Taken By Terror by Lolita Lopez

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Stop hovering. You’re freaking her out.

Terror forced himself to stop pacing beside the exam table and sat on the chair next to it. Maisie shot him a grateful look and reached for his hand. He fought the urge to grip her fingers and interlaced them instead. Ever since finding her, he had struggled with giving her space. Apparently, the trauma of losing her was still too fresh for him to behave rationally.

“You’re going to need a tranquilizer if you don’t calm down,” Maisie teased. “I’m supposed to be the one panicking about all the changes to my body and eventually giving birth.”

His stomach dropped like a runaway elevator. He hadn’t even considered that eventually their baby would have to be born. She would be in pain, suffering, because he had been irresponsible.

“I’m joking,” Maisie clarified. She seemed worried as she studied his face. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he assured her even though he definitely wasn’t fine. The idea of children had always been nebulous. Some day. In the future. Even though he wanted children with Maisie, he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly, especially since he had the same contraceptive implants as every other man in Shadow Force. Which created a whole other set of questions...

When Risk entered the exam room, he had a smile on his face. “Congratulations you two!”

“Thank you,” Terror said as Maisie signed the same response.

Risk seemed relieved by their happy replies. “I’m glad you two are excited about becoming parents.”

Terror narrowed his gaze. “Why?”

Risk looked suddenly sheepish. “Uh, well, I may have possibly forgotten to mention that your contraceptive implants were missing.”

“Possibly?” Terror repeated dryly and gestured toward Maisie’s pregnant state. “I’d say that was a definitely forgot to mention.”

“I really am sorry,” Risk apologized. “It must have gotten lost in the shuffle of patient follow-up reports that come across my desk. When you were scanned after your rescue from the mine, the tech noted the lack of implants. You were in such bad shape at the time it wasn’t a priority to address.”

“I understand,” Terror assured him. He and Maisie had spent most of their return trip to the Valiant discussing their impending parenthood. After the shock and excitement of her news had faded, he had been concerned she wasn’t ready to be a mother yet. She had dreams and plans for her future, and maybe a baby wasn’t something she wanted right now. Thankfully, she was ready for this baby.

“Be more careful,” Maisie urged, glancing toward Terror for help translating. “Things have worked out fine for us, but other couples might not be so lucky.”

“I’m committed to not making this mistake again,” Risk promised.

“Do you know why my implants were dislodged? Is that a known failure?” Terror thought of all the Shadow Force operatives with those same implants who were relying on them to not leave behind a trail of children.

“My working theory is that you sustained an injury to your testicles during your captivity. Your scans before you were shot down and taken captive show the implants in place. The scans after your rescue don’t.”

Terror grimaced at the memories of his torture. Yes, there were definitely times when the men tormenting him had chosen to hurt him there. Dislodged implants would explain the bizarre pain he had chalked up to kidney stones at one point during his captivity.

With the mystery of how Maisie had conceived solved, the exam continued. The blood samples the medic had drawn upon their arrival had already been tested. All of her vital signs were optimal. Risk declared her health perfect and signed off on her wellness check.

“Just a little sting,” Risk said before numbing her wrist for the insertion of her chip.

Maisie caught his gaze over Risk’s bent head. She seemed amused that after all they had gone through to get rid of the other chip she was now having another one implanted.

“Right back where we started,” he teased.

“Yes.”

There was a knock at the door, and Maisie didn’t react. It was a reminder that he needed to get her together with Cipher after collaring her. Adjustments would need to be made to the collar and watch that would help her integrate.

Axiom, one of the doctors who floated between the Mercy and the Valiant, entered pushing a machine on wheels. Axiom specialized in women’s health so Terror had never been treated by him. He hadn’t ever heard anything negative about Axiom, but when it came to Maisie’s care, he was unwilling to accept anything less than the best.

“Right on time,” Risk announced as he finished inserting the chip. “Maisie, this is Axiom. He’s one of our obstetricians. He’ll be handling your pregnancy.”

“If you’ll allow me,” Axiom interjected. He stepped forward and offered Maisie his hand. “We also have two other obstetricians who are equally as capable. If you want to see all three of us, you’re more than welcome. You can choose whichever doctor you feel is a better fit.”

Terror’s estimation of Axiom rose considerably. Axiom was making it clear to Maisie that she was the patient and her comfort was priority.

“Are you comfortable reading lips or would you prefer if Terror translates for us?” Axiom glanced at Risk. “Or we could get a tablet in here? I think they have talk-to-text functions?”

“I’m comfortable reading lips,” Maisie said, using Terror to translate.

“Great. So, I’m a little concerned because you haven’t had any prenatal care, and you’re five months along. At the same time, you’re young and very healthy.” Axiom gestured to the nearby sink. “Let me wash up, and we’ll take a look at your baby.”

