Royal Line by Carrie Ryan (online e book reading txt) 📕

he leaned down and kissed my bare shoulder.

We weren’t engaged; we weren’t married. But it would happen. Probably sooner rather than later because an illegitimate heir to the throne, even if they would be further down the line than any of Roman’s future children, wouldn’t be great.

So if Kannon didn’t get on one knee soon, I would have to be the one who did so. But that was fine. Like he said, we liked being unconventional, even if we were sometimes set in those truly conventional ways.

“Do we tell your family?” he asked.

“Normally I would say it’s far too early, but with Roman and Breck and Wilder working so hard on finding a loophole, maybe we should. I don’t think we can wait.” I paused, looking at Kannon again.

“What is it?” he asked, his voice solemn.

“I know this isn’t what you signed up for.”

“Princess, it’s exactly what I signed up for.”

I snorted, shaking my head, far more emotional than I had been before.

I’d have liked to blame it on the hormones, but I had a feeling it had more to do with the shock of my aunt trying to kill me, and finding Kannon, and everything happening all at once.

It was hard to wrap my head around everything, and I was still working on it.

And now there was one more thing rocking my whole world.

I put my hand over my belly and sighed. This little baby would change everything, and I was already in love with them.

Far more than I thought possible.

“We’ll tell your brothers tonight,” Kannon said. “And that will be the last of their input.”

That made me throw my head back and laugh, and I leaned into Kannon’s touch.

“Oh, you’re so cute if you think that’s actually what’s going to happen. If you think my brothers give you the stink eye now for daring to touch their precious little princess baby sister? Oh, it’s going to get so bad when they learn I’m pregnant.”

“They’re going to wrap you up in cotton wool. You do know that, right?.”

I cringed. “You’re right. I guess we need to tell them and then run away together.” I grinned, and Kannon gave me a wide smile.

“Where do you want to run away to, princess?” he asked, his voice a low deep purr.

It sent shivers down my back, and though we had already sated ourselves in the shower, I wanted another round.

Maybe I could blame it on the hormones, but no, it was all Kannon.

“Anywhere you want to go. As long as I’m with you and I have my camera, it makes no difference to me. We’ll figure it out.”

“I’m still not letting you take pictures of me naked,” Kannon said, and I burst out laughing.

“That was in your head. I’m not the one who offered.”

“So now you don’t want to take pictures of me naked?” Kannon asked as he helped me off my stool.

“You’re a menace.”

“I’m your menace,” Kannon said.

“Okay, let’s go tell my brothers.”

“And let the true menace begin.”

I smiled, knowing I was in perfectly good hands. Not just Kannon’s, but mine.

We made our way through the palace toward the family dining room where my brothers would be.

We were having some of Kannon’s team over, as well as a few of my brothers’ friends.

But first, it would just be my three brothers, because we were starting early.

It was time we figured out how to make it in this new dynamic of ours without our Aunt Rebecca, knowing that her deep betrayal would sting for years to come.

I would never get over what she had done, knowing I had put my trust in the wrong person, but I would learn to find who I needed to be again. And now, I wouldn’t have to do it alone. I would have Kannon, my brothers, Rian, and all my friends. I didn’t need Rebecca.

And I could move past that point in my life. Eventually.

My brothers were all in the dining room, each holding a glass of wine or liquor of some sort in their hands.

They were glaring at one another before Breck burst out laughing, Roman shook his head, and Wilder rolled his eyes.

I loved them so much.

They were overbearing, overprotective, and would be until the end of my days, but they were family. And now I had a family of my own.

“There she is,” Breck said. “Took you long enough.” He glared over at Kannon. “You know, she used to be on time for everything. Now she’s late all the time.”

I bristled. “You guys were horribly early. It’s like you decided to meet up before the scheduled time. Did you?”

Roman shook his head before the others could speak. “It was by chance. However, I did get to tell them something that concerns you.”

“What?” I asked, a sense of foreboding sliding over me.

“I heard back from the Council of Lords.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but Roman continued quickly.

“It’s over. The royal line will remain the same. Children will come when they come. If they do. But we will not be forced into anything.”

I met Roman’s gaze, elation and something else twisting inside me. Something had happened, something I didn’t know. Something that had passed between my brothers.

“What did you give up, Roman?” I asked, my voice quiet.

He just gave me a tight smile and shook his head. “Nothing that wasn’t easily given,” he said softly.

“Can you take it back?” I blurted, and Kannon squeezed my hand.

“Why would we want to?” Roman asked softly. Almost too softly.

“We’re pregnant. We’re having a baby.”

Wilder took a step back, while Breck just blinked and burst out laughing.

But I saw the look on Roman’s face.

The look of shock and something else. His jaw tensed ever so slightly, but then he smiled, and his eyes filled with some emotion I couldn’t read.

Something had happened, and I didn’t know what to do.

But instead of saying anything, he set his drink down, took three strides closer to me, and cupped my face.

“My baby sister’s having a baby of her own. Congratulations.”