The Goblin Warrior (Beneath Sands Book 2) by Emma Hamm (100 books to read txt) 📕

like to think so.” He murmured as his eyes closed.

Somehow, he hadn’t understood what she was saying. Jane suspected that there was a part of him that didn’t believe a child between the two of them was possible.

“Ruric.” She said with a short laugh. “You succeeded.”

“We won’t know if I succeeded until we get back home.” He grumbled. “The Council may have words about it, but I come with other humans.”

“You won’t force those other women to be hosts to goblin children. Only if they want to.”

“We don’t even know if they can carry goblin children. Of course I wouldn’t force them when we might not even be compatible.”

“But we are.”

“You don’t know that.” Ruric said firmly.

“I do.”

At that he cracked open an eye to squint at her smiling above him. “What are you going on about?”

“I know for a fact that we are compatible. Humans can carry goblin children.”

Confusion made his brow wrinkled as his tired mind worked in overdrive.

He cleared his throat. “So they tested you for compatibility with me?”

“Sort of.” Jane couldn’t help but grin at him. The butterflies had disappeared into hilarity at the entire situation. She cleared her throat and combed her fingers through his hair once more. “When Luther found me, he was certain that I had gone insane. Talking about goblins and a world underground. So he brought me to Catherine so that she could make sure I was healthy.”

Ruric interrupted, “And you are?”

“Yes, very healthy. But she also found that there was another healthy thing inside me.”

His brows furrowed again and he remained silent.

Exasperated she tossed her hands into the air. “I’m pregnant Ruric. I am carrying your child.”

“What?” He sat straight up then, nearly hitting her chin with his forehead. His eyes were wide and his chest didn’t seem to be moving as he turned to stare at her. “You are?”

She nodded as her eyes watered.

Rather than the excitement she would have expected from him, Ruric remained still as stone. Long heartbeats passed before he shifted so that he could lean forward to touch her face. His fingers ghosted with incredible gentility over the curves of her cheeks and square angle of her jaw.

Jane then noticed that his hands were shaking. His hands continued their journey until they spanned the width of her waist. He lifted her slowly until she was standing before him. Ruric remained on his knees as he slowly leaned forward to press a kiss against her abdomen and then shifted his head until his cheek was pressed against her stomach.

She wasn’t quite certain what he was doing, but appreciated the gentle hug that brought her closer to him.

“Ruric, I hope-”

He shooshed her.

Blinking, Jane stared down at the top of his head.

“What are you-”

Again he made the sound that silenced her.

Then she felt the wide spread of his smile against her belly.

“There you are.” He whispered, loud enough that she could just barely hear him. “Your mother’s heart was so loud I couldn’t quite hear you.”

Once more, tears pricked at her eyes until they rolled down her cheeks. Of course he wasn’t hugging her. He was listening for the heartbeat of their child.

“Ruric.” She murmured.

His hands spasmed on her spine and once more he pressed a kiss against her stomach. “You and this child are a miracle.”

Just when she was about to reply, they both startled at the sound of laughter and shouting from outside the tent. Jane managed to pick out the word “water” multiple times before she pieced it together.

“Shusar and Illyrin have returned.” She said quietly.

“Yes.” He slowly stood, drawing her into his warm arms once more before he tilted his head back and let out a whooping call she had never before heard from the goblins. Long and drawn out, it sounded far more like a howl than anything else.

The laughter immediately silenced. Jane could hear her own heartbeat as she waited for Ruric to explain himself.

Then she heard the whooping return calls that were shorter howls than the one Ruric had let out.

His hand hands clenched around her waist as he propelled her outside the tent and let out another call that had Shusar and Illyrin running.

The humans watched with wide eyes and the goblins charged towards Jane and Ruric. For a moment they all thought they were going to die. Whatever the big scarred goblin had done or said had clearly angered the others. The goblins were going to destroy them all.

Yet as soon as the goblins reached the couple, their reaction startled everyone. Shusar paused before Jane and gently drew her into his arms. Illyrin lifted Ruric from the ground, a feat no one had thought possible before they saw it happen.

The goblins were chattering in their language and Jane understood none of it. But with them she was laughing and crying all the same.

Willow squeezed in between Shusar and Illryin to demand what was happening.

“I’m pregnant.” Jane laughed between tears.

Willow stared at her for a moment before laughing with her. Word traveled quickly and soon even the humans were coming forward to congratulate the couple. They mingled with the goblins and told stories of how they raised their children or how they themselves were raised.

The entire crowd offered advice to both Jane and Ruric. For the time being, the humans discarded their fear of the goblins for excitement of a new life.

Jane was shocked that the humans didn’t seem to be offended that the child would be only half human. The smiles and kind words of the people around her reassured Jane that her child would be welcome in this world.

From the looks of things, they would be well on their way to starting a new world when they finally arrived at the goblin home. She only hoped now that they arrived quickly and without further problems.

That night she spent in Ruric’s arms with his hand pressed against her stomach.

They arrived above the opening to the goblin kingdom just before sunrise. The entire group was covered in sand and dust.