He chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed. "Okay, if that's what you want."
"It is. Besides, Starry already went to get more pillows, or whatever she's gathering."
Leveret looked relieved. "Good. Because I'm staying right here."
Brimming with affection, I leaned against him. Leveret put his arms around me as we nestled together in bed. As the waves of pain slowly ebbed back and forth, the comforting arms of my mate were enough to get me through it. I clenched my eyes shut as the pain worsened, but Leveret peppered kisses against my forehead as a distraction. I was so grateful for him in every single way.
"Animus," Leveret said, surprise in his voice. "You're glowing even more than before."
I opened my eyes and saw the visible radiance coming from my skin. It was my magic—as I neared the final moments of my pregnancy, my magic intensified, helping me deliver the baby. I let out a long exhale. It soothed some of the pain but I wasn't finished yet.
As the wave of pain subsided, I grew irritated at the pillow arrangement again. I wriggled out of Leveret's arms and reorganized them with a huff of annoyance.
He tilted his head. "Anything I can do?"
I paused, thinking it over. Then I shoved a pillow into his arms. "Hold that."
He took the pillow dutifully as I went back to attacking the rest. When the nagging buzz in my head quieted down, the tension left me. I sighed and leaned against the wood headrest.
"Can you put that behind my neck?" I asked.
"Sure."
That was better. For now. I hoped the nagging feeling wouldn't return. The number of pillows on the bed already outnumbered us.
Leveret ran his hands over my belly in soothing, gentle motions. I relaxed as much as I could before the next cramping pain seized my lower body. I groaned, clenching my eyes shut.
"I'm here, Animus," Leveret murmured.
"I know," I hissed through my teeth.
As the agony reared its ugly head, so did my magic. It flared, filling the room with unnatural brightness and smothering the pain. I gasped as it vanished.
"Huh," I mumbled. "Well, that'soneuse for magic."
Leveret regarded me fondly as he wiped the damp hair out of my face. "By the way, you never told me your plan."
I bit my lip. I wanted it to be a surprise, but what if Leveret didn't like it? What if his whole pack didn't? As a spirit, it was sometimes difficult for me to understand mortal feelings. It scared me that I could make a mistake.
But my plan didn'tfeellike a mistake. It was what I wanted. I could only hope it was what the pack wanted, too.
I took Leveret's hand as he waited for my reply.
"You know how I told you I didn't want to be a spirit anymore?" I asked.
"Yes."
"That's still true. I want to be a mortal, like you." I smiled at him. "But you're right about all my magic. I don't intend for it to disappear without a purpose."
He tilted his head. "So what are you going to do with it?"
I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat. "When the baby is born, I'll experience a great burst of magic. There will be more of it than I've ever had in my entire existence. And I... I want to spread my life force among your family.Ourfamily."
Realization slowly dawned on Leveret's face. A mix of puzzled confusion and hope appeared on his features. "So... let me understand this. You want to become mortal, and at the same time, extend our natural lifespans?"
"Yes."
He pondered this for a moment. "Huh. Can you really do that?"