Smutty romance novels filled the first few pages of results. Then I came across an academic interview with a scholar who moved on two years before I hatched. I clicked the link and the video opened to a white-haired man with a long salt and pepper beard to match.
“What do you say to the naysayers Professor Selma?” An off-camera interviewer asked him.
“I say nothing to them. I wouldn’t have made it this far in my research if I stopped to listen to those who said it was impossible. That we all get one chance at happiness and that is that. While that may be true in most cases I do not believe for one split second a dead true-mate would wish for the other half of their soul to pine away after they’re gone. My Franny visited me as a spirit for years until I finally started dating again. She wanted me to be happy even if she couldn’t be in this world with me.”
“So, if second chance mates are possible why don’t we hear more about them?” The interviewer asked.
“The circumstance for such an event to occur require either careful planning on the part of fate or serendipity.”
“Which do you believe it is, professor?”
“I don’t believe in fate, Sean. We’re made for each other and must find each other mostly through luck or hard work. There’s no fate involved. Some more religious shifters would argue that’s not the case, but to each his own slice of the pie is what I say.”
“What circumstances must align for second chance mates to happen?”
“Both parties must first be widowed. Then both dead mates of the living must dwell in the Other World, the exact same part of the Other World, at the same time and agree that their mates should be allowed to spend the rest of their Earthly lives together. That’s not even the most difficult part of the process.”
“What is then, professor?” Sean asked.
“Finding two widowed true-mates who are willing to move on.” The professor chuckled.
“That’s true enough, professor. If my mate died, I don’t know that I’d want to move on.”
“Therein lies the problem of humans and shifters alike. We enjoy wallowing in our misery. We are souls who have more than enough love for every person in the universe to offer and yet we want to sit in the dark and say, ‘woe is me.’ I would have never met Patty if I didn’t take up a cause. After some time of sitting in the dark and ordering takeout I looked around at the half-empty cartons and was irrationally angry. Who was I to waste this much food when people were going without? So, I started up my little charity van and drove food to the communities who needed it the most. Of course, I paid special attention to widowed omegas. They were and are still an at-risk population in most parts of the world. That’s how I met Patty. She had the balls to tell me she was tired of chicken for lunch every day. The next day I brought roast beef and we had a picnic. The rest our mates transpired from the Other World.”
“And how do you know they transpired to bring Patty into your life?” Sean asked.
“Patty’s door showed up three years ago. She came to me as a spirit as my first mate had. She and Heath were going to hang out with Franny until it was my time to come home to them all. She told me they were so happy they could give us a little peace after they were gone.”
“Professor, do you have anything to say to the folks who believe you to be a rambling old fool seeing illusions of the dead to ease his now twice-broken heart?”
“If I’m wrong, who have I hurt?” The professor tilted his head thoughtfully. “But I’m not a rambling old fool. The signs are clear when the events align for such happenings.”
“What are the signs, if you don’t mind me asking, professor?” Sean asked.
“There’s only one that I know to be recorded across all the cases I studied and it involves the claiming marks left by true-mates. They fade and move, but don’t disappear. It’s as if the skin cells themselves arrange and work together to move the mark away from the claim gland itself. Then the claim gland begins to refill with the same fluid it held before we exchanged the claiming vows with our true-mate. At first, it’s achy and tender. Then swollen as if we’ve true-responded. The second bond will be different even with the second chance claiming vows, but it holds the two new mates together. This new bond allows them to simulate the real experience all because their departed true-mates wanted them to have another chance at happiness after their own lives were cut short for whatever reason.”
“We only have time for one more question, professor,” Sean said. “What would you say to your following of widowed mates?”
“Don’t hold your breath and wait around for this to happen. In life there are absolutely no certainties. Date if you want. Don’t if you don’t care to. No matter what you choose to do don’t waste away your days. You’re hurting your departed half more than you know. Find a cause. Find a hobby. See the world. Write your memoirs if you have something to say. Whatever you do, live a life where you find a reason to smile every day, because in most cases they’re watching over you. Even if I’m full of bologna, who did being happy ever hurt?”
