Malcolm wanted nothing more than to bury himself as deeply inside Rose as he could, but he knew what this moment meant and wanted it to be about more than just satisfying their physical needs. “Open your eyes, sweetheart,” he said, positioning himself just outside her throbbing core. “I want you to look at me when I make us one, I want to see the love in your eyes.”
Rose looked up at him, her eyes filled with the same passion that was flowing through him, and his magic came to life. “You’re the only man for me,” she said. “I love you, Malcolm, I love you more than anything in the world, and I will for the rest of eternity.”
“I love you too, Rose,” he said. “You’re mine now and forever.”
When he buried himself deeply inside Rose, her body welcomed him and her muscles closed around his swollen member, sending waves of pleasure shooting through him as his magic spilled over, filling the room. Fueled by that magic, the passion between them began to burn even hotter, fusing the connection between them and creating the bond that would last their entire lifetime.
When Malcolm finally emptied himself into Rose with one final powerful thrust of his hips, she cried out as her pleasure sent her soaring into a world of pure sensation, and he soon followed her. It was several long minutes before they came floating down together, their bodies still joined just as their souls were, and when he looked down at Rose, he saw that she had tears in her eyes.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked, rolling off her and gathering her into his arms. “I always seem to lose control with you.”
“No, you didn’t hurt me, I’m just so happy, I can’t help the tears,” she said, snuggling up to him. “I finally feel like I know where I belong. I love you, Malcolm. I know it might be too soon to say that, but it’s true, I love you so much that it scares me.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I love you too,” he said, holding her closer. “It scares me too sometimes, but it’s worth it to have you in my life. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Me either,” she said, looking up at him. “I never thought I’d find someone who makes me as happy as you do.”
They slept curled up together, the bond between them pulsing strongly for the first time, and woke with the sunrise fully rested and ready to face the obstacles still in their way. Rose opened her eyes first and lay watching Malcolm sleeping, marveling at the wonderful turn her life had taken and promising herself that she’d never take any of it for granted. She knew that they weren’t out of danger yet, but lying next to Malcolm, she realized that she could handle anything with him at her side and snuggled a little closer to him.
He began to stir a few minutes later, his arms tightening around her long before he opened his eyes, and a pleased smile spread across his face. “I was afraid I dreamed the whole thing,” he said, his voice scratchy from sleep. “But here you are in my arms, and I’m completely awake.”
She laughed. “It’s not a dream, you’re stuck with me,” she said, stretching up and kissing him. “Hopefully this will be the first of many mornings we wake up together.”
“I’m all for that,” he said, then rolled her over onto her back and leaned up on one elbow to look down at her. “The first of many traditions, and I can think of another one that I’d like to start.”
“Oh, yeah,” she said, sighing when he started exploring with his hand. “What did you have in mind?”
“I think it might be better if I showed you,” he said, pushing her legs apart. “In this case, actions speak louder than words.”
“Hmmm…I think I understand,” she mumbled, her eyes fluttering closed. “But I might need an example.”
“Coming right up,” he said, then covered her mouth with his.
It was several hours before they made it back to the main house, but the day was already in full swing. Both sets of twins were sitting at the table having breakfast, and his mother was rushing around the kitchen, juggling several tasks at once. His father had a tractor part spread out on a newspaper on the other end of the table, staring at it like he could command it to fix itself, but he looked up when they walked into the room.
“Good morning,” he called. “Grab some coffee and join me. Your mother and I want to talk to you both.”
“Just let me finish these lunches and I’ll be right there,” his mom said, shoving sandwiches into brown paper lunch bags. “The kids still have to go to school today, emergency or not.”
His father rolled his eyes,.“Yes, dear,” he said, then grinned at them. “Whenever you’re ready.”
It was only a few minutes before she joined them, slightly out of breath, a smile on her face. “Mornings are always crazy around here,” she said. “Do you need more coffee or some breakfast?”
“This is fine for now, Mom, we’ll get something to eat in a little while,” he said, then turned to his dad. “I think I need to call Marcus; the elders need to know what’s going on.”
His dad nodded. “Your mother and I were going to suggest the same thing,” he said, then looked over at Rose. “Your stepfather is a very powerful man. If he comes after your sister, this could turn into a clan dispute. We’ll need the elders backing us up if you want to keep her away from him.”
“Do you really think it will come to that?” his mom asked. “She’s almost an adult, she should be able to make her own choice.”
“I don’t think Chet will see it that way, he told me straight out once that women are property, not people,” Rose said, shaking her head. “And he’s not going to like it that I got the better of him, his ego is going to take a hit and that’s going to hurt. He’s going to try and do something to save his reputation.”
“I agree,” his father said. “This is going to get ugly before it’s over. We need the power of the council behind us.”
“I’ll call Marcus right away,” he said. “There’s also the little issue of Sandra, until she’s caught, we can’t forget she’s out there gunning for Rose.”
“She’s safe here; we’ll worry about that later when we’re sure that Chloe is safe,” his mother said. “If that crazy woman shows up here, she’ll get a bigger surprise than she’s bargaining for.”
“Rose, I think it’s time you had another talk with your sister,” Malcolm said. “She needs to know what’s going on, I don’t know how much you should tell her. She’s already been through enough, but she needs to know that she’s safe here.”
