“It feels a little overwhelming to be back here,” she admitted.
“I think one thing we can always assume with our lives is that the word overwhelming is an understatement,” Marcus teased.
“Tell me about it.What happened with Ryan and Shawn?”
“Ryan’s lion took over after you were taken.Shawn took some pushing, but we did eventually get him to shift back only to have him pick a fight with Ryan and shift again.We were too busy to bother.”
“No wonder the Pride is a wreck with Ryan being stuck.”
“I hope Herb can fix Willow up because I’d honestly like her opinion on you helping the two switch back and forth in your condition.You know how taxing it can be.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.We can’t leave them like that.Not with everything else we must prepare for.”
“El, we’re not going to let you die,” Marcus said firmly.
“You may not have a choice, my love.Wehaveto plan accordingly.I will not have my daughter raised in a resentful environment.You four will be prepared to do this lovingly, nurturing, and most importantly without me, or you will not do it at all.”
“No matter what happens, we willneverresent our child.You have my word.”
Hearing Marcus say the words did give El some peace.She knew they would never resent the child, but she figured her mother never dreamed her father would either, so she had to be certain.
“Okay, now how long until everyone else is back here?I’ll feel better when we’re all together?”
“The guys are three days out.”
“What about who those panthers were that came after me?”
“I don’t know, I can only speculate that they wanted to kill you in order to stop the prophecy.That means they know who you are for sure now to risk coming after you like that.”
“It was so weird right before they attacked.Willow had just let me go outside of the barrier she had put up, and the baby started freaking out kicking like crazy.It was like she knew what was about to happen.”
Marcus’ eyes drifted down to her belly, and then he covered it with his hands.They looked huge against her slightly swollen belly.She loved the way it looked.
“She’s more than we could have ever hoped for.Youare more than we could have ever hoped for,” he whispered his eyes rising to meet hers.
The heat El saw there took her breath away.Their lips crashed together.Marcus lifted her off the ground and carried her to his bed.They both frantically tugged at their clothes, and each at other until they were both naked.Marcus kissed every inch of her body, worshipping her from head to toe.Everything on El’s body was ultra-sensitive, and the pleasure he built up in her felt catastrophic.
“Marcus,” she begged.
“Your body is so delectable.I’ve been starved for it.”
When he finally kissed her in the place she ached for him to kiss the most, El fell into wave after wave of pleasure.Marcus continued his passionate torture through her orgasm.She dragged him up her body, set on giving him as much pleasure as he had given her, but Marcus had other plans.He spread her legs and sank his length inside her.They both groaned as their bodies reached their mutual relief.
She couldn’t get close enough to him or feel him deep enough.Marcus must have felt just as crazy with desire, because his hands never stopped moving, cupping her breasts and gripping her hips as he moved in and out of her.
El dug her nails into his back and clung to him.She felt herself begin to tighten around him as the first rush of ecstasy claimed her.Marcus was right behind her; he roared as he planted himself firmly inside her and spilled his seed.
They were both breathless and satiated, and El wished she could spend an eternity loving him and her other mates.She wanted to watch her child grow up with them.She stifled the tears that threatened to fall and buried her face in Marcus’ neck when he rolled to his side.All she could do was enjoy every single moment as if they were most likely be her last.
Chapter 36
Shawn
The one thingRyan and Shawn seemed to agree on was the neck-breaking pace they pushed in order to get back to the Pride and El.Knowing she was there and safe gave Shawn peace but also made him hungry to be in her presence.It was as though she was vital for his survival.The more he thought about it, the more he realized shewasvital to it.He wasn’t sure what he would do if they didn’t find a way to keep her alive against the Mother’s wishes.Furthermore, he couldn’t understand why the Mother would take El from them and their child.
Shawn’s thoughts never ceased the entire run, and it wasn’t until the first strong scent of lion did he realize they had tackled the three-day trip in two.He and Ryan crashed through the woods on Pride land like the reckless, exhausted fools they were.Ryan’s mane was disheveled and full of twigs, leaves, and dirt.Shawn didn’t figure he looked any better, although he was thankful his coat was less likely to show it.
Even though Shawn’s body and soul was past the point of exhaustion, he pushed onward.They were only minutes from getting to El, and even her scent was starting to mist through the woods.Ryan snarled ahead of him, and Shawn knew he was feeling the same anxiousness.
