“I’m sure you will.”
Looking between the two of them, she’d be surprised if Heidi wasn’t pregnant by the next full moon. She shook her head and went back to studying the map. What if she ended up pregnant with Jonah’s child? It’s not like they’d ever used protection. She shrugged internally. She’d love to carry his child but like Jennie had just said, the others had difficulty carrying a child to term, if conceiving at all. She had enough shifter in her for that to also be an issue.
“So, the plan will be to load the children and the unmated females onto the school buses and transport them to Virginia?” she asked, trying to refocus on the task at hand rather than the potential for future pregnancy.
“Yes,” Father Benson said. “To Arbor, Virginia. That’s the closest shifter town.”
“Why not the mated females?” Heidi asked.
Liam stared at her. “They won’t leave their mates, lass. Would you get on that bus and ride to Virginia if I were to stay here and fight?”
She seemed to think about it for a moment. “No,” she said finally. “I wouldn’t leave you.”
“They’d die anyway,” the priest chimed in. “if their mate were to perish.”
“You never told me that!” Heidi shrieked, slapping his arm.
“I never really got the chance. Would you have changed anything that happened if you’d known?”
“No! But that’s not the point.” She frowned, and Liam smiled at her, his eyes blue eyes bright with adoration. “Is there anything else I need to know? If you get a paper cut, will I also feel the pain?”
Liam snorted. “I will not succumb to a paper cut. My scales are too thick.”
Heidi rolled her eyes. “I’m not being literal.”
“You’re mine, mate,” he stated plainly. “I will not allow anything to happen to you or to myself, as it would directly affect you. Have no fear. The entire world would burn before harm came to you.”
“You’re probably fireproof,” Jonah told her, ignoring Liam’s declaration to answer her question, “but I’m not positive.”
“Am I fireproof?” she asked Liam.
He shrugged. “Maybe, but you’re human. I don’t know for sure.”
“Try it.”
Liam shook his head. “I will not deliberately burn you.”
“Oh, c’mon. Just spit a little flame right here,” she said, thrusting out her arm. “Right there on the back of my forearm.”
“No.”
“Just like you were going to light a candle. C’mon I want to know.”
“If you want to know so bad why not wait until later?” Maggie asked her. “We’ll light a tealight and you can test it safely without having to ask him to hurt you.”
“Sounds good to me,” Heidi declared as Liam growled at her. She clucked at him. “What? I’m sorry but it may come in handy later to know one way or the other, especially if you decide to set the world on fire as you claim you would.”
It had been a long day by the time Jonah got home. The lights were on inside the log cabin and Jonah loved that he was coming home to his mate. He’d left her with Liam, confident she’d be safe with the dragon and the dragon’s mate. It felt so right, coming home to her, and he hoped to do it day after day for many, many years to come.
Once everything with the fae blew over, he’d talk to her about getting married. Although mates were forever and a more permanent relationship than one of marriage, he wanted their union legally binding as well. He wanted her to have his name. Then maybe they could talk about children.
He caught himself smiling as he went up the steps. Liam opened the door before he reached it.
“I thought one woman was bad enough, but two…” He shook his head.
“Not used to it?”
“No! How long have I lived alone? Eight years? I like my solitude,” he said, coming out onto the porch and closing the door behind him.
“You have a mate now.”
Liam crossed his arms over his chest and stared out into the distance. “Aye, I do. And I wouldn’t trade her wee hind end for any other.”
“You realize they’re going to need to see each other.”
“Aye.”
“You’re going to have to get used to having multiple women around.”
Liam sighed. “Aye, but I refuse to babysit your shifter babes for longer than a day at a time. The two of them are bad enough.”
Jonah laughed at the thought. “And vice versa. I don’t need your dragon young burning down my house.”
The dragon’s chest rumbled with laughter. “Aye.”
Jonah stepped inside the house to see Maggie busy in the kitchen, fixing them all dinner. She rushed toward him as soon as he entered, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Hello,” she said before planting her lips on his. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” He squeezed her ass and she yelped, stepping away from him.
“Go take a shower while I finish dinner,” she instructed with a smile before going back to Heidi, who was sitting at the island, a tall glass of wine in front of her.
He did as she asked before joining them all in the kitchen. Liam sat at his kitchen table – a table he was pretty sure he hadn’t ever used until today – waiting for dinner as the women bustled around the kitchen.
“What are we eating?” he asked, Maggie.
“Venison roast, potatoes, and salad.”
“Sounds wonderful.” He sat down across from Liam.
“Smells even better,” the dragon boasted. “I’m about starved.”
Heidi laughed, putting a plate of roasted potatoes in the middle of the table. Maggie followed a second later, placing the roasting pan down in front of Jonah.
She handed him a knife. “You get to carve.”
He divvied up the portions, putting large chunks on both his and Liam’s plates with smaller, albeit generous, portions on the women’s. He knew how hungry he was, and Liam could probably eat an entire deer himself. Jonah was pretty sure the dragon had done it at least once in his lifetime.
Jonah devoured half his plate before he came up for air. Liam’s plate was empty, and he was already going back for more. Heidi was gazing at her mate, her brow raised, as she chewed. Food was still piled on her plate.
