“I’m feeling perfectly fine,” Vivienne said to Doctor Brown, the young doctor who had come to discharge her. Three days had passed since she donated her blood to Amber Rose, and she was more than ready to leave the hospital.
Max squeezed her hand. He spent half of his time with her and half with Amber Rose, who was now out of danger and in her own room. Doctor Kalisten hadn’t given the green light to take her home yet, though. The pediatrician wanted to keep the baby under observation until she was sure that Amber Rose could safely leave the hospital. As soon as Vivienne had felt strong enough to leave her bed, she visited the baby girl and spent some time with Max’s parents who had moved into their granddaughter’s room and couldn’t be convinced to go home even for a few hours. Wilson arranged for changes of clothes and meals to appear at regular intervals for the entire family.
Doctor Kalisten tapped on the doorframe and entered. Smiling and rested, the woman looked a decade younger. “Ready to say goodbye to this fine establishment?”
After welcoming the doctor, Max said, “Maybe you should check that she’s one-hundred-percent fine.” Hovering by the bed, he towered over Doctor Brown, making the man nervous.
“I want to go home,” she said, giving Max a raised brow, daring him to say another word on the matter.
Doctor Kalisten raised her hands in front of her. “She’s under Doctor Brown’s care. I’ve just come to say goodbye to Vivienne.”
“I understand your worries, Mr. Prize,” Doctor Brown said, before turning to Vivienne. “Your vitals are fine, but, if anything changes, anything at all, and you don’t feel okay any longer, you come back right away. Okay?”
“Okay,” both Max and Vivienne answered at the same time, making Doctor Kalisten laugh.
Doctor Brown handed Vivienne the discharge papers, which she signed with great haste. “The nurse is bringing the wheelchair around.”
“We don’t need it.” Max cradled her into his strong arms.
“It’s the hospital policy,” the doctor said, moving to the side to let them pass. “Well, have a great day.” He and Doctor Kalisten waved as Max took Vivienne out of the room.
Max laughed, and Vivienne couldn’t help but laugh, too. Carrying her as if she weighed nothing, he walked across the entrance hall amidst the delighted cries from the reporters.
The press had never left the hospital, waiting for a scoop after Max had been cleared of Lauren’s murder. Wilson, Mrs. Lanetti, and Mr. Stamper had worked non-stop to exonerate Max. When Lauren’s autopsy revealed Louise’s DNA all over her corpse, but none of Max’s, it was finally over. As soon as Louise transformed back into her human form after her fight with Max, she was charged and now waited in jail for her trial to start. Alice Weng, the reporter from King Six, was fired for substance abuse, and it turned out she was deeply in Dortmund’s pockets. Facing a scandal that would’ve bankrupted the channel, King Six publicly apologized to Max for the witch hunt against him and donated to a charity of his choice. The money went to Good Intentions.
“There’s no need to fuss over me,” Vivienne said while he tucked her into his car, covering her with a soft blanket he had bought from the hospital gift shop.
“Humor me.” He brushed her nose before walking around to the driver side. “I need to feel helpful,” he said, sitting at the wheel. “Please.” The puppy eyes he gave her would have melted a bar of iron.
“You play dirty.” She leaned in to kiss his fleshy lips, triggering a mad frenzy of flashes.
“Let’s get out of here.” Max eased away from the curb. “I’m dying for some privacy.” He drove out of the hospital, carefully avoiding running over the press that in the last few minutes had swelled to a horde of people, all demanding a piece of them.
“Home, sweet home,” Max said half an hour later as they entered the garage of his high rise.
He refused to let her walk and entered the penthouse carrying her like a newlywed.
She looked nervously looked around. “Put me down. I don’t want my brother or Hugo to see me—”
“I sent them home. It’s just you and me.” Max strolled across the foyer and didn’t stop until he reached his bedroom.
Vivienne couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of his king bed covered in rose petals. The curtains had been drawn, and dozens of candles softly illuminated the room.
