Mated for the Holidays: A Holiday Mpreg Romance in the Hemlock Mpreg Universe

by Maggie Hemlock

  Luc’s dick twitched wildly inside my body as he rode out the waves of pleasure sending us both close to the edge of orgasm. I bit my lip but couldn’t hold back the howl that tore from my throat when his warm sticky seed exploded inside me. He thrust hard and fast spending the last of his passion as orgasm rattled my brain. Luc kept his arms around me as we panted. Our passion was spent, for now.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Luc

  Aidan curled into my side and I wrapped my arm around him. Glancing towards the ceiling, I remembered the broken headboard crafted from Other World materials. I’d have to replace it because repairs were beyond earthly carpenters’ abilities. I tossed a sheet over it to prevent more wood from showering onto us while we rested.

  “Sorry about that. I really am,” Aidan bit his lip.

  “Don’t let it kill your mood. When my magic was waking up, I blew up a microwave, because the middle of my burrito was still frozen when I bit into it.”

  “A microwave?” He laughed.

  “Yeah. I shoved the damn thing back in and slammed the door. Pushed the button and yelled at it to cook. It blew up. Thankfully, my magic also decided I was worth shielding.”

  “Thank you, magic,” Aidan laughed.

  His green eyes glowed with the satisfaction of good sex and great company. He nuzzled into my shoulder and I kissed the top of his head.

  “Wonder what our kids will break?” Aidan looked up at me.

  “Hopefully not us. There’s a story in our family about my grandfather. He was a crunchy old bastard, but a damn good mage. When he was younger, he blew off his grandfather’s leg while trying to cast a netting spell.”

  “Damn!” Aidan cringed.

  “Don’t worry. Magic follows the personality of its host. You’re not an asshole.”

  “I can be. This year I cheated when we did the coin toss and stuck Gloria with envelope stuffing,” he smirked. “I hate that job.”

  “Hire someone to do it.”

  “I don’t trust anyone with my clients’ personal information,” he said.

  “Next year, I’ll let you borrow Barric. As an apprentice he’s supposed to do the grunt work.”

  Aidan turned onto his back and looked up at the ceiling.

  “Do you still not like the idea of Barric?” I rolled to my side and asked him. “He’s not as much of a pain in the ass as I make him sound.”

  “It’s not that. How much do you trust him?” Aidan asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Enough to live in the same house with our future children?”

  “I was out cold for two years. He could’ve tried to off me or rob me blind and the worst thing he did was use all my dragon scales trying to perfect a shielding spell. Likely so he could put a shield around me when he had to go home for the holidays and help his parents out,” I said as I realized what he was trying to do.

  “Okay. I trust him then.” He said and fell quiet for a moment.

  Even with our mate link open some parts of Aidan remained a mystery. He naturally kept his thoughts close to himself.

  “Alpha,” he reached out over the link.

  “Yes, mate?”

  “I’m just testing to make sure it’s working.”

  “Why wouldn’t it?”

  “Because your head is so quiet over there.”

  “I think we’re both naturals at keeping our thoughts to ourselves.”

  “What are you thinking about?” Aidan asked.

  “I was wondering what you were thinking about.”

  “It was meant to be,” he chuckled.

  “Do you think we conceived?” Aidan sat up and leaned over to grab another water bottle from the minifridge.

  “It’s highly likely. There is a prophecy which speaks of our future child,” I grinned at watching him make himself at home inside my den. “We didn’t use any preventatives either. Your magic is just waking up and looking for an act of creation. What better act than conception of a child?”

  “When you’ve thought about children have you imagined boys or girls?” Aidan asked handing me a water bottle.

  “Both more or less,” I shrugged. “Montero are famous for their male births, though.”

  “I’ve always wanted to name my first son Edgar after Edgar Allen Poe. I know that’s ancient history, but I still love his stories.”

  “I think that’s a sophisticated name. Edgar Montero-Gilmore,” I said.