“Hungry?” she asked him after she swallowed.
“Aye, woman.”
She chuckled and went back to her own plate. He glanced up at Maggie to see her smiling. She took his breath away. He couldn’t believe what a lucky man he was to have her here. He never thought the day would come, but it had and here they were, entertaining a dragon and his mate.
“Where are we?” Liam asked him as he popped a potato into his mouth.
“The ground patrol has been double. We have two in the church steeple and two more on top of Martin’s store, watching the skies.”
“When do you want me to fly?”
They’d already discussed Liam checking the air, especially at night when he was able to fly under the cloak of darkness. Even the fae wouldn’t see him, which is what he was counting on if they wanted to attack at night. He’d be able to see suspicious activity within the town, as well as disturbances within the woods between Péine and New Freedom.
“One round after dinner, midnight, and again at three,” he said.
Liam nodded.
“I’ll go with you,” Heidi said.
“No, lass. Stay here and sleep.”
She shook her head. “No, I want to go. I don’t want you doing that alone.”
He sighed. “Alright.”
“Maggie, you and I are supposed to relieve Mike and Al in the church steeple at five.”
She nodded, swallowing. “No problem. For how long?”
“Until eleven, then we’re on ground patrol until five.”
Heidi frowned. “That’ll make for a long day. It’s already almost nine. You guys should get some rest. Liam and I can wash up from dinner before our flight.”
They
finished dinner and retired to bed, leaving Liam and Heidi in the kitchen to clean up before leaving for their first flight of the night.
“How are you feeling?” he asked her as he crawled into bed.
“Pretty good. Pecora said this morning at the church that he can take the stitches out tomorrow.”
Jonah breathed a sigh of relief. She was healing almost as fast as he was. He reached for her, pulling her closer to him.
“You’re wearing too much clothing, mate,” he said, his hand gripping the bottom of her tank top and pulling it up, exposing her breasts.
Her creamy skin lured him in and he caught her puckered pink nipple between his teeth before suckling on the smooth flesh. She moaned softly, her hand trailing down his chest before gripping his already stiff cock in her hand.
“You’re not wearing any,” she said with a sigh.
He grunted as she stroked him, and he suckled with a renewed fervor. He left her breasts then, trailing light kisses down her belly to the top of her panties. Groaning at the obstacle, he jerked them down her thighs. She kicked them off her feet and allowed him to spread her legs, baring her sex.
“I’ll never be able to get enough of you,” he murmured against her skin as he kissed the inside of her thigh.
She reached down, her finger sliding over her clit as he watched. “Good.”
With a growl, he descended, nudging her hand out of the way and latching onto her folds. He suckled until her pussy swelled, dripping with need and want. He found her clit then, running the flat of his tongue over the sensitive bud.
She sucked in a sharp breath, her fingernails raking over his shoulders as she encouraged him.
“Do you want to come, mate?” he asked her.
“Yes…yes.”
He thrust a thick digit inside her, felt the heat and the quivering of her pussy. “You’re close.”
“Yes.”
One finger became two and her filled her, finding her sensitive spot quickly. She writhed beneath him and he savored her sweet taste as her moans filled his ears. Flicking her clit with his tongue, he brought to her rapture, her body quaking, her back arching as she came.
“Good girl,” he said against her sensitive, swollen cleft. “My turn.”
She gasped when he sat up and grasped her hips, jerking her body closer to him. He slung her legs on his shoulders and entered her in one smooth thrust, sinking himself to the hilt. God, she was tight, her pussy still throbbing from her recent orgasm. She felt so good, so right.
He lost himself in the pleasure of her body, seeking his own release as she found hers again. Her pussy milked his cock, coaxing him. Pounding into her, he claimed her again, this time nipping her calf and taking the smallest bit of blood.
Moaning at the sensation, his bit his index finger and placed it on her lips. She took it, sucking his finger like she would his cock. He fucked her until she was coming again, and it was only then that he emptied his seed inside her, filling her to the brim.
“You’re mine, Maggie,” he said, as he spurted inside her clenching body.
She was beyond speaking at that point, her back arched, moaning as he filled her. It felt so right, so good. He collapsed next to her before taking her into his arms. She kissed him then, her mouth dancing slowly over his.
“And you’re mine, Jonah.”
The next few days passed with no sight or sound of the fae. They buried Gerald Martin’s in a plot behind the church, sending him off to the afterlife with tears. Every time Maggie passed the boarded-up store, her heart clenched in her chest. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.
Every day they searched the skies for an impending attack, not knowing what to expect but knowing that it was coming. Scouts were sent out into the woods, into No-Man’s-Land, where they watched as squirrels in the trees or rabbits on the ground, searching for any sign of fae movement. There was none.
During the day Jonah and Maggie drove the town perimeter. They received updates from Mike, Ronnie, or whoever was scouting when they went home at the end of their allotted time. Dan and Al chose to stay in the woods, getting closer and closer to the fae portal, aware of the risk. Jonah had advised against it, but they had insisted. Having the men out there would provide the town with more time when an attack was imminent, but it didn’t stop Maggie from worrying about their safety.
