CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The adrenaline began to fade as Maverick carried me back up to the ground floor, and then up another set of stairs to the first floor. I curled my fingers into his shirt, trying to think of what to say. I opened my mouth a couple of times to say something, then closed it again. I’d dropped a pretty big bombshell downstairs, only a day after him finding out I was pregnant, and I still had the worst of all the lies to confess to. I just didn’t think I had the energy tonight.
Maverick carried me along the hallway. The walls up here were as white as the rest, the only colour provided by the warm wooden floors. Here, the artwork no longer consisted of bright colours and abstract shapes, and instead, they were black and white photographs. I recognised a couple of them as places on the island. They were absolutely beautiful.
Entering the third door, I looked around to see a bedroom in the expected white—white and dark wood. The bedroom was large with a huge four-poster bed in the middle with soft white curtains hanging from its frame. Maverick crossed the room without putting me down, aiming for another door in the back corner. It led into a large bathroom that was tiled in some kind of black slate. The entire suite was black. Even the bath was some kind of black stone. Lights flickered on, and the golden white somehow softened the dark surroundings.
Maverick set me down on the edge of the bath and reached over to turn on the taps. Steam rose from the hot water as it inched up the sides. Maverick stood and looked down at me, a slight frown on his face.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, his voice so gentle it made me hurt inside.
“I’m thinking... when do you tell me to get out?” I confessed, looking up at him, not wanting to know the answer but unable to avoid asking any longer. “I’ve lied to you, and there’s still more you don’t know, and... shit, Maverick, I just can’t keep putting you guys through this. We haven’t even told Asher yet, and I’ve already hurt him so much.” I looked down at the floor, fighting against more tears, but my body was at its limit, and one slid down my face.
Maverick sighed and sat down next to me. He reached out to brush away a stray tear with his thumb and then lightly touched my chin to tip my head up to meet his gaze. “Today has been... hard, to say the least, for everyone. We’re exhausted and emotions are running high. Anything else will keep until we’ve cleaned you up and we’ve all had some sleep. We can talk tomorrow when you’re feeling better. For now, just let me take care of you.”
“You want to take care of me? Even now?”
Maverick smiled and shook his head. “Even now, Nova. Yes, I want to take care of you. Both of you.”
I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I began to sob, and he pulled me into his arms, reaching down to turn off the taps. I wasn’t sure how long he held me, stroking my hair and murmuring into my ear, but when the tears finally stopped, I felt better. I brushed the tears away and blew my nose as Maverick finished filling the bath, and then I let him strip the soiled gown from my body. To my surprise, he stood up and removed his own clothes, tossing everything into a pile on the floor. He stepped into the tub and held out his hand to help me in. We sank down into the blissfully hot water, and he laid me back against his chest.
“Maverick?” I murmured quietly, turning my head to look at him.
“Yes?” He used his hand to pour small amounts of water over my hair, wetting it thoroughly.
“Will Lucas kill him?”
He froze for a moment, then reached for a shampoo dispenser. “Yes. Does that upset you?”
I leaned back against him and closed my eyes. “No. It should, but... no.”
I felt his hands slip into my hair as he massaged the shampoo into my long tresses. He systematically worked the suds in and then began to massage my scalp, digging his fingers in to release the tension. I groaned as he did it, and he laughed.
“I’m not sure I’m that exhausted, Nova. Keep your sex noises to yourself.”
I grinned. He couldn’t be that angry with me if he still wanted me. “Sorry, it’s just so good.”
“So relax and enjoy it.”
I did, keeping my eyes closed and lying still as he massaged my head then rinsed my hair and repeated the same process with the conditioner. I dozed, the warm water and soft hands a perfect combination. Maverick soaped up a washcloth and began to gently sponge my skin, and I sighed as the dirt and grime of the day’s events disappeared.
It was too soon when he urged me up out of the water, but as I looked down, I realised the water was red with blood, and suddenly, I needed to be out of it.
He wrapped me in a soft, smoke grey towel, finding another smaller version to wrap around my hair. He folded another around his hips, and it hung so low, I couldn’t help but follow the deep V that led down under the folds. He didn’t seem to notice, taking my hand and leading me out of the bathroom.
Maverick sat me down on the bed and turned away. “I’ll try and find you something to sleep in.”
I reached out and caught his hand, and he turned back to look at me. “I don’t think I can sleep.”
“You need to sleep, Nova. You’ve been through so much today,” he said, squeezing my hand.
I shook my head. “I’m too wired. I feel like I’ve had ten of Lucas’s coffees, and I’m worried about him.”
Maverick smiled. “Lucas will be fine. Don’t worry about him.”
