Epilogue #2
He carried her to their bedroom. The space had changed since he'd first arrived, incorporating many of the items he’d retrieved from the ship in order to make her comfortable—a climate control that kept the room perfectly warm, a lighting system that responded to their presence, and most recently, the medical scanner currently resting in a decorative box.
But her things remained—the quilt Sarah had made, the sketches Theo drew, the dried flowers from their summer garden, and the photograph Martha had taken of the three of them standing in front of the homestead. Family.
He laid her on the bed and began removing her clothing with the gentle, practiced care he had perfected over the past months.
He never hurried. Every movement was deliberate, each touch an act of reverence.
The Tandroki might have been trained to eschew physical affection, but Klaus had become a devoted student.
His fingers traced the stretch marks on her belly with the same reverence he'd given the seams of the broken reindeer all those months ago.
"You are so beautiful," he murmured, gently cupping her swollen breasts.
"I'm enormous," she protested.
"Beautiful. The most beautiful being I've encountered in forty-three years of existence."
The words shouldn't work. She knew she was swollen and ungainly, that she waddled when she walked and she couldn't see her own feet. But the reverence in his voice made her believe him, made her feel beautiful.
"You're biased," she said breathlessly as his thumbs stroked over her sensitive nipples.
"Not at all. It is an objectively accurate assessment based on empirical observation." His grip tightened, just a little, and the familiar blue flames appeared in his eyes as liquid pearled on the tips. "Just as I know you are the most delicious creature I have ever tasted."
He lowered his head to take one peak into his mouth, that long, clever tongue teasing her, and she arched against him.
He knew exactly how to make her moan, exactly where to lick and suck to send pleasure racing through her body.
He moved to her other breast, giving it the same careful attention, while one of his hands slid down her stomach and through the curls at the juncture of her thighs.
Her breath hitched as he found her, slick and ready for him.
"You always respond so quickly to me," he murmured, his voice full of satisfaction. "But I believe your pregnancy has made you even hotter, even wetter."
"Maybe," she gasped as he found her clit and began to circle it with a callused thumb. "Or maybe it's you."
His other hand tangled in her hair, tilting her head to expose her neck. He nipped at the sensitive skin, not hard enough to mark, but enough to make her shiver. Every nerve ending was alive, every touch amplified.
"Open for me, Talia."
She didn't hesitate, bending her knees and allowing him better access.
He smiled, a rare, unguarded smile that she treasured, and then he leaned down and took her nipple between his teeth again.
His fingers plunged inside her, and she came instantly, a swift, sharp climax that left her gasping for breath.
But he wasn't finished with her. He moved down her body, pausing to press soft kisses on her stomach, right where their baby was growing. She could feel the faint stirring from within as the baby responded to the vibrations of his deep, rumbling voice.
"Hello, little one," he murmured against her skin. "Do not be alarmed. I am merely worshiping your mother."
The words sent a fresh wave of heat through her, as much for what he said as for the reverence in his tone.
He continued his journey downward, parting her folds with gentle fingers.
Then his tongue was on her, hot and wet and impossibly clever.
He knew her body better than she knew it herself, knew just how to build her pleasure until she was writhing beneath him, her hands fisted in the sheets.
"Klaus, please—"
She was begging, she knew, but she couldn't help it.
She needed more. Needed him. He gave her what she wanted, sucking her clit into his mouth while he slid two fingers inside her, curling them to hit that perfect spot that made her see stars.
The second orgasm was more intense than the first, a long, shuddering wave of pleasure that left her boneless and breathless.
He gently rolled her over, adjusting the pillows to support her body as he stroked a warm comforting hand down her back. His erection, hot and hard, pressed against her.
"Are you comfortable?" he asked, his voice raspy with desire.
"Perfectly," she promised, smiling back at him over her shoulder. "Now make love to me."
As he entered her, slowly, carefully, mindful of her condition, she felt that familiar stretch, the exquisite fullness that was uniquely him. He moved inside her with a steady rhythm, watching her face, attuned to her every reaction.
"You are so beautiful," he said again as he began to move. "My female. My mate. The mother of my child."
She pushed back against him, meeting him thrust for thrust, her body humming with pleasure.
He reached around her, finding her clit again with those clever fingers, and she came a third time, this time with him following her over the edge with a hoarse cry.
He collapsed beside her, then immediately rolled her back into his arms, spooning her from behind.
His huge hand rested on her belly, and she could feel the baby settling, as if soothed by her father's presence.
She lay in the darkness, listening to the steady beat of his heart, feeling the weight of his arm around her, and marveled at how completely her life had changed.
Fourteen months ago, she'd been a failure in her own eyes, a woman who couldn't even comfort her own grieving nephew.
Now she was prosperous, loved, and about to bring a new life into the world.
"Happy Longest Night, Klaus," she whispered. "I love you."
He kissed the top of her head, a gesture he would have considered illogical and unnecessary a year ago.
"I love you, too," he said, his voice certain. "Both of you. All of you. This family we've built."
She smiled and let her eyes drift closed. Exhaustion was catching up and pulling her toward sleep.
"Thank you," she murmured. "For crashing in my woods, for staying, for choosing us."
"Thank you for not leaving me in the snow."
She was already drifting, warm and safe and loved, but she managed one final thank you for whatever impossible miracle had brought Klaus to her.
The baby kicked, and he gently stroked her stomach, his breath steady against her hair.
She fell asleep wrapped in warmth and wonder, grateful for every impossible thing that had conspired to give her this life.
Outside, snow continued to fall. The Longest Night wrapped the homestead in silence and darkness.
But inside, there was light. Love. Family. The best kind of magic.