Hope tucked her head under Ryan's chin and sighed, content.
"What if we went to New Orleans?" Hope asked after a while.
"Is that where your family is?"
"Yeah. Since the first witch of every new generation in my family is exceptionally powerful, I'll need my aunt's help to handle that and with Mikaelsons, family is always and forever."
"That means exposing ourselves to the rest of the world." Ryan kissed the top of her head.
"Maybe just my aunt at first. She's powerful and knows magic that might undo Malivore."
Ryan's grip on her tightened.
"What is it?"
"Killing Malivore permanently, that might mean killing me, since he gave me life."
"Then, we'll find a way to save you, to bind you to me." Hope traced patterns across his chest. "I won't let you die."
"You're afraid."
"I'm a wolf. We're pack animals and even if we're so called lone wolves, we seek out our pack when we're pregnant. Not having them around me, it leaves me feeling vulnerable." Her throat tightened as she admitted how she felt.
Ryan rolled onto his side and brushed her hair out of her face. Hope laid her head on his arm, near his elbow so she could look him in the eye.
"You really do need your pack, don't you?"
"Yes."
"I'll talk to Seylah. I can't promise she'll agree to go, but at least she'll know that you're a werewolf and that the baby is actually mine."
"Just as long as she knows, that's all I can ask."
"It would make her feel better, if she knew that we would be making contact with a witch as powerful as your aunt seems to be."
"Freya Mikaelson is one of the most powerful witches to ever exist and my family will stand by me if I reveal to them and prove to them that I am one of them. And they'll protect you since you're the father of my baby. That makes Seylah and Landon family too. We protect our own."
"How hard do you think it'll be to convince them?"
"Considering how paranoid they are? It could take months. Depending on how we handle it."
"Do you have any ideas?"
"I'm thinking maybe a blood sample and a letter might get things started, because just showing up will only risk things turning violent, especially if my dad is in earshot."
"Okay. Once I talk to Seylah, depending on what she says, you contact your family and we'll go from there." Ryan kissed her forehead and pulled her back against him.
"I love you, Ryan."
"I love you too, Hope."
"What if Seylah says 'no'?"
"We'll figure something out, because this baby is more important to me than Landon is. This baby is a part of me, blood of my blood and I will be the best father that I can be to him or her. If that means walking away from Seylah and Landon, I'll do it."
"They're your family too."
"Yeah. But if it comes to choosing between Seylah or our baby, I will choose this baby."
"You care about her. You wouldn't have stuck around so long if you didn't." Hope carded her fingers into his hair and kissed him softly.
"She was the first one to treat me like a person, but I won't allow that to come between me and doing what's best for our child."
"I hope it doesn't come to that."
"Hopefully it won't. Besides, it's almost time for us to move anyway because people will soon start to notice that I don't age."
"That's the nice thing about New Orleans, especially the French Quarter. So many people there don't age that you'd blend right in." Hope brought one of his hands to her lips and kissed his knuckles. "And if I can convince my family that I am who I say I am, all three of you will fall under Mikaelson protection. Yes, I know they couldn't protect me, but Malivore is currently in limbo and Triad lost their greatest asset when I ran, so if we reveal what we know, we'll be able to keep them from come after us again."
"Maybe you should contact them before I talk to Seylah. If she finds out that the Mikaelsons are willing to protect her and Landon, she will be more willing to go there."
"What if she still decides to stay away?"
"Then, it will be time to go our separate ways. Seylah will always be important to me and I will do what I can for her, but I can't protect her and Landon if it means putting my child at risk."
"I don't want to come between family, Ryan. Family is the most important thing there is."
"Yes, and you and this baby are my family too. So, what do you need to prove to your family you are who you say you are?"
"A vial for my blood, which you probably don't have, some paper, and pens. Would you mind accompanying me tomorrow, after you get off work?"
"And get to spend some time out of the house showing the town my pregnant girlfriend? Why would I mind? If we're lucky, we'll run into Lucy and she can start ranting about you being pregnant so then everyone will hear."
Hope slapped his arm playfully, then laid her cheek over his heart, listening to the steady rhythm.
"So, how are you going to send your message?"
"Magic." Hope sat up so she could kiss the tip of his nose and grinned. "Silly."
"I love you." Ryan raised one long fingered hand to her cheek to cradle it.
"I love you." Hope didn't think she'd ever get tired of saying that to him.
He tucked her head under his chin once more.
The next morning, Hope woke up to hear Seylah and Ryan talking.
"Are you sure?" Seylah was saying.