  “What about a middle name?” He asked. “I picked the first name.”

  “Not Lucian,” I shook my head. “I wouldn’t curse a child with that asshole’s name.”

  “You didn’t turn out like your namesake,” Aidan laughed and scooted closer to me.

  Even with our mate link open we longed to be close to each other. Our wolves pulled us together. Aidan climbed into my lap and looked at me.

  “What?” I laughed.

  “I’m trying to find your harpy features.”

  “Harpy features?” I arched a brow.

  “We descend from harpies. We should look a bit like them.”

  “We look like wolves,” I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him in close.

  “Again?” He looked down at my hard dick.

  I claimed his lips in a hard kiss.

  The rest of our night was an alternating pattern of mating, showering, and discussing everything we knew about harpies and angels. Angel was the human name, but humans were good at remembering strange bits of lore better than others. Outside of the basics and what Aidan learned from his harpy friend Zera we didn’t know much.

  We drifted off to sleep sometime after three. Sleeping with another person was both strange and wonderful. Aidan preferred the left side of the bed. As did I. I gave it to him both for his comfort and because sleeping on the right put me between the door and him. Anyone coming in would have to go through me first.

  My dreams were a mishmash of Aidan and magic. With cinema like speed he went from laughing with his flat lean abs to pregnant to carrying a laughing baby boy on his hip. The baby looked up at me with big blue Montero eyes as windows shattered and fires spread through the house. A cloaked woman laughed and said the child must die.

  I woke with a start. My fingers tingled as if they planned to spark. My hands were still, but Aidan’s fingers trembled and twitched. An ember sparked from his index finger.

  “He’s feeling you in his sleep,” my wolf said.

  “Shhhh… It’s okay,” I whispered over our mating link and ran my hand over his.

  Aidan’s fingers fell still. He snuggled into his pillow grinning. It was just after seven the time I always woke up regardless of when I went to bed. Alphas needed less sleep than omegas as a general rule. Magic users found themselves with more energy than their non-magic carrying counterparts as well. I crawled out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Without anyone awake to call me lazy I ported downstairs. I’d never been a morning person and finding my true-mate wasn’t likely to change that.

  I turned on the coffee pot and opened the fridge to find something to eat. I grabbed one of those goofy fruit smoothie bottles Barric lived on. It’d have to do until Aidan woke up for breakfast.

  “Does Aidan know how to get downstairs by himself? He didn’t explore much yesterday,” my wolf said.

  He has a nose. Besides, I’m sure he saw the layout of the manor when we exchanged vows. It’s not top secret. Just complicated.

  “Let’s wake him up. I miss him. Besides, it’s snowing, and he likes snow. Let’s wake him and show him the snow,” my wolf said.

  You’re in a better mood than usual.

  “Mate is here. It’s a good day. Let’s go wake him up.”

  Let him get some rest. We tired him out last night.

  “Soon, though.”

  Okay. Soon.

  I tried not to roll my eyes at him, because it would mean rolling them at myself. Being downstairs was a little further than I was comfortable being away from Aidan this soon,
but he needed his sleep and I needed coffee. I slept enough in the last two years to last me a damn lifetime.

  Usually when someone meets their true-mate they called their families and friends and told them not to worry about them when they went MIA. I had a cousin in Europe, but most of my family and friends had either moved on or lived lives that didn’t include me. Magical study turned me into a hermit of sorts. I was about to head off for a shower while the coffee percolated when my phone rang from the coffee table where I left it the night before.

  Damn it! Shut up before you wake him up!

  I sprinted into the living room and answered it without checking to see who the caller was.

  “Magi Montero!” Barric’s cheerful voice rang through the phone. “It’s a boy! An eight-pound baby boy! I’m not the only son anymore! They’ve named him Max! I have a brother! He inherited my carrier’s wolf. He’s the first of us to get it. He’s over the moon! Father isn’t sure how to handle it.”

  “Congratulations,” I grinned. “How’s your carrier?”

