He rolled her so that she lay beneath him, her thighs spreading to cradle his body. The tip of his erection brushed against her. She was so damn wet; he groaned a little as he ravaged her mouth with his. Her legs wrapped around him, her heels digging into his ass, as if she were urging him on. Vaughn thrust his hips, entering her in one stroke.
“Yes!” Tulip cried out.
She was so damn tight that he wanted to stay inside her forever. He pulled out and pushed back in, her body welcoming him. Tulip dug her nails into his shoulders as he took her harder, faster. Soft cries escaped from her as he nipped her neck, his teeth lengthening. A haze came over him as he took her with a ferocity that should have scared him, but just felt so incredibly right. With a savage growl, he bit into her shoulder, marking her as his for all of eternity.
Tulip gave another shout of pleasure and then she was coming hard, covering him with her cream. It triggered Vaughn’s release and he let go of her shoulder, lapping at it to heal the wound. A cloud of white and purple lights surrounded them, a yellow haze wrapping around their bodies. Vaughn knew it was Tulip, could feel it in his bones.
“You bit me,” she said, no accusation in her eyes, merely wonderment.
“I should have asked.”
“I’m yours?” she asked.
“Forever.”
“Forever’s a long time,” she said softly, a smile on her face. “But it no longer stretches out into eternity.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I will now age at a faster rate than a fae, and you will age at a slower rate than a wolf. The two of us will have three hundred years together in this realm, and our children will live just as long. Half fae, half wolf.”
“Will the alpha’s children be the same?” Vaughn asked, not liking the idea of his kids surviving beyond those of their pack mates.
“I’m not sure, since Autumn is only half fae. But they will live longer than a normal shifter.”
“We should shower and dress. I asked Aislinn to have the wizard stop by.”
“Wizard?”
“It’s what we sometimes call the sorcerer.”
She nodded. “I’ve heard of him, but never had the pleasure of meeting him.”
“I’m already here!” the sorcerer called out from the other room. “Would the two of you hurry the hell up?”
Vaughn narrowed his eyes at the open bedroom door and Tulip giggled. More lights swirled around them and he looked down, noting that she’d cleaned and dressed them. He kissed her softly before helping her off the bed. Eric was leaning against the living room wall, when they found him, looking amused.
“I hope Gabriel knew what he was doing leaving that fae under your protection.”
“He said she belonged to someone in the pack. Last night, I realized she was mine.” Vaughn pulled Tulip closer. “The light fae came after her last night.”
“I don’t think they want to harm her,” Eric said. “I haven’t felt malevolence in the area recently. If they wanted her blood, I’d have sensed it. Not that I’d have intervened since I didn’t know anything about her until this morning.”
“The dark fae will come for me,” Tulip said. “I escaped from their dungeon.”
Eric tipped his head to the side as he scanned Tulip from head to toe. “You don’t look like a dark fae to me.”
“We think she’s only half, and maybe half-light fae,” Vaughn said.
“I’ll see what I can find out,” Eric said. “In the meantime, keep a close eye on her. Don’t go to work, unless you leave her protected. I don’t think they’ll care that she’s mated to you, and carrying your firstborn.”
Tulip gasped and Vaughn’s eyes widened.
“Firstborn?” Vaughn asked.
“Your claiming did the trick. So, congratulations, daddy. You’ll have the first half fae, half wolf in the pack. Autumn had a daughter last night. She’s half fae and half human, and will one day rule the light fae.”
“None of our children will be fully fae or fully wolf?” Vaughn asked.
“No. Tulip is different, even though I can’t figure out what’s so strange about her energy signature. Like I said, I’ll do a little digging and see what I can come up with. Keep her close, keep her safe. I’ll be in touch.”
Before either Vaughn or Tulip could ask another question, the sorcerer vanished into thin air. Tulip leaned against him and Vaughn wondered if she was still weak. He picked her up and carried her over to the sofa, where he laid her down. She looked a little dazed as she rubbed her still very flat belly. Vaughn knelt beside her and pressed a kiss against her stomach and then her lips.