The video ended there. I wiped the tears streaming down my cheeks. Stacy really did try to get Seth clean.
“Sivan? Are you and Stacy together?”
I felt my shoulder. It had been tender off and on since the first time I slept with Seth. I pulled my shirt off and headed to the bathroom to look in the mirror. I felt along my shoulder for the spot my claim gland had been years ago. It was slightly squishy. The white-haired professor was right. Sivan’s mark had moved down on my shoulder.
“Make breakfast. Don’t freak out,” my dragon yawned.
I’m not freaking out. I just need to know.
“Professor Selma was a medium. He didn’t use the word in the professional interview, but for him to see two dead mates sober he had to be a medium. There’s no way for us to know for sure.”
I need to check Seth’s shoulder.
“Don’t wake him up in a frantic state. He’ll think you’re crazy. Go cook breakfast. When has that man ever put on a shirt to come down and eat first thing in the morning?”
He was right. I headed into the kitchen and started breakfast. I decided on french toast because it was hard to mess up even with my mind flying in a hundred directions at once. If Seth’s gland was refilling too that would mean, we had their blessing. I caught myself humming as I whisked the eggs together.
“Good morning, babe,” Seth walked into the kitchen shirtless as usual.
“Morning. Coffee’s ready.” I pointed to the pot and turned to look at him.
I wasn’t sure if his bite was lower than it originally was. I crossed the kitchen to give him a good morning kiss. As our lips met, I ran my hands across his collarbone and up onto his shoulders. His gland was squishy to the touch. I kissed him harder.
“Someone woke up in a good mood,” Seth smirked when the kiss broke.
“Marry me.” The words tumbled over my lips before I could stop them. “I know we started as a scheme and we’ve only known each other two months but marry me. I haven’t been so sure of anything since I met Sivan. This is how I want to spend the rest of my life. I want to be with you. I know I’m not supposed to be the one to ask. You can tell the others whatever you like. I don’t care what they think. They don’t need to know our love life anyway. What do you say? Make me the happiest omega on the island and marry me?”
Seth tilted his head as if to discern if it was a joke. Then his blue eyes lit up and he grinned.
“Alright. Let’s do it. Let’s get married for real.”
Reaching behind me I turned the burner off. I knew the look dancing in Seth’s eyes all too well. The kiss and the connection woke up his primal side. He grabbed me by the hips and pulled me close to him. His half-hard cock poked my belly as I leaned in for another hard kiss. With even the glimmer of hope that our departed mates approved of our arrangement I was freer than I’d been since Sivan died.
Something primal stirred inside of me. Every nerve ending came to life as Se
th’s mouth conquered mine. I was slick and ready for him. Romping with Seth was always good, but this morning now that our new relationship was sealed with the possibility of a future, I needed him inside me more than ever. I slid my hands up Seth’s neck to hold onto his face as I kissed him hard. Our tongues met between our lips dancing and twirling each trying to get an even better taste of the other. I stepped back leading Seth with me until I could brace myself against the counter. Using my toes, I tugged at the hems of my pajama pants until they came loose freeing my hard cock.
Seth’s strong warm hands slid from my hips to cup my bare ass. He massaged my cheeks hard teasing my hungry omegahole buried between them. It was torture to pull away from his pleasure inducing touch, but I wanted to taste him. I dropped to my knees and pulled his pants down as I went. First, I stroked his long hard cock reveling in the curves and veins I’d come to know so well over the last few months. Without realizing it, I came to think of his body as my territory and hoped Seth felt the same about me.
I circled my thumb over the mushroom head of his dick, and he drew in a sharp breath. I flashed him a wicked grin as I bent forward to lick the path my thumb traced seconds before. The room heated up ten degrees as I slid my mouth over him. Sweat dripped down the back of my neck as I pressed my tongue against the smooth flesh of his shaft. He ran his fingers through my hair tugging and pulling as I worked my mouth down and then back up.
