by SJ West
At one point, I grab a handful of his long dark locks and yank his head up before saying, “Stop. I need more.”
Never one to question what I want from him in bed, Malcolm crawls across the mattress on his hands and knees above me until we’re face to face again. I lift my legs to wrap them around his waist as he lowers his hips to comply with my urgent plea. I hear Malcolm gasp as our bodies finally connect, allowing himself to experience pleasure. The first thrust of his hips causes me to cry out and beg him not to stop.
Malcolm does as I demand, his groans growing more guttural with each thrust. Not wanting to be selfish, I say, “Don’t hold back.”
As the movement of him inside me reaches a fever pitch, I can’t prevent the tears that slide from the corners of my eyes as we lose ourselves in one another. After we’re both sated and pleasantly exhausted, I wrap my arms around Malcolm’s neck, pulling him down until the entire length of his body is lying on top of me. The sensation of his warm skin against mine makes me feel safe and protected. While we both try to steady our breathing, I quietly continue to cry until it turns into an uncontrollable sob.
Malcolm lifts his head and looks down at me. Even through the blur of my tears I can see his worry over my outburst, but I still can’t stop myself from crying.
“We’re all alive,” Malcolm reminds me, knowing without having to ask why I’m so emotional. “The babies are safe. Lucas wasn’t harmed, and you’re all back home with me. We’re together again, Anna. That’s all that matters.”
“I just …” I begin, but the intensity of my feelings doesn’t allow me to go on any further before another sob breaks free.
Malcolm continues to hold me close as he says, “Let it all out, Anna. Just let it out. I’m here for you.”
And I do just that. I tried to stay strong while Lucas and I were with Helena, but now that that ordeal is over, my emotions are a jumbled mess. I’m worried about the seal Helena gave Liana and what it might mean for my daughter’s future. I have no doubt whatsoever that Helena has more misfortune planned for my family, and I’m certain none of her schemes will leave us totally unscathed. Her hatred for humanity and her jealousy over the relationship Lucifer and I have is bound to make her seek even more vengeance than she already has. What worries me the most is the fact that I’m not certain I can stop her. Ever since she introduced herself to the world as the Empress of Nimbo, she’s been controlling things without anyone (besides us) being cognizant of the way she’s manipulating things to her advantage.
Eventually my tears stop flowing, and my heart feels bereft of hope for the future. How can Malcolm and I possibly live a happy life with Helena shadowing our every step? Are we doomed to live out the remainder of our lives with the specter of her miserable existence haunting us?
“She won’t win,” Malcolm tells me confidently after I voice my concerns to him about the fate of our family and the world. “We won’t let her.”
“But that’s the problem, Malcolm. I don’t know if it’s even possible for us to stop her.”
“Anna,” he says in a deadly serious tone while holding my gaze with his to make sure I hear what he says next, “you need to believe that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. I have a hard time believing my father would allow Helena to rule the Earth. There has to be a way for us to get rid of her.”
An image of the sword Xavier gave me on alternate Earth flashes through my mind.
“You might be right.”
I go on to tell Malcolm everything that happened on alternate Earth. My bringing the sword back from there is definitely a surprise to him, but when I tell him I killed the Lucifer of that reality, he looks completely floored by the drastic measures I had to take to ensure the safety of not only my own life, but also the lives of our children.
“I wish I could say I’m sorry you had to kill him, but I’m not,” Malcolm states flatly. “He deserved what he got. I’m just sorry you’re the one who had to do it.”
“No one else could,” I remind him. “I’m the only one who can kill an archangel. Besides, he forced my hand. I didn’t have any other choice.”
“Helena might be able to kill archangels with the power she gained from the seals, but the verdict is still out on that one. Until she tries to use it on one of the princes, we won’t know for sure if she’s that powerful.”
“Supernatural abilities or not, she’s proven herself to be quite adept at manipulating things in the political arena. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have to worry about winning the election against Catherine.”
