He answered my unspoken question: "My brothers helped set this up while you were recovering in China. After we've dealt with Kristoff, we're going to work out a proper space for her," he said, his eyes locked on me. "But this will do for now. She'll be close to us, and that sits right with me."
My mate was one very thoughtful vampire. Desire and love was bursting from me, and I really couldn't halt my legs as I scrambled toward him. He caught me with ease, his lips crashing into mine as passion burst to life between us.
"Thank you," I murmured between kisses. "Thank you for everything. For her. For us."
Maximus' eyes went black then, and my stomach did flip-flops. He moved in an instant, lifting me up and striding toward the bed. When we reached the thick mattress he laid me on my side and spread out next to me. His mouth was on mine, and I lost myself in the hot, hot kisses he was dishing out.
There was no way to stop, my body was on fire. I needed him to touch me, every part of me.
"Tell me if you want to wait until after she's born," he said, running his hand across the bump. "Not sure I can stop, but I'll try for you."
I wiggled closer, my hormones screaming inside. "If you stop, I'll probably combust, and that can't be good for anybody."
He grinned, all shiny teeth and wicked dimples. Without any hesitation, he devoured me with a thoroughness that I remembered quite well. He had been like that last time, so attentive, so consumed by our lovemaking, as if he saw no one but me, as if he had never seen anyone but me. The first time we came together I'd been confused by that intensity. Now I understood. It was our bond.
Somehow my clothes disappeared, and so did his. His hands were large enough to thoroughly caress my body as he ran them down me. Everywhere he touched burned, until my skin was on fire, my lower body moving uncontrollably.
"Max, please. I need you to … holy … need."
Nothing made sense, but he understood, and the caresses soon turned much more specific. His tongue followed the path of his hands, and under his expert movements the pleasure inside of me skyrocketed and I exploded into a million pieces. It took me a long time to pull my shattered core back together. That had been so much more than last time. The surge of emotion and love in our bond was working strongly, adding an intensity and strength to the attraction between us.
I wanted to touch him, my hands reaching out to caress the velvety hardness of him. He groaned against me before stilling my hand. "I have no control when it comes to you, and right now I need to be inside you."
He turned me on my side, spooning his large body behind me. His hand came over the front to lift my leg. I felt his hardness against my core.
I had forgotten to ask Jessa about pregnant sex, but it didn't seem like Maximus needed any instruction. Lifting my leg slightly higher, he moved and in one smooth thrust slid inside of me. My moan was loud, that first sensation of fullness enough to have me already on the path to a second orgasm. Maximus was a huge guy, and the first time I'd worried that it was going to be impossible to fit all of him inside without permanent damage. Now I knew the only permanent damage was my addiction to him. Something I could live with.
Using his strength to hold me up, he continued to move slowly against me, sliding all the way in before pulling out just as far, each movement exquisite torture. I hooked my leg around him to give more access, which freed up his hand. He touched the center of my body and stroked the sensitive nub there in time to the thrusts of his body.
Holy shit. Hell. Fuck. It was time to pull out the curses. Gosh-golly-gee was not going to cut it here.
"Max," I cried out, the sensations so strong.
"Stay with me, Misch," he said, gutturally. "I've got you, baby. Come for me."
In that second I splintered apart, and the million pieces from before was nothing compared to the surging pleasure spiraling through every facet of my being. Maximus followed close after, his voice low and urgent as he thrust a few more times before groaning out my name.
It took a long time for my pulse to slow and my breathing to regain control. Maximus didn't withdraw from me and I loved the sensation of such closeness with him. Eventually we had to clean up. I found myself standing in a huge shower stall, multiple jets pulsing at me and Maximus worshipping my body like he'd never seen a woman before. Which, based on his skills, was far from the truth. His fangs were showing, and I tilted my head back for him, but he shook his head.
"Not while you're pregnant, Misch. You need to be at full strength. Very soon though I will taste you … " his mouth was moving again, and I lost all coherent thought.
