Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos

**Alekos' POV**

A thin layer of sweat covers Angel's forehead.

Her face is a mask of agony.

I've never seen her in so much pain before.

A new contraction hits her, her back arching as a weak scream leaves her.

She's been in labor for hours, trying to bring our child into the world. She looks so tired.

Her eyes look at me pleadingly. My heart throbs with pain.

I fucking did this to her. I caused her this pain by wanting a child.

"Push!" the midwife says.

Angel thrashes her head against the pillows, tears falling down her cheeks.

Stefan kisses her ankle. "You are doing great, Schatzi. Just one more push."

Her hand squeezes Reyes' fingers hard. "I can't," her voice begs us to understand. Reyes brushes the hair away from her face with his free hand.

My blood-brothers and I haven't left Angel's side since she mentioned she wasn't feeling well two days ago. We should have taken her to the hospital and gotten the doctor to perform a C-section, but she wanted to give birth at home. I shouldn't have given in. Then, she wouldn't have been suffering the way she is.

I press my lips to her other ankle. "Just one more push, Agapi Mou, and you can rest."

She looks so fucking tired. I can feel it in the way her leg trembles in my hands. "Promise?" she asks.

"I promise," I reply.

Angel takes a deep breath, and when a new contraction hits her, she pushes harder than before. Her back lifts from the bed, and Reyes supports her as she gives all of herself into this last push and screams with the effort. A scream of life and victory as our child finally comes out. Angel falls back on the bed, breathing hard.

Reyes kisses Angel's cheek. "You did so well, Nena."

The midwife places the baby on Angel's stomach. The first contact between baby and mother, skin-on-skin, is the most important. Angel places her hands on our baby, tears of joy streaming from her eyes.

The midwife cleans the baby's mouth and nose before saying, "You are now the parents of a healthy baby girl."

The air leaves my lungs as my gaze goes from Stefan to Reyes. A baby girl. Just as we wanted.

Sofia.

She starts to cry and it's the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.

My gaze becomes blurry with tears. I'm not the only one crying. So are my blood-brothers.

"Who wants to cut the umbilical cord?" the midwife asks.

"I do!" I say before Stefan and Reyes have a chance.

The midwife places a clip on the umbilical cord before showing me where to cut. After she puts a diaper and a beanie on Sofia, the midwife shows me how to hold my daughter before giving her to me while she turns her attention to Angel. I look at my daughter. She is so tiny. So damn beautiful and perfect. I gently press her to my naked chest. She stops crying. It's like she already knows who I am.

Another type of love blossoms inside my heart. It's possessive and all-consuming. If anyone ever dares to harm my precious Sofia, I will make him watch while I take from him everything he holds dear.

After Stefan and Reyes have the chance to hold Sofia, we give her to Angel so she can nurse her. The midwife shows Angel how the baby should latch correctly to her breast before giving us space to bond with our daughter.

Angel's hair is all disheveled, her face wet with tears, pain flickering in her eyes from the traumatic event her body went through to bring our daughter safely out, but I've never seen her more beautiful than now. She is breathtaking. I don't think I've loved her more than I do at this moment.

She looks at our daughter with such pure love. The way I look at her, the love of my life. I love Sofia with all my heart, but Angel will always come first, no matter what.

I fall to my knees and put my head on Angel's lap.

"You are my entire world. I love you so much," I say, kissing her stomach.

**Angel**

The smell of pumpkin and apple pie fills the kitchen as I check the pie I just took out of the oven.

I don't bother waiting for it to cool down before cutting a slice and having a spoonful. It burns my tongue, but I don't mind since I've been craving pie like crazy for the last few days. Between Sofia, my husbands-who never can keep their hands off me and preparation for Halloween, this past week has been more than busy.

But I don't mind it.

Not when I'm finally letting go of my fears and accepting that my husbands love me for who I am. I'm learning how to be happy.

I've always wanted to be a strong and independent woman without complicating my life with having a family of my own. If there's something I've learned this past year, is that I can be strong and independent while being a SAHM. Reyes enters the kitchen while I take another bite from the pie. He stops behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist, his palms resting against my stomach. It's been about three months since I got pregnant again, and the twins are doing great. Me, not that much. Until now, the morning sickness has been awful.

"How is my gorgeous wife today?" he asks before kissing my neck.

I eat a bit more before I say, "Hungry."

"Me too." 

I offer him some pie, but he refuses.

"I'm hungry for you," Reyes murmurs against my skin.

This is cue for: I want to ravish you.

"After we are done with the Halloween photos." I didn't put so much effort into my costume, only for Reyes to ruin it.

Alekos and Stefan-holding a sleeping Sofia in his arms-enter the kitchen. I can't get enough of them, of this life we're building together.

Like Reyes and me, the others wear the Halloween costumes I custom-made for our family.

For some reason, Alekos is not happy. "Really, Angel? This is the best you came up with?" he sneers.

I finish my pie. "What's wrong with Daddy Shark?" I wonder.

Alekos throws his arms in the air. "I'm 'The other Daddy Shark.""

"So?" I shrug. "You are still a Daddy Shark."

Reyes, who has written 'The hot Daddy Shark' on his custom, while Stefan is 'The super Daddy Shark,' look smug as fuck.

Sofia is 'The cutest Baby Shark ever,' while I'm 'The Best Mommy Shark.'

Is it cringy as fuck? Yes. Do I care one bit? No.

"You are begging to be spanked," Alekos growls.

All the time.

"Mommy Spanked, doo doo doo," Stefan chuckles.

I pull out my phone and pretend to check out my calendar. "I'll book it for when we have time."

Alekos folds his arms against his chest. "Are you sassing me again? That's not what submissive wives act like."

"Me? Sassy and submissive!? At the same time? Impressive!"

"Now, you're being bratty," Reyes points out.

I pretend not to know anything about what he's talking about. Reyes is more than right that I'm being bratty. It's how I get punished, as in spanked.

The doorbell rings.

"It must be the photographer," I chirp. "Stefan, can you get that?"

"But I'm holding Sofia!" he protests.

"Alekos is frowning so much, he looks like a dried plum, while Reyes might try to stab the photographer since he's an old friend from school." I kiss Stefan's cheek while I take Sofia from him. "You are the only reasonable one." Alekos frowns even more. "A friend from school. Who?"

"Micah." 

"Micah!? He's a Duke!" Alekos spats.

Safia fusses a bit before continuing to sleep.

"Keep your tone down because if you wake up Sofia, I'm turning you into Food Shark, doo doo!" I hiss. "Besides, Micah is a Rogue Duke, so he's on our side."

"He's still a Duke!" Alekos keeps arguing.

"I like him," I say.

"Do you?" Alekos grins diabolicaly. He takes Sofia from my arms and gives her to Reyes. "Stefan, tell the Duke we'll be ready for the photo in about fifteen minutes," Alekos says as he leads me away from the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, Micah takes several photos of my happy family and me. My ass is on fire. The spanking session was shorter than I would have liked, but Alekos promised to finish what we started after he kicks the Duke out. **I had these two bonus chapters and I wanted to share them. Also, for those who are waiting for Trapped, it's available. All you need to do is to search for it on the app.**