“You said you are feeling fine,” Max said, looking at her with his mesmerizing eyes. “But we could just rest if—”
Vivienne shushed him with a kiss before whispering against his lips, “I’m more than fine, and I’ve been waiting to complete our mating ceremony since I woke up in that waiting room.” Her hand slid to his chest, and her fingers played with his shirt buttons.
Max’s reaction was immediate. Still holding her in his arms, he dove for the bed, landing on its center as he kept her on top of him. At the impact, hundreds of petals flew in the air, showering them in flowers a moment later.
“Are you sure?” Max asked, taking her chin in his hand.
She could feel his galloping heartbeats against her chest, and her heart synchronized with his. “I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you.”
“You despised me.” He smiled, his hand tracing the contour of her face as he rolled both of them so that they faced each other.
“True.” She shivered when he trailed the curve of her neck. “But still, I couldn’t help it. You’re too sexy for your own good.”
“You drove me crazy the moment you entered this apartment.” His teeth playfully nibbled her earlobe, sending shivers all over her. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to drag you over my knees to spank you or to take you against the wall.”
His words triggered her senses as much as his touch that had now lowered to the swell of her breasts. His fingers inched inside her top, lowering it and the bra underneath at the same time. Her nipples peaked when he expertly teased them.
She squirmed, her hand lowering to his jeans, but he stopped her.
“Not yet. I intend to take it slow and make love to you for the next three days.” He brought her hand back to his chest.
“Three days?” Feeling naughty, she lowered her hand again.
Max laughed against her breast. “At least.” He playfully bit her nipple, making her gasp and moan. “I’ll have to punish you if you don’t behave.”
Her fingers found the buttons of his fly, and she worked one free. “What kind of punishment?” She popped a second button free and brushed the length of him, still restrained by the sturdy fabric and struggling against it.
“Spanking, lots of it.” He pushed against her, hard and warm.
“What else?” With one flick of her finger, she freed his manhood which sprang into her hand.
Instead of answering, he took possession of her mouth and devoured her, his hands roaming all over her body, opening pants and lowering them around her ankles before removing them altogether. He tore her bra in two and flung it over the bed, where her equally torn panties joined it a moment later. Everywhere his hands touched, he marked her, making her want more.
As she stroked and caressed his hard length, he finally reached for the apex of her legs. Vivienne was ready for him and opened her legs to give him access, but he tortured her with soft brushes, skimming her feverish flesh without entering her. He licked and bit her nipples, lavishing her breasts with his free hand, stoking the fire of her passion to impossible heights.
Soon, she couldn’t take it any longer and moved on top to straddle him. He gave her a naughty smile before wrestling her underneath him. Grabbing both her hands by her wrists, he brought them over her head and pinned them against the mattress. With his other hand, he pinched her nipple hard and followed with a small kiss and a soft lick. The juxtaposition of rough and sweet sent her over the edge.
Pleasure built between her legs, and she moaned, arching her throat, and pushing her breasts against his chest. With a groan, Max placed his hardness against her wet core and thrust into her, finally uniting them.
&n
bsp; The sensation of him, large and hot, stretching her channel as he filled her, sent tears to her eyes.
Max immediately stopped. “Vivienne, my love. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He started to ease out of her, but she pressed her hand against his back, keeping him in place.
“Don’t you dare.” She tilted her head for him to kiss her. “These are tears of joy,” she said, letting him wipe them away with his lips. “You, inside me, it feels perfect.” Rocking against him, she showed him how she wanted it.
“My love,” he whispered, thrusting harder in answer to her silent demands. “My soulmate.”
Her channel tightened against him, and she raised her mouth to his shoulder. Max leaned lower, placing his skin against her lips.
“With this bite, I bind myself to you,” she whispered around her elongating fangs. “Forever.”
He thrust into her deeper, and she bit into his flesh, marking him in the way of the wolf as he had marked her in the way of the dragon a few days earlier. Pain and pleasure mixed, and they came apart together, spiraling out of control in a blissful haze.
