Primal Claim

by Marie Johnston

  If anyone can get through to the kid, it’d be the master.

  Mercury thought back to the first sensation that rolled through him when he caught the young male’s scent. “Anyone tell him yet?”

  “That he’s a future Guardian? No, Master Bellamy felt it was better to wait. Get him better, find out where he’s from, and then start training. Duty calls. See ya, bro.”

  Mercury heard the same summons as Bennett from Commander Fitzsimmons. They were improving so much maybe they wouldn’t need to text each other anymore. It’d make field missions pretty cake without the extra radio gear.

  “Was I supposed to hear that, too?” Dani sat up, leaning over him, her hair brushing against his face.

  He twined the soft strands around his fingers. “Probably not. We’re not sure how much we can hone our skills. Master Bellamy’s theory is we’re getting our control back as we find our mates.”

  She smiled a bit forlornly down at him. “I hope I don’t lose too much after the baby’s born. It’ll be too hard to keep up with you guys.”

  “It’ll be easier when we’re officially mated. How about tomorrow?” Caressing the side of her face, he brought her down for a kiss.

  Her lips parted in surprise at his question and he shamelessly used the opportunity to plunder her sweet warmth, sweeping his tongue inside. She instantly melted against him with a little purr and stroked her tongue against his.

  All too soon, she pulled back with a hand on his chest. “Are you up for the ceremony? Or more importantly,” her voice dropped a husky octave, “the mating?”

  Was he up for it? He’d been up for her since he regained consciousness, but her concern for him wouldn’t allow him past first base. She said he needed to rest so he could heal. Then he had proven her right by passing out again.

  “Let’s practice right now.”

  Halting him with an infuriating hand on his chest, she gave him a placating look. “You still haven’t gotten out of the infirmary. We’re not having sex here.”

  “Okay. Let’s go to the cabin.”

  This time when she stopped him with the hand, he snatched it off his chest and nipped at her palm, then licked over the nips, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

  When Dani’s cheeks flushed and he heard the catch in her breath, he was ready to grab her caveman-style and head to their cabin.

  “Three more days,” she said firmly.

  Son of a bitch! “Now.”

  Her mouth quirked up. “Two and that’s final. We know the commander is ready to mate us and has the dagger thingy.”

  “Gladdus.”

  “That thing. And I’d like a nice dress. Kaitlyn volunteered to go out shopping for it. But most of all, I’d like you fully recovered.”

  “I can be fully recovered tomorrow.”

  “Not according to Dr. Garreth.” When he opened his mouth to argue, she talked over him. “I don’t want to get cheated out of a ceremony. I want one thing between us to be traditional and proper.”

  Ah. Now Mercury got it. She needed the security. He was afraid when he filled them all in on Madame G’s claims that he could choose his own mate that Dani was insecure despite her “Damn right you chose me” response. He was worried she’d lost confidence in them and would keep putting off their mating ceremony, but she was worried they would rush it and risk his healing, thereby risking their mating.

  “Fine.” He wrapped her in a big bear hug. One where she wouldn’t feel pressured by being lined up with his ever present erection. “But once the ceremony’s done, I will thoroughly pillage your body.”

  She relaxed over him. “Counting on it.”

  She was beautiful. The sun was filtering through the trees, its rays landing on her, giving her an almost unearthly glow. Dani’s dark eyes sparkled with affection and excitement, her dark chocolate hair swept up into a soft bun that he planned on undoing minutes after this ceremony was done. The feminine, lacy pearl-colored gown she wore with casual grace would be stripped off before her long locks could cascade over her shoulders. An imperceptible growl began deep in his chest at the thought of officially claiming his mate.

  “Dude,” Bennett chided, “can ya wait? I don’t think Dani will care for the old way of completing the bonding ritual in front of witnesses.”

  Dani’s eyes widened as the meaning sunk in, and Mercury scowled at his friend and partner.