My eyes well up with tears again as I remember that there might not even be a Cirrus for Auggie’s mother to take control of anymore.
“Helena told me Cirrus was destroyed,” I say, clearly remembering that I didn’t see it in the sky above New York City. After traveling back from alternate Earth, Helena and I were deposited there. I searched the sky for my cloud city until Helena informed me of its fate. “Is that true or was she lying to me?”
“It hasn’t been destroyed,” Malcolm is quick to reassure me, “but it was sitting at the bottom of the ocean the last time I was inside it.”
I quickly sit up on the bed, causing Malcolm to follow my action.
“It’s what?” I exclaim, feeling my heart beat so hard inside my chest that it’s causing me to feel physically ill. “Then how can you say it’s not destroyed?”
“The force field around it never gave way. It protected the city when it plunged into the ocean and prevented it from being flooded. I promise you that it’s perfectly fine. In fact, it’s probably back in the air already. I’m sure the others have taken care of it for us.”
“What about the hellspawn in it? Are they still there?”
“No. When you and the others went to alternate Earth, the fissures to Hell closed. The War Angels were able to kill the ones that were inside the city. All we need to do is repair a few buildings and do a little cleanup before our citizens can return to their homes.”
“Helena told me that the rebellion angels were the ones who tried to destroy it. Do you know exactly what they did?”
“Apparently they blew the propulsion system. We were able to repair it, though. Like I said, we just need to spruce things up a little before people can return to their homes.”
“If we can get people back into the city, I might just have a chance to win the election against Catherine.”
“You need to stop doubting how much the people of Cirrus respect you, Anna,” Malcolm admonishes me lightly. “I think you’ve shown them enough during the months you’ve been in power, and certainly in the past few days, that you’re more than capable of running a cloud city. Considering the fact that Catherine ran off to Nimbo to live in comfort at the palace, I don’t see how people can view her as anything more than a ruler who still puts her own selfish needs first.”
I sigh heavily and lie back down on the bed. Malcolm lies on his side beside me as I stare up at the sheer material above us. I remain silent for a while as I watch the fabric billow in and out in the imaginary breeze from the illusory ocean.
“What are you thinking about?” Malcolm asks. He has one arm bent to prop his head on as he watches me.
I look over at him and say, “I’m trying not to think, because if I do, I might start crying again.”
I feel his free hand rest against the flesh of my stomach and begin to make feather-light circular motions.
“How is it that everything feels so real here?” I ask him as the warmth of his caress brings me comfort. “Normally things don’t feel like this when we’re inside one of your dreams.”
“I have no idea, my love,” he replies as a slow, appreciative grin spreads his generous lips while his eyes drink in my nakedness. “But I’m certainly not going to complain about the change. I like playing with you far too much to question my good fortune. Maybe my father had something to do with it.”
I giggle at Malcolm’s absurd suggestion. “I would think God has more
important matters to deal with than to ensure that we can make love in your dreams like we would in reality.”
Malcolm lifts a dubious eyebrow, as if he doesn’t quite agree with my assessment of God’s priorities. “Normally, I would agree with you.”
“But you don’t?” I ask, finding Malcolm’s answer curious. “Why?”
“The last time I saw Him, He was … helpful.”
“In what way?”
“He told us you were on alternate Earth after we couldn’t find you in Hell. He even took us all to Cirrus so we could fix the propulsion system while you were away. To be honest, I haven’t seen Him be that accommodating in eons. Maybe He’s decided that we’ve been through enough and that we’re due a little cooperation from Him.”
“Or He’s providing us with a gentle lull before the storm,” I warn, trying to be pragmatic about the situation.
“I would rather think of it as a reward for what’s already transpired.”
“Maybe that’s true, but you know as well as I do that Helena isn’t finished with us. She’s up to something. We just need to figure out what before she has a chance to implement her next scheme.”