Terror experienced the strangest sensation of excitement and panic as he watched Axiom wash his hands and move the machine closer to the exam table. Risk stepped aside to make room for Axiom and moved to stand behind Terror.

“Do you mind pulling up your shirt?” Axiom asked. “And tug down your pants a little?”

Terror tamped down the possessive streak that reared its head at hearing another man asking his mate to bare her body. When Axiom tucked a disposable towel into the waistband of her pants, touching her so intimately, Terror felt another flare of irritation. He hated the jealousy that erupted within him. Maisie had committed herself to him. No fleeting touch from another man would change that.

“This may be a bit cold,” Axiom warned before dispensing an obscene amount of slippery blue gel on her round belly. He then draped a thin, clear film over her skin. “The gel helps conduct sound waves from the transducer film into your body,” he explained. “The sound waves create a detailed image of your baby on this screen.”

Axiom adjusted the screen so they could see. As an image began to pulse into shape, Maisie reached for his hand. He grasped it, holding tight as the anticipation overwhelmed him. His gaze darted from Maisie’s hopeful face to the screen and back.

As the image took shape, Terror wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at exactly. The blue pixels were confusing at first, and he tried to discern what he was seeing. He couldn’t make sense of the strange shading and pulsing until it moved.

A tiny arm. The smallest hand. Thin fingers.

A skinny leg. A kicking foot. Toes that seemed impossibly little.

His breath caught in his throat as the baby turned its face fully toward the ultrasound drape. A nose. Two eyes. Chubby cheeks. A mouth.

He marveled at the image of their child. Maisie grinned at him, her eyes shining with tears of joy, and he couldn’t help himself. He leaned over and kissed her right there in front of everyone.

Risk clapped him on the back. “Congratulations, Terror.”

“Do you want to know the sex?” Axiom asked while measuring the baby.

Terror did, but he glanced at Maisie to see what she thought. If she wanted it to be a surprise, he would agree. “Do you?”

“It’s a boy,” she said matter-of-factly.

“How do you know?”

Maisie shrugged. “I just do.”

Terror repeated her statement, and Axiom laughed. “She’s right.” He pointed to a spot on the screen where their baby was showing an undeniable part of his anatomy. “You’re having a boy.”

Makes smiled smugly. “See? Told you.”

Terror clasped her hand. “You did.”

Lost in the excitement of seeing his first child, Terror shared tender smiles with Maisie as Axiom completed his exam. After setting up her future appointments and assigning them reading tasks for the parenting course the ship required, Axiom discharged Maisie from the med bay.

“Terror.” Axiom stopped him as Maisie and Risk continued walking toward the checkout desk for pamphlets Risk wanted her to read.

“Yes?”

“I didn’t want to ask in front of your mate, but do you want me to schedule tests on the baby?”

Terror frowned. “For what?”

“Deafness.”

And there it was. The ugly reminder that his world was so fucking backwards.

“No.”

“You’re sure?” Axiom seemed surprised.

“Is there anything you can do to fix it?”

“This far into the pregnancy?” Axiom shook his head. “If it were earlier, in the first trimester, you can choose to terminate the Defect. No reason to waste resources and risk the mother’s health for an undesirable outcome.”

Terror bristled. “I’m going to say this once so listen carefully. If you ever say shit like that to me or my mate again, you’re going to have an undesirable outcome.”

“Terror,” Axiom protested. “That’s not what I meant. Clinically, according to our medical guidelines, I have to suggest termination for Defec—,” he stopped himself at the murderous expression on Terror’s face. “For fetuses that don’t meet the minimal standards of health.”

“Noted.” Terror stepped into him, forcing Axiom to step back and hit the wall. “Am I going to have a problem trusting my mate in your care?”

“No.” Axiom swallowed nervously. “No, definitely not.”

“I better not,” Terror warned. He left Axiom there and went after Maisie who now stood patiently at the checkout desk. She flashed him a happy smile, and his irritation with Axiom vanished. Still, he couldn’t forget Maisie’s remarks all those months ago about changing the laws that governed life in the Alliance. Knowing that their children might face the same cruel prejudice that she had angered him.

I’m a Director now. I have clout. I can make a difference. I can change things.He glanced down at Maisie, watching the way she idly rubbed her pregnant belly. I have to change the laws for our family.

“Everything okay?” she asked as they waited for the elevator. “You seem tense.”

“Just thinking about all the things I have to do now that I’m back.” He slid his arm around her waist and tugged her in close. He brushed a soft kiss to the top of her head. “I love you.”

She couldn’t hear him, but she could feel the vibrations of sound. She glanced up questioningly, and he repeated himself. She smiled lovingly back at him, and then, a bit coy, she asked, “Are you going to show me how much?”

