The two pink lines stare back at me. Unblinking. Final. My breath catches. My knees weaken. I press a hand to my stomach. Bare skin. Warm. Already different. Already carrying. Already everything.
I sit on the edge of the tub. Water drips from my hair. Towel forgotten. My chest hitches. My throat tightens. I stare at that plastic stick like it’s a verdict. Like it’s a promise. It’s both.
I’m pregnant.
Jack’s. My daddy. My ruin. My forever.
I change quickly. Soft black sweater. Denim shorts. I pull the fabric low enough to hide the secret swelling at my middle. My hands shake. I tell myself it’s excitement. It’s terror. It’s both. It’s everything.
The elevator hums. Up. To the roof. To him.
I push the doors open. The city sprawls below. Glass and steel. Neon bleeding into twilight. And there he is. Leaning against the wrought-iron railing. Suit jacket off. Shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows. Eyes locked on me like I’m the only thing breathing in this entire world.
Jack. My anchor. My storm. My home.
He crosses the space in three long strides. Fingers find my waist. Pull me flush against him. The hard line of his cock presses into my stomach. I gasp. He always knows how to wreck me.
You’re trembling, he murmurs. Voice low. Rough. That familiar command wrapped in velvet.
I’m scared, I whisper.
Scared of me?
Scared of what comes next. Scared I’m not enough. Scared I’m carrying something that changes everything.
Nothing changes, he says. Thumb strokes my hip. Possessive. Grounding. You’re mine. The baby’s mine. You’re my life, Jessa. Always have been since that damn sunset.
I pull back just enough to meet his eyes. Blue. Stormy. Mine. I slide my hand under my sweater. Cover my belly. Press his palm over mine. His skin is hot. Calloused. Perfect.
I’m pregnant, I say. The words taste like copper and honey. Three weeks. I tested this morning.
His breath stops. His pupils blow wide. The hand covering mine tightens. Fingers splay. Claiming. Protecting. His voice cracks. Just once. God. Jessa. We’re—
Having a baby, I finish. Together. Ours.
He groans. Low. Primal. Buries his face in my neck. Kisses my pulse. Bites my skin. Hard. Marking. Mine, he growls. Both of you. Forever mine.
I melt into him. All that tension snaps. Replaced by something vast. Something sacred. My body already knows. My soul definitely does. I feel it too. The shift. The completeness. The way my breasts ache. The way my stomach feels heavier. The way my pussy stays wet just thinking about him.
He lifts me. Carries me to the lounge chairs by the pool. Water glimmers. Reflections of the sky dancing on the surface. He lays me down. Follows. Cages me with his arms. Looks at my stomach like it’s already his kingdom.
Can I feel it? he asks. Voice thick.
Right here, I guide his hand. Lower. Where life is starting. Where his cum took root. Where his cock worked me raw for three nights straight until I begged for more. Until I took every drop. Until my body surrendered to the breeding.
Jesus, he breathes. Palm flat. Pressing. I did this. I made you. Made us.
You fucked me senseless, I admit. Voice husky. Pulled my legs up. Throttled my wrists. Fucked me right against the tiles. Left me dripping. Left me marked. Left me carrying your heir.
You took it so fucking well, he murmurs. Leans down. Lips brush mine. Heat. Hunger. History. Tore me apart. I’ve been obsessed since day one. Since that sunset. Since you looked at me like I wasn’t a monster. Like I was just a man. A man who wanted to breed you. Own you. Keep you safe forever.
You are my monster, I whisper. My daddy. My forever.
He stands. Paces. Runs a hand through his hair. The alpha mask slips. Just for a second. Vulnerability cracks through. Then he’s back. Steady. Certain. My rock.
Sit up, he says. Gently. Hands me water. I drink. Swallow hard. Watch him.
I’ve been carrying this since we got back from the trip. Since I realized I’d kill anyone who tried to take you from me. Since I knew I’d burn the city down to keep you warm.
Jack—
Let me finish. He drops to one knee. The gravel crunches. The air leaves my lungs. I press a hand to my mouth. Tears blur the neon.
Jessa, he says. Voice steady. Unshakable. You walked into my life like a storm. Took everything I owned. Gave me everything I needed. I’ve wanted to ask you since the moment I saw you in that dress. Since the moment you let me touch you. Since the moment you let me fill you.
He pulls a velvet box from his pocket. Opens it. A diamond. Massive. Old mine cut. Surrounding stones. Worth a fortune. Worth nothing compared to what it means.