“But I do. He’s not as strong as you think.”
Maverick sighed, moving in front of me. “I know, but trust me, right now, he’s fine. It’s you who needs to be taken care of.”
My eyes fell from his, travelling down over his broad chest, sprinkled with dark hair, and lower over those washboard abs to the low slung towel.
“So do you,” I murmured, reaching out and loosening the towel.
He grabbed my wrist. “Nova, what are you doing?”
I looked up at him. “You said we were going to talk tomorrow, Maverick. Tonight might be all I have, and there’s not much of it left. I want you to kiss me and hold me and make love to me like it’s the last time, because it might be.”
His eyes widened, and he reached down, cupping my face gently with his hand. “My sweet Nova, don’t say that. We’ve got forever. You, me, and Lucas. Hell, even Asher when he gets his head out of his ass.”
I shook my head. “All I know is that I’ve got you right now, and I want you, Maverick.”
He sighed and released my wrist. “I can’t say no to you, Nova. I want you too, I’m just afraid I’ll hurt you.”
“Just go slow,” I murmured, sliding my hands up his thighs and under the towel.
He sighed, and I pulled the towel away. Maverick wasn’t quite hard yet, though I could see my touch was already starting to have an effect on him, but he was still impressive. I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to his inner thigh, then I kissed slowly up the sensitive skin, enjoying the shiver that ran through his body. By the time I reached his cock, he was hard, and I slipped my mouth over the head, running my tongue underneath to the sensitive ridge.
Maverick reached down, cupping my face with his hands but not putting any pressure on me. Not for the first time, I smiled at the difference between him and his brother. Lucas was all about commands, and sometimes consensual force, and hated touch outside of sexual encounters, but Maverick was the opposite. He was content to take orders, which amused me considering he was going to be alpha, but he also loved to touch me. Any time we made love, I would feel his hands on me, stroking my skin and hair. He loved to have me in his arms, and I adored it. He was so much bigger than me, and I just felt so safe and protected when he held me. The thought of never having that again...
I pushed the thought away and focused on sliding my mouth down his shaft. Tonight was about him. Tomorrow could wait, whatever it brought.
I ran my tongue over his skin, reaching around to cup his gorgeous ass and pull him closer. I pushed him deeper into my mouth, taking as much of him as I could manage. He groaned as I swallowed, my throat muscles constricting around him.
“Oh, Nova, that’s so good. You are so good...”
He began to move, thrusting gently, and I let him set the pace, holding onto his hips to brace myself. His grip tightened, and then he tugged softly on my hair.
“Get up, I can’t take any more, and I really don’t want to come yet.”
I pulled back, swirling my tongue over the head of his cock before I let him help me to my feet. His hand slipped around the nape of my neck, pulling me in for a deep kiss that left me gasping. He reached between us, tugged my towel away, and then moaned as I pressed my naked body against his. The feel of his hard cock pressed against my stomach ignited a fire in my veins, and I pulled at his shoulders, trying to urge him down onto the bed.
He broke the kiss and smiled down at me. “Always so impatient, Nova. I believe you were the one who said to take it slow.”
He placed his hand on my collarbone and pushed me down onto the bed. I scooted backwards as he joined me, sliding between my legs. For a moment, I moaned as I felt his cock press against my core, but then he raised himself up on his elbows and began to kiss down my throat. I sighed, tipping my head back as his lips brushed over my skin. The room was warm, but his gentle touch had the tiny hairs on my skin rising in anticipation.
As his mouth moved lower, I wrapped my arms around him, gripping his shoulders as he first kissed one nipple, then the other. He took the tip of one into his mouth, sucking lightly then nipping it. I gasped, holding on tighter.
“More,” I begged him, and I felt him smile against my skin.
“Slow, remember? I want to savour every inch of you.”
I groaned and tipped my head back as he took my nipple into his mouth again, sucking harder this time. Heat pooled between my legs, and I pushed my hips up, searching for some kind of friction. The touch of his fingertips on my inner thigh had me gasping in surprise, and my eyes flew open as he stroked all the way up, teasing me.
“Maverick, please!”
He smiled and slipped his fingers between my legs, softly sliding them through my slick as he switched to my other breast. My breath was coming fast now, and my heart raced as he slowly slid a finger inside me, then another, coating them in wetness before slipping back out to circle my clit.
“Oh moons,” I cried, my hips arching. He increased the pressure, rubbing in slow, sensuous circles, building me higher and higher until I came apart, crying his name.
He shifted up the bed, pressing the head of his cock against my entrance, and I wrapped my legs around him as he pushed himself inside. I could see the determination on his face as he rocked against me, keeping it slow and steady and not too deep. It was torture, but it was beautiful torture.
