Chapter Twenty-One #2
Holding his cock at the base, Lamont rested his cockhead against Ewen’s hole.
It didn’t take much of a push - his magic had taken care of that - but Lamont still curled his toes and clenched his butt muscles as he slowly sank into Ewen’s body, moving his hand from his cock base to Ewen’s hip as he pushed in deeper.
Ewen cried out, his back arching as Lamont paused when his cock was fully encased. Through their bond, Lamont felt everything - the stretch, the fullness, the perfect pressure of being claimed. There wasn’t a hint of pain, just relief and pleasure.
Good? Lamont checked silently.
Perfect. Even Ewen’s mental voice was breathless. Now move and don’t stop.
Lamont had no intention of stopping. He set a punishing pace, one hand gripping Ewen’s hip while the other continued giving his mate’s cock the friction it needed.
The bed was creaking, as though it was going to come apart at any minute, but Lamont barely noticed.
All his focus centered on his mate - on making Ewen feel good, on driving every worried thought from his brilliant mind, and on claiming him so thoroughly that nothing else existed.
Ewen’s hands scrabbled for purchase on the mattress, his breath coming in sharp gasps. Through their bond, Lamont felt his mate’s pleasure building, spiraling higher with each thrust.
“That’s it,” Lamont growled. “Feel me. Feel us.”
“Can’t…can’t think…”
“Good.” Lamont angled his hips, finding the spot that made Ewen see stars. “Don’t think. Just feel.”
Ewen shattered with a broken cry, spilling over Lamont’s hand as his body clamped down around Lamont’s cock. The sensation pushed Lamont over the edge, and he followed his mate into climax with a roar, his hips stuttering as his spunk pulsed deep into Ewen’s body.
For a long moment, they stayed frozen - Lamont savoring the closeness and the pleasurable buzz zinging around his body.
Ewen was still bent over the bed, his harsh panting keeping time with Lamont’s own.
It was tempting to stay like that until they both came down from their high, but Lamont knew Ewen’s back and legs would be aching if he didn’t move.
Pulling out carefully, Lamont helped Ewen get onto the mattress properly, encouraging him to lie down.
“Don’t move,” Lamont murmured, pressing a kiss to Ewen’s temple.
He padded to the bathroom, dampened a washcloth with warm water, and returned to clean them both. Ewen lay boneless on the bed, eyes half-closed, a satisfied smile playing at his lips.
“Better?” Lamont asked, wiping away the evidence of their coupling.
“Mm.” Ewen stretched lazily. “Definitely. You fucked the anxiety away, at least for now. I can’t promise it won’t be back by morning.”
“We’ll take care of that then, precious.” Lamont tossed the washcloth aside and climbed onto the bed, pulling Ewen against his chest. “For now, let’s focus on this moment where we’re holding each other, and everything is perfect.”
Ewen relaxed in Lamont’s arms, his back against Lamont’s front, fitting together like puzzle pieces. Lamont tapped into their bond, feeling the warm glow of Ewen’s contentment, and let out a long breath.
They lay quietly for several minutes, just breathing together. Then Ewen shifted slightly.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“How did this Simon person end up birthing an egg?”
Lamont blinked at the ceiling. Of all the questions he’d expected, that hadn’t been one of them. “Why do you want to know?”
“I’m more curious than anything. Consort Ali mentioned it at dinner, remember? How Kolton was in the Underworld, apparently, and Simon was birthing an egg.” Ewen’s voice held a careful neutrality. “Is Simon a bird shifter? Is that how come he was laying eggs?”
“A single egg,” Lamont said quickly. “He gave birth to a single egg, and no, Simon isn’t a bird shifter, he’s a gargoyle, much like our new friend Redford.”
“But how did that happen? Is male pregnancy something that gargoyles do? Or was it something to do with Kolton being a hellhound?”
Oops. They hadn’t had that conversation yet. Lamont tightened his arms around Ewen, choosing his words carefully. “Hellhounds are part of the god line. We’re not quite gods ourselves, but we carry enough divine power that certain...rules apply differently to us.”
“What kind of rules?”
“The kind involving children.” Lamont pressed a kiss to Ewen’s shoulder, just above his claiming bite. “We can get our male partners pregnant. Or we can become pregnant ourselves.”
Ewen went very still. “Oh.”
“But,” Lamont continued quickly, “it’s not something that happens by accident. Mother Nature put safeguards in place.”
“Safeguards?”
“Yes, it has to do with intent.” Lamont stroked a hand down Ewen’s arm. “Male pregnancy can only happen if one or both partners actively want children. Not just a passing thought, but genuine intent. Thinking about it during sex. Wanting it. Planning for it.”
