by Leilani Love
Blushing, she nodded. "I will."
He put her down, and she saw Liam watching her. His brow furrowed, he tilted his head, and she knew he was curious what his sons had said to her. Everyone else quickly said their goodbyes, and before she knew it, she was back in the SUV and leaving the dragon's house.
Hope left with Warrick, and she and Liam rode with Damien and Kassandra back down to the small town the wolves had moved to. She held Liam's hand as the ride started out in silence.
"Violca and the doctor will take amazing care of your son," Kassandra said as she looked over her shoulder.
"It's not very often I see a human doctor working on shifters," Liam pointed out.
"No. Doc is one in a million. He grew up in this town, and Viktor helped him pay for school. He started a private practice for a few years, but when he got married and wanted to settle down, he moved back to raise his kids," Kassandra told them.
The car was quiet again, and Emily smiled as Kassandra reach out and took Damien’s hand. When he turned and looked at his mate, his muscles relaxed, and his lips curved in a small smile. Her son was happy and healthy, and that was all Emily had wanted for her children.
When they pulled up to the house, Emily opened the door and stepped out. When Liam stood close behind her, she leaned on him. Her body was tired from all that had happened the last few days.
"Our house is the one right there," Damien said, gesturing to the house in front of them. "And Hope is next door, with the white picket fence."
Emily smiled. "You two never did like being far from each other."
Damien grinned, and her heart swelled with love and happiness. Her voice caught as she confessed, “I’ve missed you so much."
Damien took a step toward her. She did the same, and he wrapped her up in his arms for a big hug. All the feelings she’d had locked away for so long came spilling out, and she burst into tears. She cupped his cheek before stepping away and quickly wiped her own cheeks, grateful when Liam came up behind her and put his hand on her hip, quietly offering his strength.
"I love you, Mom," Damien said and kissed her forehead. He looked at Liam and extended his hand. "Thank you for bringing her home to us."
Liam shook his hand, not sure what to say. When Damien released his hand, Emily laced her fingers with his. Soon, they would need to talk about their future.
"No thanks needed," Liam said.
Damien nodded, put his hand on Kassandra's back, and guided her to their house. Liam let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Why do I have a feeling they’re planning on this being your place when all is said and done?"
Emily smiled, looked up at Liam, and gave a small shrug. "Right now, I’m just grateful for a soft bed and a hot shower. Plus, Kassandra told me someone had brought some groceries for us."
“Very thorough," Liam whispered as they walked up the porch stairs and into the house.
Liam let her go in first. When she turned the light on and the house lit up, she couldn't help but notice all the little touches that made it a home.
"Are you hungry?" Emily asked. "We can see what they brought over."
Liam shook his head. "I just want to get some sleep."
"That sounds great," Emily said. Keeping her hand in his, she led him up the stairs.
Emily looked in the first bedroom on the right. It was set up as a small office. The desk in the center of the room matched the one she used to have. Liam looked into the room on the left and gently tugged on her hand, drawing her with him. This was the master bedroom, a large king size bed in the middle, along with dark cherry mahogany furniture.
They walked in and turned the light on. Emily was pleasantly surprised to see how the room was furnished. The bedding was white with gray and blue accent pillows and matching blue shades.
Curious, she walked over to the open door to the master bathroom. It was beautiful, complete with a claw tub, separate standing shower, and dual sinks. Liam wrapped his arms around her from behind. "This is a very cute house."
Emily nodded. A lump formed in her throat as she blinked back tears. There was no denying they had designed this house with her in mind. She and Liam still had many things to talk about. Her grandbabies were due any minute, and she had already missed so much of her children’s lives that she really didn’t want to miss another minute.
His breath on her neck made her shiver. She turned to look up at him, their eyes met, and in a deep voice, he whispered, "Let’s go to bed."
Chapter 23
Liam could feel the thoughts swirling in her head through their connection. He didn’t want to think about any of that. He didn’t want to make any decisions just yet. What he wanted to do was lose himself in her. He wanted to kiss every inch of his mate and get lost in the pleasure.
Emily’s head bobbed, and her pink tongue came out and licked her lips, causing him to groan. Threading his fingers into her hair, he pulled her close and kissed her. Her lips parted, and his tongue dueled with hers as she arched against his body.
Without breaking the kiss, he slid his hands down her sides and around the curves of her hips. Grabbing her by the ass, he lifted so her feet no longer touched the ground, and walked toward the bed. When they bumped the bed, she broke the kiss and pulled at his shirt, bringing it up and over his head and tossing it aside.
Her pink tongue licked her lips and she smiled, causing his already hard cock to push against the zipper of his jeans, and he growled playfully before dropping her on the bed. With a surprised yelp, she bounced on the bed, laughing. Her eyes met his, and she noticed how his hazel green eyes danced with mischief.
His eyes narrowed, and he hooked his fingers on the top of her jeans. He tugged gently, placing her hips on the edge of the bed and forcing her legs to stay on the outside of his. "What’s so funny, mate?"
While he waited for her to answer, he undid her jeans. He raised an eyebrow, smirking as she bit her lip and rolled her hips. With a slight movement and thud, both her shoes hit the floor. Taking a half step back, he hooked his fingers into her jeans again and removed them in one quick motion, followed by her lace panties.