  Commander Fitzsimmons cleared his throat and the Guardians snapped to attention. Mercury faced his lovely mate. Other than the commander, they were the only ones on the porch of his cabin. The rest of the Guardians, along with Cassie, Irina, and Dr. Garreth were below on the ground witnessing the ceremony. Afterward, they would filter to the lodge for a celebration that Mercury and Dani may or may not attend. Probably not. Mercury had plans.

  Kerrice and Parrish did not attend. Kerrice was still leery of strangers and preferred isolation. She agreed to intense counseling with Cassie and then had plans to return to her clan despite Dr. Garreth’s apprehension. The pale-haired, pale-skinned Parrish preferred being alone with an Xbox, and since he was still mentally recovering, they let him be. Once they were all fluent in sign language, including Parrish, then it was game on and he’d start his training.

  Commander Fitzsimmons ran through the vows, the revenant tone in his voice bespoke the significance of the act. A hush fell over the crowd as the ceremonial dagger was slid between their clasped hands and drawn back out smoothly and rapidly. Mercury gripped Dani’s hand tightly, willing any pain to be absorbed by him as their blood mingled, bonding her life force eternally to his.

  The small crowd waited with breathless anticipation while the ceremony drew to a close. When the commander said the final words, Mercury yanked Dani into his arms where his grin smashed into her grin, and they both laughed as they melted into each other.

  Sliding Dani back down his length so they could suffer the delay of the congratulatory backslaps and handshakes, they graciously accepted well wishes from their closest companions before Mercury swung Dani up and mentally commanded his cabin door to open.

  He quickly crossed the threshold with his bonded mate and closed the door to Bennett’s “time to party” announcement. Going straight to the bedroom, Dani was already unbuttoning his black dress shirt.

  “I thought that ceremony was never going to end,” she said breathlessly.

  “You’re telling me,” he growled, capturing her mouth again.

  Tongues tangled while hands worked between bodies. She finished with his buttons, sliding the shirt back and down his arms, while he pulled her delicate dress up.

  Somehow, Mercury managed to maneuver around hands aiming for the clasp to his pants, and pulled her dress completely off. He got a good look at his almost bare mate.

  Holy. Shit.

  How had she snuck those past him?

  And would she be pissed if he ripped them off?

  Pausing with the fly of his pants, which was proving to be difficult with the pressure straining against the zipper from behind, she looked up through her eyelashes at him.

  “Do you like?”

  “Fuck me. I likey.”

  The soft, satin swells of her breasts were cupped by a small scraps of lace with a fragile clasp in between that had an alarmingly low life expectancy. High and plump, her breast size already increasing with pregnancy, they defied gravity. The flimsy fabric was for decoration, its only functionality to incite painful lust in an already strung out male.

  Eyes traveled down her toned, firm body to the even smaller scrap of white panties. He could see everything, but the material still symbolized a barrier to what he wanted most. What had been calling to him for weeks since he’d been taken. Almost two weeks, but it had felt like forever.

  “These pants need to be off.” Before she could tug at his waistband again, he ripped his pants off while devouring her feminine curves with his eyes.

  Picking her up one last time before they never left the bed for days, he spread her out on
the bedspread, stretching out over her. Settling gently down on top of her, he saw her bun was still holding together.

  Reaching up, he plucked the hair tie out and fanned out the dark brown strands.

  “You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.” She was his. She left everything she knew for their child and trusted him before she even knew him with a life she held above her own.

  “You’re pretty magnificent yourself.” Her hands roamed his body, obviously enjoying tracing the planes and ridges of his muscles. He aimed to please.

  “But am I the most magnificent?”

  Loving the twinkle in her eye, she laughed. “It’s so obvious, I don’t need to say it.”

  He nipped at bottom lip. “I love you, Daniella.”

  She cupped his face with both hands. “I love you too, Mercury Santini.”

  His new name rolled smoothly over her tongue. He finally had a last name. A name that wasn’t made up just for him because no one knew his origins. A name he earned by getting the woman who blew his dreams away to fall in love with him.

