Ardeur (Abbey of Angels)

by Danielle Gavan

  Brody refused to fall asleep and leave her unguarded. Despite being at the Abbey and being in a protected area, the danger to Ardeur from Rae was not something he could take lightly and some deep-seated instinct was telling him to stay by her side. He got up and prowled leisurely around her in a circle to wake up before settling down behind her again to monitor their surroundings.

  The moment he was settled behind her again, Ardeur resumed her petting.

  I sat on the blanket next to Brody and basked in the sun with my nose buried in a novel. My fingers trailed through Brody's fur as he stretched out in the sun next to me and let the golden rays warm skin and fur alike. The stuff was like silk and slid through my fingers.

  The book I'd chosen was one of the romances I'd told him about one day when we'd played twenty questions. I was quickly finding out why some women loved to read them. They were utter nonsense, but entertaining none the less.

  A soft, wolfy snore drew my attention and I smiled at the realization that Brody had fallen asleep while I petted him. I put the paperback down and snuggled down next to him to listen to his soft breathing for a little while. My fingers burrowed deep into his coat and I closed my eyes against the brightness of the sun above us. I fell asleep wrapped up in my wolf with words of love falling from my lips before tumbling into Morpheus' embrace.

  Brody woke up feeling relaxed and at peace, surrounded by the smell of his mate and the feel of her wrapped around his wolf. He resisted the urge to lick her face and slipped from her arms to trot off into the forest where he'd left his clothes. Changing back was always easier but he rushed it today because he wanted to be back with her as soon as possible.

  Five minutes later, he picked himself up off the forest floor and reached for his clothes. A zephyr breeze blew over his hypersensitive skin and caused him to flinch. He began to get dressed and his mind wandered to Ardeur and what it must have been like to have another person's thoughts in her head every moment of every day. Having the wolf side of himself allowed him to somewhat imagine but wolves were much less complex than humans and probably even demons.

  He bared his teeth at the thought of what had been done to his mate. The torture she'd been through and the hard life she had been forced to endure. Never again would she go through anything like that - not if he had anything to say about it.

  Retraced his steps out of the forest, he stopped at the edge of the woods to look out over the grassy expanse before him where Ardeur lay sleeping peacefully on the dark blue blanket. He calmed his mind and body before walking over to her and looking down at her slumbering form. She truly was beautiful laying there under the sun. Her hair lay like silk spread around her head and he envisioned it as a halo. The thought made him smile - she was an angel, a halo would be standard issue for her.

  Lying down next to her, Brody stretched out on his back and turned his head to watch Ardeur's sleeping face. She truly does look like an angel, he thought and ran a hand down the golden skin of her arm. Her eyelids fluttered open and he smiled as she snuggled into him.

  “Hey, baby. Anytime you wanna wolf-out, you let me know.” Ardeur wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his lips down to hers. “That was amazing.”

  Brody kissed her, the feel of her silken lips against his was like ambrosia and it was all he could do not to drag her lush body beneath his.

  “Good nap?” He rolled so that she lay half on top of him and smiled. Despite the lust for her coursing through his veins, Brody felt at peace with himself body, mind, soul and wolf.

  “The best nap, ever.” Ardeur slid over to straddle him and rested her chin on her folded hands on his chest.

  He growled low in his chest and pulled her down for another kiss, her body pressed tightly against his in all the right places. It was impossible not to allow his hands to explore the curves of her petite frame and he groaned as he dropped his head back down to the blanket.

  “Goldie, you're going to kill this wolf with needing you so bad.”

  “Trust me, Puppy.” The scent of her lust wafted up to him, hot and heady, on the breeze. “I'm dying too.” Ardy nipped at his lips and gave him a shy smile. “Wanna go back inside and finish this somewhere more private?”

  “Absolutely.”

  She didn't have to ask him twice. Brody was up, off the ground, with her in his arms in a heartbeat.

  Brody's step faltered halfway across the lawn. His hackles rose as he felt a malevolent presence watching them. He looked up over the bank of windows in the Abbey's back wall and stifled a growl when he spotted a pair of glowing blue eyes in an upper window.

