Queen (Cats of Felidae Academy #4) - River Ramsey Page 0,37

you a present," he answered smugly.

"A present?" she echoed in disbelief. "I'm in labor, what the hell kind of present would I want instead of having you here?"

"Don't knock it till you see it."

She was about to tell him she didn’t see any gift boxes in his hands when someone else came to the door. She assumed it was a doctor coming in to check on her, but a second glance and she found herself staring into the eyes she had feared she would never get to see again. They were full of guilt, and hesitation, but something else too. Something Ella had been so afraid only existed in her imagination, but now that he was standing there, she knew.

It was real. He was real, and he was really here. "Bishop," Ella said, her voice breaking.

"If you want to return it, it won't hurt my feelings," Axel said flatly.

Ella gave him a disbelieving look. She went from wanting to kill him, which wasn't really all that uncommon, to wanting to kiss him until she couldn't anymore, but all she could do was stare as Bishop came over to the foot of the bed.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey," Ella answered. She couldn't think of anything else to say. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she had imagined she would say as soon as she got the chance, but in that moment, all she wanted to do was look at him.

No. When he came over to the side of the bed and reached for her hand, the familiar spark she felt at his touch reminded her that wasn't all she wanted. "If you don't want me here—" he began.

"No," Ella said immediately, tears stinging her eyes. "I do. Of course I want you here. Always."

Surprise lit up his gaze, but the guilt soon washed it out again. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Then I will be."

The simple words filled her with more joy and relief than she had known in months. There was so much more she wanted to say, but when another contraction came, it became clear her focus was being demanded by another.

It turned out, Ella was right about her instinct that it wouldn't be long. An hour later, she was holding their newborn daughter in her arms. The pain and exhaustion seemed to fade away as she looked into a pair of bright blue eyes, wide with wonder.

For the last year, the idea of becoming Empress had seemed so overwhelming and all-encompassing that Ella had been sure she would never feel up to it, and so far, she was right. But in that moment, she realized she was a thousand times more prepared to lead the colony than she was to be responsible for the tiny person in her arms. All the weight of the past, future and present came crashing down on her all at once, and while it should have culminated in a panic attack, it somehow took the shape of overwhelming joy.

It helped that she wasn't alone. Her mates had helped her shoulder the burden of power, and they would share in this gift, too. For the first time in so long, it felt right. Even though they were in a hospital room miles away, it was the first time since Ella remembered that she had truly felt at home.

Of course, Axel declared that he should be the first to hold the baby, since he was the first one who had marked Ella. As if that made any sense. When she passed the baby into his arms, the change that came over him made her heart ache in a way it never had before. He was all hard edges and untamed fire, but in that moment, as he gazed down at the newborn baby, he was soft. Strong and soft and proud, and for the first time in her life, Ella saw tears in his eyes.

When Axel finally agreed to share the baby, Sterling melted in his own way.

"Hello, little princess," he said in a gentle tone she hadn't heard before. "You look just like your mama."

Ella couldn't help but smile. It wasn't long before the serene, heartwarming moment turned into an argument as Axel declared Sterling was “hogging the baby.”

The whole time she was in labor, Bishop had been at Ella's bedside, stroking her hair and offering soft reassurances to get her through the grueling pain, but now she found him standing off to the side, like he was trying