by JJ King
Keme cocked an eyebrow at her, lowered his gaze to her flat stomach, then raised it back to her face. “Oh,” he said with a slowly growing grin. “You’re going to be that kind of pregnant lady, huh?” He chuckled then yelped a second later as she whacked him.
“I’m growing a person inside me, Keme. A person.” She pointed a finger at his chest, poking him a few times for added measure. “You think about that.”
His hands snaked around her and pulled her to his chest before she could bat him away. Keme starred up at her, locked and struggling in his embrace, and kissed the tip of her nose.
Daphne snapped her teeth at him and growled. He kissed her again, and again. Twisting, Keme deposited her on the bed and began covering her face with kisses while she squirmed and shrieked with laughter.
“Stop it!” Daphne squealed, “you’re going to make me pee!” She rolled free of his prison of arms and sat at the edge of the bed.
Keme’s laughter came straight from his belly. “You’re going to be a handful, aren’t you?”
Daphne looked over her shoulder with a glint of laughter and sauciness in her eyes, “Think you can take it?” She grabbed the rumpled sheets and stood, taking them with her as she crossed bare ass to the bathroom without a second glance.
♀♀♀
Rose dumped the provisions she’d confiscated from the kitchen on the bed and called out to Liam. “Oh my god! I just ran into Keme on the way up and guess what Daphne is making him get in town.” She giggled as she recalled the equally exasperated and amused look that had graced Keme’s face.
When she didn’t get an answer right away, Rose puttered across the room and pushed open the bathroom door, surprised to find it filled with candles and a nearly filled bubble bath. The smell of crushed roses filled the air and reached deep into Rose’s heart, making it swell until it felt as if it were humanly impossible to love so much.
Rose moved into the room, peering behind the door in search of Liam, and frowned when she didn’t find him. “Liam?” Rose eyeballed the claw foot tub for a moment then grinned and started shucking her clothes.
“Oh yeah,” Rose moaned as she sunk into the fragrant water, letting the heat seep into her bones and muscles. The plumbing at Classiebawn, though upgraded over the years, had never afforded so many women and men the luxury of hot baths. Since escaping, she’d had baths as often as possible, but opportunities had been few and far between. This, though, was her very first romantic bubble bath.
Rose forced herself to be in the moment and truly experience it. Too often she let her mind slip back into the past or dream about the future. She wanted to remember every moment of this, the scents, the tastes, the feel of the silky water on her skin. She didn’t want to take a single moment of her new life for granted. Rose closed her eyes and sank deeper into the tub.
“Tá tú go hálainn,” Liam said in a husky whisper from the door.
Rose opened her eyes and saw him as if for the first time and her heart began to race in her chest. He was gorgeous, every single inch of him. And he was sweet, and kind, and thoughtful in ways she didn’t know could make her love even more. It was all new, this loving, this needing so deeply that it felt like the other person was as much a part of you as your own limbs. New and scary.
She’d lost so much in her life and had seen so much cruelty that this promise of forever half terrified her sometimes. Rose thought of Sylvie, lost without her mate. She was in awe of the woman, so confident and capable even through the grief; Rose didn’t know if she could ever cope so well and the mere thought of having to filled her with dread.
Rose blew out a deep breath, realizing she’d done it again, she’d let herself sink into the abyss of fear that lay sometimes dormant for days beneath her veneer of strength. She’d learned young to appear impenetrable, to look the part, but that lacquer had always hidden intense pain and fear. Since meeting Pierre’s family and now Liam, she’d been forced to let parts of that shell crack off and it left her feeling naked and vulnerable. The more she loved, the more she had to lose.
But her mate was staring at her with a mixture of love and lust that made her thighs quiver, so Rose pushed the invading thoughts back to where they belonged and smiled knowingly at Liam. “And what exactly does that very sexy sentence mean?” She loved it when he reverted to Gaelic.
“It means you’re the most fucking beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Liam strode into the room, a bottle of wine and two glasses dangling from his hands. He laid them on the tiny table that sat beside the tub and knelt beside her, leaning in for a long, tender kiss.
Rose melted into him, straining up to keep the kiss alive when he pulled back and reached for the already uncorked bottle and poured them each a glass. Rose took hers and sipped, enjoying the way it slid down her throat and blossomed with hints of vanilla. She was still getting used to wine and liked the way the sweeter whites tasted. Katherine had assured her that her taste for full bodied reds would develop if she just kept up a dedicated regimen of drinking. Rose gazed at Liam for a long moment, “Thank you for this. It’s perfect. Everything is perfect.” She swallowed the lump that attempted to form in her throat. She didn’t know how to do perfect.
Liam nodded slowly and reached out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Aye, it’s as perfect as can be, but Rose,” he cupped her cheek, smiling wickedly, “it won’t always be a walk in the park between us, you know. We’ve both got fiery tempers and limited tolerance for bull shit.” He chuckled, “Do you know what I see when I think about our future together?”
Rose shook her head and wondered where he was going with this.
