"You are in control. You can stop if you want to. You can choose how fast or how slow," he said. It was almost painful to speak with so much desire making his whole body ache.
He reached between their bodies and touched her slit pushing the lips to the side. She slowly lowered her body until it made contact with his. He let out a groan as her canal engulfed the head of his cock and then finally his entire shaft. It was his turn to fist the blankets.
She remained still on him and he realized she didn't know what to do. He held in a curse and instead forced his hands to unclench the blankets. He brought his hands to her hips and guided her on how to move. He couldn't suppress a groan as she moved back and forth on him.
***
Cyrus filled her. It wasn't painful exactly but she could feel her body stretching to accommodate him. She understood now what he'd meant about her needing to be wet.
She'd had no idea what to do once he was inside her but once he had shown her it seemed easy enough. She found herself looking at Cyrus. He had his eyes closed and his hands clutched the blanket. His chest rose and fell heavily and his face was covered in sweat as she moved on him.
She admired his chest which was covered by a thick dark pelt. On a whim she reached out and ran her fingers through some of the curls between his pink nipples. That earned her a groan. To her surprise his nipples puckered and became erect. Hers had done the same thing when he was licking her before.
She smiled as she reached her fingers out to caress the pink peaks. Cyrus arched his back and let out a feral noise. She was in tune enough with her wolf to know it was a pleasure noise and not one of pain.
She found his body fascinating. She liked looking at him as she gave him pleasure. The sense of power it gave her pleased both woman and wolf.
She began to move faster and harder on his cock and she saw him grit his teeth. Watching him respond was filling her with the same pleasant tension as Cyrus's mouth had. She changed the angle of her movement a little and she felt the feeling intensify. She hadn't expected this to feel good but as she moved against him she realized it did feel very good. It was like nothing she had ever felt before and it didn't take long for her to cry out again as deep within her body she was squeezing against him and pleasure was shooting through her.
Cyrus let out a groan and she felt a change in his body as well. His cock was pulsing and warm liquid was spilling into her. She knew what it was and for one horrible moment the memories of her attack flooded to the surface but she pushed them down.
She began to move on him again but he gently reached up and stopped her.
"I need to rest. You women can keep going again and again. We men are not so lucky," Cyrus said. He did look exhausted and she almost felt guilty for exhausting him so much. The smell of his wolf was near the surface and her wolf was lapping it up.
They were a mated pair now and their wolves knew it. She could feel the warmth of their bonding flowing through her body. She felt calm as she lifted herself off of his cock and slid down beside him curling against his side. He put his arm out and she allowed him to envelope her. She felt safe and warm in his arms.
This was what mating should be like. She knew it in the depths of her body and soul.
She could imagine mating him again. Next time, there would be no fear in her. This was Cyrus. Her husband. Her mate. The man her heart loved.
Chapter 18
Cyrus wasn't sure what woke him but he could tell from the darkness in the room it wasn't yet morning. Remember was sitting up in bed beside him. She had a grimace on her face and she was rubbing her swollen belly.
"I'll go and get Martha," he said softly.
"I'm not sure if it is time," Remember said weakly. He had seen women in the early stages of labor before. He knew it was her time even if she didn't.
"Best to fetch her anyways," he said.
He put on his prosthetic and made his way across the hall.
"Mother," he called.
"Is it the baby?" she asked sleepily rolling to her side to look at him. Cyrus nodded.
"Will you stay with her? I will go and get Martha and then I will let Isaac know." He was sure Rememeber's uncle would want to meet the newest pup as soon as he or she came into the world. Their pack desperately needed some joy after the recent loses.
"Of course," his mother said.
Cyrus hurried down the stairs and grabbed his coat. The cold air hit him as he opened the door but his body quickly made up for the difference.
The next day would bring in the New Year and looking up at the clear sky he doubted there would be snow. They'd enjoyed three days in a row where the temperature raised enough for the snow to melt. Then, the temperatures had plummeted.
As he walked he tried to soak up the fact that today or possibly tomorrow he would meet the pup that he would be raising as his own. It still seemed unreal. Remember and he had only just started to act as a true mated pair. He should have months before a pup entered the picture if their marriage had followed the traditional path.
It was hard to take it all in.
He wondered if she'd chosen a name for the pup. He wondered if it would be the boy she expected or if the child would surprise them both and be a female pup instead. Remember said she was sure it was a boy but Cyrus hadn't given a thought to which he preferred. He hadn't imagined the child or tried to picture Remember's eyes and nose on a tiny pup. He hoped the child would take after his mother. Remember was just starting to recover. How would she handle a pup that looked like the man who forced her?
His mind was like a tornado as he made his way to Aaron and Martha's house. He didn't try to still the thoughts because there was one thought he desperately wanted to avoid. Childbearing was hard on she-wolves. There was always the chance that a mother could be lost. Martha was the best midwife in Iowa and maybe in the whole United States but even she lost women from time to time. With his medical background he could solve some birth problems but not all.
Now that he and Remember had joined together as true mates he didn't think his heart could stand to lose her.