I lost myself to tasting him. A drop of pre-cum formed on the head of his dick and I happily licked it away savoring his salty taste.
“My turn,” he pulled me to my feet and gave me a hard kiss before spinning me around.
The warm kitchen left me heady as I gripped the counter for support. Behind me, Seth grazed his nails up and down my back leaving little white marks everywhere he touched. A fire raged in my belly demanding more of his touch. My nerves stood on edge beckoning him to give me.
Seth’s hand moved down to my ass grazing and teasing the skin until I squirmed and wiggled my hips inviting him inside of me. Only he didn’t offer me the firm round head of his cock. He dropped to his knees and I spread my legs offering myself to him however he wanted me.
His warm moist tongue found the sensitive skin of my scrotum and licked away the slickness that made its way there. I squirmed, squaring my hips, and pushing back against his face desperate for release from the hot desire gripping me. Seth licked his way from my balls up to my gushing omegahole. His tongue brushed against the sensitive flesh sending a bolt of pleasure spiraling over my hard cock. He reached around and stroked the tender underside of my shaft as his tongue teased my hungry hole.
I dug my nails into the counter as waves of pleasure crashed over me. Orgasm shook my brain, but desire didn’t let go. It was unlike me to cum so easily and still want more.
“Heat,” my dragon whispered to me. “Missed the shot.”
Heat or not it didn’t matter now. Seth was here with me touching and teasing. His musky scent filled my nostrils and flooded my brain with all the right pheromones. He slid his thumb inside my omegahole and licked his way back down to my balls. He sucked one into his mouth as his thumb slid in and out of my slickness. I opened easily to his touch wanting, no needing more. Soon, two long fingers replaced his thumb and stroked all the nerve endings he only teased earlier. I rocked my hips using his digits to grind out the longings of my heat.
“More!” I growled not knowing how to communicate the complex desires running through my head.
I didn’t want Seth to stop doing what he was already doing, but I wanted him to fuck me too. It didn’t make sense, but then heat rarely did.
“You’re burning up, babe,” Seth said as he stood up.
“Heat, I think.” I managed to say.
“It’s okay. I got you. Just tell me what you need,” he whispered in my ear.
“Fuck me like you’re never gonna stop.”
Seth kicked our clothes out of the way and ran his hand over the small of my back. I leaned forward onto the counter presenting my ass to him. His fingers slid between my cheeks. Then he coated his throbbing cock in my slickness. Our aroused scents mingled together. For a second I couldn’t think of anything except for how our scents might change if we were able to exchange the claiming vow. Then Seth’s hard cock slid between my cheeks and my thoughts derailed. He rubbed his shaft against my hole teasing me with a small preview of what was to come. Then he pressed the hard-bulbous head of his cock against me. I swallowed a moan and my fingernails scratched into the counter. He rubbed against my hole as I pressed back silently begging him to slide into me and fuck me like we were the last Alpha and omega left on earth.
Seth squeezed my cheeks tight around his cock and moaned into the back of my neck.
“Stop teasing me!” I growled.
“Enjoy the ride. It’s half the fun.” He said and slapped my ass.
I growled as the vibration shook me in all the right places to make me want him more.
“Do that again!”
Seth slapped my other cheek and I wiggled to stimulate my slick omegahole with the head of his cock. A second later, he pressed into me. A sigh bubbled over my lips as a few brief seconds of relief washed over me. Then the kitchen grew hotter still. Seth usually took his time, but that morning my pheromones drew him in. One, two, three hard thrusts and his long thick dick was fully inside of me.
Heat overrode my brain and I lost myself to his hard fast thrusting. His nails bit into my flesh, but I didn’t give a single damn. Everything felt good. Seth panted. His warm breath danced over the back of my neck. My toes curled into the floor as we gave into the demands of our most primal sides. Time stopped and nothing on the outside mattered. Who needed a dinner party to tell our families the truth? Who needed to eat breakfast or have a second mug of coffee? Certainly not me. I had everything I needed with Seth pounding into me.
