Chapter 128 Little Iggy
Once the heavy wooden door clicked shut behind Magda, sealing them in the quiet sanctuary of the guest room, the terrifying reality of how close they had come to tragedy finally crashed completely over Jax. The usually charming, effortlessly quick-witted Beta looked entirely, fundamentally undone.
He slid off the edge of the chair, his knees hitting the floorboards with a heavy thud beside Ginny's bed. He carefully, almost reverently, gathered both of her trembling hands in his large, calloused ones, pressing them desperately against his mouth. His broad shoulders were still shaking violently with the aftershocks of sheer adrenaline and raw, unfiltered fear.
"I'm going to take care of everything," Jax promised, his voice thick, rough, and barely recognizable. The words tumbled out of him in a frantic, desperate rush as he lifted his head. His glowing golden eyes were wide, completely stripped of their usual playful spark, and entirely focused on her pale face. "I'll dote on you every single minute I can. I swear it, Ginny. Every second I have."
He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he mentally mapped out his days aloud, desperately needing to prove to her—and to himself—that he could keep her perfectly safe and comfortable.
"I'll fit it in between the border patrols," Jax rattled off, his thumbs frantically rubbing the backs of her knuckles to chase away the chill. "And right after training the youth at the sparring grounds. And the absolute second Fennigan and I finish the pack paperwork in the Alpha's office, I am coming straight back up here to you."
He leaned closer, his voice fierce with a desperate, unyielding determination. "I will bring you breakfast in bed. And lunch in bed. And dinner in bed."
Jax let out a wet, breathless laugh that sounded more like a sob, pressing his forehead hard against her hands. "Hell, Gin, if you want a midnight snack, you just kick me, and I will sprint to the kitchen. Whatever you want, you get it. You don't lift a single finger. You don't even look at a chore, and you don't take a single stair, for the next four months."
Ginny’s expression softened, a warm tear slipping down her cheek. She slipped one hand free from his desperate grip and reached out, gently brushing a stray drop of moisture from his sharp cheekbone. "Jax, breathe. Look at me. I'm okay. The baby is okay."
But Jax shook his head, looking back up at her with a raw, agonizing vulnerability that completely stripped away his tough Beta exterior. He shifted his grip, resting one large, incredibly warm hand gently over the swell of her belly. He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on the undeniable, incredibly strong pulse of his unborn pup—the powerful, concentrated Alpha bloodline that had almost demanded too much from her fragile human body.
"Just... stay okay for me, please," Jax whispered, his voice finally breaking completely into a choked, devastating sob. He leaned forward, resting his cheek lightly against the side of her stomach, letting the sheer terror of the afternoon finally spill over. "Please, Gin. Just let me do this. Let me take care of you. Because I couldn't handle it. If I lost you... if I lost either of you today, I wouldn't have survived it."
Ginny’s own tears spilled rapidly over her lashes. She sank her fingers deeply into his thick hair, holding him close as he cried quietly against her side. In the absolute safety of their room, miles away from the magical war and the political fallout downstairs, they finally allowed themselves to just breathe.
For several long, heavy minutes, the only sound in the room was their synchronized breathing and the soft rustle of the blankets.
Then, Ginny’s hand suddenly stilled in his hair. Her brow furrowed as the chaotic blur of the last hour slowly began to untangle in her mind. She blinked, her tear-filled eyes widening as a specific, offhand comment from the healer finally registered.
"Jax..." Ginny whispered, her voice suddenly breathy and light.
He immediately lifted his head, panic instantly flaring back into his golden eyes. "What? Are you cramping again? Do I need to get Magda?"
"No, no, I'm fine," Ginny said quickly, a watery, disbelieving smile breaking across her pale face. She looked down at him, her hands coming up to cup his face. "Jax... when Magda was scanning my stomach. Do you remember what she said?"
Jax blinked, his brain still sluggish from the adrenaline crash. "She... she said the heartbeat was strong. That you needed bedrest."
"Before that," Ginny urged, a soft, beautiful laugh bubbling up in her chest. "When she first felt the aura to make sure the baby was safe. She told you not to worry. She said... she said the little prince is safe."
The words hung in the quiet air between them. Jax stared at her, his jaw going slightly slack as his mind finally replayed the healer's exact phrasing. The fierce, terrifyingly strong Alpha-blooded pup that was currently keeping his human mate bedridden...
"A boy," Jax breathed out, the absolute wonder of the realization completely washing away the last of his terror. A massive, brilliant smile slowly stretched across his face, reaching all the way to his glowing eyes. He let out a joyful, incredulous laugh, pressing his forehead against hers. "Ginny... we're having a boy."
Ginny laughed with him, her fingers tracing the rough line of his jaw. "A boy. With concentrated Alpha blood. He's already proving he's going to be a handful. He needs a name that matches that kind of strength, Jax. Something fierce. A fire name, to match the spark he's already showing."
Jax pulled back just enough to look at her, his mind immediately turning over the possibilities. The paralyzing fear of the morning was entirely replaced by the fierce, protective pride of a father.
"Fire," Jax mused, his golden eyes lighting up. He looked down at her stomach, his thumb gently stroking the fabric of her shirt. "He survived all of this dark magic today before he even took his first breath. What about Phoenix? Rising right out of the ashes of Vane's destruction."
Ginny smiled, but shook her head slightly. "It's a little too poetic for a Beta's son. He needs something sharper. Something that hits harder."
Jax grinned, his old, charming spark finally flickering back to life. "Alright. Harder. Sharper. What about Blaze?"
Ginny tested it on her tongue. "Blaze. It's strong. It's definitely fierce."
"Or Ignatios," Jax offered, leaning his chin against the mattress. "It literally means fiery. Considering he's got Damon and Elana's Alpha blood running through his veins, he's definitely going to live up to it."
Ginny’s eyes softened, a deep, profound warmth settling into her chest. She placed her hand over Jax's where it rested on her belly.
"Ignatios Blaze," Ginny whispered, the syllables locking perfectly into place. She looked at Jax, her smile radiant despite the sheer exhaustion. "Ignatios Blaze Blackwood. Our little firebrand. Our little Iggy."
Jax's smile was blinding. "It's strong. It's regal. And I already know exactly what we're going to call him."
He leaned forward, pressing a fiercely tender kiss to her lips, and then leaned down to press an equally devoted kiss directly to the swell of her stomach.
"Ignatios Blaze it is," Jax whispered against her skin. "You just rest now, little Iggy. Your dad's got the watch."