"I believe her, Seylah. Please. I'm not asking you to jump into this with me, but if it works out the way she's hoping, you could come with us and then you and Landon would have more protection against Malivore."
"Okay. I'll start putting things together, just in case things work out like you want it to." Seylah sounded uncertain. "After everything you've done for me, I trust you and I'm not going to walk away from you."
"Thank you."
Seylah's voice came out much more muffled this time, as though she was hugging him when she said, "I want you happy. You saved me, became a brother to me, and you've protected us both for so long, now it's time for you to live."
"What about you? When do you get to live?"
"I'll take my moments of happiness where I can get them and seeing how happy you are since finding out you're going to be a father, that's one of those moments."
Not wanting to intrude on their privacy anymore than she already was, Hope climbed out of bed and headed towards the shower. As the water washed over her, she once again found herself wishing that Ryan would join her, but she knew he had things he needed to do. Maybe some other time, he'd be able to, but for now, she'd just have to shower alone and daydream about the father of her baby making love to her beneath the warm spray.
When she exited the bathroom, wrapped only in a towel, Ryan was there, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"You could have joined me." Hope smiled over her shoulder as she let the towel drop.
"You heard what Seylah and I talked about?" Ryan asked, coming up behind her and kissing her neck.
"Some. I tried not to listen much though. It seemed private and what you two talk about isn't always my business." Hope leaned back against him. "I hear a lot more than people mean for me to, so it's become second nature to tune conversations not meant for me out."
"She's a lot happier for me than I thought she'd be and she's surprisingly willing to risk exposing Landon for me."
"She cares about you."
Hope drew his hand lower down her body, her head falling back as his long fingers dipped inside her.
"Yes, but I don't want to talk about her right now," Ryan whispered against her hair.
To her utter frustration, he only applied enough pressure to keep her excited, without easing the ache he'd ignited.
"If we keep going this way, I'm going to have to take another shower." Hope whimpered. "Damn you, Ryan, please."
"Please what?" Ryan asked as he spun her around, his lower lip caught between his teeth, his dark eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Get your head or your cock between my legs right now, or I swear I'm going to tie you to the bed and ride you until next year."
Her internal muscles quivered at the thought of having this man writhing beneath her, completely at her mercy with his length buried to the hilt inside her. A fresh wave of warmth flooded her and she rubbed her thighs together in an effort to create some much needed friction.
"Next time you make a threat, make it one I wouldn't mind having happen."
"I want you on top of me, on that bed, right now, Ryan. Or I'll just have to take care of things myself." Hope scowled up at him.
"Yes, ma'am." His grin widened and he scooped her into his arms before throwing her onto the bed before joining her.
Hope tugged his shirt over his head and they both shoved his pants down his legs.
"Need you, Ryan. Please." Hope spread her thighs, then kissed him, her tongue sliding into his mouth.
With a groan, Ryan claimed her body, thrusting as deeply as he could, her internal muscles stretching deliciously around him.
"I love you," Hope moaned, her back bowing, as Ryan set a hard rhythm, the sounds of skin against skin echoing off the walls.
"Love you too, Hope." Ryan kissed her, his breath hot against her lips. "I love you so much."
All too soon, Hope felt her climax overtaking her and she dug her nails into his back, raking her nails across his shoulders.
"So tight, sweetheart. You get so tight when you come." Ryan cried out then, spilling inside her.
As he caught his breath, he rolled onto his side, his softening cock slipping from her body as he moved.
"Damn. I did need that," Hope said, with a kiss to his chest.
"Is it going to be like this from here on out?" Ryan grinned at her.
"At least until I get too big to have sex comfortably, because right now, all I want is to screw you every day all day long."
"Hmmmm." Ryan kissed the corner of her mouth. "I think I can oblige at least once in the morning and once at night, more if I don't have to work."
"I can live with that."
"Did you want to go into town to pick up supplies? I don't think Seylah would mind getting what you need."
"What happened to showing off your pregnant girlfriend?" Hope teased and traced patterns up and down his chest with her fingertips.
"Showing off my girlfriend to a bunch of people who mean nothing to me and who I'm more than likely never going to see again once I leave this place verses having sex with my very horny, pregnant girlfriend?" Ryan raised an eyebrow at her, then kissed her lightly on the lips.
"I take it the sex wins out?" Hope nipped at his lower lips with her teeth, her blue eyes twinkling.
"Sex with you, most definitely. I can always show you off later."
"Good. Because as soon as you're able to, I want you inside me again."
"I think you'll find my recovery time is much better than the average human," Ryan said as he rolled her beneath him.
