by Maia Starr
Alec continued to slam into me, making me jiggle and rock back on forth on the bed. My back rubbed against the comforter while Alec loomed above me, his hands pushing down on the bed on either side of my shoulders. He slowed down to lean down to kiss me, his lips scorching hot, and then he ramped up the pace again. I was already thrashing around, trying to deal with the tingling sensation rolling over my body. I panted and gripped the comforter tightly between my fists.
But then he slowed and leaned down again. I thought he was going to kiss me, let me taste the sweat on his lips. Instead, he whispered in my ear, making me shiver in ecstasy. “You don’t mind if I don’t pull out, right? You just feel too good.”
“Don’t worry...I can’t get pregnant,” I whispered back. I had to speak slowly, methodically to get the words out. My body was already vibrating from the pleasure.
Alec grunted and then began to pound me harder than ever. I screamed and threw my hands around his neck, my legs locking around his waist. He stiffened, whispering sweet words in my ears. I couldn’t make out what he was saying. I couldn’t handle his speed.
The world around me began to fall away. There was nothing but the bed I laid on, and Alec as he hammered me non-stop. But then the bed was gone, and it was just him and me. Eventually, I couldn’t tell where his hips began and where mine ended. In my mind, we became as one, our bodies mushed together, our hearts beating in sync. We held onto each other, never intending on letting go.
I was lost in Alec’s world, seemingly never to come out. His stamina was something else. How could he keep this up?
Then he growled and went stiff, exploding in me. It was like a hot volcano, leaving me unable to speak, my body clinging to him as if I would fall away into nothing if I didn’t. I clenched my teeth, closed my eyes. I held my boss like it was the end of the world.
Soon enough, I was able to open up my eyes again, though I couldn’t quite let go of him yet.
It seemed to be the same for him. He panted like a dog, his steaming breath rolling over my left shoulder. Our sweat made our bodies sticky and hard to untangle as we moved. Alec rolled off me and to the side, his arms still draped over my stomach. He kissed my shoulder, his eyes rolling up to meet mine. I turned my head and grinned at him.
“That...was...amazing,” I said through breathes.
He grunted. “Obviously.”
I laughed, my body still feeling the sensation of his touch between my legs. Shivering at the ecstasy once again, I held myself. “A little cocky, aren’t you?”
“I can’t help it. You make me wild, Naomi.”
Just hearing him say my name with such vigor made my cheeks light on fire and my heart triple its beats. I realized I was comfortable right where I was, never wanting to leave. It just felt too amazing to lay side by side with Alec. He might have been the first guy I’d ever felt like this about.
Touching my stomach, I wondered, even for a second, what would happen if I somehow got pregnant. Doctors had told me I was barren, that it wasn’t possible.
Carrying Alec’s child wasn’t possible.
Chapter Twenty
Alec
The next morning, I found myself down in the kitchen, idly pouring milk into a bowl of cereal. I nearly spilled some all over my pants, but luckily that didn’t end up happening. Instead, I sighed and smiled, thinking about yesterday.
Right now, Naomi was still asleep in her bed, probably dreaming about something beautiful. And me? I was dreaming about her.
Initially, I thought my desire for her might have gone away if I slept with her as if I were just using her to keep myself awake and sane. I mean, she even made me promise that yesterday was a one-time thing. By the time she had gone to pick up Fallon, we’d cleaned up all evidence of what we’d done together.
Yet the images and feelings wouldn’t go away. I kept seeing Naomi’s towel drop, revealing her beautiful, sexy, and curvy body. The way she’d teased me, forced me to hold back while she seemed to dance around me, showing off her body like she was a model, was so unbelievably hot. She rocked me to my very core.
My desire for Naomi hadn’t gone away yet, and I had the feeling that it wouldn’t. Ever. Even just knowing Naomi was in the house on the floor above me sent chills down my spine. I imagined her sleeping, breathing through her soft lips, her eyelids fluttering open to the sunlight coming in through the blinds. I almost wanted to rush up there and take her again.