“Well, I for one would just like to enjoy a little quiet time with you and the kids. I think we’ve earned that, don’t you? Besides, Helena will probably be preoccupied for a while with Cade.”
“I wish we could do something for him,” I say worriedly.
“Even if Helena hadn’t forced him to trade in his freedom before releasing Liana, I think Cade would have found a reason to spend more time with her. You know better than anyone else how all-consuming the attraction between soul mates can be. It was only a matter of time before he went to her. This way, it doesn’t make him look like he’s choosing to spend time with her instead of us. He needs to figure out if he has a future with her or not, and I think the sooner they both decide that, the better.”
“He isn’t safe with her,” I state, knowing in my heart that Helena will only bring Cade misery.
“Perhaps the same can be said about her with him,” Malcolm suggests.
“I know you think it’s possible that he might be able to change her, but she’s so set in her ways, Malcolm. Even if he does attempt to perform such a miracle, I have a feeling Helena will rebel against it happening.”
“Well, there’s really nothing we can do to help Cade until he asks us to,” Malcolm reasons. “I suggest we concentrate on us for the time being.”
Malcolm leans over and begins to plant warm kisses in the valley between my breasts, causing me to close my eyes and simply allow myself to enjoy his adoring ministrations.
“We should probably wake up and see to the children,” I weakly argue.
“They’re still asleep,” Malcolm informs me, as though he has a window into reality. “I told Vala to watch them while we all slept. She’ll wake me up if we’re needed back in the real world.”
“That was very good thinking,” I praise as Malcolm lifts his head from my breast to look into my eyes. He smiles at me, breaking my heart all over again with the love he holds for me in his expression.
“I’ve been known to have a good idea from time to time.”
“So have I.” I deftly roll Malcolm onto his back until I’m straddling his hips. “Right now, I believe we should take advantage of this little piece of nirvana. Besides, you’re not the only one who can come up with good ideas.”
“I always enjoy learning more about your ideas,” he tells me with a pleased smile at my forwardness. “Please, show me what you have in mind.”
“As you wish,” I say before showing my husband exactly what I want to do to him.
I’m not sure how long we stay in our dream world, but at one point while we’re lying in each other’s arms just talking, Malcolm lets out a grunt of pain. He wiggles his left foot up from beneath the sheet we’re under to inspect it, as if he believes he’ll see some sort of injury there.
“I think it’s time to wake up,” he regretfully informs me. “I told Vala to bite me on the foot as soon as the kids woke up.”
I lean up to kiss Malcolm deeply once more, not wanting to face the outside world just yet.
After I force myself to pull away, I tell him, “Maybe we can find time to do this in the real world too.”
Malcolm smiles, but he doesn’t look convinced such an event will happen anytime soon. “I believe our children will be keeping us busy when we’re not out trying to save the world from Helena. Plus, your real body needs time to heal from the trauma it sustained from the pregnancy and birth. Modern medicine can only heal you to a certain extent.”
“Then I’m glad we have this,” I say, kissing his mouth thoroughly before willingly relinquishing our fantasy world.
When we do wake up, I hear Lucas’ sweet voice singing a song. I turn my head on the pillow to look over at my son. I find him sitting in front of the babies, softly serenading them. When I glance over in Malcolm’s direction, I find him watching our son too with a proud grin on his face. Neither of us says a word or moves until Lucas is through with his song.
“That was beautiful, sweetie,” I say as both Malcolm and I sit up in bed.
“Aw, man,” Lucas says, looking slightly disappointed that we’re awake. “I was hoping to give you and Dad a little more time to sleep. Did I wake you up with my singing?”
I look at Vala, who is sitting slightly behind Lucas but next to Malcolm’s foot that she just bit to ensure we woke up.
“Absolutely not,” I reassure him. “It was just time for us to get up. Besides, I need to feed the babies.”
“Are you hungry, Anna?” Vala asks. “Lucas and I can go get you something to eat if you are.”
