“You’ve just invented a new dance, Lily. The funky duck.”
Both women laughed. A weird expression crossed Lily’s face and she clutched at her tummy. “Mila, I think my waters just broke… or I’ve peed myself.”
Mila looked on the floor where Lily indicated to a large puddle.
“Crap. Call out to Mat and I’ll do the same with Elias. Baby, Lily’s waters have broken. Bring Tia.”
“We’re on it, honey.”
“Ow, that hurt,” Lily wailed.
“Come on. Let’s get you comfortable.” Mila took her hand and went through to one of the spare bedrooms made up ready for a home birth.
Elias had explained all births were at home. If they went to hospital and there were complications, any blood test would show up way too many anomalies about their heritage. A loud wail caught her attention whilst helping Lily onto the bed. She grabbed Mila by the wrist, almost drawing blood.
“Don’t leave me, Mila.”
Mila brushed Lily’s hair from her face. “I won’t, I promise. Mat will be here with Tia soon.”
“LILY!” Mat hollered from downstairs.
“We’re in the spare bedroom, Mat,” Mila called back.
The door almost flew off its hinges. Mat walked in with Tia and Elias hot on his heels.
“Mat can stay. Mila, Elias, would you mind leaving the room please?” Tia was all business and not taking no for an answer.
“Can’t wait to see your beautiful daughter.” Mila placed a kiss on Lily’s forehead and left the room.
“How did it happen?” Elias asked as he popped the kettle on. Mila mused tea would be the order of the day.
Elias leant against the counter, and she moved next to him.
“Lily decided dancing may help to bring on her labour. Well,” Mila said, smiling at the memory. “She waddled like a duck and we both laughed. Then her waters broke.”
“I’d like to have seen that.”
Loud screams floated down to them, followed by expletives being hurled at Mat. Elias flinched.
“I didn’t think she knew that sort of language.” Elias’s eyes were wild.
“Apparently, it’s quite common for women to scream abuse at their partners during labour… you’ve been warned.”
A wicked twinkle shone in Elias’s eyes. “Well, if it’s anything like the language you use in the throes of passion, I won’t be shocked.”
Mila thumped his shoulder and moved over to the kettle. Her cheeks burned because she was extremely vocal during sex.
“Think we’ll change the subject now.”
Five hours later, they’d almost nodded off on the sofa while waiting for Lily and Mat’s baby to come in to the world. A loud cry brought them both to their feet. They headed for the stairs. Tia stood at the open door looking tired, but happy.
“You can go in now.”
Tears fell from Mila’s eyes. Lily was cradling a small bundle in her arms. Mat sat next to her, a look of adoration in his expression while he watched his wife and child. She turned to study Elias. His eyes were filled with unshed tears when he saw his niece for the first time. Mat took the babe and strode over to Elias.
“Hey, Angel. Meet your Uncle Elias.”
* * *
Elias’s emotions overwhelmed him when his brother handed Angel to him. So tiny and perfect in every way. Soft cheeks and a hand which gripped his pinkie with strength. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Hey, little lady. Welcome to the family. You’ll be treasured and loved forever. Time to meet your Auntie Mila.”
He handed her to Mila. The expression in her eyes when she held Angel tenderly in her arms had him imagining what she’d look like holding their own child. She glanced at Elias, and they exchanged a knowing and loving smile.
“She’s perfect. Congratulations to you both.”
* * *
Mila and Elias headed home shortly after Tia had checked over Lily and Angel. What the couple needed now was time alone with their baby daughter. A smile curved her lips as she reflected on the expression of utter adoration on Mat’s face. Elias squeezed her hand and she gazed up at him.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked her.
“The way Mat looked at his daughter and then at Lily. It was the strongest emotion I’ve ever witnessed.”
“Yeah, it really was.”
Elias came to a halt and held Mila’s face between his hands. His lips gifted hers with the tenderest of kisses.
“I cannot wait to look at you in the same way while you hold our baby in your arms.”
And as they continued to walk home, Mila found herself excited at the prospect of one day being pregnant with their child.
* * *
Drake sat in his room and, as usual when he was on his own, his thoughts turned to Mila. She was his obsession now and it made him even more desperate to have her. She’d shocked him with her power, how the earth had quite literally rumbled its anger at him when he’d confronted her in the forest. Attacking him with brambles had been a painful, and a real, reminder of exactly how strong she was. She was perfect to be his mate.
Trials had begun with the shifters and humans they’d captured. Forced to have sex to see if the human took on the shifter’s abilities. When they attempted to add animal DNA in the mix, it became a mess. Horrific monsters were created. Humans with animal heads, claws, tails, or wings. They could still be controlled once the chip was inserted, but far from perfect to become killing machines. Their buyers required soldiers in human form with the ability to shift. Drake was certain this could be achieved before too long.
