by Walsh Maggie
Raphael released Evan as he pulled from his body and sat up on his knees. He spit a few times in his palm and coated his hard shaft. “I’m sorry, mate, but I don’t have any slick in this room, and I can’t wait anymore. I need to be inside you, and as much as I crave to look in your beautiful eyes as I take you, I don’t want to hurt you. I think this position will cause the least amount of discomfort for you.”
Raphael pressed the blunt head of his leaking cock against Evan’s hole and pressed forward, popping through the outer ring of muscle and sinking deep with one push. Evan cried out and tightened his hold on the sheets below him. Raphael froze, his groin pressed against Evan’s ass, as he tried to control himself and give Evan time to adjust to his size.
Evan writhed below him and pressed his ass back against Raphael. “This is going to be quick, my mate. I need to come inside you and reclaim you,” Raphael said between clenched teeth.
“Yes, mate. Take me. Fuck me hard and fast. I need it, too,” Evan panted.
“Raise your hips and get up on your knees.”
Evan did as Raphael said and pulled his legs up under him, lifting his hips. Raphael leaned over his back and wrapped his arms around Evan’s chest, then pulled him up. Evan released the sheets from his grasp and went with it. He got lightheaded from the quick motion and he leaned back against Raphael’s broad chest. Evan’s head fell back and rested on Raphael’s shoulder.
Raphael tightened his hold across Evan’s chest and began to thrust his hips upward, pumping his cock deeply into Evan’s silken channel. Evan reached back and grabbed Raphael’s hip with one hand and thrust the fingers of the other hand through Raphael’s hair. He drove his hips down to meet Raphael’s ramming cock. The room filled with the sounds of their skin slapping together and their quickening breaths.
Raphael felt his balls pull up tight against his body and knew he was done. He needed to coat his mate’s insides with his seed, marking Evan as his. His cock pulsed, and Raphael plunged his teeth into Evan’s neck over his claiming mark just as his orgasm shot from him, filling Evan.
Evan cried out and tightened his hold on Raphael as the muscles surrounding Raphael’s cock clamped tight. Evan jerked and quivered, and Raphael felt a few warm drops of Evan’s release against his hand that held Evan to him. Evan relaxed, and he melted against Raphael as he gasped for breath.
Raphael gently released his mate’s neck and licked his mark, healing the small wounds. He kissed the side of Evan’s neck and nuzzled against him. “I’m sorry, mate. I’m sorry I got angry with you and walked out. If I had stayed, maybe you never would have been taken.”
Evan lifted his head from Raphael’s shoulder and turned, twisting his neck to look back at his mate. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m the one who’s sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t know what I had done until I was there locked in that place and had time to think. I went over our morning over and over again in my head until it finally dawned on me what I had done.”
Evan shifted and moved around. Raphael loosened his hold on Evan but didn’t release him. Evan spun to face him and settled back down on Raphael’s legs, meeting him face-to-face, and then wrapped his arms around Raphael’s neck.
“I have been doing this for so long by myself that it’s hard sometimes to accept help from anyone. I got used to doing everything on my own and worrying about how I was going to pay for things that it is just second nature to me. When I told you that I didn’t need you to pay my bills for me, it wasn’t that I was denying you or your help. It was just my knee-jerk reaction.
“Raphael, you are a kind and wonderful man, and I love you, but I don’t expect you to take care of me and my boys financially. I come with a lot of baggage and a lot of responsibility, and that alone makes me feel guilty enough because we are mates, that you will have to deal with all of that, but I never meant to hurt you with my refusal of your help. I am so sorry, mate.”
Tears welled up in Evan’s eyes as he spoke, and Raphael just stared at him.
“What?” Evan asked nervously when Raphael remained quiet.
A big, beautiful smile crossed Raphael’s lips, and his eyes filled with happiness. “You said you love me. I know we said it before, but after what happened, I thought I blew it. I thought you would hate me for not being the one to rescue you.”
