I Dated a Mob Wolf, page 6
Vallu nodded. “Yours. I know it, but you are not offering me anything that I need as a mate. It is fun to play here, but this is not my place, not my life. I want to go back to being me again.”
His hands tightened on her shoulders and belly, and she stayed limp. “Mine.”
“Yes, yours. Always yours.”
That seemed to soothe him, and he was soon curling around her and then thrusting into her. By the time he was locked inside her, he had regained his logic and shuddered. “Gods, Vallu.”
She was gasping, flattened into the mattress, her fists clutching the sheets. Her head was turned to the side, and he kissed her. Her blood was still high as the orgasm fairy had not visited her the final time. She ached in a lot of ways, but he had had a rough morning and needed a bit of a break.
He shivered, and they were waiting for his body to let her go. He rubbed his cheek against hers and then paused. “You didn’t cum.”
She blinked. “I did.”
“But not recently. I can usually feel you squeezing me, and that isn’t happening right now.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I was just trying to keep you from fucking me out the window.”
He licked her cheek. “Well, since we have a few minutes. Whoa, what happened to my claws?”
“Uh, they had a moment when you went all alpha mate on me. You might have to replace the mattress. Pretty sure you clawed it to hell, but my vantage point is not precisely accurate.”
“I will be careful.” He slid his hand between her and the mattress under her, finding her clit and only using the pads of his fingers as he circled the hard nub.
She gasped as he started to fan the heat that had been fading. “You don’t have to.”
“I know, but you take care of a breeding partner. The better I can treat you, the more likely that you would be willing to carry again.”
She shuddered and rocked back against him. The knot pulled, her body clenched, they both groaned. He licked at her neck, shoulder, and ear while he stroked her. When she whimpered and her body throbbed around him, he growled softly in her ear, and she felt him move inside her in another pulse.
Vallu sighed and closed her eyes as they waited. When he finally relaxed, he slipped out of her and kissed her softly, rolling her to her back so that he could rub his chest on her breasts during their kiss.
He straightened and carried her to the shower, running his hands over her, working up a lather on a scrubby puff, and then, he slowly worked over her with the soapy handful as he made circles along her skin.
He massaged the fresh marks on her skin, and he muttered, “I want the marks to stay.”
She patted his hand. “I know, sweetie.”
“Why won’t you let them stay?”
“Will you let me tattoo, Vallu was here on your neck? Or I belong to Vallu?”
He growled. “No.”
“You know what those marks mean.”
“Yes.”
She turned to look at him under the spray. “I cannot chain myself to someone who won’t do the same. It isn’t safe. When I am not with you, I need to be safe, and I cannot wear your mark and count on revenge.”
He blinked. “You did not mind before.”
“I wasn’t pregnant before. I can heal you, I can heal me, I can heal the baby, but I can only do two out of three. I can keep the baby alive and probably keep me alive, but I can’t keep you alive, too, if all of us are in danger.” She held him tight. “And I feel that we are definitely in danger.”
He pressed his forehead to hers, and he sighed. “I understand. Will you stay today?”
She teared up and said, “I think I should just make a run for it, shouldn’t I? It was fine. I will let you know when the baby is here, and you can visit.”
His slick hands ran up and down her back. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“I will make you a deal. If your mother serves high protein, low carb for breakfast, I will stay.”
He blinked. Outside they had both smelled baking pastries; she knew it, and he knew it.
“In her defense, I like a lot of carbs after an episode.”
“Does that happen often?”
He quirked his lips. “No, not for about five years, and I was very violent before that, so today, we were lucky you were here.”
She touched his face and stroked his neck. “I will always come to help you out when this happens if it happens. Just have them call me and send a hop drone. I will be here within an hour.”
“You are really going to leave me.” He looked morose. His ears were down.
“I am just an hour away. Hey, do you actually want to come with me to the scan next week?”
His ears perked up. “Sure. Just send me the time and place.”
She smiled. “I don’t want to cut you out of my life; I just need to find a way for your life and mine to match up. So far, I can’t really find anything that looks like common ground.”
“Am I allowed to try and make this work?”
She looked at him. “Of course, but you haven’t said anything so far aside from laying in some clothes and bath products.”
He looked embarrassed. “I wanted you comfortable when you are here.”
“And I will be happy to come over for playdates, but not every day and not every night. Not until we find a way to mesh our lives. Lady Daycross wants to put me in my place, and I don’t go into corners that well. You are going to have to set some boundaries with her.”
“If she does what you think she does at breakfast, I will.”
She shrugged. Lady Daycross was eager to spoil her boy, who had a rough morning. “Okay. My focus is on keeping me and this baby healthy, as my family has a crappy record for surviving more than two pregnancies. I am doing everything by the book and have my will updated. No one is making me uncomfortable more than once.”
“So, it’s a good thing you left dinner yesterday.”
“Yeah, because if I had vomited all over the table, I am sure that you wouldn’t have been able to explain it away as a pregnancy craving.”
He blinked. “You heard that?”