  Their lips met for a tender kiss. Her citrusy scent teased his nose and he had to have more. Kissing a trail down her neck, feeling her shivers under his hands, he blazed a path down to the useless lingerie snap. With a flick it was gone and her rosy peaks were bared for his mouth.

  Her hands stroked through his hair as his tongue swirled, tracing each nipple, like he was committing every inch of her to memory. However, there was very little of her left that hadn’t been permanently imprinted on his brain.

  When he felt his mate getting impatient, rocking her hips into him, he continued his trail down to her delicious warmth.

  Damn those few square inches of lace. One flick of his wrist and they were gone.

  “You didn’t like them?” Dani inquired innocently, but the huskiness of her desire told him she also thought they were better off.

  “Fucking loved them, but they had to go.”

  She gave a sexy chuckle that dissolved in a slight gasp when he used his tongue to tunnel through her feminine folds to find her most sensitive bud. She was slick, all for him. All his.

  Drawing her bottom closer to him, he held her close and used his tongue to swirl her delicate nub down to her tight opening. He held her tightly when she almost bucked up off the bed when he invaded her, tasting the molten honey her body was weeping for him.

  Liiiicking back up to her bud, he swirled and nibbled while she cried out, but she was held firmly by him. She was so close to exploding he could have finished her in seconds, but wanted to prepare her for his body’s ardent invasion. He was barely hanging on, his determination to please his mate was the only thing distracting him from releasing just as quickly.

  Dani reached down and grabbed Mercury’s hair when he slowly inserted one finger into her snug warmth. He slowed his pace to keep her with him and slid in a second finger.

  Feeling her release his hair to clench the blankets, her pants and moans as she rode out his strokes stoked his own fervor. Increasing the speed and friction of both his tongue and his hand, he carried Dani over the edge.

  “Mercury!” she keened. Her body when taut for a millisecond before the tremors took over.

  Her tight heat convulsed and rippled over his fingers, leaving Mercury wanting to feel that sensation over his painfully enlarged shaft. Withdrawing, he crawled up over her.

  “My God, Mercury. That was just…just…”

  The intensity in his face didn’t show the massive ego stroking he got from her spent reaction. Positioning himself at her hot, wet entrance, he thrust forward with no pause until he was buried to the hilt.

  Growling at the feel of her surrounding him, her body clenching and drawing him in as far as he could go, he paused only to let her adjust to his size.

  “I wanted to taste you, too,” she purred into his ear.

  “Later. I need to be deep inside.”

  Twining her legs around him and grabbing his face to bring him to her mouth, he thrust his tongue into her mouth with the same rhythm he set with his body.

  Dani embraced him fully, hugging him even more tightly. There was no way they could be physically closer than they were now. He wanted every part of her.

  Opening himself up, he gingerly cast out the depth of his love and pleasure to her.

  With a gasp, she pulled back her head, awestruck. “I feel you.”

  The connection was open and he could feel her pleasure, and how it increased with each stroke. He pumped harder, feeling the hitch in her chest when the ecstasy intensified in them both. With one final surge, he pulled her close and let himself go.

  Their cries combined as orgasm hit them both, finally easing some of the pressure Mercury had built up waiting to take his mate again. Her walls clamped down onto him, intensifying the pleasure as her body milked him until they both could give no more.

  Mercury collapsed on top of his love, both of them breathing heavily, enjoying the afterglow.

  “I love you,” Dani murmured in his ear. “And I loved that.”

  A chuckled rumbled through his chest. “Then you’ll love this.”

  At her delighted giggle, he began thrusting again, stroking her with his thumb until she was ready for orgasm number three. Pounding into her willing body, he relished the feel of his woman taking his girth, moaning for more, and losing herself repeatedly.

  Throwing his head back, roaring with the release, her legs wrapped around him tightly, they both peaked together. Easing himself down to his side, he snuggled her into him with her back pressed to his chest.

  She reached for his hand, twining her fingers with his.