Tears rolled down Evan’s cheeks. “No, Raphael. I completely understand why you didn’t come for me. I am so grateful that you stayed to make sure the boys were okay.”
Evan rested his forehead against Raphael’s chest as more tears broke free. Raphael placed a finger under Even’s chin and lifted his head until their eyes met. “I love you, too, mate, and I’m sorry we didn’t have the chance to talk about this morning before.”
Evan’s eyes went wide in shock from Raphael’s declaration of love. “You love me? I thought that after I hurt you this morning, you had given up on me.”
“Never, my beautiful mate. I will never give up on you. I love you, and now that we are mated, you don’t have to do this alone anymore. I am here to help you, to worry with you, to ease your worries, and to make your life easier. I want us to be equal partners in our relationship, Evan. I want us to share in everything. I have no doubt that you can do it without me, that you can pay your bills and take care of those boys on your own, but now you don’t have to. Don’t you see? Fate brought us together to help each other and to heal each other. We both have devoted our lives to taking boys in that needed a home. Now we can do it together and have each other to lean on when the rough times come.”
“That sounds so wonderful, not having to do it on my own anymore. To have you there to help me, comfort me, and give me strength. Thank you, mate. Thank you for coming into my life.”
“We have to promise to always talk about what is bothering us, not put it off. I know we still have a lot to learn about each other and I’m sure a few issues will come up. I need you to help me fit into your life―you and the boys. I’m sure that when I move in, it will take some adjusting on everyone’s part.”
“You’re going to move in with me?”
“I thought that now that we are mated, we should be living together, but if you’re not ready for it…” Raphael said with a hint of hurt in his voice.
Evan cupped Raphael’s cheek and looked lovingly into his eyes. “I would love for you to move in with me. I want to go to bed every night wrapped in your arms and wake up in the morning still in your arms. You make me feel safe and wanted. I just didn’t think you would want to move away from Micah now that you are finally back together.”
“This is Micah’s pack, his home, his territory. He is alpha here, and I don’t want us clashing. He needs to feel like he has always felt since he started this pack, that he is in charge and he makes the rules and decisions. I don’t want him hesitating or wondering how I will react by his orders. I think it will be the best thing for me to move in with you instead of you and the boys moving in here, because there is no way I am staying here without you, or those boys.
“Plus, there are already a lot of people that live in this house, and I don’t think it would be fair to ask your boys to move in here. They are happy where they are, with you and their brothers in their home.”
“But is it big enough for you?”
“I don’t care how big it is. Well, not for me, but I was wondering if, while Micah was having the house built on and improved already, maybe we could get the contractor to make your room into a suite and add a bathroom just for us.”
“Our room.” Raphael tilted his head and looked at Evan in confusion. “You said your room, but it is our room, and I would like that very much―a place for us to go to be alone and block out the rest of the world for a while, like our own oasis.”
Raphael smiled, pulled Evan against his chest, and then tightened his hold on his mate. “I like that idea―our own oasis.”
Chapter 11
“Micah, I need to talk to you,” Jesse said as he walked into Micah’s
office and closed the door.
Micah finished his conversation on the phone and hung up, looking to Jesse. “What is it, baby?”
“You first. You look really happy. Who was on the phone?” Jesse walked to Micah’s desk and sat on it right in front of Micah.
“Bastian,” Micah said with a big smile. “They’ve decided on names for the little ones.”
Jesse’s eyes went wide in excitement. “Did they tell you?”
“Yes. Our new little princess is Shae Aurora Angel Winthrope. Our little blue-haired boy is Kalen Lomiel Angel Winthrope.”
Jesse sucked in a breath and his tears misted when Micah said they were naming one of the babies with his true fae name, Lomiel.
“And our last little bundle of sweetness is Collin Gabriel Angel Winthrope.”
“Oh, those are such beautiful names. I can’t wait to spoil all of our new nephews and one niece.”