“I see us old and gray, surrounded with grandchildren and great-grandchildren, still squabbling about what to do and where to go. I see us arguing over politics and whatever the fuck else we feel like, then falling into bed to work off our excess passion.” He slid his hand into the water and over her stomach, steeling down her body to find his way between her thighs. His fingers teased her edges, slowly awakening her pleasure, while his gaze stayed glued on hers. “I see us loving and laughing and fighting our way through a lifetime together, and that will be our version of perfect.”
He saw her, she realized, her breath hitching as she watched him watching her. He really saw her. He saw her strengths and weaknesses, her insecurities and everything she tried so hard to hide from the world. He saw them, and he loved her anyway. Rose lifted her fingers to wipe away the tears that had escaped without permission.
Liam met her fingers and brushed them aside, “No,” he reprimanded softly, “let them come. You deserve to feel.”
Rose placed her glass on the table and reached for her mate, touching his cheek gently. She wondered how such a man existed, how he could be fierce and protective one minute then exactly what she needed to heal from a lifetime of pain in the next. Thank you, she sent the silent prayer to the Old Ones and hoped they were listening.
“I love you so much,” Rose whispered, her voice breaking slightly as she spoke. Her eyes still shone with tears, but she hoped he could see the vastness of her feelings for him and the absolute astonishment she had that fate or whatever it was out there that was pulling their strings had decided to bring the two of them together. Rose fit her mouth to his and tasted.
He was sweet, like the wine they’d sipped, but behind that was him, the real him, and Rose reveled in his taste. She wrapped her arms around his neck and angled her head to fit him better, barely noticing when he pulled her, naked and dripping, from the tub and into his arms.
Rose slid down Liam’s body until her feet hit the floor, soaking him in the process, though he didn’t seem to mind. Her breath hitched as he looked down at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of tenderness and passion. He cupped her face with one hand and softly touched her lips with his. Everything seemed to stand still as he gently moved his mouth against hers. Rose wrapped her arms around his back as he slid his tongue into her mouth and slowly deepened the kiss. She felt
the warmth of it throughout her entire body.
The heat built between them until it scorched her. Liam walked her backwards out of the bathroom, pulling off his clothes with her help, until her legs hit the bench at the end of the bed. With a growl, Liam twisted and sat down, pulling her onto his lap so she was straddling him. Her hands went to cup either side of his face as the kiss intensified and became urgent. She shivered as his large, warm palms slowly slid up her naked back.
His mouth left hers, seeking out other parts to taste, and settled on the delicate skin at the base of her neck. Rose let her head fall back and offered herself to him, exposing the most vulnerable part of her to his teeth. Liam’s tongue traced the length of her, sending endless shivers through her body, and kissed his way to her collarbone. His teeth closed around the sweet spot, where her neck met her shoulder, and bit, just enough to make her core burst into flames. Rose cried out and bucked against him, rolling throbbing parts against his steely erection.
Liam moved against her skin, sliding himself along her wetness, testing her readiness. Rose leaned into his neck and sucked his earlobe into her mouth, giggling when he shuddered and growled. Then he was lifting her hips and lowering her slowly, ever so slowly, onto him while he watched her eyes glaze over.
Liam’s face blurred before her eyes, so she let her eyelids fall closed and began to rock into him, accepting every inch of him. The feeling of fullness overwhelmed her, and she cried out. Rose arched her back and hung onto Liam’s knees as she bent backwards, supported by his strong arms wrapped around her waist. His mouth fell on her offered breasts and it was all Rose could do to not dissolve.
Waves of pleasure built, layering over each new delectable sensation. Rose ground her hips into Liam’s thigh, meeting him thrust for thrust. Her body strained forward, reaching so close. Rose moaned in frustration, needing to just hit that peak, and screamed as Liam bit down hard on her nipple, sending her soaring over the edge and into oblivion.
With a roar, Liam pulled her upright and buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, shuddering as he finished seconds after her. They stayed there, shivering together, for a minute before Liam nuzzled her neck and came up for air. He brushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled at her with exhausted eyes, “I love you, too.”
Chapter Twenty-three
Katherine reached behind her back to unhook her bra and let it fall from her shoulders into her hands. She yawned, exhausted in body and soul by the trauma they’d experienced today. She thanked the Old Ones for the Sisterhood and their very timely arrival.
“Is it just me or was today a prime example of deux ex machina?” Katherine mused aloud to Quinn who was busy brushing his teeth in the bathroom door.
Quinn stopped brushing for a moment, then laughed through a mouthful of toothpaste. “It totally is!” He slapped a hand over his mouth and rushed back into the bathroom to spit, but not before Katherine started giggling at the toothpaste that had spilled unceremoniously onto his bare chest. He came out a minute later, sporting a sheepish grin and wet skin. “Oops,” he chuckled.
Katherine patted his cheek and brushed past to brush her own teeth. It had been a long day, a long month really, and thinking about it in detail was more than her tired brain could handle tonight. Tomorrow, though, she promised herself, she’d work through all of it.
