My mind whited out as Castor's lips closed around my cock. A watery, loose moan left me. I was already so horny that I knew I wasn't going to last long. My body felt woozy with lust and I had to grab Castor's shoulders for leverage so I didn't fall over.
"Castor," I whimpered as he sucked me off. I heard my own voice turning whiny and annoying, but I was too distracted by getting amazing head to care. Besides, I knew Castor wasn't judging me. He loved me, whininess and all.
My breathing turned rapid and frantic, and I clutched onto him like he'd disappear if I let go. "Castor, I can't, I'm gonna—"
My mate sucked harder and pushed me right over the edge. I practically hyperventilated as I bucked my hips, desperate for every last inch of pleasure, then whited out as I came. The next few moments felt like I wasn't even on earth anymore.
When I finally came back down, I slumped onto the bed next to Castor, who was waiting for me with a smile. He gathered me into his arms as I sighed and nuzzled into his chest. Even after all the sweat and sex, he still smelled so good. Better, even.
"Love you," I mumbled. My brain was too scrambled to say much more than that.
Castor chuckled and stroked my hair out of my face. "Love you, too."
If he said anything else to me, it was a blur. I was already slipping into a much needed rest in my fated mate's arms.
20
Castor
Months later...
Being pregnant wasn't everything I thought it would be.
It was so much better.
As my belly grew bigger and I felt our child growing inside me, I could barely contain my excitement. I was in a state of constant euphoria. This was everything I ever wanted. A fated mate, a home together, a welcoming and warm extended family, and a baby on the way. What more could a beaver shifter ask for?
I was soaking up the sun on the water's edge in my human form. I sighed contentedly, loving the tingling feeling of the rays on my skin. I also preferred this form since my pregnant belly was right there in the open. I wanted the whole world to know I was about to be a dad.
A few drops of water landed on me. I peered over the round swell of my belly to see River grinning at me. In many ways, he was no longer the same alpha I met months ago. His expression no longer carried that deep tension that he tried to bury. He was no longer discontent with his life. Now when he smiled he did so openly and freely, without fear of judgment. When I met him, he was a beautiful flower curled up on itself in the shadows. Now he'd crawled out of the darkness and bloomed.
"Hungry?" River asked.
My stomach gurgled. Since the baby was growing fast, it was doing that a lot these days.
"Always," I replied with a laugh.
River hauled his upper body out of the water. "I've got just the thing," he said proudly before reaching underwater and pulling out a hefty fish.
My stomach growled again. I started munching away as soon as River handed it to me.
As I ate, I noticed River’s eyes were glued to my belly. He smiled with a mix of awe, adoration and excitement.
"Any day now, right?" he asked, still looking at it.
I mumbled an affirmative reply. I was too busy eating to talk. This baby had an enormous appetite, which was a great sign, even though it made me look like I was constantly pigging out.
"I wonder what it will be," River mused. "Maybe something like Azure?"
I met River’s nephew Azure at one of our plentiful family meetings. He was Zak and Kamari's son, a wolf shifter with orca traits. They figured he was one of kind since he carried Nautilus's blood in his veins.
"Could be," I said. "That's why you and Cloud are the way you are too, isn't it?"
River nodded. "Since our dads are both normal animal shifters, they expected us to be one or the other, either a koi or an osprey. So when our eggs hatched as a mer and a harpy, it was definitely a surprise."
I was done stuffing the fish into my mouth, so I ran my hands along my belly. The baby moved quite often these days. It was eager to get out of me and into the water.
"What if our baby is a mer, too? Except instead of being half fish, it could be half beaver," I teased.