But I held myself back, as difficult as it was. Naomi wanted it to be a one-time thing, so I would indulge her...for now. Though, eventually, that would change. It just needed a bit more time for our relationship to develop. I know I could win her over sooner or later. And besides, Fallon was in the house right now, tucked away into his room, sleeping just as soundly. The last thing I wanted was to scar the kid even more.
It had been a while since Naomi had been living with us now, and every day he seemed to get closer to her, both mentally and physically. It was a wonder how well Naomi interacted with him. I had thought it might have been a real struggle for Fallon to open up to her, but it seemed like they were at least friends now. It made me smile.
My phone began to ring from in the living room. At first, I wanted to ignore it, but then I groaned and rose from the stool I sat on and marched over. I brought the phone up to my ear and answered. “Alec Harper speaking.”
“Alec, it’s Jeremy.”
And then, my brain instantly switched to thoughts of Levi and his clan. For a brief day, I’d forgotten all about that bastard. Naomi had made me forget it all because of how powerfully distracting she was. But now it all came flooding back into my brain.
“Jeremy...what’s up? Why are you calling?”
On the other end, I could hear him panting as if he’d just run a few miles. “It’s about Levi, Alec. Remember how you wanted me to set up a meeting?”
“Of course.”
“Well, I got one. Hell, the fact you’re even hearing from me right now is proof enough.”
A scowl took over my face, and I began to pace the living room. “And? Come on, spit out the details. Is he willing to meet or not?”
“He is...I was surprised by how calm he was when I asked him. It took me two days of crawling around his territory even to find him, but when I did, he listened to everything I had to say.”
Shaking my head, I grimaced as I heard Fallon stirring upstairs. “Hold on a sec.” Grabbing my house keys, I headed outside to where my son and my nanny wouldn’t be able to hear me. “Okay, so let me guess: Levi has his own conditions for the meeting.”
“Well, that’s the thing. The only condition he has is that you come meet up with him today, in a few hours. He’ll only talk with you then.”
“And where are we supposed to meet?”
“I managed to get him to meet up on a beach well away from downtown San Fran, just like you asked. Other than that, he said he would come alone.”
“But he’s going to come with a whole troop of shifters in tow.”
“Exactly! So I’ve already taken the liberty of contacting other members of our clan to get ready to head over as backup.”
I grinned, nodding to myself, looking down the street. “Great. You’re pretty reliable, aren’t you, man?”
“As if that were ever in question. Oh, Amber said she’ll keep an eye on Fallon and your new nanny in the meantime, just in case Levi tries anything while you’re distracted by him.”
The thought made me scowl. If Naomi and Fallon could just be left out of this whole thing, then everything would be so much easier. “I wouldn’t put it past him to try anything. What about the rest of the clan? Are they still all clustered together in groups?”
“Yep! We’re ready for whatever Levi throws our way.”
I looked back up at the house, noticing that Naomi’s window blinds were being pulled. Because it was the weekend, she didn’t have to get up so early to drive Fallon to school. She appeared in the window, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and then lo
oking around the street, stretching and yawning. When she spotted me on the ground, I waved at her and smiled. She waved back too and then moved away.
“Jeremy, are you good to come to the meeting too? If not, go find shelter and rest for the time being.”
“No, no! I’m fine. Seriously. I’ll come with you guys. I want to slug that alpha shifter in the face if it comes to a fight.”
“You know it will, one way or another.”
“Hey, what will you do if Sandra is there?”
I chewed on my lip. “I don’t know. I won’t harm her, but if Levi brings her, it’ll be because he wants to enrage me...and it’ll probably work.”
“Yeah, makes sense.”
“Alright, and make sure that there’s no police around the beach, just in case Levi decided to throw them a bone and tell them our clan might instigate something.”
“Understood.”
“Good, then I’ll head over now. Don’t wait up for me.”
