A New Beginning

Chapter Sixty Six

Bella’s POV

After we landed in H Ades , Ibash immediately rushed Lord Erik off to a hospital that worked with tge H Ades , and Ibash stayed with me. I was exhausted and emotionally drained. “What happens with us now?” I asked tiredly.

Ibash gave me a surprised look. “I will take you to the mansion. Lord Erik will want to have you and his kids around when he returns.”

“You think he will survive?”

Ibash nodded. “Lord Erik won’t die.”

I followed Ibash to a car and sank down on the backseat with my children.

When I jerked awake, we had arrived and Ades was staring through

the window as if he was seeing a ghost. He opened the door. “What the fuck?”

“Lord Erik ’s got kids,” Ibash explained.

“I see that,” Ades said.Ibash took Jordan again, and I got out with Jemima , who had her face

buried in my neck. Ades couldn’t stop staring at Jordan , then finally he met my gaze. “You saved Lord Erik ?”

I nodded. Ades searched my eyes, and I wasn’t sure what he was looking for. “It’s too cold for Jordan and Jemima to stay outside. Can you get my bag from the trunk?”

Ades nodded and walked to the back of the car. I followed Ibash inside the house, a strange sense of familiarity washing over me. This place didn’t feel like home. I’d only experienced it as a captive, and I wondered how things would be now that I had come here freely. Could this become a home for me and my children?

Ibash had said Lord Erik would want me to live here with them, but I wasn’t sure. It felt surreal being here, but there was no going back now.

The realization sank in slowly, and for a moment I felt immobilized by the weight of it. Holding Jemima seemed to ground me. “You can give Jordan to me,”

I managed, offering my free arm.

Ibash ’s brows drew together, but he gave me my son without hesitation, and I hugged him to me. Ibash and Ades watched me for a moment, as if they weren’t sure what to do with me.

“How is he?” Nina , IBASH’s fiancée asked, hurrying into the entrance hall. She jerked to a stop when she spotted me with the kids. Her eyes widened.

“Ibash took him to hospital,” Ibash said.

Nina only stared at me. Her eyes darted down to Jordan and Jemima , and she shook her head in disbelief. A girl with freckles and brown hair followed Nina and also stopped in her tracks.

Nina was the first to move. She came toward me, her eyes alight with warmth. “How did Lord Erik react?”

Tears sprang into my eyes, and her smile fell.

“He passed out before he saw them,” I whispered.

“Nothing kills Lord Erik ,” Ades said firmly.

I nodded.

Jemima began crying, and Jordan , too, was becoming increasingly cranky.

“I need to feed them and change their diapers. Then they need a place to sleep.”Ibash glanced at Ades , who shrugged.

Nina rolled her eyes. “Would it be okay if I took you to the bedroom you were in ... last time? I don’t want to open the other rooms in Lord Erik ’s wing. Or would you prefer to stay in my and Ibash ’s wing?”

I choked out a laugh. “I’ll stay in Lord Erik ’s wing.”The other girl smiled hesitantly.

“I’m Bella . And this is Jordan and Jemima .”

“Leona,” she said. “Nice to meet you.” Ades stepped up to her andput his hand on her waist in a possessive gesture. So she was his girl.

Nina took my bag from Ades and led me upstairs into Lord Erik ’s wing. I knew the way by heart, but her company felt good. When we stepped into my old room, my breath caught in my throat at the rush of memories that overwhelmed me, but another loud wail from Jemima snapped me out of it.

I moved over to the bed and carefully lowered them down on it Nina kept throwing glances at my twins, longing in her gaze. “How can I help you?”

I opened the bag and held out the baby formula. In the evening, they always needed the bottle to calm down. “Could you prepare two bottles?”

Nina returned fifteen minutes later with the bottles and settled beside me on the bed. “Why don’t you feed Jordan while I take care of Jemima ,” I suggested.

Her eyes lit up. “Thank you.”

I laughed. “You’re helping me. I should thank you.”

She grinned as she took Jordan and settled him on her lap.

“I should warn you. He’s a bit of a wrestler.”

