Hudson lifted the vampire higher. The vamp looked scared shitless.
Good.
Porter continued, “It was fate, Hudson. It was leading you to her as it was supposed to do, on the right day. But she’d already been hurt. She wasn’t there anymore. I’d had to get her far from the area so she could heal in a safe place. Some of the men who attacked her got away. Some weren’t banished to hell with the spell she cast. I couldn’t risk her life, and I didn’t know then that days were mixed up. I only recently found that out.”
Hudson’s arms were suddenly covered in a light coating of fur. His face changed too, looking like a mix of man and beast. He seemed all around bigger, standing there, partially shifted. He growled and the next I knew Porter had hold of me and was jerking me around to face him.
He held me to him and then released me, touching my cheek gently. “It is done.”
“What is?” I asked.
“Your mate just ate the vampire douchebag,” said Shona, sounding thoroughly impressed. “I really like him.”
I spun. Hudson was there, in full human form, wiping his mouth with the back of his arm. The dark general’s body was there, on the floor, ripped to bits. Hudson looked to Shona.
“He took years with my mate from me. He took me being there for her when it was destined. He took me being there for her when she was carrying my child. I didn’t get to be there for the birth of my son because of him. I wasn’t able to be a father to my own son. And my mate found another man to love all because of him. I should have made him suffer longer. Anyone have the power of resurrection? I want to kill that asshole again,” said Hudson gruffly.
Shona grinned. “I really fucking like him, Ryan.”
Porter rubbed my shoulders. “Go to him, Ryan. You know you want to.”
I stood my ground and stared at Hudson. “Did you ask Maddy to marry you?”
Hurt flashed in his eyes. “Yes, but she said no.”
I closed my eyes a moment, the hurt running deep. He wasn’t married because she turned him down.
Porter kept rubbing my shoulders. “Ryan, he was only attracted to her because she bore your scent. Remember the day in training when you were there with her? When he first kissed Maddy? He was only with her because she smelled of you. She told him no because deep down she knew she had a mate of her own. Hudson thought you were a figment of his imagination. A ghost. When he came for you, when it was meant to be, every instinct in him told him you were dead. That was the day he gave up hope.”
I didn’t budge.
Neither did Hudson.
We just stood there with dead bodies all around us.
Shona held my hand. “He has a great ass, but I’ll totally stake him if you want me to. Sisters before misters.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want him dead.”
Porter eased up closer behind me. “He loves you, Ryan. He has always loved only you. You’re not second best. You are his world. I shared a womb with him. I can tell he’s holding in his emotions right now. He’s terrified you’ll reject him.”
I actually considered doing just that. I felt hot tears on my cheeks and realized then that I was crying.
“The Powers don’t want you together. They’ve tried to stop the union at every turn,” said Porter lightly. “If you let jealousy guide your actions, they will win. And if Eliza taught you anything it’s that—”
I laughed through my tears. “The Powers are dicks.”
“Forgive him, Ryan, because he’ll never forgive himself. One of you has to.”
Shona drew me into a hug. “I’m emotionally stunted, and even I can see the guy loves you.”
I wiped my cheeks as she released me. Glancing at Hudson, I found he hadn’t moved. His chocolate gaze was moist, and I knew then that Porter was right. Hudson was fighting to keep his emotions hidden. I was about to say something that I hoped would be witty to relieve some of the tension, when I thought back to the time he’d fallen asleep at his house and had grabbed my hand, talking about my vision of being pregnant with twins and the little brown-haired boy. I gasped and cupped my mouth for a second. “The vision. The little brown-haired boy.”
Porter laughed. “Yes. He was JP.”
I would have stumbled had Porter not grabbed me.
“And yes, twins are on their way,” said Porter.
Hudson swallowed hard, his gaze whipping to my lower abdomen. His breathing increased and he clenched his fists, the cords in his neck popping.
“Geesh, cut the guy some slack, Ryan,” said Shona. “He did just go on a killing spree for you. That is ten times better than roses.”