  She's mine, he thought. You can't have her.

  The azure glow disappeared behind thick, crimson curtains and Brody took a deep breath as he continued inside. It was apparent the time for them to leave their sanctuary was soon approaching. There was no way he would let Azrael take Ardeur with him. Hell would freeze over before he let that happen.

  Hours later, Brody noticed the text message on his phone. Two simple words flashed across the screen. You're free. Those words were among the best he'd ever seen and brought an instant smile to his lips. The only impediment to him taking his mate home and being with his family again had been eliminated.

  “Come back to bed, Puppy.”

  Brody smiled and turned to face the love of his life, her golden hair tousled by sleep and their earlier tumbling between the sheets.

  “I'll be right there. Go back to sleep, Goldie.”

  Ardeur snuggled back beneath their blankets and he smiled. As soon as he could arrange it, they were going home. Finally.

  Twenty Five

  Hunger pangs, the likes of which I'd never experienced before, woke me from a deep, dreamless sleep. My eyes drifted over to Brody who continued to slumber peacefully as I slipped out of our bed and over to the small fridge he'd brought to store a few things in for middle of the night raids.

  I let out a thankful sigh when I spotted two apples, a pint of milk and what appeared to be a chicken sandwich. A quick sniff of the sandwich told me it was still edible and I sat down on the chair across from the bed to devour my small feast to the tune of Brody’s light snoring.

  The sandwich, fragrant with the scents of mayonnaise, celery and pepper was the first to fall victim to my appetite and I closed my eyes with a moan of satisfaction as the gnawing hunger in my belly began to ease. A soft chuckle sounded from the bed and my eyes flew open to find Brody watching me with a smirk on his face.

  “Hungry, baby?”

  My cheeks heated with embarrassment as I realized he'd watched me scarf down the sandwich like a ravenous beast and attack the apple with just as much zeal. “You have no idea. I'm starving. It's like I can't get enough in to satisfy my stomach.” I flashed back to the visit in the kitchen with Tate and blushed even harder. “You wouldn't believe the amount of food I packed in the other day with Tate in the kitchen. Puppy - I ate a steak, potatoes, mushrooms, an orange, and several glasses of juice and a few other things. I never eat that much, even on a good day.”

  Brody quirked a curious eyebrow and came to kneel in front of me. “Don't worry, Goldie, I won't kick you out of bed for eating.” He snagged the other apple from my lap and growled playfully as he bit into it and licked the juice of it from his lips. Leaning in, he sniffed at my skin and licked the curve of my neck. “Apples are good, but nothing compares to my favorite tangerine.”

  I laughed and took the apple from him. “You just like sniffing my skin because you know it tickles.”

  “I do. Baby, you smell different.” He sniffed her again to confirm what his nose had caught coming from Ardeur. It wasn't a bad smell but it was different from her usual tangerine sweetness.

  She took a sip of water while he continued to sniff at her skin, scrunching his brow.

  “What do you mean different?”

  Picking her up, Brody moved over to their bed, rolled Ardeur beneath him and nipped at her skin when suddenly the light bulb went off inside of his head.
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br />   “I'm not sure, just different. Um, Goldie, are you on birth control?” Fear and panic ran through his veins and instantly cooled the lust he'd been feeling moments earlier. Of course not, you dumbass. She was a virgin until you. Why the hell would she be on it? He could hardly contain his excitement at the possibility. Please, please want this.

  “No.” She shook her head, smiled and tried to pull him down to her. “I guess it might be a good idea to look into that or if angels even need to worry about getting pregnant.”

  He was so quiet and resisting her attempts to kiss him that she stopped and asked, “Brody, what's wrong?”

  Brody lay down beside her and pulled Ardy into his arms again. “Ardeur, what if you are pregnant, baby?” His chest was tight with anxiety and he closed his eyes to breathe deeply lest he choke on his fears.

  “Pregnant?” She rolled onto her back and he watched as her hands ran over the concavity of her stomach. He ached to do the same but waited for her answer instead. “I'd love to have your child growing inside of me someday - but there's no way I'm pregnant.” Ardy's beautiful eyes turned up to his as she rolled back to face him. “Is there?”