They hit the floor next to him, and he ran his hands up her outer thighs. "I asked you a question."
She sat up, the tips of her fingers teasingly gliding across the muscles of his stomach. Despite his age, he liked to believe he was still in pretty decent shape. Her fingers settled on the top of his jeans, her lips quirked up in an impish grin. "Because it’s a bit of a rush when you get dropped by a bear."
He opened his mouth to reply, but she wiggled her hand into his jeans and wrapped it around his cock, making him hiss through his teeth.
"I was hoping that wouldn't be the only rush I get tonight," she playfully taunted as she stroked down his length.
"Minx," he teased, and he grabbed the edge of her shirt. His body instantly missed her touch as she released his cock so he could remove her shirt. Her breath coming in short little pants, her nipples poked out of the lacy material of her bra, begging for him to free them. Reaching around, he undid that offending clasp and looked at his prize after she shrugged off the delicate garment and let it drop to the ground.
Her breasts fit his palms perfectly, and he loved the throaty sound of approval as her back arched, pressing them deeper into his hands. He continued to tease her breasts and claimed her mouth with his, swallowing every delicious sound of pleasure that escaped her.
Her fingers drifted along his skin, sliding down his back until they got to the top of his jeans. Her lips curved in the sexiest of smiles as she pushed them down past his hips to his knees. He broke the kiss and kicked them off.
Emily kept her eyes on him the entire time. When he stood before her naked, Emily’s gaze traveled up and down his body. When it landed on his cock, she bit her lower lip, and he growled and bent to lick that lip as he forced her to lay back.
The smell of her arousal mixed with roses hung thick in the air. He broke the kiss to look down at her. His mat
e—his to protect and share the rest of his life with. He knew at that moment he could never ask her to leave the children she’d just reunited with. She had sacrificed everything for the ones she loved. The least he could do was move so she could be happy.
"Liam?" Emily whispered as her fingers traced his jaw, breaking his thoughts and bringing him back to the beautiful woman in front of him.
Giving her a big grin, he worked his way lower, kissing and nipping down her flat stomach, bringing himself to his knees next to the bed. He was positioned perfectly between her legs, her beautiful body spread out before him.
Emily sat up a little on her elbows and looked down at him. When her eyes met his, he winked at her before leaning forward and sliding his tongue up her folds.
She tasted like honey on his tongue, and it took a severe amount of restraint to control the bear inside him, who wanted to come out and lick her delicious folds. The bear was just below the surface when his eyes locked onto Emily's, and he saw her lips part as she made a throaty sound of her own that encouraged him.
His tongue continued to tease her, gliding along her long folds until it brushed the sensitive flesh of her clit. When she gasped and closed her eyes, her soft moan was music to his ears. His lips closed around the pulsing jewel, and he sucked gently. Emily fell back, and her legs tightened around his head tightly as her hips arched up off the bed. He continued to tease her. Her thighs tightened on him even more, and her hand threaded into his hair to pull him tighter against her. He doubled his efforts.
His free hand slid down her thigh, and he easily inserted his finger into her core. When she started to buck against his mouth, he inserted a second finger. The other hand reached under her and held her up, determined to taste her pleasure on his tongue. The way her hips twisted under him, he knew it wouldn't be much longer.
Liam’s focus was solely on pleasing Emily. He alternated between licking from her core to her nub and sucking on that sensitive spot as his fingers continued to slide in and out of her. Emily’s fingers tightened in his hair before pulling hard. As her muscles tightened under him, she screamed, and her sweet nectar flooded his tongue.
Determined to make her pleasure last, his fingers and tongue kept busy until he felt her go limp under him.
Chapter 24
Emily sighed softly as he carefully picked her up and moved her from the edge of the bed to place her head on the pillow, and he stretched out next to her. Opening her eyes, she turned to look at him and felt her cheeks heat up as she noticed his very satisfied grin.
His hand lightly brushed along her side, and she shuddered. Liam leaned down and brushed his lips against hers before pulling back and looking deep into her eyes. "Even in the dark, your beauty shines through."
Feeling like he was talking about more than just her looks, her fingers slid along his jaw, playing with his stubble. "You know your bear can see well in the dark."
Chuckling, he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. "Even a blind man could see your beauty. It shines so brightly."
Emily’s cheeks heated up more as she rolled to her side and kissed him. Her tongue dueled with his, and the kiss deepened. When he rolled to his back, she giggled and broke the kiss to look down at him.
Her fingers stroked his chest. The hair there was springy under her fingertips. When she got to his nipple, she leaned down and flicked it with her tongue. He gave a playful growl, and she did it again. He adjusted his arm around her to smack her on the ass, chuckling when she squeaked in surprise.
When Liam chuckled, she pretended to glare at him, making him laugh. She enjoyed how he laid still and just let her explore at her leisure. Her fingers traced his muscles lower, and she licked her lips. A small wet spot on his stomach drew her attention to the head of his cock, proof that he was enjoying her exploration.
