Chapter 82 Maeve
Maeve
“She passed out again,” Nash whispered, scraping a hand through his hair as he watched our unconscious mate. “I didn’t—”
I held up a hand, stopping him. Ivy’s heart was beating steadily, her breaths even. There was no sign of distress, nothing to indicate she was hurt. The bitter, terrified beast within me wanted blood, but I held it back with each breath I pulled in that was tinged with her scent.
“Her body is reacting to the runes trying to stop what is natural,” I said, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. “Your bond tried to take hers, didn’t it?”
Nash nodded once. “She took my brand, though.”
I almost asked him to show me the mark but stopped myself. If he said she took it, that it was holding, then I had to trust him. “She’ll need more rest.”
“It…this didn’t hurt the babies, did it?” he asked hesitantly, sitting on the edge of the bed, hand hovering over her stomach. “We didn’t talk about that after what happened with Rhadamanthus.”
Pressing my lips together, I shook my head slowly, joining him on the bed. “I don’t know,” I replied honestly, focusing on her belly. My heart thundered as I listened for the racing heartbeats of the two foetuses growing inside of her. “They sound…normal.”
Even though I’d always removed myself from pregnancies, I still knew the difference between a healthy heartbeat and a sick one. It wasn’t my specialty, and the only reason I knew was because of basic training.
Nash scrubbed a hand through his hair again before dropping his head into his hands. “This was not how I thought it would be,” he muttered. “But thank you for coming in.”
I nodded once, tensing as Ivy shifted. It was the first movement she’d made since I’d entered the room. Her hand moved to her stomach as she rolled onto her back, brows pinched together like she was in a dream.
We both stilled as we watched her, waiting for any sign that she would wake.
My emotions were as fierce and unregulated as the ocean crashing against the shores of the island.
My stability was with her, and since her return, I hadn’t found my footing again.
Couldn’t get a hold of all the things I should have been in control of.
I could still smell the rotten blood belonging to Hyperion on my hands. Taste it as I ripped into his flesh to get my answers. Over and over again. Whenever I looked at her, I saw what I failed to do.
I couldn’t protect her. Couldn’t give her peace.
She was strong—so much stronger than I ever was. She never caved, never gave into the fear.
But she was home again. I also had to remind myself that she’d gotten herself out.
“You okay there, Grey?” Nash asked, tension lining his voice.
I felt the bite of my fangs against my lower lip as I tore my eyes off my restless mate. “What?”
The male’s stare dropped to my lips before meeting my gaze again. “Fangs.”
I ran my tongue over the points before forcing them back. “I apologise. It’s been a while since I fed comfortably.” Without meaning to, my stare went back to her. To the memory of my last real feeding with her.
Tasting her as she came had been sweet, like the nectar of the Gods.
Hearing her cries of pleasure while I’d shared her with Elias awoke something I never truly expected.
It had me wondering what it would be like to share her again, to feed endlessly from her while she experienced pleasure with her other mates.
But I wouldn’t touch her while she was with child. Couldn’t bring myself to. I knew I couldn’t hurt her. It was impossible. But what if I accidentally hurt them?
I knew realistically there was no basis to my fear. Nothing about it made sense.
And yet I couldn’t think about it without wondering what if I slipped?
“Do you need more blood?” the half-Fae asked, neither curious nor accusatory. It was a level question, one that should have had an easy answer.
I shook my head. “Not yet. Not until I know she’s awake.”
From the corner of my eye, I noticed him nod. “I get it.” He turned to her, too. And together we watched Ivy sleep through the remnants of her bond.
I felt the pull of sleep but fought against it when Ivy shifted. A soft sound fell from her lips as she opened her eyes.
Morning sun, half doused by the dark clouds hanging over the ocean, peeked through the open windows, drenching her in a soft, golden light. Beneath the blanket Nash had pulled around her, Ivy was completely naked, and that revealed itself when she moved her arms.
“Oh,” she yawned tiredly, cheeks turning pink. “Hey.”
I smiled, the feeling becoming more natural the longer I spent with her. “Good morning, a mhuirnín.”
Ivy matched my smile with one of her soft, radiant ones as she sat up. Beside her, sleeping atop the covers, Nash stirred, but didn’t wake.
I was almost thankful for that, especially as I got the chance to drink her in; colour sweetened her milky flesh, and as the blanket slipped down her chest, I couldn’t stop myself from admiring her chest.
“Careful,” she said, voice groggy. “You look like you’re about to eat me.”
I tore my eyes from her breasts, meeting her amused stare. “Not yet.”
The smile widened. “What are you doing in here?”
“Hawk came to find me after you two…bonded.” I glanced down at the still sleeping male and shook my head. “He was worried about you after you passed out again.”
Ivy grimaced. “Yeah…” She ran a hand through her mused hair, the movement giving me a peek at the mark sitting beneath her breast against her ribs.
