Page 42 of The Orc Protector's Secret Baby

"Cagan, this is Hera and Bonnie," I say, gesturing to each of them in turn. "Hera, Bonnie, meet Cagan, my… well, my everything."

Cagan grins, his arm tightening around my waist as he reaches out to shake their hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you both," he says warmly, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. "Hayden's told me so much about you."

Hera laughs, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "All good things, I hope," she teases, throwing me a wink.

I feel my cheeks heat, but I can't help the smile that tugs at my lips. "Of course," I assure her, leaning into Cagan's solid warmth. "I don't know what I would have done without you two. You've been my rock, my sanity, through everything."

Bonnie reaches out, squeezing my hand in a gesture of comfort and solidarity. "We're just happy we could help," she says softly, her eyes shining with sincerity. "You're one of us now, Hayden. Part of the family."

I feel tears prick at the corners of my eyes, and I blink them back, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "Thank you," I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. "That means more to me than you could ever know."

Cagan clears his throat, drawing our attention back to him. "I can't thank you enough for taking care of Hayden when I couldn't," he says solemnly, his gaze intense and sincere. "For being there for her, for supporting her. It means the world to me, to us."

Hera waves a dismissive hand, her smile turning mischievous. "Oh, it was nothing," she says airily, her tone teasing. "Besides, what are friends for, if not to help each other through the tough times?"

We all laugh at that, the tension breaking like a spell. The rest of the evening passes in a blur of laughter and conversation, of shared stories and gentle ribbing. Xenon and Inzo join us at some point, their presence adding to the warm, familial atmosphere.

As the night winds down, Hera pulls me aside, her expression turning serious. "Hayden, I wanted to ask you something," she says quietly, her gaze flickering to where Cagan is deep in conversation with Xenon. "I was thinking, maybe I could watch Amira for a day or two? Just to give you and Cagan some time alone, to reconnect and… well, you know."

I blink, surprised by the offer. "Are you sure?" I ask hesitantly, my heart already leaping at the thought of uninterrupted time with Cagan. "I don't want to impose, or be a burden."

Hera scoffs, rolling her eyes in fond exasperation. "Please, it's no burden," she assures me, her smile turning sly. "Besides, Xenon and I could use the practice. We've been talking about starting a family of our own, you know."

I gape at her, my eyes widening in surprise and delight. "Hera, that's wonderful!" I exclaim, pulling her into a tight hug. "You're going to be an amazing mother, I just know it."

She hugs me back, her laughter ringing out bright and joyful. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she chides gently, pulling back to meet my gaze. "For now, let me just focus on spoiling your little one rotten. It'll be good practice, right?"

I laugh, shaking my head in amused agreement. "Alright, you've convinced me," I concede, my heart swelling with gratitude and love for this incredible woman, this sister of my heart. "Thank you, Hera. For everything."

She smiles, her eyes soft and understanding. "Anytime, Hayden," she murmurs, squeezing my hand one last time before turning to rejoin the others.

I watch her go, marveling at the twist of fate that brought these amazing people into my life. Cagan comes up behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist as he pulls me back against his chest.

"Everything okay, love?" he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear.

I nod, turning in his embrace to loop my arms around his neck. "Everything's perfect," I whisper, stretching up to brush a soft kiss against his lips. "I was just thinking about how lucky I am. To have you, to have Amira, to have this incredible family we've built."

Cagan smiles, his eyes dark and heated as he gazes down at me. "I'm the lucky one," he rumbles, his hands sliding down to grip my hips. "And I plan on spending the rest of my life showing you just how much I love and appreciate you."

I shiver, my body already responding to the promise in his words, the heat in his touch. "Is that so?" I manage, my voice breathy and unsteady. "And just how do you plan on doing that?"

He grins, a wicked, sensual thing that sends a bolt of pure want straight to my core. "Oh, I have a few ideas," he purrs, his fingers dipping beneath the hem of my shirt to skim across the sensitive skin of my lower back. "But I think I'd rather show than tell, if that's alright with you."

I laugh, breathless and giddy with anticipation. "Lead the way, my love," I murmur, letting him guide me towards my small home, towards the bedroom and the promise of a night spent lost in each other. "Lead the way."

We're finally alone, just the two of us, and the air between us feels charged with a heady anticipation. Cagan takes my hand, his fingers lacing with mine as he leads me to the bed, pulling me down to sit beside him.

For a long moment, we simply gaze at each other, drinking in the sight of the person we love most in this world. Then, Cagan takes a deep breath, his expression turning serious and contemplative.

"Hayden," he begins, his voice low and earnest, "I know we've been through so much, and there's still so much uncertainty ahead of us. But I need you to know, with absolute certainty, that I love you. More than anything, more than my own life."

I feel tears prick at the corners of my eyes, my heart swelling with an overwhelming surge of love and gratitude. "I love you too, Cagan," I whisper, my voice trembling with the force of my emotions. "I can't imagine my life without you, without Amira. You're my everything."

He smiles, a soft, tender thing that makes my heart skip a beat. "I feel the same way," he murmurs, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "You and Amira, you're my whole world. My reason for being. And I promise, I will spend every day of the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me."

I lean into his touch, my eyes fluttering closed as I savor the feeling of his skin against mine. "I like the sound of that," I breathe, my lips curving into a smile. "A lifetime of love and happiness and fun together."

Cagan makes a low, approving sound in the back of his throat, his hand sliding around to cup the back of my neck. "Together," he echoes, his voice rough with emotion. "Always."