The elevator arrived, and he had never been gladder for the privacy of it. He ushered her inside, and as soon as the doors were closed, he crowded her into the nearest corner. She giggled, and he captured her mouth, muting the sound and drawing a low, long moan instead. She looped her arms around his shoulders, and he wanted nothing more than to pick her up, shove her pants out of the way and claim her right then and there.

His watch vibrated at exactly the wrong moment and forced him away from those lascivious thoughts. He grunted in frustration and eased away from her mouth to glance at his watch. The message waiting surprised him.

“What is it?” She tugged her shirt down to cover the hint of bare skin his feverish kisses had uncovered.

“Apparently, my quarters assignment was changed. My things were already moved. Your bag, too.”

“Is that bad or good? The new assignment, I mean.”

“Good,” he said, noting the new location. “Very good, actually. We’re directly below Vicious and Hallie.”

Although he and Maisie had discussed his promotion and what it meant for them as far as his workload and travel, they hadn’t talked about any of the perks. She had been so tired on the flight back to the Valiant, and he had been content to simply hold her while she slept. The logistics of their new life together hadn’t mattered in that moment.

Now, as he led her down the hall to their new home, he realized it did matter. Quite a bit, actually. Maisie would probably be on her own for days at a time, especially in the early days of his directorate. She would need the support of friends and people she could trust. He could only hope Maisie would come to know and enjoy the company of women like Hallie and Brook. He wanted her to be happy here and to flourish.

He opened the door to their new home and decided to be ridiculously gallant. He swept her up in his arms, making her gasp and laugh, and then carried her across the threshold. The lights came on, and the virtual home assistant welcomed them. He didn’t expect to find anything more than the usual standard furnishings that came with each unit so he was taken aback by the decorations.

Someone had hung a handmade welcome home banner across the living area. Colorful paper streamers, some of the curled and others crimped, framed each side. Delicate puffs of paper dangled from the ceiling. There were vases of fresh flowers, and the dining table had been set for two with flameless candles and plates that he recognized from Hallie’s collection.

“Is this a tradition?” Maisie asked, equally as surprised by the celebratory welcoming.

He carefully set her down. “No, it’s not.”

“It should be.” She reached up to touch the streamers. “This is sweet. Your friends are very kind.”

“They are.”

Maisie motioned toward the boxes wrapped in beautiful lavender paper with bright white bows. “May I?”

“I’m sure they’re for you,” he said, certain that expensive paper and ribbon wouldn’t have been wasted on him. “Go ahead.”

She sat on the sofa and selected a box while he walked over to the table to see what had been written on a small green card left there. When he picked it up, he caught the faint scent of something floral. He opened it and read the message.

Terror and Maisie,

We’re so happy for you both! Dizzy and Hallie stocked your kitchen with essentials. Naya, Brook and I made sure you have the necessities for the first few days in your new home—linens, toiletries, clothing.

We would like to take Maisie out for lunch some day this week. Send me a message, and I’ll arrange it.

All Best,

Ella

Of course, it was from Ella, Raze’s mate. She seemed like the type to have scented stationery on hand. Normally, he suspected it would be Hallie who organized a thing like this, but with her babies coming any day, it made sense that Ella, the social butterfly of their close-knit group, would take the lead.

When he turned to show Maisie the message, he found her surrounded by piles of dresses, shirts, tops, lacy and plain underthings and shoes. She seemed completely overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness. “How do I thank your friends for this?”

“Our friends,” he corrected gently. “All you have to do is say, ‘Thank you.’”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all,” he assured her. He shifted aside a stack of dresses and dropped down onto the cushion next to her. Draping his arm over the couch, he leaned over and kissed her temple. “There’s dinner in the oven.” He made a face. “Hopefully, Hallie or Dizzy cooked it. If it’s from Ella, we’ll make do with whatever I can find in the cabinets.”

Maisie plucked the card from his hand. After she read it, she lifted it to her nose. “Smells like spring.” With a mischievous smile, she asked, “Am I expected to get stationery in pretty colors that smells like perfume now that I’m a mate?”

“No,” he said and chuckled. “Ella is...,” he searched for the right word. “She’s flashy,” he decided. “And technically you aren’t a mate yet.” He traced her bare neck. “Not until I collar you.”

“Really?” She gestured to her belly. “This isn’t enough for me to be considered your mate?”

“It’s more than enough for me.”

“But?”

“The rules are the rules. Collar equals mate.”

“Well,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eye, “I guess there’s only one thing to do then.”

“What’s that?”

She answered him by throwing a handful of clothing in his face and rushing off to hide. He shoved the dresses and tops away and stood to chase after her. She was right. This was as close to a real Grab as they were going to get.