“I should feed you,” he said. “Pancakes and sausage okay?”
“Anything would be good right now. I’m starving.” She smiled a little. “Can I come sit in the kitchen while you make it?”
He nodded.
Tulip stood up and reached for his hand, lacing their fingers together. She seemed very accepting of the mate claim, even though he hadn’t asked before doing it. He’d thought she would be furious with him, but she seemed…happy. In the kitchen, he whipped up two stacks of pancakes and a plate a sausage links. Tulip looked like she was about to start drooling as he set a plate in front of her along with a fork and a bottle of syrup. She’d eaten one pancake and two pieces of sausage by the time he’d gotten their drinks and sat down with his plate.
He smiled, thinking how cute she was in the morning, eating like a ravenous wolf. When they were finished, he sat back as she used her magick to clean the kitchen. He was glad that Tulip was feeling better, but he didn’t want her to overdo it either. He got a cup of coffee for each of them, offering her cream and sugar.
“What do you want to do today?” he asked as he sipped at his.
“Could we go see the new baby? Or will I not be welcome there?”
“You’re part of the pack now. You’ll be welcome at any pack events, including any births. Do you want to go shopping first and pick up something for the newest pack member? Something pink and frilly?”
She smiled. “That sounds like fun.”
“At some point, I need to teach you how to drive, and we’ll have to get you a car. I don’t want you stranded at home because I’m working. I know fae do that disappearing thing like the sorcerer does, but humans aren’t used to seeing that happen. You could cause widespread panic if you were out somewhere and willed yourself home.”
“Another day. I don’t think I’m ready to take on something as big as a car right now. Maybe you could teach me to cook using your human appliances though.”
“I can do that.” He smiled. “We can head out whenever you’re ready.”
“Can I finish this coffee first? It’s rather good.”
“You drink your coffee and I’ll contact the alpha to let him know we’re coming to the hospital. I don’t want to surprise him while he’s in overprotective mode. And he’ll need to know you’re one of us now.”
She nodded and stared into her cup. He could feel the worry rolling off her and he wished he could soothe her. But she had a reason to be anxious. Gabriel would tear apart anyone he saw as a threat to his child, and he would be more savage than usual. Not that Vaughn thought the alpha would harm Tulip, but he would be fearsome to behold. Vaughn wondered if he would be the same way when his son or daughter came along. It still left him a little dizzy, thinking about being a dad.
The sorcerer had never been wrong before though. If Eric said they were expecting a child, then Vaughn would take the man’s word for it. He had to admit, it was rather exciting, if a bit scary. He only hoped that he could neutralize the threat to Tulip as soon as possible. Once the light fae knew she wasn’t going to harm them, maybe they would help protect her. At any rate, he could hope.
Chapter Five
Tulip gripped Vaughn’s hand tightly as they rode the elevator to the maternity ward of the hospital. A gift bag was clutched in her other hand, a present for the new baby. As they approached the
waiting area, it looked like nearly half the pack had shown up for the blessed event. Gabriel was standing nearby, with a baby swathed in pink clutched in his arms.
Tulip froze in the doorway as a dozen or more wolves turned to look at her. Vaughn wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her forward. The bite on her shoulder showed clearly with the thin straps of the dress she was wearing, letting everyone know that she’d been claimed. But would it matter to them since she was dark fae?
A wolf left Gabriel’s side and approached, his stride confident and sure.
“Looks like we’re officially welcoming more than one new pack member,” the wolf said as he stopped in front of them. “I’m Connor, the second alpha.”
“I’m Tulip,” she replied softly. “We brought a gift for the baby.”
“Then you should go give it to her,” Connor said.