“My senses are in a complete uproar. I can hear a cricket in the basement right now, I can smell food down in the kitchen, and I can smell you through the water. I can taste that you are unhappy.” She kissed him softly. “Things are changing so fast, I can’t even keep up, and dealing with an environment out of my control is too much.” She stroked his cheeks. “Basically, I don’t think I can live with your mom.”
“Let’s see what she does today.” He nodded.
“Yup.” She kissed him again, and they finished their shower before drying each other and returning to the bedroom to get dressed. Vallu dressed in a simple sundress and sandals with creamy lace underwear.
They held hands as they walked down the stairs, and when they got to the dining room, he clenched his hand on hers desperately. Croissants, muffins, English muffins, scones, clotted cream, and different jams were on the table, along with a carafe of coffee and nothing else.
Lady Daycross rushed to Etgar. “Are you all right? It normally takes you hours before you calm down after one of those episodes.”
“I am fine, Mother. Vallu took care of me.”
Lady Daycross looked at Vallu with an undecipherable expression. “Ah. Right. Well, come and have a seat. Cook made all your favourites.”
Vallu sat and waited until Etgar reached for the first roll, and he offered the croissant to her. “Thanks for that. Will a car be waiting, or do I need to check the public ferries?”
“A car will take you on the private launch.” He was morose.
She ate the first croissant, and her stomach asked her what the fuck she was thinking and where was bacon or eggs. She slathered butter on the muffin and was halfway through it when her body reversed peristalsis and kicked out breakfast. She politely vomited to the floor on the napkin she had dropped there as a landing pad. “And that’s that. I will go brush my teeth again, and then, I will wait for the car out front. Goodbye, Lady Daycross.”
She got up, patted Etgar on the shoulder, and headed back to his room, where the bots were busy trying to remove all biological residue. She brushed her teeth, looked at the bed, ran her hand over the nightgown that the bots hadn’t put away yet, and she blinked the tears back. She just didn’t have enough fight in her for this. She was keeping her fight for the baby. Lady Daycross could go fuck herself.
She got a call, and she answered it. Her niece’s face lit up with a grin. “Hey, Aunty Val. What are you doing today? School was cancelled due to a water leak, and Dad can’t take off work. Can you come get me?”
“Oh, honey. I can’t be there for at least an hour.”
“I can go to Baola’s place. You can pick me up there.” Liironia’s face was beaming.
“All right. I have to take a ferry, but I will call you when I am back in the city with an ETA. Tell your dad to give the okay for Baola’s mom to take you out of school.”
“Fine. I will call Dad. I will have him call you to confirm.”
“Thanks, Lii. You are the best. See you in a bit.” Smiling, she disconnected the call and headed back downstairs in a better mood than she had been in before.
Etgar was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs, and he held out his hand. “I will come with you; there is some business I didn’t finish yesterday.”
“Oh. Right. That. Can you drop me near a transport stand? I have to pick my niece up from a friend’s house. Water main break at school. She has a day off to play.”
“I will drive you.”
She looked at him and then shook her head. “Not a good idea. I have to go to Lyric’s, then home to change, then out wherever Lii wants to go today. I am betting horse riding.”
He blinked. “You ride?”
She gave him a bland look as they headed toward the door. “I have been known to get on top of a few large things and use my thighs to full advantage.”
“Don’t tease. Not when you’re leaving me.”
“I am not leaving you. I am leaving your mother. I just don’t have the strength for her.”
There was a scuffle from the side, and a man wearing chef’s whites scuttled up to her and bowed. “Miss, was the food not to your liking? Lady Daycross says it is to blame for your departure.”
“The food tasted great today, and yesterday, I am sure it was lovely, but when Lady Daycross asked for my food requirements while I was here, I gave them to her, and she chose to order the exact opposite to be served.”
The chef froze. “Pardon?”
Etgar murmured, “She is on low carb, high protein, and high vegetable, no alcohol. She’s a pregnant active with enhanced senses, and anything on her forbidden list causes immediate vomiting. Mom did it on purpose to put her in her place. You didn’t do anything wrong, but next time, if there is a next time, which I doubt, I will bring you to her for a chat when she arrives. And fuck with my mom tells you.”
He helped Vallu into the dark SUV, and he slid in next to her. There were two guards across the way and two more in the front seat.
“Where is your niece’s friend’s house?”
“Uh. Northwest Terrace. Orlin Street.”
The driver gave a slight nod, and they were off.
Etgar took her hand and kissed the back.
Vallu asked the bodyguards, “You are all completely devoted to Lady Daycross?”
Darvo looked at her soberly. “We are devoted to the boss. All of the men working under him have more money and fewer casualties. He has our loyalty. Those who followed his father have all been luxuriously retired.”
Vallu’s com beeped, and she shushed everyone. “Hey, Captain Denner.”
“Val, are you good to pick Lii up from her friend’s house?”
“Yeah. On my way. Should be there within the hour.”
The driver piped up, “Forty-five minutes.”
Her brother scowled. “You aren’t working again, are you?”
“Do you see a mask? No. Absolutely not. I just ran into an old friend yesterday and ended up on Daycross Island.”
“Ah. Okay. Well, say hello to whomever she is.”
She blushed.
