“As much as I love what you’re doing, I need to touch you.”
She let loose with a pop and licked her lips. “But you taste so good.”
“And I’m sure you taste even better.” He scooped her up and tossed her on the bed. Her laughter filled the room. He was tired of waiting to see her naked body, so he willed her bra and panties off.
She gasped. “You’re full of surprises.”
“I have more for you.” With a swipe of his tongue across her nipple, he coaxed the rosy bud to firm, hard perfection before he sucked it between his lips. She sighed, arched into him, and wrapped her legs around his thighs, grinding her sex into him. Liquid heat scorched his skin. He released her nipple.
“You are one hot woman.” He nipped at her ribs.
“It’s been a long time and I’m horny.” Her voice was breathless.
He loved a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid of sex. “I intend to rectify that.” He leaned back, wrapped his arms under her knees, spread her legs, and dived between a pair of silky thighs. Starting at the bottom, he ran his tongue along her slit and up to her nub where he swirled and sucked her into a frenzy. Her fingers dug into the mattress as she rocked against his mouth. Cupping her breasts, he tweaked her nipples.
“I’m gonna come. Please don’t stop,” she whispered.
Not a chance in hell. He wanted to watch her pleasure as well as taste it. In a matter of seconds, he did just that. Her body stiffened as her release took over.
She grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged. “Tegan. Ahhh.” The sound of his name, rolling off her tongue as she orgasmed, pleased him immensely. When her thrashing finally slowed, she pulled at him. “I need to feel you inside me.”
There was no arguing with that. He was as desperate as she to connect in that most intimate way. He kissed her belly and moved upward, letting his tongue lead the way to the valley between her breasts. As he pulled a nipple into his mouth, he grabbed his cock and guided himself inside. There was no holding back. He slid in to the hilt and took a moment to let her acclimate, before he slid out and began a slow steady rhythm. Leaving her breast, he stared at her beautiful face. She smiled at him.
“Faster,” she whispered.
Once again, he obeyed and increased his speed. Her slick sheath squeezed around him. “Damn, you feel like heaven.”
“Considering where you come from, that’s quite the compliment.” She raked her nails down his back. “Harder. Fuck me like you mean it.”
So his little vixen liked it rough. He’d show her his darker side, if that was what she desired. He slipped free. “On your knees,” he commanded.
The look of surprise on her face was quickly replaced with pure lust, and she scrambled to her hands and knees. The sight of her ass in the air was far too tempting. He gave her a light smack as he slid back inside her depths, and she cried out in pleasure. Latching onto her hips, he began to pound into her. The sound of their flesh smacking together and panting breaths broke the silence of the room.
Ana moaned. “Oh yes, like that.”
He felt her tighten around him and knew she was close. He reached under her and pinched her clit. Within seconds, she was screaming in pleasure and rocking against him with everything she had. As she squeezed him harder, he couldn’t hold back any longer. His own orgasm built until his balls pulled tight. Seconds later, he was pumping his seed into her. He summoned his power and willed her body to release the egg that would become their daughter. His divine energy worked with lightning speed; he was able to witness his sperm fertilize her egg.
Life had begun and his heart rate came back to normal. He leaned over her and wrapped his arms around her. “I love you, Ana,” he whispered in her ear.
“Mmm. I love you too. That was fantastic. When can we do it again?”
He chuckled and slipped free then pulled her into his arms. “As soon as you get a little rest. I’m immortal, I can go at it all night, love.”
She opened one eye to look at him. “I like the sound of that. A little nap then more sex.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Sleep my love, you and our daughter need the rest.”
“I’m pregnant?” she whispered.
“You are.” He smiled and gave a mental push. Sleep. Within seconds, her breathing deepened, and she was fast asleep.
Chapter 7
Tegan and Ana lay naked in bed and enjoyed the sunshine as it filtered through the window. They’d just made love and Ana was curled up in his arms. He reached down and rubbed her belly where their daughter was nestled safe and sound and growing. At only nine weeks, she’d not started showing yet, but Tegan was very much aware of his daughter. He couldn’t help wondering how his brethren were able to walk away from the life they created. He only knew he loved this child more than anything.
“Is she doing okay?” Ana broke his thoughts.
“She’s fine and will be perfect.” He kissed her cheek. “What shall we name her?”
“Ashley. I’ve always liked that name.” She caressed his hand.
“I love it.” He gave another rub of her belly. “Ashley, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
Ana’s grin went ear to ear. “I have to admit, I know it’s early but I feel really good. No morning sickness or anything.”
“Oh, you won’t get sick. It’s one of the perks of carrying a Nephilim.”
She turned her head to look at him. “Seriously? What else can I expect?”
“Well, you’ll get cravings but never feel sick. Your labor will be mild compared to a human birth. We want to make sure this is a painless process.”
“Tell me, do you ever father a daughter more than once with the same woman?” She twisted until she was facing him.
“No. Having sisters would complicate things, and we don’t want to limit the bloodline. There’s already a shortage of mates.” He brushed the hair from her face. “I want to go before the Seven and ask them to mark you so we can mate.”