His dick twitched inside of me. The slight movement exploded the hot fire in my belly. My nerve endings sang as orgasm shook me and made my knees into noodles. Seth wrapped an arm around my middle and didn’t stop thrusting. Each sensation drew out my pleasure and made me want more. I rocked my hips in time with his thrust until he finally spilt his hot sticky seed inside my body.
He turned me around for a long hard kiss.
“Again.” I met his gaze.
“Breakfast first?” He asked.
“Later. It’s so hot in here.” I walked to the sink and stuck my head under the cold-water faucet.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Seth
Cinder’s heat lasted a week. Our days became a blur of mating and eating. I wasn’t unfamiliar with an omega experiencing heat, but dragon heat was more intense than anything I witnessed before. With a fire already raging in his belly Cinder was hot to the touch. Sometimes smoke puffed out of his nose while he slept. He napped between romps only to wake up in a frenzy to be touched. I was happy to put out his fire. Surrendering to our more basic instincts came easily. Brendan and Rhett ensured the fridge stay stocked. I never saw them as they came in went like ninjas while we were in other parts of the house.
“I’m happy we’re engaged for real now,” I said one afternoon after a romp.
Cinder lay naked on the living room floor. The ceiling fan ruffled his hair but sweat still dripped down his forehead.
“Me too.” Cinder panted.
“Because after all of this I think we’re going to be parents.”
Cinder tilted his head and looked at me. I could almost see the facts, figures, and probabilities floating through his eyes like the screen of a supercomputer.
“I didn’t take my birth control this month.” He laughed and tapped his forehead with his palm.
“Puppies wouldn’t be a horrible thing,” my wolf said from his spot where he stretched out inside my torso.
“That’s okay, though, right?” I rolled to my side for a better look at him. “We’ve only talked about having kids a bit and this heat came out of nowhere.”
> “I think we’re old enough to start a family now. Besides, it’ll be nice for our baby to grow up with little Elwin and Stacy.” Cinder grinned. “Let’s hope our kiddos aren’t afraid of Cookie.”
“Nah,” I shook my head. “They’ll grow up with her.”
“Sivan and I always talked about having eggs after we saw all the world had to offer. We wanted a family after we sowed our wild oats and had adventures. That day just never came.”
“I’m sorry.” I took his hand in mine and entwined our fingers.
“Don’t be. After Sivan died, I never thought I could feel anything again. The world was a void. I’d never find a reason to stay up all night talking to someone, I’d never hold a baby of my own, and I’d have to wait out every heat that the shot didn’t stop in its tracks alone. You brought me back to life. You saved me.”
“You did most of the heavy lifting yourself.” I kissed the back of his hand.
“Just because I carried the boat away from Cornwall Harbor doesn’t mean I did it all by myself. No man or dragon is an island onto himself.”
“Why did you really kiss me the first time on the boat?” I asked.
“Because I was free. You kicked Reggie’s ass seven ways from the Pit of Frost. You were sweaty and riled up. I wanted a taste of the freedom and the lack of give a damn hanging from your lips. I’m just glad you didn’t punch me.” He laughed.
“I’ve never punched an omega. Actually, outside of a few retrieval missions I’ve never done much punching. Scratching, biting, hunting, and disemboweling I’ve done plenty of those.” I smirked.
“Don’t say hunting! It reminds me that I’m starving.” He laughed. “I better grab a bite to eat before the heat eats my brain again.”
With Cinder’s heat raging between us we forgot about announcing our very real engagement to the world. I was pretty sure Rhett and Brendan caught on, but Clarence and the others were still in the dark.
Somewhere along the middle of the week Cookie disappeared. A text from Rhett let me know she took to living in one of the courtyards as to give us our privacy. Also, I worried that she might’ve missed a meal or two when our primal natures took over.
Saving Cinder Page 15