“Even our new nephew, now vampire?” Micah asked with mirth.
“He has been our nephew since he mated Maddy, but if I get to spoil him, too, what the hell.”
They both laughed.
“So what did you need to tell me, sweetheart?”
The smile left Jesse’s face, and he got serious. “I was thinking about Maddy’s twin, Anthony. If he was the one who received all of Alison’s powers and Minos is trying to beat us to him, then we need to look harder. With what you were able to do with your powers, by taking Taylor with you, I was wondering if you could do it just by touching something that Anthony touched. Not actually anything that belongs to him, but just something he had in his possession for a moment in time.”
“I don’t know if it will work with that, baby, but what did you have in mind? I can see the wheels spinning in that brilliant brain of yours and I know you already have an idea.” Micah sat forward and placed his hands on Jesse’s hips.
“Lillian. Remember when we were there, she said that every Christmas since Anthony left she finds a box of her favorite chocolates on her doorstep and that she believes they are from Anthony? Well, Christmas was only a few weeks ago. Maybe she got a box of chocolates.”
“But wouldn’t she have finished them and thrown the box away already?”
“Probably not. If they are her favorites, then she probably enjoys them slowly, like a special treat, and if she believes that they are from Anthony, she may try to make them last as long as possible, maybe even hold onto the box because it’s something from Anthony. She lost everything that reminded her of him or that was his in the storm. This box of chocolate may be the only link, in her mind, that still attaches her to her grandson.”
Micah gave Jesse a big smile and pulled him forward off the desk. Jesse straddled Micah’s lap and wrapped his arms around Micah’s neck. “You are so brilliant, mate. You know that right?”
Jesse returned the smile and shrugged. “I have my moments.”
“You have more than your moments, my love.” Micah pulled Jesse to him and kissed his lips. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss he pulled back quickly and looked at Jesse with worry.
“What is it?” Jesse asked.
“If Minos is trying to find Anthony before us, how safe is Lillian?”
Jesse’s eyes opened wide. He pulled from Micah’s embrace and jumped off his lap in a panic. “Shit, Micah. We need to go to her.”
“And tell her what, baby? That a crazy-ass demigod is after Anthony because he’s a wolf shifter, and oh yeah, he’s also a witch who holds great power?”
“If we have to, yes. She’s Anthony’s grandmother, which means she’s part of our family. We have a duty to protect her. We’ll bring her here and explain who we are and hope for the best. If it doesn’t work out then we’ll have Dante do his mind thing and erase her memories.”
“You’re right, baby. We need to bring her here to keep her safe. I’m sure that once Minos finds out about her, he’ll torture her to try to get information from her.”
“Let’s go,” Jesse said and grabbed Micah’s hand. He walked them to the nearest wall and placed his hand on it. They walked through and disappeared.
* * * *
“Maddy? Maddy, wake up,” Josh said as he shook Maddy’s shoulder.
Maddy slowly opened his eyes and looked at Josh.
“Look,” Josh said and pointed.
Maddy turned his head and looked to the bed where Milo was resting. Maddy bolted upright in his seat when he saw that Milo’s eyes were fluttering, trying to open.
“It may be too light in here for him right now,” Dante stated and got up from his seat. He moved to the switch on the wall and shut it off, then moved back to the bed and turned on the small bedside lamp.
Milo’s eyes slowly opened and Josh gasped. Milo’s brown eyes were now completely black, no whites even showed.
“It’s normal. They’ll shift back soon. It may take a day or two,” Dante explained.
Milo’s head turned in Dante’s direction. “What will shift back, and how did we get here?” he asked in confusion and then looked to his mates. “Why am I so hungry? I feel like I haven’t eaten in weeks, and I just want a…”
“What, Milo? What do you want?” Dante asked.
“I was going to say a big raw steak, but then…then a thought crossed my mind.” He shook his head.
Maddy moved closer and sat on the bed beside Milo, taking his hand.