  “Elated not to be full of a baby anymore!”

  “Good. I have some good news too.”

  “You’re going to tell me the missing ingredient in the shield spell?” He asked his tone hopeful.

  “Well, two pieces of good news then. The first is I won’t charge you for the dragon scales. Were you trying to figure out how to shield me while you went home?”

  “I had to go, and I didn’t think you were going to wake up,” he laughed.

  “Your holiday bonus will be in the mail today.”

  “Thanks, Magi Montero. What’s the other good news?”

  “You were right about Mated for the Holidays.”

  “Oh! I’d forgotten all about that! How are you and your holiday omega getting along? Well I hope.”

  “Better than good actually.”

  “You got lucky last night! That’s why you’re in such a good mood this morning,” Barric laughed.

  “More than that. Aidan Gilmore showed up in my driveway yesterday. This morning he’s wearing my claim mark as his newest fashion accessory.”

  A thump sounded from the other end of the line and Barric swore under his breath.

  “Sorry, Magi! I dropped the phone! Are you serious? Your true-mate showed up at your door through Mated for the Holidays?” Barric asked.

  “Yes. Thank you for that, apprentice,” I said.

  “Wow. Maybe I should sign up next year,” he laughed. “I’ve gotta go. One of the girls is trying to eat the cat’s food again and Sugar is having none of that.”

  “Happy holidays, Barric.”

  “Happy holidays!” He ended the call.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Aidan

  Somewhere beyond my sleep fogged mind a shower turned on. Sleepiness pulled at my mind, but I was too excited to stay in bed. The air smelled like snow and somewhere in the house my true-mate waited for me to wake up. The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans wafted up from downstairs.

  “Alpha!” My wolf yanked on our shared link with Luc.

  “Good morning, mate!” Luc’s wolf called back. “I wanted to wake you up earlier, but the mage is dense.”

  “Sleepy still, but it’s snowing.”

  They chatted back and forth while Luc showered. I swung my legs off the bed to find my phone. Gloria always poked fun at me, because I checked my e-mail the first thing in the morning. I scrolled through dozens of e-mails from omega clients thrilled with their matches and showing off early Yule gifts they received upon arrival at their holiday homes. By the time I finished I was grinning like a fool and couldn’t stop.

  Standing up, I examined my naked reflection in the big mirror on the back of Luc’s closet door. My abs were still as flat as ever, but it was too soon to tell whether or not we conceived. Even shifters took a bit of time to show a baby bump or for the over the counter tests to work.

  Since Luc was still in the shower, I called Gloria to check in.

  “Aidan!” She said in lieu of hello.

  “Everything good on your end?” I flopped back onto the bed.

  “Whatever happened to the program has it shooting out more matches than ever. I haven’t called clients, because I don’t want to mess with their holidays, but I think the program updated itself or something. It even rematched you and Luc at ninety seven percent compatibility.”

  “Damn straight we’re a perfect match,” my wolf said. “Hear that, Alpha? We’re perfect for each other?”

  “Fate doesn’t lie,” Luc’s wolf answered. “What do you want for breakfast?”

  I zoned their conversation out and turned my attention back to the phone call.

  “I hope that’s all it was. Don’t tell anyone else until I come home and have a look at it,” I told her.

  “The only other person who knows is Zera. She misses you, Aidan. She slept in your bed last night. She doesn’t know what to do with herself. She’s free to roam the earth and her partner in crime is off romping with a Montero.”

  “Is she awake right now?”

  “She was still out cold the last I checked,” Gloria said.

  “Thank you for being nice to her.”

  “I’m not her biggest fan, but I know how it is to ride solo. Yesterday wasn’t as much fun without you,” she said.

  “I’m sorry,” I sat up. “Let me talk to Luc. We can come visit today.”

  “Don’t you dare! I’m wrapping Yule gifts and I’ll already have your harpy lurking around trying to figure out what I bought for you. Besides, this is the way life’s supposed to go. We meet our true-mates and spend a little time apart.”