I couldn’t quite make out the unique design, but it almost looked like wings, unlike the one the demon king had graced her with over her heart. “That was…expected.”
“You knew you would pass out again?” I should feel annoyed that she would put herself in the position to get hurt, but I knew she would do it regardless. Especially when she needed her bonds completed.
“Yep.” She rolled her shoulders back, smiling at me. “But I am completing my bonds. Probably to Dante’s dismay.”
Or his delight, I thought. She needed her completed bonds to be at full strength, but he likely also needed them to get the power he wanted. The idea made me physically ill, but there was no real way to prove it. He was a threat that needed to be eliminated regardless.
I nodded, moving to stand. “I’ll go get you some fresh clothes,” I said, “unless you wish to make the walk of shame.”
More colour darkened her cheeks, the sight warming my chest. “I shouldn’t care,” she said, meeting my stare. “Honestly. I think everyone has seen me naked now.”
“You did undress in front of us all in the bathroom, so yes,” I replied, cocking my head. “But I will go get you clothes.”
She sighed. “Thank you. I’m running out of pants. I think we need to ask Sao for some dresses.”
“So we can easily fuck you?” Nash groaned, wrapping an arm around her middle. “I don’t think anyone would disagree with that, Princess. Least of all Grey.”
I cleared my throat as I shook my head. “Do you still want me to request that for you knowing his thoughts?”
Ivy stared down at the male in disbelief before pushing his arm off her. “Never mind. Walk of shame it is.”
I was no better than her male mates who loved to ogle her at any state of dress she was in. I used to like thinking I was better than them, liked to believe that my ability to remain focused and not get distracted by female bodies was a good thing.
But apparently with my mate, I wasn’t, because taking her in as she swung her naked legs over the edge of the bed to stand was apparently hunger inducing.
I offered my hand, pressure growing in my chest. “Are you certain?”
“I think I still have a shirt if there’s a chance anyone might get uncomfortable,” she replied, entwining her fingers with mine. “But I don’t think I care anymore.”
With her back to Nash, the male made a sound. “Your ass is fantastic, by the way.”
Ivy rolled her eyes without looking back, but I leaned into her. “It is.”
“Not you, too,” she muttered, shaking her head.
“Are we not allowed to admire our mate?” Nash shouted as we left the bedroom. Ivy didn’t give him a response, but it was strange, the way he seemed so…different now.
Though, hadn’t I changed after completing our bond? Hadn’t I grown as a vampire? Been inspired to change?
The hall outside the bedroom was quiet; from here, I could sense the other males around the house.
Adrian in the kitchen preparing breakfast, humming to himself.
Rowan in his office studying the runes, looking for a key to Ivy’s collar with Rhadamanthus.
Elias and Orion moved through the forest, enhancing the wards around the island and ensuring the glamours were still securely in place.
And the last of Ivy’s unbonded mates were in the main bedroom.
“You didn’t sit there all night, did you?” Ivy asked, looking at me with worry.
I nodded once, meeting her stare as we started towards her room. “I did, why?”
She released a breath, leaning into me. “Are you getting any rest? I know you’ve been working constantly, and I haven’t really checked on you—which is my fault—”
“Stop,” I murmured. “Don’t worry about me.” I pulled her to a stop and moved to stand in front of her. “I take care of you.”
“That’s meant to be reciprocated,” she replied quietly. “I take care of you, too. And I haven’t been doing that. I’ve been so focused on the pregnancy and the bonds, and trying to get to know Thor and Xerxes, that I—”
“I don’t blame you or resent you for any of that,” I interjected, cupping her cheek.
“Ivy, there is an entire war we need to prepare for, and I am doing what I need to do to ensure we win. That is what I need to focus on, so you can get your magic back. And after that…after we win, you can check in on me. But I need to know you will survive what happens. I need to know I will have a mate to love when all this is over. I cannot let Dante take you from me. Not again.”
Tears brimmed her eyes, making the deep brown of her irises shine. “Maeve…”
I shook my head, trying to ignore the lump forming in my throat as I took her hand, feeling the weight of her missing ring as I entwined our fingers.
“Right now, that is why I must take care of you.” Knowing what I had done in her absence was the last thing she needed, but for her to understand how desperately broken I was, she had to hear it.
“Losing you was like losing my soul. Any piece of humanity I had left disappeared when Dante took you from that cottage. And I am only just now starting to feel like I am whole again with you back.”
Ivy cupped my cheek with warm, trembling fingers, eyes softening with all the love I knew she would be sharing through the bond if she could.
My own power rose to try and meet hers, tried to interact with the piece of her still hidden behind the collar.
But what it found was an emptiness that just felt wrong.
But as she rose onto her toes to kiss me, the touch light as a feather, I felt a tickle of something within me. A response to my mate, coming from her.
It was a flicker of power, weak and shadowed. But it was there. And it gave me hope she would survive this.
That she could survive anything.