The soldiers were the last thing on his mind, though. He wanted to be a shifter, with a shifter mate. And nothing would get in his way. One male shifter tried to explain it would never happen if the partner wasn’t their fated mate. This had earned the shifter endless torture, culminating in his death. His father had gone crazy with Drake’s irrational behaviour and warned him never to do this again. There must be a solution to this dilemma. Their scientists were totally focused on this problem. If they could engineer the shifter’s DNA to mix with any human so they could take on their powers, the world would be theirs for the taking. This would be the most lucrative business in the whole world. Already, most of the world’s biggest criminal organisations, and some legit businesses, were clamouring to be put at the top of their waiting list.
Whatever happened, Mila would be his. His to own. His to command. And his to fuck any which way he wanted. Until a time when he gained his own powers from the redhead, he planned to do whatever he desired with her. This had already been agreed with his father. The phone rang, cutting off his daydreams.
“Yes, Dad?”
“We’ve intel regarding Mila. Get to the research facility now. I don’t want to broadcast this over the phone, just in case.”
Drake didn’t need to be told twice. “I’m on my way.”
* * *
Mila and Elias walked to the meeting hall. It had been a week since the birth of Angel. The Protectors’ tradition was to celebrate the baby’s arrival with a huge party to welcome the child into their community. The air around them crackled with excitement. Supernats didn’t have too many children, so it was always a time of big celebrations. Everyone was there, apart from Lily, Mathis, and Angel. They would arrive once everyone was gathered together.
There were several people Mila hadn’t seen before. Some very imposing men and beautiful women; their combined powers had an almost physical presence. They made an impressive crowd.
“Who are they?” Mila asked with awe in her tone.
Elias squeezed her hand. “Whenever there’s a new addition to our Supernat community, heads of some of the other Protectors gather to bring their blessings. Come on. I’ll introduce you to them.”
Mila glanced around at the others she knew. “Where are Josh and Evan?”
Elias sported a secret smile on his face. “Ah, they’ve gone to bring some special guests.”
/>
“Who?”
“No more questions, honey. All will be revealed.”
Elias led her towards the group. Two men and two women. She wondered if they were mated but couldn’t sense that kind of connection between them.
“Mila, I’d like you to meet Mason. Head of the Protectors located not too far from our community.”
The man before her was impressive to look at. Tall and lean, with penetrating black eyes and long black hair. A man mountain. His mouth curved into a small smile. He took Mila’s hand and placed a light kiss to the back of it. She felt a strange pull towards him, almost like a vision, but not quite.
“Delilah.” The name slipped from her lips so easily.
“Mila?” Elias sounded confused.
Mason studied her with intelligent eyes, which narrowed when she spoke. “How did you know that name?”
She shook her head. “I… I have no idea. I’m sorry, my powers are still so new to me. I feel like I’ve had some kind of vision, but without the pictures I normally get. Does the name mean something to you?”
Everyone became silent around them.
“She’s someone I knew… a long time ago.” Mason eyes gazed off to the trees, as though deep in thought. Then his eyes came to rest on hers. “Nothing to worry about. It is a pleasure to meet Elias’s mate. He needs someone to keep him in line.”
Mason behaved as though nothing had happened, but Mila got the impression the name had much more significance to him than he was letting on.
“This is Luna and her mother, Petra. They’ve come all the way from Romania to be here.”
Mila felt an instant connection with Luna. Her hair hung in purple waves almost to her waist. Her eyes were deep navy. One of her eyebrows and her nose sported piercings. Her mother’s hair was brilliant white, and she had gentle blue eyes. Luna reached for Mila and hugged her warmly. Mila pulled back from her.
“Wow, you’re a witch,” Mila stated in awe.
“Yeah, I sure am. If you have anyone, or anything, you want bewitching, I’m your woman.”
She giggled, and Mila joined in, although she could smell the strength of this young woman’s powers. A woman she’d want on her side if there was a fight.
“Luna, always so flippant about our gifts,” her mother chastised, although she could sense the love the two women shared.
Petra gathered up Mila in a warm embrace. “It is good to finally meet you. Elias has been waiting for his mate for a very long time. You have so much untapped power inside you. The forest calls to you. I can hear it even now.”
The woman’s announcement left her to wonder exactly how strong her powers were.
“Last, but not least, this is Morgan. He is the longest serving Protector and has come from Spain.”
“It is an honour to meet you, Mila. Welcome to the Supernat family. There are things we must discuss, but not today. This is a time for welcoming Angel in to our family.”
Like Mason, he took her hand in his and lay a kiss upon it. She gasped and withdrew her hand involuntarily from him. She’d had a vision of a beautiful young woman with pale-hazel, almost golden eyes, and long rich brown hair. His daughter, Manuela. There was pain in Morgan’s eyes, which had hers misting over. The sense she received from the fleeting vision was that the young woman was angry and had run away after an argument. An argument with Morgan, her father.
“Can I take your hand again?” she asked him.
“Mila,” Elias cautioned.
“No, Elias. It’s okay. Tell me what you see, Mila,” he requested and held his hand out to her.
Mila took his outstretched hand. The vision changed to the woman hiding in a forest, not unlike the forest she now called home. She was tired and sad, tears streaming down her face. It changed again. This time, she saw Morgan embrace the woman. There was a man behind Manuela. A man she knew well, but something in her mind warned her to keep this final fact from him. This was something she’d discuss with Lily when they were on their own. Tia had informed her that they could share the contents of a vision with another seer if they required guidance, and she certainly did with this one.
