Wanted Man (Loki Fanfiction - Book #1)

Chapter Thirty-One

The first few weeks of life with a newborn took some getting used to, even in Asgard. Selig was a good baby, one who rarely fussed, but he awoke every two hours like clockwork to be fed.

At his piercing cry, McKenna groaned and forced her eyes open. It was still dark—the middle of the night, she guessed, although the moonlight slicing through the windows provided enough light for her to see.

Loki was asleep beside her, on his side, with one hand up beneath his pillow and the other draped loosely over her hip. She gently inched out from beneath him, whispering, "I'm coming, little man. Give me a minute," as she slid to the edge of the bed and rose.

Selig's howls quieted to whimpers as she lifted him from the cradle and brought him over to the windowsill, where she sat and gazed out over the beautiful expanse of Asgard. From there, she could see the ocean leading to the realm's edge. Some nights it was rough, roiling with white capped waves. But tonight, it was peaceful and calm. It rarely rained in Asgard, mostly only at night, and no matter what the weather, that ledge was one of her favorite places to nurse Selig.

He quieted as he went to work and she rocked gently, whispering, "That's my beautiful boy," as she stroked his shock of silky black hair. His resemblance to Loki was beyond striking and she smiled as the moonlight skimmed his pale cheek. "The girls are going to be hounding you from the time you can walk, little man. And not one of them will be good enough for you."

Selig's eyes remained focused on her, deep blue and fringed with thick black lashes. His father's eyes. His father's face. And one day, his father's magic.

As she shifted him to her other breast, she glanced over at the bed. Loki looked so peaceful, and for a moment, she was envious. Although she loved Selig with every fiber of her being, she missed sleeping through an entire night. She missed not feeling exhausted all the time.

After Selig finished feeding and let out two very noisy belches, McKenna kissed his cool cheek. "Mommy loves you, sweetie. But she wishes you would learn to sleep through the night."

He regarded her with bright eyes and she rocked him slowly, rubbing his back. She moved from one side of the windows to the other, gently bouncing him against her shoulder. Little by little, Selig's eyes closed and he drifted back to sleep. She gingerly placed him in his cradle, covered him with a light blanket, and crept back to the bed.

She eased back beneath the covers, sighing appreciatively as her head sank into her pillow. Loki reached for her, sliding his arm about her waist and pulled her back against his chest as he whispered, "Are you sure he's asleep?"

"I am," she replied, smothering a yawn. "But he fought it like a champ."

Loki's hand lay flat against her stomach, moving in lazy circles. "He will sleep through eventually."

"I certainly hope so."

His lips brushed her jaw. "He will. Now go to sleep."

"I'm already there."

***

She woke up to the lightly tickling flutter of Loki's lips creeping along the back of her neck. His breath was warm on her nape, and she smiled as he stretched out on top of her and whispered, "We have the room to ourselves, love. I suggest we make good use of it."

"Where is Selig?" she whispered back, trying to blink the sleep from her bleary eyes. She felt like she'd only closed them half an hour earlier. Damn sleep deprivation. It was slowly killing her.

Her hair slid from her neck and Loki's hands eased along her arms until he reached her hands, where he threaded his fingers with hers. "Eir has him," he murmured, his lips now moving along the side of her neck, up toward her ear.