"You're crazy!" I shake my head, laughing hysterically.

"Im so serious," he sits up to climb on top of me so we're face to face. My laughs are quick to stop as I see how certain he is. A tinge of blush runs across my cheeks due to the closeness of his face to mine. He still gives me butterflies like crazy. "I want to give all the love I missed out on as a kid....I have so much of it to give and I want to share it with you." He carefully cradles my face in the palm of his hand. "I want to make love to you and bring you happiness for the rest of my days...I want the products of our love to run around this house rampant, endlessly...we've got most of our lives to do it. With peace within reach, we can. We can give every child, born or adopted, the right feeling of what love is so they can pass it onto their children...to know how to love their mate when they're old enough...this is just the beginning." He smiles, placing his other hand on my stomach. I'm suddenly smiling at the idea of us having a giant family as big as a pack in this house. It's a lot of responsibility but children are oh so worth it. I cup his cheek and pull him in for a tender kiss.

"Okay..." I say finally, slowly beginning to smile after our kiss.

"Okay? You...you really want that?" He raises a brow obviously confused at my response.

"Of course I do. The twinkle in your eyes when you talk about having this family...I can tell you've dreamt of it for a long time....probably since we first met- hell maybe when you first laid eyes on me. I want to enjoy that feeling of being loved by you for as long as I live and to share it too."

"I'm happy to hear that. I honestly thought you wouldn't go for it, understandably. You'd be the one carrying them anyways. Plus it would have to be a mutual decision. I couldn't do it without you. And only if you wanted to."

"You're damn right, I gotta do all the work," I joke with him, causing us both to laugh. "But I agree. I decided I do want this with you. I was definitely on the fence before but I can only imagine us being happy with a family like that. And I'm shocked you want to adopt too."

"Well your dad practically raised me. He was the closest thing I had to a father after my parents died. There are other kids like me, like Rowan....like Jade, who need to be shown love, true love and what it's like to have someone really care for you. I know we can do that for kids, whether it be fostering them or just plain adopting them."

"You really have this all planned out, huh?"

"I've thought about it a lot. Mostly while you're asleep." I giggle.

"You just conjure up the best ideas when we're supposed to be sleeping?" He bursts into a bit of laughter.

"Why yes, yes I do." He nods before calming his laughs and staring at me. A thought must've just crossed his mind.

"What is it, baby?" I ask him, gently pushing my fingers to feel through his growing hair.

"When we mated the first time....were you worried I had some ulterior motive...?" Eli asks me. I tilt my head slightly wondering why that came up all of a sudden.

"From what you've told me, I knew you had real feelings for me before you told me, same as I did.  I know you wanted to protect me from...him and I get that came with a little bit of jealousy...he tried to take me before we even had a real chance to share those feelings. He tried to do so against my will I might add. If we hadn't solidified our bond that night, we may have never ended up where were supposed to be....right here, right now. Happily married, soon the be parents of possibly 4 small children, not just 2 anymore. My sister soon to be a mother as well. Everything is falling into place as it was meant to be. All we have left to do is make sure Liam doesn't ruin that for us. Because our dreams will come true...we're gonna have that family, that peace we dream of. I won't let us lose it because of the past." I shake my head. Eli nods in agreement.

"We won't lose this...not now, not ever, he tells me, kissing the top of my head.

"Come here." I say, pulling him in for a warm embrace. I feel so safe, so secure in everything we have right now in his arms. Our future is bright. We just have to finish this thing with Liam, once and for all.