“Okay, so it’s a guy. Is he there?”
Her skin got darker.
“Reverse the lens so I can talk to him.”
“No. Not happening.”
“Embarrassed to be seen with him?” Her brother taunted. “Is he the baby daddy?”
She went white, disconnected the call, and blocked him for three hours.
Etgar smiled. “I will meet him eventually.”
“Yeah, but I wasn’t prepared for that. I told you I am reacting badly to stress right now and don’t need more.”
The guards were snickering.
She looked at him, and he analyzed her face. He guessed. “He was on the task force that was looking for me for a while.”
She nodded. “Yup. Your head was pinned up on a board in his office for a while. He worked vice, but I know that it didn’t come to anything.”
“Had we already started dating?”
“Yes, it was two years ago. Your eyes are golder than they are in the photo.”
“It didn’t freak you out?”
“I already had a major crush on your tail, so no, it didn’t deter me.”
He smiled slightly and poofed his tail against her.
She blinked. “You left it out.”
“You like it; I will leave it out.”
“Not if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“The ears make me stand out, and if I am meeting your niece today, I don’t want to hide who I am.”
She nodded and swallowed. She had never introduced anyone to her niece before, so this was going to be a very big deal.
Chapter Seven
Her palms were sweating. Lii was the one person she wanted to like Etgar, and the collision was going to occur when she got out of the car. Also, she hadn’t had breakfast, and she was feeling a little shaky.
Vallu got out of the car with Rejik holding the door, and she walked up the sidewalk to Baola’s house.
She took a deep breath, knocked on the door, and Lii opened the door and hugged her. “Aunty Val!” She then bent over and said, “Hello, cousin.”
Lii looked up at her. “Any motion yet?”
“Nope. Soon though.”
“Hey, Baola, what is that smell?”
A flash of green and purple in the background made her blink. A familiar face came to the door. “Baola’s mom had to take Grandma to her appointments today. So, I get to step in as godmother for the first time.”
“Twenty-fi... Ylara. Wow. You look so normal.”
“Uh-huh. Here is breakfast for you. Three beef patties, two cheddar omelettes, a cucumber salad, and a flask of peach tea. And a bamboo fork.”
“You are a lifesaver.” She pulled open the bag, and all the smells assailed her. The first omelette was in her jaws in seconds, and she groaned happily, her knees wobbling. “That is really good.”
Ylara grinned, showing sharp-bladed teeth. “Thanks.”
Baola stood with her arms around her godmother’s waist. Her huge green eyes and brown hair reminded Vallu of someone. “Lii said you are going riding today.”
Vallu looked at her niece. “Yes, I think that is what is going to happen.”
Lii looked at her. “Can she come?”
She looked at Ylara, “Can you meet us there?”
“Sure, but there looks to be some seat reconstruction going on in the SUV. Oh. It’s a Stekkari. Nice.”
Vallu looked behind her, and the seats were being rearranged, and another row of seating was appearing. Okay. An outing then.
“Do you have to ask her mom if it’s okay?”
Ylara looked at her goddaughter. “What is the rule?”
“I can go anywhere with Aunty Ylara, but if she says no, it is fucking no.”
Vallu snorted. “Good. Does everyone have what they need?”
Ylara reached behind her and got a backpack full of clothing, snacks, and water bottles. Then, she pulled out a second bag. “For the bodyguards.”
She locked the door, and Vallu called the riding centre and booked horses and instructors for the girls. When they got to the vehicle, the two bodyguards were at the back, and Etgar stepped out and looked at Lii. “Good morning, Miss. I am Etgar. I am a... special friend of your aunt’s.”
Lii stuck out her hand and shook his with her head cocked. “Are you her baby’s father?”
Vallu looked at her. “Lii. That isn’t a polite question.”
Etgar crouched down, and his ears wiggled in a way that made Lii giggle. “Yes.”
“Will the baby be a puppy.”
Vallu groaned. “We have had the active talk; I think she is just messing with you.”
Etgar smiled. “If the baby is very lucky, when it is a teenager, it will turn into something wonderful. I think it will become a healer like your aunt. It might be a healer that looks like a wolf, though.”
Lii giggled. “That would be fun. Can I hold it?”
Vallu finished the food she had stuffed in her face, and she used the napkins to clean her fingers, mostly.
“Ladies, may I offer you a chariot?”
Baola moved close to Ylara. Her godmother chuckled. “It’s fine, darlin’. I am way scarier than he is.”
Her goddaughter perked up at that, and she and Lii piled in. Ylara took the facing seat, leaving Etgar and Vallu to sit together.
Ylara made sure that the girls were buckled, and Etgar did the same for Vallu. Ylara was grinning.
Vallu gave the driver the directions, and when it was in the navigator, they were on the way.
Etgar smiled. “So, Ylara, you worked with Vallu?”
“Only once. She was leaving as I was starting.”
He glanced at the two girls, who were looking around at the luxury interior with amazement. “Not for public consumption.”
“That would be a way of stating it.”
Vallu saw that Etgar’s nose was twitching, and she smiled. “Ylara gave me breakfast. She knew I hadn’t had anything that stuck.”