He hadn't expected his feelings to grow so much more intense after their mating. It surprised him. Remember seemed to feel it too. He'd noticed her taking special care with her appearance and finding excuses to stand close to him or casually touch him.
***
Remember had never felt such pain in her life. It hadn't been too bad when Martha first arrived but as the hours passed it became unbearable. She was sure she was dying though Martha said everything appeared normal.
"Almost there. Just a bit longer," Martha said taking a peek between her legs.
"I can't do this," Remember groaned. She was panting and her face was covered with sweat. She had never felt so exhausted in her life.
"You can," Martha assured her.
"You won't recall this pain either. If women did we would never have more children," Tabitha said. She was sitting at Remember's side to assist Martha if anything was needed. Cyrus, Aaron, and her uncle were downstairs waiting.
Their presence was the only thing that kept Remember from screaming the unladylike obscenities which were at the base of her throat. She wanted to curse Jordan for doing this to her. She wanted to curse Eve and the serpent and God himself for the pain she was feeling. She wasn't a particularly religious woman but at the moment she needed someone to blame for her suffering and besides Jordan they were all that she could think of.
"I need to push," Remember said feeling the sudden strong urge.
Martha peeked under the covers again.
"Push with the next pain," Martha instructed.
When the next pain came Remember pushed. She wasn't sure how she found the strength. She felt exhausted, but her body seemed to know there was no rest to be had until the baby was expelled from her womb.
"Just breathe for a moment and wait for the next pain," Martha instructed.
Remember took deep gulps of breath and tried to do as Martha asked. Pain after pain
she pushed.
"I can see the head. It shouldn't be long now," Martha said. Remember wanted her baby born.
The next pain came and then the next. At the third she felt the baby slip from her body.
Martha looked at the child then looked over at Tabitha who stepped over to look at the child as well.
For a moment Remember was sure it was dead but then she heard a lusty cry.
"Is it a boy?" she asked.
Martha nodded but her expression was somber.
Remember pushed herself up so she could get a glimpse of her son. As soon as his tiny body came into view she understood.
"Don't take him downstairs," she pleaded.
"We will clean him up first," Tabitha said softly.
"Then we will need to present him to his father and also to his alpha," Martha said.
"No. Please, no," Remember whimpered.
***
Cyrus' mother walked down the stairs though her steps were slow and her look bleak. He felt his heart drop. He'd heard the child's cry and it was even now making mewling noises so he knew the child was alive. From his mother's look he would have thought it born dead.
"Is it a boy or girl?" Isaac asked.
"A boy," his mother said. She was at the bottom of the stairs now and slowly approaching Isaac.
Suddenly, he heard the noise of running feet above them.
"Remember!" Martha yelled.
His wife raced down the stairs still wearing the nightgown she had given birth in despite the fact it was spotted with blood.
She flung herself at Isaac's feet and grabbed the leg of his pants.
"Don't kill him. Please, don't kill him!" she begged. Tears were streaming down her face and she was pale. He wondered if she was suffering some kind of delusion. Martha was at the bottom of the stairs now as well. She hadn't attempted to keep up with Remember's steps though now she moved forward and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Let me see the child," Isaac said gruffly. His mother handed him the blanket with the mewling baby inside.
Cyrus watched Isaac's jaw twitch as he pulled back the blanket. Cyrus stepped forward for a closer look and drew in a sharp breath.
"Please, uncle. Please, don't kill him. Don't kill him," Remember begged. Isaac wrapped the baby back up and handed him to Cyrus's mother.
"Go back upstairs and let Martha care for you. A woman in your condition shouldn't be out of bed. Your mother would never forgive me if you fell ill," Isaac said.
"My baby? I need to know what you will do with my baby," Remember said.
"Go back upstairs," Isaac growled.
"Uncle, please."
"Don't make me order you back to your bed," Isaac said sharply. He saw Remember look towards her son as tears fell down her cheeks. She let out a whimper as Martha wrapped an arm around her and helped her to her feet. Remember's body was wracked with sobs as Martha led her up the stairs.
"Our pack has lost so much these last few months-" his mother started to say. Isaac raised a hand to silence her.
Isaac took the child from her arms again and handed it to Cyrus.
"Examine him and tell me what you think," Isaac said. Cyrus pulled back the blanket and looked the child over.
"Grab my bag," he said. Aaron did. Cyrus listened to the baby's heart and lungs. They were strong and healthy.
"Well?" Isaac asked. Cyrus could tell he was growing impatient.
"As far as I can tell the child it healthy except for his missing arm," Cyrus said. The child had only a stump above where his elbow should be.
Isaac cursed.
Cyrus understood. If the pup had been sickly the decision would be easy.
It was the custom for sick pups who couldn't contribute to the pack to be killed. He had witnessed such a tragedy once. That pup, Isaac's granddaughter, was so sickly she wouldn't have lived long. Cyrus had seen the anguish from both Isaac and Edgar as they did what needed doing.
Remember's pup wasn't sickly. He was only missing a limb. Most alphas would take the life of the pup not wanting to risk it growing into a weak werewolf who would hinder the pack. Isaac would be perfectly justified in such a decision.
