The stones remained stubbornly cold beneath Alex's palm, but the life growing inside him answered with increasing insistence.
A soft, rolling flutter moved across his lower belly — not the strong kicks he remembered from the snakelings when they're active, but something lighter, more curious. Like tiny hands exploring the barrier of his skin from the inside. The sensation made his breath hitch, and another wave of nausea crested, forcing him to swallow hard against the metallic taste rising in his throat.
Lucas's hand settled over his immediately, large and warm, fingers threading between Alex's. "They're moving?"