Tulip looked up at Vaughn, but he nudged her toward Gabriel. The other wolves let her pass and she stopped beside the new father, peering at the sweet bundle in his arms. The baby opened her eyes and blinked up at Tulip, giving her a toothless smile. Lifting her hand, Tulip swirled her finger through the air, letting her magick shower the baby with soft rose petals. The child cooed and grabbed at them.
“This is for Alora,” Tulip said.
“How did you know her name?” Gabriel asked.
“She told me.” Tulip smiled. “She’s going to make a wonderful fae queen one day. Since she’s not fully fae, her powers won’t develop until she’s much older. She’ll get to have a normal childhood.”
“I see Vaughn has claimed you,” Gabriel said. “Autumn will be pleased. Would you like to go see her? She might like having another fae around.”
“I barely know her. Are you sure she’d want to see me?” Tulip asked.
“I’m positive. She’s just down the hall. Fourth room on the right.”
Tulip handed the present to Gabriel and then went in search of Autumn’s room. She saw the pink balloon fastened to the door and knocked. There was a hesitant enter before she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was barely lit and she wondered if Autumn had been resting.
Autumn smiled when she saw her. “Tulip. I’m glad you came.”
“Gabriel thought you might want another fae around. Are you in any pain?”
“A little. They tried to give me something, but it isn’t working.”
Tulip approached the bed. She reached for Autumn’s hand and clasped it before pressing her magick through her fingers and into the other woman. She still wasn’t at full power, after using her magick earlier, and couldn’t heal her completely, but she started the process and took away the pain and discomfort. Color bloomed in Autumn’s cheeks and some of the tiredness eased from her eyes.
“Thank you,” Autumn said. “That feels so much better.”
“You’re welcome.” Tulip smiled. “I saw Alora. She’s adorable. I can see great things in future.”
“She’s going to be a handful, isn’t she?” Autumn asked.
“Definitely, and something of a daddy’s girl. She’ll be a wonderful leader for the light fae when the time comes, even though I know it will be hard for you to say goodbye to her. Maybe she’ll be friends with the children Vaughn and I have.”
Autumn gave her a bemused smile. “Already planning to have little ones running around?”
“According to the sorcerer, I’m already pregnant. He said all of our children will be half fae and half wolf.”
“Congratulations,” Autumn said. “I know Vaughn must be ready to burst he’s so proud.”
“More like anxious. We still don’t know if the dark fae are coming for me, and Vaughn said the light fae tried to get me last night. I don’t think he’ll rest until he knows I’m safe.”
“You should have a protection detail at Vaughn’s until everything is sorted out. I’ll see if I can call on the light fae, after I’ve had some rest, and see why they’re after you. I can’t promise they’ll answer, now that Alora is born, they’ll be far more interested in her than me.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save your family, so the burden of ruling the light fae wouldn’t fall to your daughter. I did everything I could, but it wasn’t enough,” Tulip said.
“You did more than any other dark fae. And for that, I’m grateful. At least they knew someone cared in their final hours.”
Tulip nodded. “I should let you rest. Congratulations on your baby.”
“Thank you. Would you please send Gabriel back in here? I won’t be able to sleep until he’s here again.”
Tulip nodded and headed back to the waiting room. The wolves were gathered around the alpha and his new daughter, but Tulip managed to get his attention and pointed to Autumn’s room. Gabriel gave her a smile before pulling himself away from the pack and carrying Alora back to her mother.
Vaughn stepped to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “You look tired again.”
“I tried to heal Autumn and give her a little more energy. I’m afraid it sapped mine and my magick is weaker now too.”
Vaughn placed his hand over her belly and nuzzled her cheek. “You need to be careful, Tulip. You’re going to need your energy for taking care of the baby. I don’t want you to overdo it. Especially not until we know you’re safe. What if you needed your magick to protect yourself?”
“I’ll be careful. Autumn said we should have a protection detail at the house, but I’m sure Gabriel would prefer to have them watch over his mate and new daughter.”
