I could feel his excitement building, and the breathy little sounds that fell from his mouth were almost as hot as the feel of him tightening around me. His rhythm was already familiar to me, and I knew he was close to coming, but suddenly close wasn't soon enough. His hands were fisted in the sheets, and I loosened one and moved it down to wrap around his cock.
"No, it will be too fast," he panted.
"Do it," I ordered.
He wanted to resist. He wanted to draw it out, but I didn't want to wait. After my earlier fear for him, I suddenly needed to feel his pleasure, to feel him come around me, immediately. I let him feel my need, and he gave in with a sexy little groan.
Fisting his cock as I pounded into him, his orgasm came fast and hard. He shot out over his hand, and even though it was what I'd wanted, it wasn't enough. I was overcome with the need to give him more. To know he was safe. To make him safe. To do everything I could to make sure that this beautiful man who was mine was protected, cherished, loved. Forever.
Wrapping my hand around his throat, I forced his head back so I could fit my mouth over his and then, with a hoarse shout, my own release came. I let the fire pour out of my mouth as it did, scorching away my fears as it plunged down his throat, strengthening our bond and wrapping protectively around our child. I pumped my seed deep into his body and he trembled in my arms, surrendering himself to me the way he always did, his body clenching around me and milking every last drop from my swollen cock.
He accepted everything I had to give. My perfect fit. My fated mate. Mine.
26
~ Devin ~
Maks was patrolling the beaches while I made breakfast. Ben lounged on one of the barstools at the counter, watching me cook and sipping at a cup of coffee. He'd arrived a couple of hours ago, part of the routine that we'd settled into over the last six weeks.
For the most part, Ivan had stayed in Nova Scotia, venturing into New Brunswick a few times and once down to Maine. Ben had trailed him, but couldn't tell what he was up to. He reported that Ivan had been acting almost like a tourist-a tourist who had no qualms about compelling the humans he came into contact with to give him whatever he wanted.
As far as Ben could tell, Ivan's use of his dragon's power hadn't really caused any harm. He'd managed to get hotel upgrades and access to some shows that were sold out. He'd also hooked up with his fair share of humans, but Ben had checked up on them, and none had been impregnated or seemed to have come to any harm from Ivan's attentions.
The only explanation we could come up with was that Ivan was waiting, and that made all of us tense. Dane had stayed with us for the first two weeks straight, but when he started to get too cranky, Maks had finally told him to go see his mate. Since then, he'd taken to flying up to visit his family at Anik and Mikkel's place every week, taking him away for a couple of days. When that happened-like now-Ben would come back and take Dane's place on the island, ensuring that there was always a dragon flying the perimeter and another here with me in the house.
If Ivan was waiting for the baby to be born before making a move, none of us could figure out how he expected to find out about it when the birth happened. We hadn't allowed anyone else on the island, and I had even stopped calling Sarah with updates, on the off chance that Ivan was sophisticated enough to tap into that communication somehow. Still, he'd found us here once, and without knowing how he'd managed that, Maks took his continued presence as a sign that Ivan felt confident he could do it again.
Despite how harmless Ivan's activity had seemed over the past few weeks, Maks had no doubt that his brother still considered me "disposable" and wouldn't hesitate to take the child from my body if he had the chance. The thought made me shudder … even more so when I saw the memories in my mate's mind of Ivan's own birth.
But I knew that wouldn't happen to me. Ivan wasn't going to get through our defenses. Maks refused to risk leaving me alone, even for a few hours. It could have been annoying, except that I never got tired of being with him. Both Ben and Dane had proven to be good company, too, and by now I considered them friends.
"How does it feel?" Ben asked me now, eying my immense stomach. "Being pregnant, I mean."
Dane had confirmed that I was definitely bigger than Wes had been-a lot bigger-but without being able to go get an ultrasound, we had to trust Maks's dragon's confidence that all was well. I kept holding out hope that maybe it was just an optical illusion-I was smaller than Wes, so maybe it just looked like my stomach was bigger-but whatever the case, I was ready for it to be over.
Being pregnant was an amazing experience. I loved feeling the baby move inside me, and nothing compared to the knowledge that I was growing a brand new person inside me who had literally been made from the love between Maks and me. It was … awe-inspiring.
And it also made my back hurt like hell.
This child was heavy, and my entire center of gravity was thrown off. My ankles were swollen, I had to pee all the time, my skin was splotchy, and I was tired of not being able to zip up my pants. I waddled, for God's sake, and no matter what Maks tried to tell me, I did not-not-feel even remotely sexy.
Still, there was only one answer I could give when I saw the way Ben's eyes lit up with a soft glow as he looked at my ridiculously bloated shape.
"It's wonderful," I said, grinning.
And really, it was true. I wouldn't trade the experience for the world, despite the discomfort and inconvenience that the changes in my body had caused.
It was all worth it, and I couldn't wait to meet our little one … which, as near as we could figure, should happen soon. Both Wes and Mikkel had given birth at around six months, and I'd already been feeling cramp-like twinges for days. Maks's dragon would have to take the child from me, and I'd called Wes the week before, hyperventilating when I felt the first pain, asking how I would know it was the right time. He hadn't had any pre-labor pains-another difference between us-but he insisted that when it was time, I would have no doubt, and Mikkel had agreed.
I leaned back against the counter and steadied my own coffee cup on top of the big mound of my belly with one hand. Decaf. God, the sacrifices.
Ben always asked about my pregnancy. I didn't know if it was because he'd grown up with a human father and so felt more empathy for me, or if it was just a part of his gentle personality, but he was fascinated by it and never seemed to grow bored with hearing every detail. Maks was also attentive, of course, but both he and Dane were more interested in ensuring my safety than in hearing about the wonders of watching my belly button pop out or the results of switching to a new brand of moisturizer for the tight skin of my belly.
Ben, on the other hand, was almost as good as having Sarah around.
"Are your ankles still hurting?" he asked, a look of genuine concern on his face. "Because I was Googling some yoga positions that might help. It's probably a lack of circulation."
I laughed. I was definitely not flexible enough for yoga, but I appreciated the thought. "I can't even see them, Ben," I reminded him.
He stood up, smiling. "Let me show you, Dev. You should be able to do these poses anyway, and the comments I read online said they really help-"
My sudden gasp of pain cut him off, and he was instantly at my side, catching my coffee cup before the mug hit the ground and steadying me as I doubled over.
"What is it?"
"I need Maks," I gritted out. "Please get him, Ben."
But my mate was already at my side. He'd felt it through our bond-the sharp pain gripping my middle like a metal band-it had been shocking in it's intensity, but by the time his arms were around me it had eased. This was much stronger than the little twinges I'd been feeling, and as another contraction hit me I realized what Wes had meant. This was definitely it.
And God, it hurt.
Maks picked me up and started heading for the bedroom. But that wasn't going to work.
"Maks, no," Ben said, realizing it at the same time that I did. "If the baby is coming, Devin needs your otherself."
"Where?" Maks said, freezing in place.
I tried to dredge up some patience as another contraction hit me. Obviously we had to go outside. Maks's dragon was too big for the house, and I needed his dragon to take the baby. Feeling my pain had apparently burned away his common sense.
Between contractions, I felt a giddy excitement-it was finally happening, our baby would be in my arms within the hour!-but then another contraction would hit, blotting out all that excitement with pain. Our child was trying to find a way out where there wasn't one. I needed Maks to get it together and get this baby out of me.