I don’t just want you in my bed, he says. I want you in my life. My home. My name. I want to wake up next to you. Hear you laugh. Watch you carry our child. Grow old with you. Fuck you until you can’t walk. Breed you until you’re buried deep in my legacy. Marry me, Jessa. Be my wife. My queen. My everything.
I’m crying. Not from sadness. From overwhelming. From finality. From knowing I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. He reaches up. Wipes a tear. His own eyes shine.
I know you will, he says. Because that sunset changed my life. You changed my heart.
The words hit me like a physical blow. I sob. Nod. Yes, I whisper. Yes. Marry me. Keep me. Claim me. Forever.
Say it again, he demands. I need to hear it. I need it carved into my bones.
Yes, I say. Voice loud. Shaking. Certain. I’ll marry you. I’ll be yours. In every way. Body and soul. Until the sun burns out. Until the oceans dry. Until infinity.
Good girl, he growls. Stands. Pulls me up. Crashes his mouth to mine. Kisses me like he’s drowning. Like I’m the only air left. Tongue. Teeth. Heat. Possession. I open for him. Take him in. Taste our future on my tongue.
He lifts me. Carries me to the edge of the pool. Water laps at my thighs. He unbuttons his pants. Shoves them down. Kicks off his shoes. His cock springs free. Thick. Veined. Already hard. Already ready.
You’re sure? he asks. Voice ragged.
Pregnant, I remind him. But I need you. I always need you. Breed me again. Mark me again. Claim me again.
I’ll give you everything, he promises. Drops to his knees. Spreads my thighs. Looks at my pussy. Already swollen. Already dripping. Already his. I’ll fuck you slow. I’ll fuck you deep. I’ll fill you until you spill my name. Until you carry another piece of me. Until you never doubt where you belong.
I don't doubt, I whisper. I never have.
Good. He pushes inside. One thick stroke. Bottoms out. Stretches me. Fills me. I gasp. Back arches. Fingers dig into his shoulders. God, Jessa. You feel like heaven. Like home. Like forever.
Daddy, I beg. Please. I need you. I need it all.
You’ve had it all, he growls. Starts moving. Hips snapping. Thighs slapping. Pool water splashing. Sky darkening. Stars waking up. Mine. Always mine. Say it.
Yours, I cry. Forever yours. Jack. Daddy. Husband. Mine.
Fuck, he groans. Slows. Drags out every thrust. Teasing. Torturing. Perfect. I’m close. You’re so fucking tight. So fucking perfect. I’m marking you. Claiming you. Breeding you. Taking you to the edge.
Take me, I beg. Daddy, take me. I want to feel you cum inside me. I want to feel you claim me. I want it all.
You’ve got it, he snarls. Hips drive in. Hard. Fast. Relentless. Bottoms out. Holds. I feel him swell. Feel him pulse. Feel him spill deep. Hot. Thick. Flood. I scream. Back bows. Waves crash over me. I break. I shatter. I fall apart and put myself back together in his arms. Yes, I sob. Yes. Yes.
Good girl, he pants. Collapses over me. Chest heaving. Heart pounding against mine. Lips finding my neck. My jaw. My mouth. I’ve got you. I’ve always got you. We’re done running. We’re done hiding. We’re just us. Now. Forever.
Infinity, I whisper into his skin.
Infinity, he agrees. Kisses me soft. Slow. Sweet. Real.
The city hums below. The pool ripples. The stars watch. And I lie here. Tangled in my alpha. Filled with his cum. Carrying our life. Finally home.
Let’s go inside, he murmurs. Lifts me. Carries me to the lounge. Covers us with a blanket. Pulls me against his chest. Heartbeat steady. Arms locked. Tomorrow, I’m calling my lawyer. We’re doing this right. Court house. Or here. Doesn’t matter. I just need you to wear that ring. I need you to be my wife.
I’ll wear it every day, I promise. Trace the diamond on my finger. I’ll never take it off. I’ll sleep with it. Shower with it. Fuck with it. I’ll never let it go. You’ll never let me go.
Damn right, he growls. Kisses my temple. Now sleep. You’ve got a baby to grow. A husband to love. A forever to claim.
I'm already there, I whisper. Eyes closing. Heart full. Body warm. Soul complete. Daddy.
I’m here, he says. Always. I’m here. Sleep, my love. Dream of us. Of infinity. Of what’s coming. It’s going to be perfect. Because we’re together. Finally. Completely. Forever.
And as his heartbeat lulls me under, I know he’s right. That sunset changed him. I changed him. We changed each other. And now? Now we just begin.