  “Mercury? Again already?” she asked exasperated as he repositioned her leg so he could push into her from behind.

  Using one arm to wrap around her and massage her supple breasts, he slid his other hand down between her moist heat. Pumping slowly, he only rested his finger on her swollen clit.

  “Where do you think they coined the term ‘mating frenzy’?” Feeling her melt into him, he wanted to pound his chest with pride.

  “After this, we shower.” Her breaths were coming quicker with his leisurely strokes. “Where I will suck you dry.”

  Groaning at the image of her on her knees, the shower’s spray pounding at his back while she worked on him in front, he quickened his pace, his finger bumping on her most tender spot with each thrust. Within minutes, they were crying out together, his face buried in her neck, her face turned back toward him, as he filled her a third time.

  Mercury gave Dani five minutes of afterglow and recuperation before he climbed off the bed, and grabbed her ankles to slide her down. Her surprised yelp switched to a jubilant laugh when he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bathroom for their shower.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Her nose tickled.

  Dani roused from her warm nest next to the furnace she was now officially mated to. They’d fallen asleep curled into each other after the mating frenzy passed. Swiping at her nose, she felt something warm and slick. Swinging her legs to the floor, she sat up, feeling the drip fall to the floor. What the –?

  Heading to the bathroom with her head back and her finger under nose, she flipped on the light; a bloody nose. Weird, she thought. She’d only ever gotten her nose bloodied when she deserved it, like during training, not randomly.

  She grabbed for a towel, when the cramps seized her middle. Dani gasped, doubling over, even looking down to see if there was a hot poker sticking out of her abdomen.

  Before her knees hit the floor, Mercury was at her side, easing her down.

  “What’s wrong? I smell blood.”

  Dani tried to say something, but her breath was stolen when another cramp hit. Crying out, she grabbed onto Mercury’s arm, leaving bloody fingerprints.

  “The baby,” she managed to gasp.

  Both she and Mercury looked down at the same time to see dark red staining the inside of her thighs.

  B
ennett! Mercury roared mentally. Dani needs Dr. Garreth!

  Grabbing the towel and putting it between her legs, he swung her up into his arms, cradling her into his chest as she remained curled into the pain. Gasping between bouts of searing pain, tears fell hot onto Mercury’s chest, mixing with the blood still dripping from her nose.

  Rushing out of the bedroom, Mercury grabbed a blanket to wrap around Dani’s naked body and snagged a pair of shorts and a shirt for himself off the nightstand by the door. Holding her tightly, Mercury sprinted out the door and down the trail to the lodge so they could head to the infirmary.

  The doctor met them by the door to quickly assess Dani. “Take her to a hospital. We aren’t equipped for this.”

  Commander’s got the car ready. Bennett rounded past them to hold open the lodge’s back door so they could run through and out the front instead.

  The black sedan was idling, with the commander holding the back door open. Bennett went around to slide into the driver’s seat while Mercury climbed in the back with Dani on his lap.

  The commander’s face grim, he nodded to Bennett and shut the door. Dani didn’t need to look herself, affirmation was in the look of alarm fleeting across Bennett’s face as his eyes flicked down to the blanket. She could feel the wetness between her legs, dampening the blanket.

  The ride to town at illegal speeds seemed both excruciatingly long and alarmingly fast. In between the stabbing, searing bursts of pain, a dull throb settled into her lower belly.

  This is it, she thought to herself. I’m losing the baby.

  We’ll get through this, Mercury soothed her, picking up her thoughts and Dani was grateful. The pain was too bad for her to speak, but they still had a way to communicate.

  The lights of the city flashed by as they crossed over to Freemont and sped to the hospital. Mercury settled her next to him only briefly so he could get dressed and then nestled her back onto his lap, whispering soothingly in her ear.

  Pulling into the emergency room’s garage, Mercury had the door open and was climbing out before the car was fully stopped. The little elderly gentlemen staffed to direct the garage’s traffic was pushing a wheelchair over for them, but Mercury blew by him, storming through the double doors.