  Her answer immediately relaxed him and Brody opened his eyes to look at her. “Yes, and I think you are. You smell the same, but different and the only thing I can think of that would cause that is a baby. It's my fault.” He looked away from her for a moment and then ran his fingers across her cheek. “I knew better. Although, greedy bastard that I am, I'm not sorry for it. I'm so excited I can't stand it.”

  Ardeur was quiet for quite some time as he watched her consider the situation. He watched fear and uncertainty flicker across her face and her hand trace the surface of her stomach over and over.

  Finally, after what seemed an eternity, her eyes met his and she gave him the most glorious smile ever. “I'm okay with it - scared beyond belief, but happy. We're going to have a baby.”

  “Thank the gods.”

  Brody sighed and hauled her into a passionate kiss that told her just how happy he was about their impending parenthood. He pulled back and placed a kiss on her stomach all the while grinning like an idiot. The world was his oyster and here she was offering him the biggest, shiniest goddamn pearl ever in her tiny hands.

  “Don't worry, Goldie, you will be the best mother and I'll be by your side the whole time. I swear it.”

  He pressed his ear to her stomach to see if he could pick up the baby's heartbeat. His ears were sensitive enough to pick up even the most minute sound - a fetal heartbeat would be easy, especially that of his own child. It was easy to pick out his heartbeat and Ardeur's - they beat together with the same rhythm since their bonding.

  “I know you will and you will be the best father ever.”

  A frown creased his brow as he tried to understand why he was hearing three distinct heartbeats instead of the two he expected to hear. He gripped her hips to hold Ardy still when she squirmed under him.

  “What are you doing?” Ardeur touched her fingers to his forehead to smooth out his frown and Brody's concentration broke.

  Brody listened for a moment longer and sighed when he couldn't pick up the baby's heartbeat again. He looked back up at Ardeur and placed a kiss on her stomach.

  “I heard the heartbeat there for a minute. Weird thing though, there were three heartbeats instead of the two I expected to hear - ours and the baby's.”

  His skin slid over hers, the heat from his wolf much warmer than Ardy's air chilled skin as he nuzzled his way up to her neck. “Goldie, you're everything to me. I love you so much.” Brody licked up her neck and nibbled on the tender flesh of his mate's earlobe. “Right now I'm so goddamn hard for you it hurts.” Ardeur shivered when he growled, “I want to drench you in my scent. I want anyone and everyone to know you are mine.”

  “I am yours, completely.” She arched up into his hand when he cupped her breast. His erection pressed hard against her and she moaned when he found her ready for him and growled. Her body responded to his so exquisitely that it blew his mind each time. “Inside, now. I need you inside, baby.”

  The hard length of him slid inside with a slow push and she threw her head back with a satisfied moan. “Goldie.” Brody groaned while his hips started a slow thrust against her. She was still as tight as the first time they'd been together and felt so good wrapped around him it took every ounce of his control not to come when she squeezed him between her thighs. The tilt of her hips slid him in deeper, ripping a groan from his throat as she met him thrust for thrust. “Gods damn it. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too.” His arms slid beneath her knees and braced them over his elbows as Brody rose on his knees above her. He thrust deeply and buried himself to the hilt, his pace speeding up the way she liked.

  “Brody.” Ardy moaned and dug her nails into his biceps. The faint blue glow of her eyes told him she was close. “Damn…Brody. Shit - yeah.”

  Her body shuddered and clenched around his and it nearly took him over the edge with her. Brody clenched his teeth and kept going, ignoring his body's demands. This was about her, his way of saying thank you for carrying his child. He lowered her legs and kissed her while waiting for the spasms that rocked Ardy's body to quiet.

  “Like that?” He smiled with male satisfaction while he rearranged their bodies and spooned her. One arm slid around under Ardeur's shoulders, the other slid down to rest his hand on the golden skin of her gently rounded hip while he slipped back inside of her.