“What did you see, Mila?” Morgan asked in a gentle voice.
“The young woman is your daughter, isn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“Whatever you had a disagreement about, it will be resolved. I’m uncertain when, but it will happen. I can feel it.”
Mila was taken aback when Morgan held her in his arms and hugged her tightly. When he pulled back, he whispered, “Thank you.”
“Here they come,” someone called out.
There were cheers and claps when Lily and Mathis walked in to the clearing. Lily had Angel held tightly to her chest, while Mathis had his arm around his wife’s shoulder. It was the people behind the couple which made her smile widen. Evan and Josh flanked Mary, Jim, and Norman. While people went to greet the newest member of their Supernat family, Mila ran to her close friends. After sharing warm embraces with Norman and Jim, Mila gathered Mary close to her.
“It’s so wonderful to have you here.”
Norman and Jim headed over to Elias.
Mary held Mila’s face tenderly between her hands. “I always knew there was something special about you, love.”
“How long have you known?”
Mary smiled. “For quite some time. I had my suspicions because of the affinity you shared with the forest. Your parents hinted from time to time, but it was almost as if they were too afraid to say anything out loud. But something else confirmed my suspicions.”
“Oh? What was that?”
Her eyes came alive and twinkled brightly. “When I saw you with Elias at our home, when you first came back. The way you acted around each other. You were angry with him, but I could also see interest in your eyes. And as for Elias…”
“What about Elias?”
“Well, he’d already fallen in love with you.”
Mila blushed at the memory.
Mary chuckled and then turned serious. “I am so very happy for you both. You’re a perfect match.”
It felt as though eyes were burning in to her back. Turning around, Elias stood by the door to the hall, watching her intently. Butterflies flipped inside her tummy at the intensity behind his gaze. Mary took her arm, distracting her from her thoughts.
“Come on, love. Let’s get inside. I can’t wait to have more cuddles with Angel.”
As the two women walked past Elias, he took Mila gently by the arm. “We’ll only be a minute, Mary.”
The older woman smiled and headed inside.
“What?”
Elias took her in his arms and planted a sweet, tender kiss on her lips. “You’re amazing.”
Her cheeks burned under his praise and the way his eyes roved over her. “Stop it. You’re making my cheeks colour up.”
“You’ve given Morgan hope he’ll see his daughter again. He’s been all over the world consulting with all our strongest seers and not one has ever seen his daughter.”
“I really hope it comes true then.” She turned thoughtful.
“Did you see something else, honey?”
Mila nodded. “But you know the rules, Elias.”
He sighed heavily. “Of course I do. I’d never ask you to reveal it to me.”
“Good. Now, come on. Let’s go and join the party.”
Chapter Nineteen
Drake entered his father’s office at the research facility without bothering to knock. Luther looked up from his laptop and sighed heavily.
“Drake, I know you’re impatient to hear news of Mila, but please knock in future.”
“Sorry, Dad. So,” he said, seating himself at a chair on the other side of his father’s desk. “What’s so important that I had to drive out here?”
“One of our IT specialists managed to hack in to the computer system at the forest visitor centre.”
“And?” Drake asked with impatience.
“And we’ve been able to reach
the booking system. In two weeks, Mila will be in charge of a party of schoolkids. This will be the ideal opportunity to grab her.”
Drake sat up, eager to start with a plan to capture her. “Dad, this will be the perfect time to take the hounds out to track and hunt her down.”
Luther steepled his fingers together, a vicious grin splitting his lips. “My thoughts exactly. It will also be the ideal time to use the super-strength tranquiliser darts for the first time.”
Drake nodded his agreement. Their scientists had developed a drug which would incapacitate the strongest of shifters.
“I’ll call a meeting within the hour so we can plan this attack with military precision.”
This was the news Drake had been waiting for. Soon, Mila Stubbs would be his.
* * *
The party welcoming Angel in to the Supernat community drew to a close. Family groups headed back to their homes. Petra and Luna were staying with Mila and Elias for the night before returning home to Romania. Mila thought about the vision concerning Morgan’s daughter. There was so much more to the vision, but most was still hidden, apart from the revelation of her mate. Elias and Petra were up ahead, discussing some business. Luna and Mila had fallen behind. A deep frustrated sigh came from her lips.
Luna rested a hand on her shoulder. “You okay, Mila?”
She shook her head and slowed to a stop. “Not really. I’m going back to see Vera.”
“I’ll come with you,” Luna offered.
“Is everything okay, honey?” The gentle caress of Elias’s words brushed her mind.
“Not sure. I’m going with Luna to see Vera about my vision.”
“Okay. I understand. Do you want me to wait?”
“No, baby. We’ll be fine.”
His sinful chuckle turned her insides to mush. “You’ve never called me baby before… I love it.”
“Hey, were you just having mind sex with Elias?” Luna asked, one eyebrow raised in question.
“No. God, Luna, you know how to make me blush.”
Wild Desire (The Protectors Book 1) Page 14