I smiled, my lips trembling as I lifted my hand to Hudson. “Come on, Cowboy. You need a shower. You’re wearing bad guy.”
“He’s a messy eater,” added Shona, earning her a laugh from Porter.
Hudson stormed towards me and grabbed me, lifting me up and off my feet. He hugged me and spun me in a circle.
“You’re getting bad guy all over me,” I said, still crying but this time the tears were happy ones. Hudson set me down.
“Dude, you ate a vampire,” said Shona. “It’s all over the front of you.”
He reached out and grabbed Porter. The next I knew Hudson who was still bear hugging Porter, grabbed me too, smashing vampire bits against me once again. I didn’t say a word. I just hugged them both.
“Thank you,” he said to Porter.
Porter nodded. “My pleasure.”
Hudson tensed. “Will I see you again?”
“Sure. I can come and go around Ryan at will. Forever.”
Hudson was quiet a moment. “Don’t be a stranger.”
Shona smiled. “Aww, is that the cutest male bonding moment or what?”
I offered the men an apologetic look.
Hudson grinned. “Let’s go get cleaned up and get our son.”
“Use Jude’s place,” said Shona. “I’ll go up and check in with Tess. The girls can help with JP. Take your time. Oh, I’ll take Porter. He’ll keep the girls busy. They’ll be too busy staring dreamily at him to notice how long you and Hudson are taking.”
19
Chapter 19
I led Hudson into Jude’s living quarters, trying my best to ignore how uncomfortable he seemed to be with being there. I knew my way around it well. I took Hudson straight through to Jude’s master bedroom and into the master bath. The large, custom shower there would serve nicely to wash away the grime and blood without leaving a big mess.
“Go ahead. I’ll grab something for you to wear,” I said, stepping back.
Hudson stood eerily still. “You want me to use his shower and wear his clothes?”
I just stared at him, not following.
He rolled his eyes. “Ryan, you were with him. You probably had sex in the very room we just walked through, and you want me to be okay with being here? With wearing his clothes?”
Without thought, I snorted. “I had sex with him in this shower too.”
Hudson closed his eyes and lowered his head.
I reached for him, hating that I’d let my tongue slip so callously. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
“You did,” he said, his eyes still closed. “You’re still mad at me about Maddy. I can’t take it back. If I could, I fucking would.”
I wasn’t exactly proud of myself at the moment. “You’re over a hundred. I’m guessing you’ve been with a lot of women, Hudson. I’m not stupid.”
“But none of them were your friends,” he said, looking at me. “Maddy was.”
He had a point. I wasn’t big on having his time with Maddy thrown into my face by the bad guys, yet here I was tossing my time with Jude in his.
“Still, I shouldn’t have said what I did. You’re right, I’m upset. I want to be a bigger person. I do.”
He touched my cheek. “I love you so fucking much, Ry-Mack.”
I knew he did. I loved him too. I went to my tiptoes and kissed his jawline. “Please shower. I want to k
iss you, Cowboy.”
His hard expression softened. “Go find me something to change into and hurry back in here.”
I did as instructed, selecting a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt from Jude’s dresser. Jude was a clothing whore. He wouldn’t miss them. He’d probably never even worn them.
When I entered the bathroom once more, Hudson was already under a stream of hot water, pink staining the floor of the shower as he scrubbed away the blood from the fight. His back was to me, and I saw his back for the first time. When I spotted the tattoo, announcing who he was, I couldn’t stop the flush of emotions that welled in me. I’d seen that tattoo so much during my life that it felt right—it felt like home.
He felt right.
The next I knew, I was shedding my clothing and stepping into the open shower area. I ran my hands over Hudson’s back and down to his tight ass. He twisted and caught my hand.
“Ryan, not here. Not where you were with him.” As he said it, his gaze went to my exposed breasts. His nostrils flared a moment before he twisted fully and lifted me, his mouth finding mine. Our tongues mated instantly.