Ending the call, I hurriedly walked down the street, as far from the house as I could get, finding an alley to hide in while I stripped off all my clothes and then shifted, picking my clothes up in my jaws. Leaping into the sky, I soared high overhead, ready to finally confront my rival.
Chapter Twenty-One
Naomi
When I saw Alec standing outside, talking on the phone, I had no idea that he would suddenly leave.
I supposed that he had something come up at work, but then I was equally confused when I saw the car still sitting in front of the house. I tried calling him to ask, but he didn’t pick up.
Rolling my eyes, I then went about getting dressed and not constantly thinking about yesterday. Sleeping with Alec had come out of the blue, and I had loved every second of it, yet I had promised that it wouldn’t happen again. No matter how much I wanted it to. Alec had something so animalistic about him that just made me want to close the distance between us all the time now. Heck, I even dreamed about him last night.
In the dream, I imagined Alec coming onto me, kissing me, and then suddenly his hands became scaly. Wings sprouted from his back, and his body grew to three times its size. He became a dragon, still somehow holding onto me with his claws. I hadn’t known what to think, only that I recognized that this dragon was still Alec.
I happened to briefly glance out my window when I thought I saw the exact same dragon flying over the city. Blinking and doing a double-take, I rubbed my eyes, only to find the dragon was gone. Maybe I was fatigued or something. Either way, I needed fresh air.
When I walked downstairs, I found Fallon at the fridge, pulling out a cup of yogurt, his blonde hair messy and spiked. His eyes were still glazed over from sleep. “Morning.”
I raised a brow. “Morning! Wow, I think that might be the first time you’ve said ‘morning’ to me.”
Suddenly he whipped around, his cheeks pink. “I thought you were Dad.”
Shrugging, I came over and sat on a stool, eyeing him. “Hey, since it’s the weekend, and your dad just went out to work, or wherever he went, what do you think about going out shopping with me? I need some new clothes, and I’m sure we could find something for you too.”
Fallon blinked. “Okay.”
“Great! Then after you eat breakfast, go get dressed and we’ll hop in the car and drive away.”
He nodded and went about stuffing his face full of yogurt.
Thirty minutes later, after Fallon had gotten dressed, we climbed into Alec’s Dodge Charger and drove off. I figured he wouldn’t mind me taking his son out for a spin, especially since he left without a word.
While we drove around, Fallon gave me directions to his favorite stores. Once I found a parking space, he led me around, and we started our day of leisure.
We shopped for a few hours, going into one store and the next. Despite how young Fallon was, he had a pretty good sense of fashion for himself. I was genuinely surprised. We picked out t-shirts and pants, but when it came to underwear and socks, he got all flustered and told me he’d get more another time when he came with his dad. I couldn’t stop my heart from beating at how adorable he was.
After we got his shopping done, we went to grab some food and sat outside, enjoying the heat.
“Do you know how to play chopsticks?” I asked him as he sucked on the bendy straw in his strawberry smoothie.
He shook his head. “It’s a game?”
“Yeah!” I put down my salad and held out two fingers, ignoring the two men that watched us from a few tables away. “You hold your hands like this, each index finger pointed out. When you tap your finger against the other person’s, then their hand goes from only having one finger out to having two. Then, if I were—”
“Well, well, you and your son look pretty cute playing that kid’s game,” one of the men said.
I looked over and raised a brow as the two men rose to their feet and walked over. Fallon instantly recoiled into himself, forgetting all about the game we were just about to play. “Excuse me?”
The guy who spoke came up to look down at me, his hands in his pockets, a sly smile on his face. The other loomed over Fallon, gripping the back of his chair. “I said you two looked cute. Especially you...you got a boyfriend, love?” the first guy said.
I leaned back in my chair, ignoring the first guy. “Hey, don’t scare the boy like that,” I said to the second, making my voice as confident as I could. “What do you two want?”