They rode the ecstasy of their releases, kissing with the desperation of the first and last love until limbs grew heavy and breathing became frantic. Still, they kept drawing from the other as much pleasure as their hands and tongues could coax while his thrusts slowed down.
Finally spent, they lay basking in the aftermath of their mating, and Vivienne let her pent-up emotions out and cried in his strong embrace.
“I love you,” she said when she could talk again.
“I love you,” Max said back, kissing her softly.
35
Max cradled a sleepy Vivienne in his arms, marveling at how she perfectly fit against him. She was soft where he was hard, and small whereas he was large, and yet, she was his other half.
He had planned to take his time, but she’d led the pace instead. A first for him, who usually took control in the bedroom. A smile curled up his lips at the memory of the fiery lovemaking that had taken place on his bed. Another first. Vivienne was the first woman to share his bedroom, and deservedly so, since she was his soulmate. Now it was their bedroom. Their bed. Their penthouse. He liked the idea.
Soon, his baby girl would be home, too, and he couldn’t wait for her to leave the hospital. Tomorrow, he and Vivienne would go shopping to buy baby stuff. Heck, they probably needed to baby-proof the apartment.
It was amazing how, in a matter of days, one’s priorities could change so drastically. Max had gone from planning threesomes to deciding which color to paint the nursery in less than a week. And he couldn’t be happier. He grinned when he realized he was now planning threesomes of an entirely different type.
“I can feel you smiling.” Vivienne turned to face him.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.” He kissed her red and swollen lips.
“I love to see you smile.” She snuggled closer, her soft curves pressing against him and waking his senses. Her hand traveled down between them, teasing his sensitive skin. “I love you.” She closed her hand around his already rock-hard length.
“I love you.” He returned the favor by kneading and pulling her nipples before lowering his hand to her soft curls, where he found her ready for his invasion. He entered her with one finger, feeling her tight channel closing around him already.
Panting, Vivienne straddled him, and this time, he let her. She would conduct their intimate dance either way, and she was heartbreakingly beautiful on top of him.
“I need you.” She guided his hardness inside her and took him all at once, making both of them gasp.
“You are my Goddess,” he whispered in broken words, his hands reaching for her full breasts. He filled his palms with her softness, teasing her nipples to hard peaks.
As she rode him, she arched her throat, sending her long locks swaying over her back, brushing his thighs. Even though he wanted to take his time to make her scream, he couldn’t resist her, and soon, he pumped into her, grabbing her waist to keep her in place. She came, grinding against him, and a moment later, he found his release, too.
Afterward, they cuddled, and he peppered her with small kisses all over her face. It was late in the afternoon when his stomach growled, and he realized they hadn’t eaten since the breakfast Wilson had delivered for them at the hospital.
“I’ll fix something for you,” he said, draping the silk sheet around Vivienne and taking her in his arms. Naked, and extremely satisfied, he walked into the kitchen where he laid Vivienne on the marble countertop.
“What if someone sees us?” She gestured toward the wall to wall windows.
“Nobody can see us,” he answered, kissing the corner of her mouth before leaning away.
“What if Hugo or, God forbid, my brother enters?” She gave him a raised brow.
“They have precise orders not to show up until the day after tomorrow.” He pressed a kiss above the swell of her breasts, dragging the silk sheet lower with his teeth.
Vivienne moaned when he took a nipple into his mouth and sucked. He was about to carry his kisses lower when his stomach growled again, louder.
“You need to eat,” she said, laughing and pushing him away.
“You, too.” He gave her one last kiss and moved around the counter. “I’m afraid I can only muster a sandwich at the moment.”
“A sandwich sounds about perfect.” She smiled, crossing her legs. The sheet moved, giving him a glimpse of her soft curls before she lowered the fabric to cover her thighs.
He groaned. “What about cereal straight out of the box?”
Vivienne laughed, and he couldn’t help but reach for her across the countertop and pull her against him for a kiss that left both of them breathless in a matter of seconds.
“Maybe we can order Chinese and eat in bed?” he proposed, his hand traveling down to her core.