Eventually he wrapped his arms around me and we sank to the floor. He cradled me between his legs and we let the water beat down on us. I was trembling, but there was no fear or worry in my mind. I wiggled myself around a little so I could see his face, the water dripping from his long black lashes, the dirty blond of his hair darkening to a deep, rich umber. In that moment there was nothing between us, no secrets, lies, or hurt. We were just two supes, bonded for life and totally wrapped up in each other.
"I love you, Mischa."
He said it so strongly, nothing but surety in his words. Which made those perfect words seem so much more. His hands reached up and cradled my face and I let some of the tears leak out, knowing they were well hidden in the water streaming down my face.
"Even the strongest of mate spells could not come close to mimicking this bond between us," he continued. "You're everything to me and I love you so damn much."
My lips crashed into his, and I was crying even harder. "I love you too. So damn much."
Whatever barriers had been between us crashed and burned in that moment, and then I could feel him. In my mind. In my soul. The same way that Jessa and I were connected, that bond just settled into place.
Baby?
I laughed out loud, before pressing my head down to rest against his hard chest.
Our love broke the barriers.
He wrapped me up and peppered kisses across my cheeks and down to my lips. Your love set me free.
His love had set me free too, free from loneliness and pain. Free from a life half-lived.
Maximus Compass
I awoke moments before the alarms started blaring across Stratford. There had been a breach. I could feel it in my connection to the town's securities. My eyes dropped down to the mess of dark hair beneath my hands. I'd had Mischa so tightly wrapped around me when we went to sleep that her hair was tangled around my arm.
Last night had been … everything. The bond between us was complete, and she loved me. I was one lucky son of a bitch, that was for sure. The fact that she could forgive and trust me with her body and her soul, well, I would never take that for granted.
Of course, now it seemed that some asshole was going to rain on the parade, and I didn't need two guesses which asshole it was. Time to kill me a sorcerer.
Mischa started to stir as I unraveled our bodies and reluctantly pulled myself from the bed. By the time I'd checked the messages on my cell, she was sitting up.
"What's going on?"
"Perimeter breach. The scouts are on it, but they don't know for sure yet what's set off the alarms."
Tyson was out on the patrol line at the moment; he'd sent me a brief text with what they knew. Which was basically nothing.
Striding into my small walk-in-closet, I dressed quickly and grabbed my usual weapons. As I was leaving a glint of jewel and blade caught my eye and I realized it was the gift from the ancient Chinese supe. Instinct told me to grab it, so I strapped the sheath to my calf.
Returning to Mischa, I climbed onto the bed and crawled to her side, cupping her face, my fingers threading through the silky strands of her hair. Dragging myself out of bed was probably the hardest thing I'd ever done, I needed one last taste before leaving.
Her lips met mine and I was lost for a time. But I could only ignore the blaring of the sirens for so long, I needed to get out there and protect my pack and town.
"Stay here with Jess. She's downstairs. We'll secure the perimeter and then come back and find you."
I reluctantly pulled away from her; she followed me off the side of the bed. I handed her one of my shirts, which she threw on over her nakedness. "I really don't like the thought of you going out there without me," she said, her features drawn. "But I'm pretty useless at the best of times, let alone preggo."
I leaned down and kissed her one last time.
"Jess said I can borrow some of her clothes," she said when we parted. "So I'll get dressed and wait for you. Call me if you need anything. Keep me updated."
A satisfied grin spread across my face. She was protecting me, her wolf all bristly and fierce. Nothing warmed my heart more than that.
"I'll keep you updated, gorgeous."
With one last look, she turned and strode from the room, assumedly making her way upstairs to Braxton and Jessa's lair. I was relieved that the final piece of our bond was in place, now I could keep an eye on her while out on patrol. The pure rightness of our connection highlighted how screwed up my bond with Cardia had been.
I was definitely killing a sorcerer tonight.
Braxton was waiting for me on the front porch. Jacob and Tyson were already at the border. "Have you heard anything more?" he said.