Lone Prince (Royally Unexpected #7) - Lilian Monroe Page 0,80

his presence.

He lays a soft kiss on my fingers, then my palm, and stands up to push my wheelchair out of the room. I lean back, exhausted yet wired, watching the hospital hallway roll past. Wolfe’s steps are sure, and any staff we cross steps out of the way and bows in deference. He must like that. They’re much better at deference than I am.

One more turn down a hallway marked ’Neonatal Intensive Care Unit’, and I see a room full of tiny bassinets. My heart squeezes so hard there must be no blood left in it at all. So many tiny little babies in need of help—and one of them is mine.

Wolfe wheels me past the ward to a small adjacent room. “They put him in a private room,” he says. “So I could visit him often.”

Stopping in front of an incubator, the Prince engages the brakes on my wheelchair and drops a hand to my shoulder. My bottom lip trembles. I press my nose to the clear plastic dome, feeling my heart shatter right there in my chest.

He’s so tiny. So fragile and precious. Hooked up to oxygen and tiny tubes, sleeping gently. There’s a tiny little hat on his head, and a diaper covering his lower half. It’s way too big for him.

Tears spill over my cheeks, and Wolfe wraps his arms around me. “He’s going to be okay,” he whispers in my ear. “They said he’s getting better at breathing on his own.”

Is that supposed to make me feel better? I cry on Wolfe’s shoulder as my whole world twists before my eyes. I’ve spent the past eight months feeling like I finally have a purpose—like I can see clearly for the first time—and it was almost taken away from me.

With the pads of his thumbs, Wolfe wipes the tears from my eyes. He holds my face until I meet his gaze and kisses each of my cheeks.

“I’m here, Rowan,” he says gently. “I’m not going to leave unless you tell me to. We’ll do this together.”

An ugly sob rakes through my body. God, I must look like a mess. How can he look at me with soft eyes like that? How can there be any sort of love in his face?

But it’s there. The love I’ve been missing. The affection I’ve been craving. It’s written all over Wolfe’s face, and soaked into every one of his movements. A strand of hair is plastered to my forehead and cheek, and Wolfe gently pushes it back.

“This isn’t how I wanted you to see me.” I feel slightly pathetic right now, but all I can do is lean into his touch and close my eyes, one hand still resting on the plastic dome over our baby’s incubator.

Our baby.

For the first time since I found out I was pregnant, it feels like I’m not alone. Opening my eyes, I look at Wolfe. At his smooth forehead with black hair curling at the temples. His beautiful eyes and fine, straight nose. At those lips I’ve missed kissing, tugged in a soft smile.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Rowan. Now more than ever.” He rests his forehead against mine, letting out a long sigh. “You’re the mother of my son and the love of my life.”

I back away, eyes wide.

Wolfe laughs. “Don’t act so surprised. You must know I’m in love with you.”

“Why would I know that?”

“Because my whole life has revolved around doing whatever you want ever since I met you. Because I’ve been locked away on my own since you left. Because seeing our son for the first time was the happiest and most terrifying moment of my life.” He sucks in a breath, smoothing his thumb over my cheek. “Because I can’t imagine going another day without you. Don’t make me walk through life alone, Rowan. I…I need you. I love you so much it hurts.”

Tears are streaming down my face now. I can’t help it. My walls just crumble right there, turning to dust at my feet. I’m done fighting this. I don’t want to push him away. I don’t want to think about all the complications of being with a Prince, when I know that the alternative feels like hell.

He’s here, with me, in my darkest hour. Wolfe is supporting me as I heal from this traumatic birth. He loves me and the baby.

As he wipes another tear off my cheek, I realize how wrong I was. It was never better for me to