She traced circles on his chest. “What if they refuse?”
He’d already thought long and hard about it since there was a good possibility they would refuse his request. “Then I’ll give up my wings.”
She pushed herself up so she hovered over him, and he ignored the urge to cup her breasts. “You can’t do that!” She shook her head. “What happens when an angel does that? I can’t imagine it’s good.”
“I’d become mortal like you. We’d grow old together and hopefully die together.”
“No. That’s not right, Tegan. Please promise me you’ll discuss this with me if they refuse. It’s because of my love for you that I can’t let you give up everything you know.” She ran her finger down his cheek and across his lips. “We’ll find another way if need be.”
“I will not do anything without talking to you first.”
Tegan kissed Ana as if he’d never see her again. For some reason, dread filled him as he prepared to go before the Seven and make his case. His proposal was unlikely to be granted, but he was willing to walk away and become mortal. Would that be enough to sway them to make Ana his mate? Either way, he would come back to mate with the woman he loved, or he’d marry her as a mortal. His decision was made.
“Hurry back,” she whispered from the bed where she still lay. It was impossible not to hear the dread in her voice. She didn’t believe he’d come back either.
He pulled the covers over her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be, but I’ll be as quick as possible.” He’d told her last night that he had to address some problems but couldn’t go into detail. Truth was, he didn’t want to frighten her. More angels had fallen, and the demon activity was once again on the rise. Between the warriors and hunters, they would rein in the evil and bring back the balance, but it still concerned him.
Summoning his wings, he folded them around himself and vanished, keeping Ana in his sight until he was gone. When he appeared back home, Lyzander had his head down, pacin
g in front of his house.
“What’s up, warrior?” It was unusual to see the angel in such a state. Normally the warrior was either fighting or seducing women, but he never pounded the pavement.
The angel looked up. “Another fell today.”
“Damn. Who?” Tegan knew Lyzander had to know this angel personally to be so upset.
“My brother,” he growled.
Tegan scrubbed his face. “Damn it. When did it happen?”
“Last night. I’ve come to ask you to spare his life. Bring him back alive, and let me see if I can help him,” Lyzander pleaded.
“Any idea where he might be?”
Lyzander shook his head. “I’ve checked all his favorite places, but he’s nowhere to be found.” He pulled his dagger from its sheath and twirled it between his fingers. “I trust you to put your best hunter on it.”
Tegan gave a curt nod. “I’ll summon Eli as soon as I meet with the Seven.”
“Thank you.” Lyzander spread his black wings and shot into the sky. Tegan straightened and decided to walk to the Hall of Fate.
“Tegan, we are happy to see you,” Ambriel gave him a smile. “What brings you here today? Have you any new information on the fallen?”
He stood before the Seven, wings folded and hands tucked behind his back. “Unfortunately, we still don’t have answers, but we’re working hard. I’m here to request a favor.”
“What can we grant you, Tegan?” asked the redhead.
“I want to mate Ana.” Seven women stared at him and several seconds ticked by before anyone commented.
“Tegan, you realize that mating a human is not something we encourage,” Ambriel stated.
He stood his ground. “I know you have the ability to give her the mark so we can be together.”
“While this is true, we all have to be in agreement for that to happen,” announced a brunette, three seats down.
“Then you all need to agree.”
Several brows raised. “And if we don’t?”
“Then I’ll become mortal and marry her anyway.”
“Blackmail is beneath you,” the redhead stated.
Tegan lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Don’t care. I love her, and unless you give me a damn good reason, I intend to follow my heart.”
“I can give you several.” Ambriel stood and walked around the bench to stand in front of him. “Tegan, we need you here to do your job. Your hunters count on you and your leadership. Now more than ever, they need you. The number of our angels falling is...” Sadness filled her eyes. “We need you to help us fix this mess.”
“I can still do my job if you mark her and allow us to mate.”
“Yes, that is true. If we allow you a mate, where does it stop? We’d have to allow anyone who asked. Unlike a true-born mate, her life will become attached to yours. While she will live as long as you do, she’ll not have any powers. If you leave her here when you go off to battle then she will be stuck here, unable to leave on her own.” Ambriel pushed the hair from her face. “If you leave her in the human realm, she’ll have her freedom, but her life will be at risk. Your enemies will become hers.”
Tegan dug his nails into his palms. He’d not thought about her being powerless or sharing his life force. She could live as long as he did but could be killed while he was away. He worked his jaw.
“I don’t want to be cruel, but how is that fair to her? What if you die in battle?”
He knew exactly where this was heading. Ana would suddenly die alone. What if Ashley was still young? She'd be left with no parents. “I am selfish.”
Ambriel touched his arm. “You are in love, and sometimes it’s difficult to see things clearly. We cannot compromise our way of life. We need the Nephilim. They help make us stronger.”