Ewen relaxed slightly. “So, it has to be deliberate.”
“Exactly.” Lamont felt relief flood through their bond. “You can’t accidentally get pregnant from me. And I can’t accidentally get pregnant from you. It requires conscious desire from at least one of us.”
“That’s...actually pretty reasonable.” Ewen huffed a quiet laugh. “I was half-expecting you to say it just happens randomly and we’d have to be careful forever.”
“No random pregnancies.” Lamont nuzzled Ewen’s hair. “Though if we ever decide we want children, I should mention that the form those babies take can vary depending on species.”
“What do you mean?”
“As I said, Simon’s a gargoyle,” Lamont explained.
“And all gargoyles are born from eggs, although usually from female gargoyles. But, because of the Mother’s ruling, his body adapted to carry the egg.
I think Kolton mentioned one time it was Simon who wanted to be pregnant, and I have to admit I’m surprised Consort Ali didn’t know that Simon actually gave birth to that egg at least, in his stone form.
I think Kolton just about had a heart attack when he found Simon in stone form, perched above an egg.
But they worked out their differences, and everything’s fine now.
They’re not the only couple with children, so when we do go to a Sunday dinner, be prepared to see lots of pictures. ”
“Huh.” Ewen processed that. “So, if I got pregnant...”
“You’d carry like any other shifter.” Lamont’s hand drifted to rest on Ewen’s stomach.
“A regular pregnancy with a regular birth… Well, regular for shifters. You’d probably shift less toward the end because it gets uncomfortable, and because we’re not exactly comparable size wise, your pregnancy might be shorter than a typical fox. ”
“And if you got pregnant?”
“Same thing. Though I’d probably shift into hound form more often because it’s easier to carry weight on four legs than two…or so I imagine. I have to admit I don’t really know, but I could ask Cain about it. He gave birth to the daughter he has with Ollie.”
Ewen twisted in Lamont’s arms to face him. “Have you ever thought about having kids?”
“I never thought about it because until very, very recently, I didn’t expect to meet my mate.
” Lamont would never lie to his mate. “So no, until you, I never let myself think about children. It seemed pointless to want something I never believed I’d have.
Males from the god line can’t go around making babies with any other male apart from their mate, so it wasn’t an option for me. ”
“And now?”
“Now I have you.” Lamont cupped Ewen’s face, thumb brushing across his cheekbone. “And if you want children someday, we can talk about it. But there’s no pressure or anything. It’s not like we haven’t got time to figure out what we want in terms of family.”
Ewen’s expression softened. “I never thought about kids either. I always figured I’d be alone, married to my work. But now...” He looked over his shoulder, his eyes searching Lamont’s face. “Yeah. Someday. Maybe.”
“Someday maybe sounds perfect.” Lamont kissed him gently. “For now, we focus on surviving Monday’s publication and making sure Arcturus doesn’t try to grab you again.”
“Romantic.”
“Practical.” Lamont pulled Ewen closer. “Though I promise our Santorini vacation will be thoroughly romantic to make up for it.”
Ewen laughed, the sound warm against Lamont’s chest. Then his expression turned slightly worried again. “You said there are safeguards, that intent business. But how do we…how do I know…I mean, what if I accidentally...”
“Think about getting pregnant while we’re having sex?” Lamont finished. “I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, but if you were thinking that way, it wouldn’t be an accident, would it? It’d be something you really wanted, at least on a subconscious level.”
“But what if…”
“Ewen.” Lamont caught his chin, making sure his mate met his eyes. “If you start feeling queasy after eating, or your fox starts acting weird, or anything seems off, we’ll figure it out together. All right?”
Some of the tension left Ewen’s shoulders. “You’re right. It wouldn’t be just me, it would be us working things out together.”
“Always together.” Lamont kissed his forehead. “You’re not alone anymore. Whatever happens, we handle it as a team.”
Ewen relaxed fully then, melting back against Lamont’s chest. Lamont could feel Ewen’s love for him, something that still made his chest tighten.
“Get some sleep,” Lamont murmured. “From the sounds of things, we need to get all the rest we can get over the weekend.”
“You’ll stay with me?”
“Where else would I go?” Lamont settled them more comfortably on the bed, one hand stroking Ewen’s hair. “Sleep, love. I’ve got you.”
Ewen’s breathing evened out within minutes, exhaustion finally claiming him. Lamont lay awake longer, listening to his mate’s heartbeat and thinking about the future.
Children. Someday, maybe.
The idea didn’t terrify him the way it might have even a month or so ago. With Ewen, everything felt possible, even building a family together. We just have to get through till Monday first.