They were all the same. All of them. And Ivan, who had spent his entire life being the wall, being the weapon, being the thing that broke so others didn’t have to, had found his place among men who understood exactly what she was worth.

He didn’t care about the sharing. He’d thought he would. In the beginning. The jealousy was still there, a low, burning coal behind his ribs that flared every time another man touched her, but it was survivable. Because every night, without fail, she turned to him. She smiled at him. She pressed her small hand against his scarred chest and said his name like it meant something, and that was enough. That was everything.

Damien returned with the cloth, warm and damp, and held it out. Ivan took it without looking away from her.

He stared at her face. Gentle. Always gentle with her, even though his hands were built for violence. He wiped the drying streaks from her cheekbone, her jaw, the delicate shell of her ear, and she didn’t stir. Her breathing stayed deep and even, her lips slightly parted, her lashes dark against her flushed skin.

"You’re going to watch her all night again," Voss observed from somewhere behind him.

Ivan didn’t answer. He moved the cloth down her throat, cleaning the mess they’d made of her, and his thumb traced the line of her collarbone where his cum had pooled. The possessive sound that escaped him was barely human, a low, rumbling vibration that he felt in his teeth.

"Mine," he said, and this time he didn’t swallow it. He let the word sit in the air between them, heavy and raw. "She’s mine. She’s all of ours, and I’ll kill anything that tries to take her from us."

Victor’s hand settled on his shoulder. A brief, grounding pressure. "We know, Ivan."

"I mean it." Ivan’s hand stilled on her stomach, where Voss had been stroking minutes before. He could feel the warmth of their cubs still growing beneath his palm, and something primal and ancient surged through him, the need to mark, to claim, to protect. "I don’t care if it’s a zombie horde. I don’t care if it’s the entire army. If something threatens her, I’ll burn it to the ground and salt the earth behind me."

The room was quiet. No one argued. No one needed to. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Felicity shifted in her sleep, a soft murmur escaping her lips, and her hand reached out blindly until it found his thigh. Her fingers curled around the muscle there, holding on, and Ivan felt his entire body go still, every instinct, every nerve, every violent impulse locking into place around that single point of contact.

She trusted him. Even unconscious, even wrecked and exhausted and covered in the evidence of what they’d done to her, she reached for him.

His throat tightened. He set the cloth aside and lowered himself beside her, carefully, so carefully, pulling her against his chest. She fit against him like she’d been designed for it, her head tucked under his chin, her breath warm against his throat, her cum-slicked body moulding to his as though she’d been poured there.

"I’ve got you," he whispered into her hair. The words were for her, even though she couldn’t hear them. "I’ll always have you. No matter what comes. No matter who tries. You’re safe with me. You’re safe with us."

He pressed his lips to the crown of her head and breathed her in, sweat and sex and something underneath that was purely, devastatingly her and made the promise again, silently this time, in the language his body understood best.

I will bring the world down for you. And I will build it back up with my bare hands if that’s what you need.

Felicity stirred awake to the warmth of Ivan’s chest against her back, his arm draped protectively over her growing belly. Morning light filtered through the curtains, casting golden patterns across the room. She felt refreshed but tender in places that made her cheeks flush with memories of the night before.

With a soft sigh, she cast a gentle healing spell over herself, feeling the familiar warmth spread through her limbs, easing the ache between her thighs. Ivan’s breathing remained deep and steady behind her, but she knew he was awake; he was always aware when she moved.

"Morning," she whispered, wiggling slightly in his embrace.

His arm tightened momentarily before relaxing. "Morning."

She turned to face him, smiling at the rare softness in his eyes. "I need a shower."

Ivan studied her face for a long moment before nodding. "Be careful. The floor might be slippery."

"I will." She pressed her lips to his, lingering longer than intended. "I’ll be right back."

The shower was hot and steady, the kind of reliable comfort that still felt like a small miracle after everything. Felicity stepped under the spray, sighing as the water worked through her hair and down her skin. Her mind drifted to the previous night—to Ivan’s hands on her body, his low voice whispering promises against her throat.

These one-on-one days were important for each of her men, but they always stirred jealousy among the others. Victor would get quiet, Damien would find excuses to touch her hair, and Voss would make pointed comments about "taking turns." Only Exile remained somewhat removed from the jealousy, his protective instincts overriding any possessiveness.

Felicity’s hand drifted to her belly, feeling the gentle curve beneath her fingers. Just Exile’s turn left, and then they’d have completed their rotation. The thought made her smile despite the complications of their arrangement.

After drying off, she dressed in her favourite outfit, a short baby blue pleated skirt that swirled around her thighs and a white crop top that left a sliver of her pregnant belly visible. The swell was still modest but undeniable now.

As she emerged from the bathroom, Exile materialised beside her, his movements silent as always. His eyes swept over her critically before nodding once in approval.

"Felicity," he said simply, his voice a low rumble. "I found something you need to see."

"What is it?" she asked, reaching for his hand. His fingers wrapped around hers, strong and warm.

"A doctor, or what’s left of one." His eyes darkened. "She’s hiding in the old hospital district. Claims she can help with pregnancies."