He turned me and pressed my back to the shower tile, the hot water streaming over us both. I closed my eyes as Hudson lined up with my core, driving home in one long thrust. I cried out in his mouth. He rammed into me over and over, our bodies making wet slapping noises as pleasure built deep in me. Hudson held my hips, driving me down into his cock harder and faster.
Grunting, I broke the kiss, my body soaking up his energy, invigorating me, making me hornier and hornier. Hudson pounded into me as he kissed at my jaw and then my neck. He lifted me more, still thrusting into me, his mouth moving to my shoulder.
“Mine,” he said, biting down in the very spot he’d bitten me three years ago. My power flared, rushing into him and then back into me. I cried out, his name and something else, though I wasn’t sure what I’d yelled. It was pretty much sex-induced gibberish.
He rooted deep and exploded in me, my pussy clenching down on his cock. He kissed my neck and then licked the spot he’d bitten. When he raised his head, his gaze was steamy. “You are mine, Maryann Carver. Mine.”
I smiled at the use of his last name with my first. “Then you’re mine.”
Hudson lifted a finger, let a claw release and cut his neck. He took his bloody finger and swiped it over my lower lip. My tongue darted out and over it and my power flared more, his energy pulsing through me, his cock hardening once more, still buried deep in me.
Hudson put his hands to both sides of my head on the shower wall, and he began to fuck me like the alpha male I knew him to be. He took no prisoners, driving hard into me, making me come in long waves, pulling more and more pleasure from me. I bucked against him, and he shoved in, staying in place, his lips finding mine.
He kissed me, and I knew I would forever be his. That no Powers would come between what we had again. We were well and truly mated. No take backs. No forfeits and no fucking memory spells.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tight.
He hugged me, withdrawing from me slowly. “I love you, Ry-Mack.”
“I love you too, Cowboy.”
He inhaled deep. “You wear my mark, my scent on you again. Never take it away again, Ryan.”
“I won’t,” I agreed.
He inhaled again, the water splashing me in the eyes, making me blink. “I smell the changes in your body. Porter was right. You’re with child now.”
I kept hold of his neck. “Good thing you made an honest woman of me then.”
“Sweet-pea, I’m going to make you so fucking happy your head spins.”
“Uh, thanks. I think.”
“I don’t want to stop touching you, but I really want to go see our son,” he said, longing on his face. “I missed so much time with him.”
“You’re just in time to help finish potty training him. He’s very stubborn and has no ability to aim.”
Hudson grinned. “Hell, I still have problems with aiming myself.”
Groaning, I covered my face with my hands. “Great.”
He pulled my hands from my face and kissed me tenderly. “Thank you for naming him after my brother.”
“Thanks for giving him to me,” I said. “Let’s finish cleaning up and go get our boy.”
20
Chapter 20
JP ran and giggled as Hudson chased him, catching him and sweeping him up in his arms. He tickled JP, making him laugh to the point he hiccupped. Hudson laughed too and turned JP, holding him on his hip. “Gotcha.”
“Do it again, Daddy,” said JP, making me smile seeing him so happy. It had been three weeks since Hudson had walked through the club door, ready to take on a new charge. My life had changed so much in that time. JP and I were no longer living above the club. We were now living with Hudson in his home. It was just as I’d remembered it being. He’d done one of the bedrooms in shades of blue for JP and had built him the most beautiful big boy bed I’d ever seen. He was working on a dresser for him as well.
Tess eased in and put her arms out. “Come on, buddy, I promised you ice cream. It’s back in the kitchen.”
With that, JP leapt out of Hudson’s arm to Tess. Hudson laughed as Tess and JP went towards the club’s kitchen.
“And just like that I’m replaced with ice cream,” he said, pulling me into his embrace. “I still can’t believe how Tess cleaned the place. I wasn’t sure the blood would come out.”
I smiled. “Only because she’s Fae. I don’t think it would have otherwise. Now it’s cleaner than before you snacked on vampires.”