He fought to remain in control of his emotions. He wanted Ana and his daughter with every fiber of his being, but he was also programmed down to his very DNA to be exactly what he was. An angel in his Maker’s army. A warrior willing to die to protect humanity. How was he going to tell Ana he had to leave? He looked around the room at the seven women. They were Nephilim as well. All the females were.
“How do I tell her?” How did he break the heart of the woman he loved more than anything in the world?
The blonde leaned forward. “You cannot see her again. You risk her life and that of the unborn babe.”
“I’m simply to walk away? Leave her wondering?” he growled.
“It would be best. She will eventually forget you and move on,” she replied.
“No. I refuse to simply abandon her. I need to at least see her, try to explain.” He couldn’t leave her doubting his love.
It was the redhead’s turn. “Warrior. You will stop this nonsense right now. You are forbidden any further contact with the human, Ana.” She rose to her feet. “If you disobey, then the human will meet with an unfortunate miscarriage.”
His heart stopped, and time stood still. “You wouldn’t.” Even he didn’t recognize his voice that had turned to a low, feral growl.
She placed her palms on the bench and leaned forward. “Test me on this, and you’ll find out.” Their gazes burned into each other for what seemed an eternity. Tegan knew in his heart that losing the baby would destroy Ana. He couldn’t do that to her. He was left with no choice but to walk away and the Maker help him... He had never before wanted to harm a woman or another angel. In this moment, every muscle twitched with the desire to make the female in front of him hurt as much as he did.
“As you wish,” he managed through gritted teeth then spun on his heel and strode from the room.
Chapter 8
Tegan spread his wings, jumped into the air, and swung his blade taking the head of two demons. Blood sprayed and coated his white T-shirt. He’d intentionally worn that color so he could see the fruit of his battles.
“Damn, Tegan. What’s gotten into you?” Eli asked as he wiped his own blade clean. “You’ve been in a pissy mood for months. Does it have anything to do with that female you had me watch over?”
Tegan drilled his gaze into the hunter. “That woman is never to be mentioned again.” He couldn’t bear to think of her. His anguish made him want to carve his own heart out. “Do yourself a favor, Eli. Stay away from the human females.”
“Well, that may be a little difficult since I like sex. A lot.” Eli chuckled.
“Don’t we all, but I will never father more daughters. It’s wrong. So wrong.” He wiped his blade on the grass then raised it into the air where it disappeared. Right now, his Ana was four months along. Had she forgotten him yet? Would their daughter have her eyes? Just thinking about these things made him want to kill again. Somehow, he had to pull his life together. His brethren needed him. Fortunately for him, common sense overrode the voice in his head that said fuck it all. What would he gain if he gave up now?
So many nights he almost went to Ana. If he remained cloaked, he could look in on her. Watch her sleep. See the swell of his child in her belly. He’d only want to touch her, though. Sing a lullaby to his daughter as his mother had to him as a small child. It was times like these he missed his mother terribly. She would have understood his pain. The sting of how his father had taken her away bit into him and drained the life out of him. Several hundred years ago, his father had succumbed to the darkness. When Lucifer had taken his soul, his mother, in a desperate attempt to be with her mate…had given up her own.
Tegan had taken his father’s life and with great pleasure. He blamed him for his mother’s fate. However, when it came to ending hers, he tossed his blade aside and walked away. He committed one of the greatest sins by allowing her to live, but he simply couldn’t end her life. A small part of him hoped, prayed she was still there somewhere and maybe one day would come back to him. He’d not seen her since that day, but rumors came round that she was Lucifer’s mistress. He refused to believe it.
Now, he’d lost another woman he loved. His Ana. He clenched his jaw, dropped to his kn
ees on the warm grass, and looked up to the heavens. “I swear on this day. My heart will belong only to me, and love will never sink its talons into it again.”
Tegan stood under a maple, its leaves twisted green and silver in the pending storm’s breeze. He’d managed to hold off the rain as he watched––invisible to those around him––while they buried the love of his life. His miserable, fucking life.
Several of Ana’s family and friends gathered close to her sister, Vivian, who clutched the tiny baby in her arms. His daughter. A child fated to one day become the mate of an angel. Until then, she’d be raised by her human aunt.
He moved closer, still under the cloak of his wings, and looked at the sleeping child. His anguish cut deep. “May you one day forgive me for the pain I have caused.” He understood better than most the bitterness of losing a mother.
He brushed a finger across her soft skin. “I love you, Ashley.” He’d sworn off love, but this was his flesh and blood. How could he not love her? A tear dropped onto her tiny cheek, and the heavens split open. His tears, the rain that fell on this awful day.
He wrapped his golden wings around his body and began to fade away. Unable to bear the sight of even one speck of dirt on his love’s casket. His gut wrenched as his daughter opened her eyes and looked his way. For a brief moment, they connected. He was mesmerized by eyes that matched his. Perhaps one day he’d see her again, as an adult. She might even become the mate of an angel he knew. Would she hate him?
It took every ounce of strength he had to break contact and remind himself he would only endanger her if he lingered. As an elite in the Maker’s army, he had a duty to humanity and to his hunters. For the third time in his life, he abandoned a female he loved.
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