He gazed down at me, and I kept my eyes locked on him as he thrust into me. Maverick lowered himself onto his forearms so he could reach out and stroke my hair, my face.
“I don’t know how I could have ever given you up, Nova,” he murmured, his voice shaky. “I can’t imagine living without this, without you. Tell me you’ll stay. Tell me you’ll never leave, no matter what happens tomorrow. Promise me.”
“I can’t,” I whispered. “Maverick, don’t...”
“I love you,” he said. “And it won’t matter what you’ve done, what you’ve lied about. I forgive you for everything, I just... I need you, Nova, like air… like light.”
His pace increased as he spoke, and I closed my eyes again, concentrating on how his cock swelled inside me rather than on what he was saying. I couldn’t bear it. I gripped him harder, digging my nails into his skin and pressing my hips up so my clit rubbed against him, seeking the friction that would push me over the edge.
He saw my need and reached between us, sliding his fingers between our bodies to graze the sensitive nub every time he thrust, and I moaned with every movement.
“Come on, Nova, come for me. I want to feel that hot, wet slick all over my cock. Come for me, baby...”
I gasped, fighting for breath as the sensations spiralled higher and higher. His knot began to swell, and my pussy clenched around him as I climaxed hard.
“Maverick, oh moon... More... Don’t stop.”
He didn’t, thrusting harder and faster, prolonging my orgasm until he, too, found his release with a groan. His knot swelled to full size, stretching me, and another climax followed almost immediately after the last. I cried out, squeezing my legs to pull him tighter against me, and he lowered himself, pressing his body against mine, skin on skin.
“Gods, Nova,” he muttered. He rolled over onto his side, pulling me back against him as we waited for his knot to slowly subside. He played with my hair, his breath warm against my skin, until his movements stilled, and his steady breathing told me he was asleep.
I stared into the darkness, noticing the very faintest light of dawn outside. I didn’t want to sleep. Sleep would bring the morning, and the morning would bring so much pain and heartbreak, I didn’t want the night to end. I lay there, going over what I needed to tell them all, my mind forcing me to stay awake even though my body craved rest. I stubbornly refused, as if avoiding sleep meant the morning would never come.
I didn’t know how long I lay there, but the sky was turning a deep blue when the door opened, and I turned around to see Lucas standing there, watching us. Maverick shifted, and I realised he was awake too. Lucas said nothing, just stared at me, his eyes dark. I could see the wet glint of blood on his dark clothes and spatter on his face. There was a gleam in his eyes I couldn’t quite place, but something inside me told me he needed me.
I sat up and held out my hand.
“Nova,” Maverick murmured, a note of warning in his voice.
I ignored him. “Lucas, come to bed, love.”
He padded closer to the bed, silently, slowly, like he was stalking prey, and the thought sent a shiver over my spine.
“I need you,” he said, his voice cracked and rough.
I nodded. “I know. Come here.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Maverick cautioned. “Lucas, she’s just been in a car accident...”
“She’ll be healed by now,” Lucas replied, his eyes still boring into mine as he got closer.
“You need to hold back, Luc,” Maverick said gently. “She can’t take it right now.”
Lucas blinked and looked over at Maverick, then he nodded slowly. “Will you... make sure?”
Maverick took a deep breath and nodded.
Lucas looked back at me. “I can’t wait. I need...” He reached down and dragged the sheet away, revealing my naked body. Without hesitation, he pushed my legs apart and knelt to press his mouth to my pussy. I moaned in surprise, but he slipped his hands under my ass and tilted my pelvis up so he could have better access. His tongue explored every fold, licking and sucking until I was gasping in minutes. Tension built within me, rising and rising, until he pulled back, watching my face as the feeling slowly subsided. I had barely got my breath back before he leaned down and sucked hard on my clit. The climax hit me like a freight train, and I cried out, tangling my fingers in the sheets, knowing he wouldn’t want me touching him. Maverick’s arms were still wrapped around me, and his hold tightened slightly as I came.
Lucas didn’t stop there. His fingers slid inside me, curling up to find that sensitive spot, and his lips and tongue worked me over. It took only a few minutes before I was coming again, with waves of pleasure crashing through my body.
“Fuck, Lucas,” I murmured.
“Again,” he demanded. This time, I felt another finger pressing against my ass, sliding in and out as he fingered my pussy at the same time. My whole body was on fire with sensation, and I felt like I had lost my grip on reality as another orgasm hit me. I was shaking when I came down.
“Again,” he commanded darkly, and my eyes flew open.
“No, Lucas, I can’t... I can’t take any more.”
“I’m not done,” he said, and my head tipped back with a groan as he wrapped his lips around my clit.