It’s only then that I realize it’s been a very long time since I last ate. In fact, I haven’t really eaten anything since I was on alternate Earth.
“I’m famished actually. I would love something to eat.”
“Come along, Lucas,” Vala says, hopping down from the bed and heading for the door. “Let’s give your mother and father some privacy while they tend to your brother and sister. We’ll go downstairs and ask someone to prepare them some food for us to bring back up. I’m sure neither of them has eaten very much in the past couple of days.”
Lucas opens the door for Vala as she leads the way out. Luna follows Vala out into the hallway. Before he leaves, Lucas turns to us and asks, “Do you want anything in particular, Mommy?”
“Anything will do,” I tell him.
“Okay. Be right back!”
After Lucas and the dogs leave, I pick Liam and Liana up in each of my arms while Malcolm nestles double stacked pillows on either side of me. Liana tries to wiggle out of my hold for some reason. When I don’t let her go, she begins to cry in frustration. Finally, I’m able to lay the babies down on the pillows. Liana stops crying, but her little body still jerks as if she’s agitated by something.
I unbutton the front of my nightgown to expose my breasts. Liam attaches to my nipple right away. The sensation is an odd one and slightly painful, but I know the milk I’m able to provide from my body is nutritious and exactly what they need right now. With Liam steadily eating his fill, I attempt to feed Liana, but every time I try to place my nipple against her mouth, she turns her face to the side, refusing to accept it.
“I don’t understand,” I say to Malcolm in worry. “Liam attached right away. Why is she being so fussy?”
“Maybe she isn’t hungry?” Malcolm suggests, even though I can hear the doubt of such a thing in his voice.
“Maybe,” I reply, but I’m certain that isn’t the actual problem. Liana’s obstinate refusal to suckle feels more like a personal rejection of me. On my third attempt to coax her into taking my nipple into her mouth, she begins to wail as if she’s in some sort of physical pain.
From his seat next to me on the bed, Malcolm quickly reaches for the top drawer of the nightstand, pulling it out to retrieve the silver rattle Lilly gave me as a wedding present. Accordi
ng to her, it has the power to calm any baby. He places it above Liana’s head and begins to rattle it, drawing her attention and instantly quieting her cries. She begins to gurgle in delight at the soft chiming noise the rattle makes, and I see an opportunity to try to feed her once more while Malcolm keeps her distracted. This time, Liana doesn’t refuse me and automatically latches onto my breast.
“Ouch,” I complain softly as Liana begins feeding in gusto.
“Are you all right?” Malcolm asks in concern, continuing to use the rattle to keep Liana calm while she nurses.
I quickly nod. “Yes. I’m fine. I’m just relieved she’s finally eating. I wasn’t sure what we would do if she didn’t.”
“Well, we would have just tried a bottle,” Malcolm reasons.
“I don’t understand why she wasn’t attaching. From the way she’s eating now, she had to have been starving.”
Malcolm remains silent as he peers at Liana with a look of worry and confusion.
“What are you thinking?” I ask him, feeling my own bubble of worry rise to the surface. “Do you think something’s wrong with her? Do you think it has something to do with the seal Helena gave her? Is it making her hate me?”
“Anna, no,” Malcolm protests, ceasing to move the rattle. “Liana’s just a baby. She doesn’t even know what love and hate mean yet.”
“That might be true about regular babies, but you and I both know that the twins aren’t normal newborns. They understand things that they shouldn’t at their age, and we don’t even know why.”
Our conversation is interrupted by a light knock on the door. Malcolm stands and walks over to see who our unexpected visitor is.
After he opens the door, I catch a glimpse of a handsome man with shoulder-length, curly black hair standing in the hallway.
I’ve never met him before, but I know who he is even before a surprised Malcolm asks, “Aiden?”
Chapter 4
“Hey, Malcolm,” Aiden replies, smiling at my husband with unreserved happiness. Malcolm steps over the threshold to give Aiden a brief hug in greeting.