She licked the tip and his entire body tensed under her. She moaned and then slid her mouth down his hard cock. He was too large for her to take too deep. She wrapped her fingers around him as she continued to tease him. Liam’s hand threaded into her hair—not pushing or forcing her to do anything, just holding on, as if he needed to touch her.
She closed her eyes, loving the way he responded to her touch. How his muscles under her hands tensed, the way his hips came up to meet her every time she took him in her mouth, and the animalistic sounds of pleasure as she took him in deeper.
Liam let out a growl just before he jerked her up his body and kissed her roughly as he rolled her to her back and settled between her thighs. In one swift motion, he was deep inside her. Emily’s gasp was swallowed by his kiss.
He broke the kiss and looked down at her. His eyes had changed color again, the bear hiding just behind the surface. They had turned to almost a golden brown that all but glowed. Everything about him seemed bigger. His shoulders felt a little wider, and when he thrust deeper, she bit her lip. His cock was longer, thicker.
Her hips eagerly met his thrusts as she lost herself to the pleasure of him. Each thrust brought her higher and higher. When he bent his head and nuzzled her, she turned her head and offered him her neck in submission.
"Emily," he whispered before his teeth nibbled at her skin. "My passionate, amazing Emily."
Emily tucked her head against his neck as he continued to tease her by suckling on his mating mark, sending a current of pleasure straight through.
When the last of her control slipped, she screamed against his neck and bit down as her nails scratched his back.
"Emily," he growled. His teeth sank into her skin, and he joined her in going over the edge.
When she started coming down, Liam licked where he’d bitten, sealing the mating mark before sitting back and looking at her, brushing her hair from her face.
When his cock slipped from her core, she whimpered at the loss of connection. His lips kicked up in a small smile before he rolled over to his side and pulled her against him. With her head resting on his shoulder and one leg thrown over him, she drifted off to sleep, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
Emily stretched and smiled as Liam tightened his hold on her. When he let out a loud snore, she had to bite her lip to keep from giggling out loud.
It had been a lifetime since she’d been able to sleep through the night and not wake up worrying about her children and when she would be able to see them again. This morning, she woke up knowing they were just a few feet away, and she was safely nestled in Liam's arms.
A soft tap from downstairs drew her attention before the soft squeak of the door opening and her daughter softly said, "Hello?"
Emily grinned and carefully slid from Liam’s arms to get dressed. She knew Hope could hear her moving around upstairs and didn't worry her daughter would leave before she got down there.
Zipping her pants as she walked downstairs barefoot, she smiled when she saw her daughter in the doorway. Hope’s blonde hair sparkled with the light coming in from the morning sun, and her hand rested on her large belly.
"I hope I didn't wake you…I just...I just needed to make sure yesterday wasn't a dream," Hope said, smiling shyly as Emily took the last step of the stairs and approached her.
Emily opened her arms and hugged her daughter as tightly as she could despite the belly between them. "I had just woken up, but you can always wake me up if you want to." Hope smiled brightly at her, and Emily looked down the hall. "Have you had breakfast yet? Your brother mentioned the kitchen is stocked with food. We can see what’s in there, and I can make you something."
"I haven’t yet. That sounds wonderful."
Emily looped her arm with her daughter’s as they walked toward the kitchen. "You and Kassandra both look like I made it just in time to see those beautiful babies born," Emily said as she led Hope to one of the stools on the other side of the island before going to the fridge.
Hope laughed. "The doctor told us it would be any day now. We have a bet to see who gives birth first." Hope paused for a minute before asking, "I don't suppose you know
?"
Shaking her head, Emily grabbed a couple of packages from the refrigerator. "I'm not spoiling that fun." Emily held up what she found. "Eggs and sausage?"
"Sounds perfect. Just wish I was allowed to have coffee with it," Hope grumbled, making Emily chuckle as she started heating up the stove.
Emily went back into the fridge, pulled out some orange juice, and poured her daughter a cup before starting breakfast. She knew Liam would be up soon, so she started a pot of coffee. No need for all of them to suffer.
"I have a million things I want to hear about, but I’m not sure where to start," Emily confessed as she cooked breakfast for the three of them. "I guess…is there anything you want to ask me?"
There was a long moment of silence before Hope finally asked, "Did you always know all of this would happen?"
Emily thought about how to answer as she started making the eggs. "The future is not set-in stone. And oddly enough, the future of those closest to me is the hardest to see. I sometimes catch glimpses of events. That was how I saw Lazarro, and seeing him, I was able to see a few other things to make sure you guys were safe."
"Did you see Father's death? Or that you would be mated to a bear?" Hope asked.
Putting the food on their plates and making one for Liam, she joined Hope on the bar stools at the kitchen island. "Liam was a complete surprise. I never imagined life would bring me two mates." Taking a minute before answering the other part of the question, she finally nodded. "Toward the end, I knew your father would die in a fire. It broke my heart, but I also knew I wouldn’t be able to stop it. That was the hardest thing for me."
Hope was silent, and Emily reached out and took her hand. "Please know I loved your father. I will always love him."
Hope leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I know, Mom. I don't remember a lot, but I do remember that." Hope took a bite of her sausage and smiled. "So, before the big bear comes downstairs, does he treat you right?"