He mock laughed and kissed me again, his hand going to my lower abdomen. “How are you feeling? Do you need more from me?”
I groaned. “I keep telling you that my body has everything it needs now that we’re together. Stop worrying.”
“Ryan, I’ll never stop worrying about you, or my family.” He slid his gaze lower. “Are you sure you don’t want to go home and rest?”
I eyed him closely. “You’ve forbidden me from training slayers anymore. You barely let me lift a finger at home, and you even tried to stop me from picking up JP. I’m not going to break. The babies and I are fine.”
“I wish I could put you in a protective bubble,” he said. “That would make me feel so much better.”
“Not happening, Cowboy. Not happening.”
He grunted. “So, why is it we had to stop by the club today? Did Shona say what was so important?”
I shook my head and then froze as the entrance to the club opened and a man I’d not seen in weeks entered. When he’d last left his jet-black hair had been to his waist. It was now cut to just below his shoulders. He wore sunglasses despite the fact it was an overcast day. His squared jawline set as he saw me.
Hudson sniffed the air. “Vampire? How? It’s daytime.”
He turned and put me behind him in a protective manner. I eased around him. “Unnecessary. It’s Jude.”
Hudson caught my wrist and held me near him, growling as he did. The testosterone was thick enough to cut. Shona entered the club behind Jude and came to a stop next to him, smiling wide. The smile faded fast.
“Oh, did I miss anyone whipping out their dicks to have a measuring contest?” she asked.
“We were just getting to that,” I said, grimacing. I eased my fingers between Hudson’s and squeezed his hand. “Stop. Jude is the reason we found each other again. You owe him a thank you.”
“You want me to thank him for banging my mate for years? Thank him for nearly adopting my son? Thank him for playing house with you?”
Jutting out my chin, I nodded. “Yes. Exactly. I’ve had to come to terms with you and Maddy. You need to do the same with Jude.”
He winced and then sighed long and loudly, so everyone could hear him pouting. He released my hand and covered the distance to Jude. Much to my delight, Hudson extended his hand to Jude, and as they stood before one another, I realized they were matched in height a
nd nearly in build—though Jude had more bulk to him.
“Thank you,” he said, his hand out.
For a second, I wasn’t sure Jude would take the olive branch being offered. He lowered his glasses, his green gaze narrowing on Hudson. He stared at him a moment before smiling and taking his hand. “Nice of you to finally join us.”
His French accent was even heavier than normal. That was always a sure sign he was pissed. Jude on a good day was dangerous. Angry Jude was downright lethal.
Shona snorted, finding the entire ordeal amusing.
She would.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Clearly, Hudson and Jude weren’t going to be best friends out of the gate. I’d be lucky if they could be civil to one another.
“Hey, at least Hudson hasn’t tried to eat him,” said Shona. “Last vamp in here didn’t fair so well.”
“He could try,” offered Jude, a challenge in his voice.
Having heard more than enough, I shot forward, moving between the men. Jude looked me over and tilted his head, his gaze flickering to black a moment and then back to green.
“You are with child.”
Shona grinned. “Two. She’s with two. We’re sure of it. Tess read her.”
I waited for a smart-ass remark. When Jude pulled me into a hug and lifted me off the ground, squeezing me firmly yet gently, I found myself tearing up. He set me on my feet, and I ignored Hudson’s growl as Jude held my hands in his.
He nodded. “I am pleased to see you happy and healthy, Ryan. Very pleased.”
“Aww, that is a huge thing coming from Mr. Hidden Emotions,” said Shona before pursing her lips and whistling as if that would hide her outburst.
I went to my tiptoes and kissed Jude’s cheek. “Thank you for ignoring me when I said I’d handle everything on my own. Thank you for contacting Franco to have a Guardian assigned to JP and me.”
“Not a Guardian,” said Jude, handing his sunglasses to Shona. “Hudson.”
Crossing Hudson Page 18