My back arched against the mattress, and I gripped my thighs, my nails digging into my skin. I felt sharp pain as I drew blood and then heard the hiss of Maverick’s breath. He reached down and captured my hands, holding them tightly over my head.
“Fuck, yes,” Lucas growled, his lips against my clit, then he lowered so he could sweep his tongue flat against me.
I cried out again and again, not even realising when the tide began to break and the waves of sensation broke over me in what felt like a constant rush of pleasure. Tears ran from my eyes at the intensity of it, and I finally felt Lucas pull away.
“Fuck,” I breathed out.
“I’m still not done,” Lucas warned, his voice raw. “I need to be inside you.”
“I don’t think I can—”
“I need you,” he stated. “I can’t sleep, Nova. I can’t rest. I can’t do anything besides think about you. I need to fuck you. I need to feel your pussy around me.”
I moaned and nodded, and he hauled me up, turning me over onto my knees, which were already shaky. He pushed me down so I was lying on my chest and forearms, my ass in the air and my pussy on full display.
“Careful, Luc,” Maverick warned, and I could hear the concern in his voice.
Lucas took a deep breath, and then I could feel him sliding inside me. Normally, he would take me with one hard thrust, but he seemed to be trying to hold back, and instead, I felt the agonising pleasure of each inch sliding inside, each bump of his piercings. I moaned, pressing my hips back against him. I was so sensitive, but I needed him too. He slid out again, almost all the way, once, then twice, and then I felt his fingers grip my hips, digging in hard. I had a second to brace myself before he entered me with one hard thrust. I cried out his name with every thrust as he got harder and deeper, his hips hitting me as he buried his cock deep inside my core.
His hand pressed against the back of my neck, holding me down as he took me hard and fast.
“Fucking wolves. Fucking cock-sucking wolves. How dare they touch you? How dare they force you? My mate, my omega. Mine,” he growled.
“Lucas,” I moaned. “More, I need more.”
“Nova, careful,” Maverick said, but I could barely hear him now. I could feel the darkness inside my other mate, like it was some kind of beacon calling to me, and suddenly, I was back in that room with the man who had held me down for his friend, and I was angry. I was so fucking angry.
“Lucas, harder, faster, please. I need more.”
I heard Lucas growl as he slammed into me, and I replied with one of my own, pushing back as if my strength could add to his. I wanted him to fuck me so hard and deep that I couldn’t think, and he obliged as only he could.
“My omega, my hot, wet little pussy. No one else’s, just us, fucking you over and over until you can’t walk, until you know who owns you, Nova. We own you. Your body, your heart, your soul. You’re ours forever. Tell me!” He wrapped my hair around his fist and pulled me back up against his chest. “Tell me,” he growled into my ear. “Tell me who owns this pussy and ass?”
“You do,” I panted, my eyes fixed on Maverick’s.
“Who owns this body, Nova?” Lucas said, running his hands from my hips to cup my breasts, pinching my nipples hard.
I gasped. “You do, Lucas.”
He grabbed my chin, turning my head around to look at him. “And who owns your heart and soul, Nova?”
“You do,” I whispered.
He took my mouth with a savage kiss, slamming deep inside and growling into my mouth as he came. I moaned as he dropped his hand once more to my clit, teasing me gently, urging me to join him. My eyes flew open as his knot began to swell. Lucas had never knotted me before, but I felt him grow, stretching my pussy, and the pressure shattered me as I fell apart around him.
He pushed me back onto my knees, his knot still growing, and I fought for breath, closing my eyes as the pressure tipped me into another orgasm that left me drained and shaking.
“Maverick, what do I do?” The panic in Lucas’s voice tore me apart.
The bed shifted as Maverick moved towards us. He guided us both down onto the bed.
“You need to hold her, brother,” he said gently, arranging us so Lucas was spooning me from behind. I was barely conscious, but I heard Lucas’s voice shake.
“I can’t, I can’t touch her like this.” He strained away from me, his knot pulling at my pussy, and I let out a small cry of pain.
“You have to,” Maverick replied, his tone so careful and gentle it nearly brought me to tears. “Hold her, Lucas. She needs you to hold her, and you need this too. It’s okay, look.” He pushed Lucas forward, and I felt his chest pressed against my back. “See? It’s okay. She’s warm, Luc, so warm.”
“Warm,” Lucas murmured, his voice drowsy.
“She’s so warm,” Maverick said again.
I fought against the sleep that dragged me further and further down, but my body and mind were past their limits, and I fell into unconsciousness. The last thing I heard was Lucas as he hesitantly wrapped his arms around me.
“Warm, like sunshine.”