“Him and you,” the first guy said, eyeing me viciously now. Others were beginning to eye us, some people getting pretty tense.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you should come with us. Right now, if you don’t want things to get ugly.”
The waiter who had been servicing us came over and touched the shoulder of the man looming over Fallon. “Is there a problem here?”
Before anyone could answer, the guy turned and slugged the waiter in the face. As the waiter fell, Fallon used the chance to dip under the table and crawl over to me. The first guy snarled and dove for Fallon, but I kicked the guy in the chest.
Jumping to my feet, I grabbed onto Fallon and ran away, the other guests shouting and screaming while the two men charged after us.
“You bitch!” the first guy screamed.
I turned around to taunt them for trying to kidnap Fallon, but then my eyes went wide as I watched them both shift into dragons.
“Dragon shifters!” I spat out. “What the hell!”
I forced Fallon and me to our stomachs as the first dragon sailed over us, landing on the street and causing a car to slam into a pole. The second dragon ran toward us on the ground, the earth shaking beneath us. Panic grabbed hold of my mind, and I held Fallon close, trying to rise in time to flee. Why were two dragon shifters after us, and Fallon specifically? What was going on?
To add to my confusion, a third dragon roared and landed on the second dragon’s back, clawing and swiping. A woman and two others surrounded us, acting as a shield. The woman helped me up. “We’re here to help. You can trust me. My name’s Amber. If you want to keep Fallon safe, then follow us.”
Before I could respond, Amber sprinted off. I wasn’t going to follow her, but Fallon slipped my grasp and ran ahead, forcing me to curse and follow while the dragons fought in the street.
My head pounded with anxiety. What the hell was happening?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alec
It was hard to contain the anticipation that spiked my blood. Adrenaline coursed through my veins wildly as I thought about being face to face with Levi, and possibly Sandra, both of us with a small army at our backs.
As I landed at the beach Jeremy had told me about, I found around a dozen members of my clan huddled around, including Jeremy. Once I shifted and pulled on my clothes, Jeremy came up to me and looked down shoreline beach. “You ready for this? Things could go very badly, you know. He’s got maybe double the number of people we have.”
I followed h
is gaze down. I could make out a few dozen of Levi's clan getting ready to march over to us, the water easily lapping at the sand in between our two groups. Levi stood with his arms crossed, that familiar smirk on his face. I wanted to charge him and rip his head off.
And then, I noticed a smaller figure...Sandra. I clenched my teeth as my now ex-wife stumbled up to Levi’s side and planted a kiss on his shoulder. She stumbled because she was drunk again and probably still dealing with her alcoholism. I couldn’t imagine being with Levi helped her addiction. For a brief moment, I felt sorry for her and wanted to save her from that terrible situation she’d put herself in.
But then I remembered what she’d done to Fallon, and how she’d tried to kidnap him. Her own son hated her now because of how she’d treated him. And so did I. In reality, I didn’t want to hurt her, but I wanted to punish her, and I would do that by tearing down my rival.
Soon enough, Levi barked an order to his clan, and the group began to march across the sand. Sighing, I motioned to my group to meet them in the middle.
Every step felt like an eternity, with a little more sand covering my feet each time I kicked up the beach. The sun beat down on us from far above, making us sweat before we stopped only ten feet away from each other. Levi scoffed at me as I stepped up, and then so did he.
“Oh, hey! Look at who we ran into, boys and girls,” Levi said, beginning to pace in front of me. His eyes bore into me. “It’s a lost little dragon! What, are you sure you came to the right beach, bud? I thought a weak dragon shifter like yourself wouldn’t dare come here like a fool. But then again, you are pretty dumb, aren’t you, Alec?”
I snarled. “I’m not the one who needs the comfort of twenty-four other shifters to confront his rival. Say, there’s been a lot of attacks on my clan, but you haven’t been there yourself to lead the charge, eh? Don’t tell me my shifters scare you that much, Levi.”