“Yes,” she answered, pressing against his touch before abruptly stopping.
When he looked up at her, her eyes were wide open.
She pointed at something over his shoulder. “What—”
He turned to see a large shadow darkening the kitchen a moment before Louise’s she-dragon appeared on the other side of the glass wall. A horrific screech pierced his ears. The dragon bellowed, hatred showing in her cold eyes as she looked from Max to Vivienne.
“Run!” Max shouted over the infernal ruckus made by the dragon, trying to push Vivienne out of the kitchen as the creature opened her maw and blasted the glass with a volley of fire.
“I won’t leave you!” Vivienne shouted back before shifting into her wolf.
The kitchen was large, but there wasn’t enough space for Max to fully shift and open his wings. He only had one choice if he wanted to save Vivienne.
He waited for the window to finally crack and threw himself against the window with all his strength. The overheated glass burned his skin as the wall shattered and he fell forward. Vivienne’s wolf yelped in pain for him. For a moment, he dove headfirst into the abyss, gravity pulling him toward the asphalt below.
As he had hoped, Louise’s dragon followed him, forgetting about Vivienne. Max freefell for several seconds, waiting for the moment when the she-dragon was close enough to grab her.
Finally, Louise veered, catching a thermal to position herself at his level.
I’ll kill you and everyone you love, the she-dragon bellowed in his mind and sent him images of how she would torture Vivienne to death. Your parents, and your bastard daughter, too, she thought, raising her talon toward him.
Max shifted, his dragon mouth opening around the she-dragon’s long neck even before his transformation was complete. Before she could do anything, he closed his jaws, sinking his fangs into her flesh. Splaying his wings, he brought both of them to a halt as he jerked hard, breaking her neck. It wasn’t enough, though.
Max’s dragon sunk his fangs deeper, severing the dragon’s spine. He sawed until only the skin kept the head attached to the body. Finally, h
e fired from both his mouth and nostrils, burning the dragon. With her head completely severed, the she-dragon’s heart shriveled in her chest, and it became a black stone. The rest of her body dissolved into ashes that floated away, carried by the wind toward the sea.
Soon, Seattle Shifter Police would send the Fairy Control Squad to erase the memory of the dragon fight from the mortal witnesses staring at Max, but he had more pressing matters than to wait for the cavalry to arrive.
Frantic barks came from the street, guiding Max’s dragon to Vivienne’s wolf.
Max shifted back as soon as his talons hit the ground, and Vivienne morphed at the same time, too.
“It’s over,” he said, taking her in his arms. “It’s finally over.”
Epilogue
Ten months later.
Max was nervous. He had been preparing for this moment for the last few weeks, but he was still anxious. Wilson and his parents had helped him, making sure every little detail was just perfect. Even Jack and Hugo had been enlisted for the occasion. The Bosch family, Vivienne’s parents and her grandmother, had arrived and were talking with his parents. Everything was just as it should be. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel like a teenager at the first school social.
What if Vivienne didn’t like his idea of a romantic gesture? After performing a mating bite while she was unconscious, he wanted to make sure the second time around he wouldn’t screw up things.
He checked for the tenth time that Amber Rose’s pink bow was secured to her head.
His daughter giggled when he made a face. “Da da!” she happily squealed as she always did when he was around, which happened quite often since he had started working more hours from home.
Almost a year had passed since Amber Rose and Vivienne entered his life, and many things had changed for the best. Besides becoming a father and a happily mated man almost overnight, Max had won the lawsuit. After Louise Dortmund’s criminal activities became public knowledge, Mrs. Catalani’s new lawyer quietly asked for a settlement; the judge refused on grounds of moral corruption. Several Prize Games’ employees had come forward to offer testimony against Mrs. Catalani, uncovering how she had leaked the schematics for several games which cost the company several millions in lost revenue. Max didn’t seek legal remedy against the ex-employee; that chapter of his life was closed.
The Alpha’s Gift_Bad Alpha Dads_The Immortals Page 14