“Maddy,” Dante warned.
“He would never hurt me. I know it,” Maddy said with conviction and looked to Milo.
“Of course I would never hurt you, babe. I love you,” Milo said, his voice giving his confusion away.
“I know you do, love, and I love you, too, but there’s something we need to tell you, and I’m afraid that when we do you’ll hate us and not want us anymore.” Maddy’s voice came out choked, and he swallowed around the lump that formed there.
“Oh, babe. I love you and Josh more than anything. There is nothing you can tell me that would make me hate you or not want you. Either of you.”
Josh moved closer and sat next to Maddy. “This might.”
Between the three of them, Josh, Maddy, and Dante explained everything to Milo. He remained quiet through the whole thing, but Dante could hear his heart racing at certain points. When they were finally done explaining what happened and who Milo was now, Maddy and Josh got quiet and just stared at Milo fearfully.
Dante prayed Milo didn’t hate his mates or walk away from them. He would talk to Milo and take all the blame. Let Milo be angry with him and hate him. Milo turned and met Dante’s eyes.
“So you changed me?” His question came out in a whisper.
“Yes,” Dante answered simply.
“Everyone tried everything to save you, Milo, but whatever they tried wouldn’t work. Your heart was at a point it was about to stop,” Josh pleaded, trying to get Milo to understand.
“So Dante turned me into a vam…vampire?” Milo asked absently as he stared down at his lap.
“We didn’t know what to do, Milo. We couldn’t bear the thought of losing you, especially not like this,” Maddy said.
Milo held up his hand to stop all other discussion. “Just give me a minute to process all of this, okay?”
Maddy nodded, and he, Josh, and Dante remained quiet. After about ten minutes, Milo broke the silence.
“So I won’t be defenseless anymore? My mates won’t have to worry about me living in their world?”
“We’ll always be worried about you, Milo, like we worry about each other. It’s because we love you,’ Josh answered.
Milo lifted his head and looked to Dante. “I won’t be defenseless anymore?”
“No, you will gain great strength and speed. You will now have a very long life, although vampires are not completely immortal. We can be killed. With training, I can teach you how to disseminate, and you won’t have to wait until you are three hundred to gain a power. We get them pretty much from birth. As a changed vampire, it may take longer, but you will get powers.�
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“And I’ll have to drink blood?” he asked and his face twisted in disgust.
“Yes. As you know, we can eat food, but we need blood to maintain our strength. If we don’t have it, we can get very weak―deathly weak.”
“Does it taste nasty?”
“Have you ever cut your finger, even as a kid and quickly, without thought put your finger in your mouth to clean it away?” Dante asked.
“Yes.”
“And what did it taste like? Were you revolted by the taste?”
“I don’t remember exactly what it tasted like, but I don’t remember being disgusted by it.”
“Basically, everyone’s blood taste different to a vampire. Some taste fantastic while others, not so much, and the blood from your mates is always the best. It is like ambrosia, the food of the gods,” Dante explained with a smile.
“And you’re sure that if you didn’t do this, I would have died?”
“Without a doubt. I could hear your heart struggling to beat. Your lungs were beginning to fill with fluids, and oxygen wasn’t reaching your bloodstream, heart, and brain properly.”
Milo looked back to his lap and sighed. He looked up at Dante again. “So you said this kind of makes you my father. How does that work?”
“You were reborn. I am the vampire who sired you. I could never take the place of your human father, and I wouldn’t want to. You were lucky to have such a wonderful man as your father was, but in our world, if vampires change another being, they take on the parental role in a way.”
“So you changed Christoph and then you…you know?” Milo asked, his face twisting in disgust again.
Dante chuckled. “Christoph was different. I was very young and stupid, and didn’t fully understand the ramifications of changing someone. I wanted him to be mine, my lover and companion. You’re very cute, Milo, but I don’t have any desire for you.” Dante winked at Milo.