Heidi and Liam patrolled the skies at night while Jonah and Maggie rested. The more time passed, the more it began to frustrate Maggie. They knew the fae were coming, but not knowing when was driving her up the wall. What were they waiting for?
The elders were asking the same thing to which Jonah had replied, “Reinforcements.”
“We haven’t seen any sign of additional fae moving toward Péine,” Clyde said.
“No,” he replied with a shake of his head. “I imagine you wouldn’t. Why would the fae want us to see them? Most likely they’d construct portals within Péine to allow them to move freely from one fae village to another, but we won’t know until they decide to attack.”
“You think they’re prepping for an ambush?” Rick asked.
“It’s a possibility,” Jonah replied. “One we definitely need to consider. I know you said the council won’t budge but have we tried reaching out to any of the other factions?”
Clyde shook his head. “No, this is our fight. We cannot ask others to fight for us.”
Jonah hadn’t replied, but when they’d gone back home that night Maggie could tell he wasn’t happy.
“You think we’re going to need reinforcements?” she asked him as they climbed into the bed.
He sighed, pulling the blanket over their bodies before wrapping his arms around her waist. “I think we will, but I don’t know who we could ask.”
“Shifters?”
“They’re already hosting our evacuees,” he said. “Travis said a few unmated males have come from Virginia to help us, but not many.”
She bit her lip. “Dragons?”
Jonah buried his face against her shoulder. “Liam was already told by Collum, his commander, that he had to stay out of this fight.”
“But he’s helping, isn’t he?” Maggie asked, suddenly confused.
“Of course he is. Collum also doesn’t know that Liam mated a human, so at this point I think Liam doesn’t really give two shits what his commander says. He’s going to do what he wants to do. All I’m saying is that he’s not in a position to ask for help nor would we get it from them if he did.”
“The warlocks are a no go.”
“Obviously.”
“Witches?”
“Mostly in hiding. Too scared of drawing attention to themselves, thanks to the warlocks.”
“Werewolves?”
“I’ve considered that. Our town has never been anti-werewolf like some of the others and Cantor is only a few hours away…”
“I could always call my father,” she offered, knowing that she’d have to face her father at some point. He’d be wondering why she hadn’t returned soon and eventually, if she didn’t come home, he’d start calling or come looking for her. “He may be willing to approach some of the higher-ups in town.”
Jonah kissed her shoulder. “I’ll sleep on it. It’s already after midnight.”
Maggie fell asleep not long after Jonah, her mind still turning different scenarios over in her head. As worried as she may be, she couldn’t allow it to eat her up or she’d stop thinking clearly and now, more than ever before, she needed to think.
“Wake up, Maggie,” Heidi said, touching Maggie’s shoulder and snapping her awake.
Jonah shot straight up in the bed. “What’s wrong?”
Heidi stood straight, her brown hair a tangled wind-blown mess at having sat on the back of a dragon for several hours. Maggie sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed, knowing that Heidi wouldn’t have come into their bedroom before dawn to wake her up if it wasn’t an emergency.
“They’re coming,” she said before turning on the bedsi
de light and blinding Maggie. “Get some pants on.”
Maggie thrust her legs into her jeans before following Jonah, who was pulling a shirt on over his head, into the living room. Liam was waiting for them, leaning on the arm of the chair, his hands thrust into the pockets of his jeans.
“What did you see?” Jonah asked him.
“I didn’t see anything myself,” he replied. “Al alerted Ronnie, who alerted me. They’re flooding out of the portal. I didn’t want to fly over there so they’d see me and know I’m here since the sun will be up soon.”
“How many?”
“Al said there were at least six hundred and more coming still. It’s as you expected.”
“They’re arranging an ambush.”
“That’s what Al and Dan believe and I think they’re right.”
Heidi’s eyes were wide as she looked at Maggie. Maggie was still processing what Liam was telling them. Six hundred? New Freedom wasn’t prepared for that, they didn’t have the numbers to be able to fight that many fae. They only had around three hundred themselves, some of whom were over seventy.
“Where are they?” Jonah asked, already moving toward the phone.
“As of an hour ago they were still in their territory.”
Maggie could see Jonah calculating in his head. She was doing the math as well, calculating the distance it would take them to travel between Péine and New Freedom on foot. She couldn’t begin to think how quickly they could get to New Freedom if they flew.
“Midday?” she asked him.
Jonah shook his head. “Not with that many. They wouldn’t fly in either as we’d see them coming. Maybe late tonight or tomorrow morning.”
Jonah picked up the phone and started dialing.
“Where did all the fae come from?” Heidi asked Liam. “When we were there it didn’t look like they had that big of a population.”
“Le Brouillard and Aurora are both under Roarke’s rule. I guess that he pulled troops from there.”
“Le Brouillard?” Maggie asked, not familiar with the village.
“It’s in Quebec,” Liam supplied as Jonah wandered into the kitchen as he spoke to someone on the phone whom Maggie could only guess was either Travis or Rick. “Aurora is in the Pocono mountains, but I think they’re smaller than either Péine or Le Brouillard.”
When Sparks Fly (Netherworld Series Book 3) Page 21