  Ardeur whimpered and nodded her head. “You know I do.” She reached back and buried her hand in his hair - her short, sharp nails grazed his scalp when he bumped against her cervix and made her cry out with pleasure. Brody growled and squeezed the breast that filled his hand perfectly to show how much he liked how she reacted to his touch.

  He did know she liked it, every thrust in this position brushed against her sweet spot and she always screamed for him when they made love like this. His mate made the most exquisite noises in bed. “Scream for me baby.”

  “Yes. Dear God, Brody, yes.” Ardy threw her right leg over his and dragged Brody's hand down between her thighs. “Please, baby. Need you. Touch.” She gasped and faltered when his fingers dipped into her slippery heat and stroked in time with each thrust. “Mmm, yeah, That's…oh God.”

  Body as tight and arched out as a bow ready to fire, Ardeur dug her nails into his skin and screamed her pleasure. The contracting of her body around him shattered Brody's control and he slammed into her one last time, his voice joining the echo of hers in the room.

  My body hummed with the aftershocks of what Brody had just done to me. I was draped over his body and had no plans to do anything but my damn best impression of a blanket when my stomach growled loud enough to startle us both. “I'm hungry, baby. Is this normal - for me to be so hungry?”

  “Yep.” He lifted his head and gave me what I knew was his shit-eating grin. “Totally normal. My mom ate twice what my dad did when she was carrying my baby sister.”

  I sat up and reached down to the floor for the t-shirt he'd worn the night before. The material floated down over my head and filled my senses with the woodsy smell unique to my mate.

  “I'm going to be as big as a house if I keep eating like this.”

  Brody sat up, tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. The smile he'd been wearing since we'd discovered the baby growing in my belly softened. “No, you won't. The baby just sped up your metabolism, Goldie. Werewolf babies are born in five months. It takes a lot of energy to grow a baby that fast.” His own stomach growled just then and put an end to the discussion. “Come on. Let's get dressed and find some food.”

  “Fine but we're getting dressed my way. If I have to watch your naked ass cross the room for clothes we'll never get out of bed.” I snapped my fingers and winked at him. Jeans, t-shirts and boots appeared on both of our bodies before he could put up a fight. “Let's go, Puppy. Don't keep the woman carrying your child away from her food.”

  H
e laughed and took my hand as I walked out the door. “Yes, ma'am.”

  We found a veritable feast in the fridge and laid it out on the counter. My mouth watered at the spread of left over spaghetti, garlic bread, chicken parmesan and the fixings for a salad.

  I heard the sound of a soda can being cracked open behind me and turned to watch Brody's Adam’s apple bob with each swallow. The syrupy sweet smell coming from the can made my mouth water more and I swallowed convulsively. “Save a sip for me?”

  “Juice for you.” He handed me a bottle of orange juice and stepped out of reach when I went for the bright red can in his hand.

  “You can have a sip but you really need to be careful with the caffeine, darlin'. The baby you're carrying isn't a plain human. Remember that because caffeine is stronger in my kind. One can of this is like five cups of coffee for a normal person.”

  Brody offered me the can but I couldn't take it. Not after that explanation. “Okay. No soda for me then. I suppose I can live without it for - wait, you said five months?” I cracked the seal on my juice and took a sip of the cool citrusy liquid when it hit me. “Oh my God. Brody - Rae is coming for me at sunset. I got so wrapped up in everything this morning I forgot about today.”

  I looked at him, wide-eyed and terrified of what the future might hold for us and our unborn child. The two of us called out at the same time - him for Tate and I for Remiele. They were the only people we knew who would have any idea about how, or if, there was a way to save us from the fate Azrael had cursed us to.

  Remiele appeared first and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me. “You're pregnant.”

  “She is.” Tate appeared behind his sister and came around to where Brody and I stood. “You,” he pulled me from the protective embrace of my mate's arms and turned me toward Remiele, “need to go with her. She'll hide you and keep you safe until we figure this out.”

  Turning to the werewolf at his side, Tate put a hand on Brody's shoulder. “We need to talk my friend. There are a few things you need to know before my psychotic twin tries to take your family.”