“I’ll talk to my friends and see if they’ll help take care of you when I have to return to work in a few days. Maybe we’ll know more about what’s going on by then. If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to be exceptionally careful.”
“Are you ready to go home, or is there somewhere else you’d like to go first?” Vaughn asked.
“Home sounds good. I should probably eat something. Pregnant fae require a lot more food than we do normally. You can show me more of those movie things, like we watched last night.”
“Let me say goodbye to the pack and I’ll return in a minute. Just wait here for me.”
Tulip leaned against the wall near the elevator and waited as Vaughn made the rounds speaking to everyone. The doors behind her dinged and she looked over her shoulder as an older couple stepped out. They had a basket of blue items for a baby boy and smiles on their faces. It was nice seeing so many people gathered to welcome new life into the world. She wondered if it was their daughter who had had a baby, or maybe even a granddaughter.
Tulip smiled as she watched Vaughn smile and laugh with his pack. She wondered if he was always like this with them, or was he happier than usual because of their mating? Her fingers touched the bite mark on her shoulder. It was warm beneath her fingertips and she could feel the magick in her trying to heal the wound. By morning, it would probably be a little red and nothing more. Being a shifter bite, she knew it would scar, but she would wear it with honor.
A hand settled on her shoulder, making her look up as her heart nearly stopped in her chest. She breathed a little easier when she saw it was the sorcerer standing behind her, and not one of the fae. She hadn’t even felt a shift in energy when he’d appeared, and it worried her that he’d been able to sneak up on her.
“We need to talk,” Eric said.
“Vaugh is just telling everyone goodbye. He said we were going home.”
“This can’t wait.”
Before she could utter a word of protest, the sorcerer clamped both hands on her, and in a flash of light, they disappeared from the hospital only to reappear in what seemed to be a log cabin. Tulip could feel the wards in place around the structure and wondered if it was the sorcerer’s home.
“I’ll message Aislinn and have her let your mate know where you are. I don’t want him to worry,” Eric said. He pulled out a phone and tapped on the screen for a minute before shoving it back into his pocket.
“What couldn’t wait?” Tulip asked.
“The light fae have put the word out among the supernatural community. You’re wanted dead or alive.”
Tulip felt herself pale and she sank onto the nearby sofa. “Why? What did I ever do to them?”
“When you came here, did you see any dark fae around?” Eric asked.
“No, it was like the palace had been abandoned. There were dead fae surrounding the palace grounds, but I was too weak to stick around and check things out. I willed my magick to bring me here, to the wolf pack. It took me to Vaughn.”
Eric nodded. “The light fae have captured or killed every dark fae they can find. You’re the last, as far as they know, with the exception of some Halflings. Which means, they want you rather badly.”
“But I tried to help their people! I was imprisoned for my efforts and left to rot.”
“It’s possible we can call a meeting with an emissary of the light fae and see if they will rescind the order. If we can make them believe you truly mean them no harm, then you would be safe. This house is the only place their magick can’t reach, and they can’t enter without my permission.”
“So, I’m a prisoner here until the matter is settled?” she asked.
“I could put up wards at Vaughn’s house, but it might take a little while to make them strong enough. I could bring your wolf here to watch over you, or I could ask someone else to stay with you. Is there anyone in the pack you trust?” he asked.
“Other than Vaughn, Gabriel, and Autumn, I don’t really know anyone. There were two wolves with Vaughn when I materialized at the bar, but they didn’t seem to be overly fond of me.”
“That was before Vaughn claimed you. You’re one of them now. I’ll contact Connor and ask who can be spared to sit with you. It would be better if Vaughn was at the house when I warded it.”
“I don’t want to be alone,” Tulip said. “Get anyone you think would protect me, if the need arose. Even if I’m not worth saving, my child is.”
Eric tipped her chin up. “You’re worth saving, Tulip. Never doubt that.”
She nodded.
Moonlight Surrender (Return of the Ashton Grove Werewolves Book 3) Page 4