  “Not too long, though,” I said. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you too. We’ll see each other soon, though.”

  “We all should get together for Yule.”

  “We will. If you guys host, I’ll even figure out a way to hide Zera’s wings long enough to smuggle her to Montero Manor,” Gloria laughed.

  “You’re in a good mood.”

  “I’m happy for you, Aidan and last night I did some online retail therapy. The drone arrived at five this morning.”

  “Oh! Watcha buy me?” I laughed.

  “Plenty, but you’ll have to wait until Yule to find out what!”

  “Can you keep a secret?” I asked her.

  “What sort of secret? Does Montero Manor have skeletons.”

  “Maybe. I’m not sure if they have onsite burial,” I laughed. “It’s not about the house. It’s about our family and Luc’s.”

  “Hmmm?”

  The familiar crinkle of wrapping paper sounded in the background.

  “There’s a prophecy about us. One of our great something grandfathers made it,” I said and explained it to her.

  Gloria was quiet for a long moment.

  “Morning!” Zera yawned somewhere in the background. “Did you remember to order more pumpkin spice coffee?”

  “Hang on, Zera. Go in my closet and look for a cloak to cover your wings. Then check the lock box in the attic for any of Grandma Rosa’s illusion charms. We have to go to Montero Manor.”

  “What did that brute do to Aidan?” Zera asked.

  “GUYS!” I shouted over the phone. “What’s going on?”

  “That prophecy could be real. What if some human doesn’t like the idea of harpies coming back and they come for you?”

  “I’m fine. We haven’t told anyone else. Only we know about it. You two relax. Get to know each other and make friends. I’m safe. Really, I’m safe. I’m sure Montero Manor is just as much of a magical fort as our house is. Besides, I’m not ready to give up my alone time with Luc yet. I just found him. It feels like I’ve known him for both all of two minutes and my whole life.”

  “Awwwww!” Zera sighed in the background. “I love you, Aidan! Tell that brute if he hurts you, I’ll disembowel him!”

  “I love you too, Zera! Don’t enjoy the pumpkin spice too much without me!”

  “You two make my sto
mach turn,” Gloria rolled her eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay, Aidan?”

  “Yes, and if that changes, I’ll poke you on the coven link, okay?” I assured her.

  “Good. Now enjoy your day. Have you had breakfast yet?”

  “The servants are cooking it right now from the smell of things,” I grinned.

  “Good. I have a lot of gifts to wrap. Call me later, okay?”

  “Have fun! Play nice with Zera!” I ended the call before Gloria had time to protest.

  I put on the fluffy red robe hanging on the other side of the room and headed downstairs. I had to hold the bottom of the robe up not to trip over it.

  “Did the servants ever bring my stuff in from the car?” I asked Luc as I walked into the kitchen.

  “It’s in the bedroom I set aside for you, but we’ll get it in the right places today. I ordered a few Moonscale desktops for you this morning. I wasn’t sure what you needed to run the business. They’ll be here in a few days. I figured if you wanted you could turn that room or any of the empty ones into your office here if you wanted.”

  “Thank you, Alpha,” I rose to my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

  He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in for a real good morning kiss.

  “I’ll have to go home and put in the server passwords to allow the new computers onto my network before I can use them for business,” I said when the kiss broke.

  “We can make that trip,” Luc grinned.

  “Not today. Gloria’s all on edge over the prophecy.”

  “I’m not letting you out of my arms today,” he said and leaned his forehead against mine.

  “Hopefully you will long enough for me to eat and grab a shower,” I laughed.

  “We’ll see,” he smirked and kissed me again.

  Chapter Twenty

  Luc

  After a morning of romping and eating we turned around the sofa in the living room to face the window and watched it snow. Bright sunlight flooded into the room, but the sun didn’t shine as brightly as Aidan did when he watched the white fluffy stuff. He leaned into my side and rested his head on my shoulder.