Nina brought the bottle to Jordan ’s mouth, and as expected his little hands reached for the bottle, trying to snatch it out of her hand. She laughed.

I blinked back tears as I focused on Jemima , who was happily drinking, her big dark eyes peering up at me sleepily. Emotions painfully tightened in my chest.

Lord Erik had to survive. I couldn’t believe fate would be so cruel to rip him from me before he could see his children. Maybe Lord Erik deserved death, but I didn’t care. He needed to live for Jemima and Jordan .

“He’ll love and protect them,” Nina murmured.

Lord Erik would protect them. Was he capable of love? I wasn’t sure.

After Nina left, I lay down beside my babies, who were already asleep after their feeding. I didn’t have beds for them or anything else except for the few things I’d stuffed into the backpack.

I closed my eyes.

The image of Lord Erik in his blood flashed into my mind, and I shuddered.I must have fallen asleep because Jemima ’s wail woke me shortly after. It was the first night without the help of Gabriel or my mother, and a heavy weight settled in the pit of my stomach thinking about my family. I wasn’t sure how my future nights would be. Would I handle everything on my own?

I was up early the next morning and blinked against the soft light streaming in through the window. I had barely slept, and not just because of my twin’s erratic schedule. Worry for Lord Erik had haunted my sleep. I got myself and my babies ready before I headed downstairs, carrying them on my hips.

Following the scent of coffee and bacon, I made my way into the kitchen but stopped in the doorway.Ibash , and Ades were sitting around the kitchen table while Nina was stirring something in a big pot. All eyes turned to me, and I swayed on my feet. I’d always been the enemy, the captive, and now I was what? A guest? An intruder?

“Good morning,” I said then turned to Ibash , fear clogging my throat. “How is he?”

“Stable. A few broken bones, bruises, rupture of the spleen. He’s upstairs, knocked out with pain meds.”

“He won’t like that one bit,” Ibash said grinning. “You know he prefers pain to being helpless.”

I still hadn’t moved from the doorway.

“I’m preparing a pumpkin puree for the babies. I hope that’s okay?” Nina chimed in.

I nodded. Ibash grabbed a chair and pulled it back for me. With a small smile, I approached the table and sank down. Jordan knocked Ibash ’s glass over, spilling water over him.

“Sorry,” I said, leaning back so Jordan ’s sneaky arms wouldn’t get into more trouble. He still made grabby motions.

Ibash regarded him intently as he dried himself with a dishtowel that Nina had handed him.

Adamo shook his head. His arm was bandaged and his face was swollen. “I can’t believe Lord Erik ’s got kids.”

“I bet the Heavens hated seeing them. I mean, there’s no way they couldn’t be Falcones,” Ibash said with a grin.I stiffened, pain slicing through me. I looked away, swallowing.

“Is that why you’re here?” Ibash asked mildly.

“To give them a chance?” “I want them to be proud of who they are,” I said. I didn’t want to

explain everything.

“They will be. They are Dragon Lords ,” Ibash said.

I looked into his emotionless gray eyes. “Just like that? My family tortured your brotheee and nearly killed Lord Erik and I’m technically the enemy.” “Just like that. You are Lord Erik ’s and they are his too. You are family.”

I frowned. “I’m not Lord Erik ’s.”

Ibash gave me a twisted smile. “You are.”

Nina put a plate piled with eggs and bacon and toast in front of me. “Do you have a blanket?”

She hurried off and returned with one a few minutes later, spreading iton the ground. I put Jemima and Jordan down on their backs so I could eat. I smiled when Jordan rolled onto his stomach and raised his head curiously.

“This is too weird,” Ades said. I gave him a smile.

Ibash shook his head. “I’m not going to change diapers. I don’t give a fuck if Lord Erik gives the order or not. I’m not going anywhere near someone else’s shit, baby or not.”

I huffed. “I’m pretty sure you come into contact with more disgusting things on a daily basis.”

Ades laughed. “He’s full of shit anyway.”

Ibash punched Ades unharmed arm.Some of the weight I’d felt since yesterday lifted from my shoulders.