Natalia’s POV
The smoke parted, and the moment I locked eyes with Andrei, my body crumpled. He had hardly made it over to me before I pitched forward, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Natalia!”
Andrei caught me just in time, warm arms wrapping protectively around me and the twins. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t hold myself up—just sagged into him in a puddle of tears and horror and relief.
“What… What happened?” I breathed, pulling back just enough to look at his blood-streaked face. “What—”
He didn’t give me a chance to finish. His hands pressed against my belly, mouth slanting over mine before the words could come out, the metallic tang of blood and the sweet taste of sweat flooding my senses.
Only when we parted for air did he speak.
“The baby,” he whispered, fingers splaying over m