She had no choice, really, the Sisterhood was holding an informal meeting in the morning and she’d been invited to attend. Katherine was excited to finally become a real part of the resistance, although, that might be a bit dramatic, considering. The Alpha Council was decimated, there was no big bad to stand up against. Then again, their world hadn’t yet found out about the shift in power, and she was a hundred percent sure the standing Alphas wouldn’t take kindly to the Sisterhood being the ones to physically subdue their most prestigious and revered elders. Katherine wasn’t looking forward to being a part of that discussion.
“Quinn?” Katherine called out after putting her toothbrush away and washing her face. She meandered out of the bathroom, too tired to do much with any purpose.
“Yeah?” Quinn pulled back the covers on the bed and climbed in, then heaved a great dramatic sigh as he relaxed into the mattress. Katherine smiled and followed suit.
“I love you,” she murmured, caressing the soft sheets.
“I love you, too,” Quinn replied, completely unaware she’d been talking to the bed.
Katherine smiled and closed her eyes, then remembered what she’d been about to ask. She yawned and blinked, trying to keep herself awake as long as she could. “Do you think the Geliget elders will get involved in this whole mess?” She asked, pushing sleep off for another moment.
Quinn caught her yawn and let out his own, covering his face with the duvet. “Um…I don’t know. They don’t usually get involved with pack politics, although there hasn’t been this kind of restructuring in pack history. So, maybe.”
Katherine nodded, hoping they would. From what Quinn had told her, they’d adapted over the millennia to embrace equality of both sexes. But, like the human God, they stood back and let the packs make their own decisions. Free will and all that. Katherine rolled onto her side facing Quinn, “Will you ask them?” She knew he hadn’t had a chance to make that very important phone call yet.
“In the morning,” Quinn gathered her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her head when she laid it on his chest. The steady beat of his heart lulled her into a trance, sweeping her attempts to stay awake further out of reach. Katherine wrapped her arm around Quinn’s abdomen and let herself drift away.
♀♀♀
Katherine settled into the chair beside her mother and glanced around the room at the women who’d saved them yesterday. It was bizarre to think that it had been just yesterday; it felt as if she’d slept a thousand years. Quinn had woken up just past 9:00 a.m. with muffled moans that he needed to “Get going and call home.” She’d pried her eyes open and shuffled into the shower half unconscious. The sleep had done her good, though, she felt alert and rested now. Ready to change the world.
Lady MacLaren sat to the other side of her mother, looking for the world like a queen. Katherine looked back and forth between her and Sylvie, comparing the two, and smiled proudly to see her mother look as imposing and important as the woman who headed the Sisterhood.
The Lady cleared her throat and laid down the tiny china teacup she’d been sipping from, then addressed the group who all snapped to attention. “Let me first say,” she began, smiling warmly, “that I’m so proud of each and every one of you and the way you responded yesterday to the crisis.” She nodded at Dalia, “Our sister, Dalia, has been a bastion of strength and fortitude over these years, working to find the proof necessary to dismantle those who have lied and manipulated wolfkind for centuries.”
Around the room, teacups and mugs of coffee were raised in salute. Dalia flushed and bowed her head for a moment.
“I’d also like to thank our hostess, Sylvie LaFlamme, for standing strong before the Council and for working alongside us in preparation for this day.”
Again, cups were raised. Katherine reached over and took her mother’s hand and squeezed.
Lady MacLaren’s expression changed, from lighthearted to serious and everyone lowered their drinks. “But, through all our preparation and planning, none of us could have foreseen the situation in which we are left. The entire Council, save Alpha Reynard, who did not approve of the genocide but was complicit in it, has been found guilty of the mass-murder of wolves in North America.” She closed her eyes and Katherine could feel the grief wafting off her; she felt it too. “Our goal now is to bring these men to justice before our leaders, all of whom have looked up to these men for as long as they’ve been on this earth. The battle has only just begun.”
She pushed to her feet and walked across the room to pour herself a glass of water from the bar. Katherine took the time to assess her new sisters, to place them and size them up. They were all silent, for now, waiti
ng for Lady MacLaren to continue. They respected her, Katherine could see that, and they looked to her for guidance. She’d be an amazing Alpha, Katherine mused.
After she was seated again, the Lady turned to Katherine, sending a shiver of excitement flitting up Katherine’s spine. “Which is why I’m delighted to welcome Katherine LaFlamme Deschains to the Sisterhood and offer her the position of legal counsel.”
Katherine’s heart thumped in her chest. She’d had no idea that she would be asked to take on a significant position within the Sisterhood. She tried to remain staid, to look queenly like her mother and Lady MacLaren, but Katherine couldn’t stop the wide smile that grew and settled on her face, stretching her cheeks wide. She bobbed her head to Lady MacLaren and responded respectfully, “I’m honored by your offer and I accept wholeheartedly.”
“Excellent!” The Lady reached into her pocket and drew out a single euro, which she passed to Sylvie who passed it on to Katherine. “You’re under retainer now. Let’s begin.”
