Chapter 10 #2
I knelt between her parted thighs, drawing my fingers up them as I took my time admiring the changes to her body.
Her breasts were indeed much, much fuller—brimming with milk for our daughter.
And then there was her stomach and that darling little bump, thankfully still present.
I quite liked seeing it, through every stage of her pregnancy.
There, she had created life.
And although I had given her the seed, it was she who had spent nine months growing and tending to it.
It was she who’d suffered the late nights, the morning sickness, the discomforts of growing another.
It was she who’d screamed with the cry of a warrior as she gave birth to our daughter.
A memory played out in my mind, of how strong she had been on the day of her birth.
The way her hand had crushed mine with her immortal strength.
The way she had cried when she first held her in her arms.
The way we both did.
“You females are a wonder,” I said, marveling at her. “All that you went through in order to create our daughter.” Slowly, I shook my head. “I am in awe of you.”
“It was worth it, and I would happily do it again.” She smiled at me. “Actually, I will, as soon as my monthly cycle returns.”
“My love . . .” I raised a brow. “Don’t you think it’s a bit soon?”
“Have you looked at yourself?” she asked, raking her heated gaze down my body. “When I see you, all I can think of is making babies.”
A throaty laugh rolled from my lips. “Although I enjoy the act, more than anything, you do know we can have sex that does not lead to children, yes?”
Sage went silent, and the lightness in the air dissipated.
My smile faded. “Did I say something wrong?”
The silence lingered.
“Little Goddess.”
Her chest rose as she drew a deep breath.
When it fell, she said, “Despite the morning sickness, I liked being pregnant. I enjoyed the nights when you would place your head against my belly and talk to her.” She looked down, her fingers spreading across her stomach.
“I enjoyed having a part of you always with me.”
“I will always be with you,” I promised her.
Will you really, though? challenged the beast within .
I ignored him, my attention fixed on my mate.
Although I did not doubt Sage was genuine in what she had just told me, I knew the bond could amplify things, making baby fever more like an obsession.
Because of our past, I wanted to ensure that Sage wanted more children because she wanted them, not because the bond was swaying her to have more or because she was the Goddess of Life and it was genetically what she had been created to do.
So I said, “How about, when your cycle returns, we revisit this topic. But until then”—I gave her a devilish grin—“we can practice.”
She tilted her head from side to side, mulling things over. “I think I can agree to that.” Sitting up, her arms enveloped my neck and she kissed me deeply. Within seconds, my clothes were gone, and I had myself sheathed within her.
“Von!” she cried out, her legs wrapping around me.
My hips stilled, giving her time to adjust. “That is the sweetest sound,” I murmured.
“What?”
“My name on your lips.”
“Then I will say it over and over and over again until you are sick of it.”
“That is a day, my love, that will never come,” I promised her, sealing my words with a branding kiss, searing my vow into her lips.
Slowly, I worked myself into her before I struck a sensual pace.
Abs contracting, I rolled my hips, giving her body those long, deep strokes I knew she craved. The kind that made her feel like I was weaving my black magic into her. The kind that evicted her soul from her body as she came undone.
I knew what my mate needed from me, and I was more than happy to give it to her.
Wherever she wanted— thrust —whenever she wanted— thrust .
“Von!” screamed a panicked voice, echoing around me.
“Zahra?” I jerked my head up, trying to understand where it had come from.
My body went rigid. “Did you hear that?” I asked Sage, looking back down at her, mortified to find that hairline cracks were beginning to form all over her body.
“No!” I yelled, my hands moving to each one, desperately trying to heal her.
“It’s okay,” she said, her fingers reaching for my face, tears brimming. “You have to let go of this dream so that you can save me.” Her hand fell over her abdomen. “Save us .”
Crisp, white light burst through the cracks that had formed in her skin. When she shattered, the flash of light emitted was so bright it blinded me. Desperately, I felt for her, but I could no longer feel the velvety softness of her skin; all I could feel was rock-hard soil.
Slowly, my vision returned.
I was kneeling . . . on the ground.
The Lost Soul was on the run, heading back toward the bog. A flaming serpent, conjured by Zahra, swirled around us, the head latching on to the tail and cutting her off.
I shot to my feet .
Wasting no time, Dameon forged a lariat made of flame.
Over his head, he circled the rope in a smooth motion before he let it go.
The loop soared into the air, toward the female.
It fell over top of her and Dameon pulled it tight, jerking her backwards.
She stumbled, hissing and screaming as she tried to fight her way out of the rope.
Despite it being forged from fire, the flames did not burn her, but they did restrain her.
“Welcome back,” Dameon grunted at me.
I could have told him I was happy to be back, but frankly, that would have been a lie.
Was I so desperate for Sage that I would willfully hand myself over to a fake vision of her? As I walked up to the Lost Soul, the answer stared me in the face.
I grabbed the flaming rope, cinched around her concave waist, jerking her toward me. “Here is how this is going to go. I have questions—questions you are going to answer. The sooner you do, the sooner you can go back to your cozy little bog life. Pretty simple, yes?”
“What about me?” squeaked the creature, still strapped to the rock. I had all but forgotten about him.
I turned to Dameon, a toying smirk on my lips. “What should we do with him?”
Dameon gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Make him suffer for being such bad bait.”
“Please, no, no!” he began to plead.
“Relax, we’re only fucking with you. You can go free.” Fulfilling my end of the bargain, I conjured the hand from before, tossed it at his feet, and dissolved the chains. The man-rabbit lunged at the hand and began to chow down.
Zahra gagged.
I turned back to the Lost Soul, who was snarling at me. “Now, about those questions. Oh, and—” I fished out the glass vial that Ezra had given me from my pocket. “I’m going to need one more thing.”