The baby looked up at him with deep blue eyes and Cyrus couldn't help but smile at him in return.
Isaac rubbed his temple and sighed.
"You are the father. I'll leave the call up to you. We already have one three-legged wolf in the pack and he has managed to contribute his fair share. If you are willing to raise this pup as he is I will allow him to live and join the pack when he comes of age," Isaac said.
"I agree to raise him," Cyrus said. It hadn't been a hard choice. He knew the difficulties of being a three-legged wolf and a man missing a leg. They would not make the child's life easy but they were things that could be overcome. It would have been different if the child was the future alpha of a pack as was this baby's birthright. But, he never would be.
His mother let out a breath. He realized she had been hoping Isaac would let the child live as well.
"I'll go and tell his mother," Isaac said.
***
Remember heard footsteps on the stairs and her heart raced. They were too heavy to belong to Tabitha and they were not Cyrus's familiar steps.
Her uncle stepped into the room and stood awkwardly for a moment.
"Did you kill him?" she whispered. She knew it was his right. The pup was born without an arm. It would be the call her own father would have made. If she had married Jordan and the pup had been the heir to the pack there would have been no choice. A three-legged wolf could never lead a pack. She only hoped that her uncle had seen that a three-legged wolf could fit into his pack because of Cyrus. She knew he had been born whole and lost a limb in the war. It was different and her alpha would view it as different. She couldn't blame him for that. But, it still gave her hope and right now she needed that hope. It was all she had. She had given up everything to protect her child. She had left her home and married a stranger. If her uncle killed her son, all those sacrifices were in vain.
"I asked your husband if he was willing to raise a three-legged pup," Isaac said.
"What did he say?" Remember asked. She felt renewed hope rise in her chest.
"You'd best think of a name for the pup so he can be presented to the pack," her uncle said.
"I've already chosen a name for him," Remember said. She hadn't thought much about a name but in that moment she knew what his name should be.
"Tell me his name," Isaac said.
"Alexander," Remember said. Her uncle gave her a brief look of surprise then he nodded.
"I will ask Tabitha to return the child to your care. I will send a message to your mother though, for the moment, I feel we should only tell her a male child was born and that you are doing well," he said. Remember nodded.
"Thank you," she said.
"Don't thank me. Thank Cyrus," he said.
"Thank you for marrying me to Cyrus," she said. It wasn't lost on her what Cyrus had done. Another man would have been relieved at the chance to rid himself of a bastard child. Few wolves would have agreed to raise a flawed child not even of their blood. Cyrus had done it for her and she knew few other men would have made such a sacrifice.
Her uncle nodded again, apparently unsure what to do or say. He turned around and started down the stairs.
***
Cyrus's mother reached for the child but he was loath to let him go.
"You've had him long enough. Give his grandmother a turn to see him properly," she said.
Cyrus allowed her to take the child but his arms immediately felt empty. He knew he shouldn't feel such intense love for the pup but it hit him hard as he held the child. This was his pup. His son. He was going to raise him to be a doctor or whatever the hell else the boy might want to be when he grew up.
He was going to teach the boy to fish, to hunt, and to manage life as a three-legged werewolf.
He heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up. Isaac looked
weary and he could hardly blame him. His decision hadn't been an easy one and he might, even now, be wondering if he'd made the right call.
"We will present Alexander to the pack one week from now. If anything happens keep me informed," he said.
"Alexander?" Cyrus asked.
"My niece thought it a suitable name. If you take issue with it you will need to take it up with her," Isaac said gruffly.
"Alexander," his mother whispered with a smile looking down at her grandson.
"It is a fine name for the lad," Cyrus said.
"Good. I will write to my sister and let her know she has a grandson named Alexander who will be presented to the pack. She will be pleased," Isaac said.
Cyrus was sure she would be pleased. At least until she got a look at the boy. Hopefully, like his mother, she would be enchanted by the child and easily forgive any faults that he might be perceived to have.
Chapter 19
Remember brought Alexander to her breast but he had no interest in it at all. Instead, he wailed loudly. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes again. Martha told her it was normal for women to feel emotional after giving birth but she felt as if she was at her wits end.
She heard footfalls on the stairs and a moment later Cyrus appeared.
"You are sure nothing is the matter with him?" Remember asked for what seemed the hundredth time.
"There doesn't seem to be," Cyrus said.
"Maybe he isn't getting enough milk," Remember said. She'd heard this could happen especially to women who had lots of worries and anxieties.
"I can just look at his belly and see he is getting enough. Could be air in his belly," Cyrus said.
"I did just what Martha showed me to," Remember said feeling the tears coming up again. He hadn't been crying long. Perhaps half an hour but it felt as if it had been ages.
"Let me take him downstairs so you can rest. You will need your strength tonight," Cyrus said.
She hadn't forgotten Alexander was to be presented to the pack that evening but she hadn't thought much of it. This time she couldn't hold back the tears and she felt the heat from them as they ran down her cheeks. She felt anger boil up inside her. She shouldn't be crying.
The Alpha's Niece (Barton Pack Book 1) Page 13