He spotted his backpack on a chair and unzipped the pouch where he had stowed the collar Cipher had designed. With the strip of white leather dangling from his hand, he crept through their apartment. There were only a few places she could have hidden, but he took his time searching. When he reached their bedroom, he found her shoes, her socks and then her shirt.

Getting the message, he stopped to unzip and toe out of his boots. He stripped out of his shirt and pants, leaving his weapons in a secured cabinet, before he peeled out of everything else. Naked and holding the collar, he checked the bathroom, half-expecting to find her hiding in the shower. When she wasn’t there, he knew exactly where she was.

Already rock hard with anticipation, he strode toward the room where he hoped to show Maisie all sorts of wickedly sensual delights. He should have known she would go straight to the playroom. She wasn’t the usual nervous mate terrified by wild stories. She embraced her needs and desires.

So, he wasn’t at all surprised to find her nude and rocking slowly back and forth in the black leather swing suspended from the ceiling. He was taken back to that night in the pleasure club on the cruise ship. He stopped in the doorway, completely in awe of her, and tried to memorize every detail. Her skin was pink with the flush of arousal. Her breasts were fuller now, the nipples a darker shade of brown and the veins more prominent. The swell of her belly enticed him.

But it was her spread thighs that beckoned him closer. Her pussy glistened with desire, and he wasted no time cupping her mound as he leaned in to kiss her. She moaned desperately into his mouth and swept her tongue against his. She clawed at his shoulders and dragged him deeper between her thighs, notching him in right where she wanted him.

Any other time, he would have denied her the pleasure she sought. He would have made her earn it through submission and a little pain. Later, he promised himself. There was time to drive her mad with desire and sensation later.

Right now, he wanted to give her exactly what she wanted. All the months of separation. All the struggles and suffering she had endured alone. She had survived against all odds—and done it while secretly carrying his child.

So, yes, she could have whatever she wanted.

But first...

He carefully draped the collar around her neck. She shivered under his tender touch, and he fastened the buckle, making sure there was plenty of space between the leather band and her neck. With the extra burden of making a baby on her body, he wanted nothing to compress the delicate veins in her neck.

She reached up and touched the collar, her fingertips moving along the leather as a smile curved her soft mouth. Holding his gaze, she said, “Thank you.”

“Maisie,” he whispered. “I should be thanking you for accepting me.”

She drew a swirly shape on his chest. Playfully, she said, “I can think of one way you can thank me.”

“I’m sure you can.” Terror stroked his fingertips along her labia, drawing shivers of delight. She sighed against his cheek when his fingers explored her slick heat. He trailed feverish kisses down her cheek and jaw and then her throat. She laughed when he buried his face between her breasts and then groaned when he sucked her taut nipple between his lips.

Interesting.He had always heard that women were more sensitive when carrying a child. He wondered what else had changed since he had loved her last. Only one way to find out…

Terror dotted a line of kisses from the valley between her breasts along the taut swell of her belly and each side of her hips. He dropped to his knees, cupping her ass and using the easy movement of the swing to pull her cunt right to his mouth. She cried out and tilted her hips toward his tongue. He groaned into her wet heat and let himself have what he had craved so many nights.

Kneeling there, his face buried between her legs, he worshipped her in the way she deserved. His tongue swirled around her clit and flicked it side to side. He suckled it gently before lapping slow and easy to draw out her pleasure. When he let his tongue slide lower and dip just inside, she practically squealed. His heart hammered in his chest, and his cock throbbed painfully. A few drops of precum dripped from the ruddy head, and he had to tamp down the feral urge to stand and thrust deep into her.

Maisie touched the top of his head and then the back of it, her short nails scratching at his scalp as she moved her hips in time with his licking tongue. He loved the way she let go and took what she wanted, using him for her own enjoyment. He concentrated right on that bundle of nerves, flicking and lapping until her thighs tensed, and she bucked against his mouth, shrieking as her climax rocked her body.

Determined to make her come harder than she ever had, he held tight to the swing’s straps, keeping her pussy right where he wanted it. Her staccato breaths deepened, and she started to tremble wildly. Another orgasm, this one more powerful, shuddered through her. Maisie made a guttural sound as her limbs shook, and her hips undulated wildly. She pressed against his forehead, her strong fingers silently asking him for mercy that he gave.

Not wanting to stand just yet, he kissed her thighs and mound. He worked his way along her hips and the curve of the bottom of her belly as he rose to his feet. She clutched at his arms and his waist, begging him to fuck her. He slipped his arm between her bottom and the seat of the swing to readjust her position. When she was exactly where she needed to be, he grasped the base of his cock and dragged his hyper-sensitive crown through her slick folds. She was wetter than she had ever been, and he was dying to feel her squeezing and surrounding him.

They both moaned when he thrust into her. That first stroke was like heaven. He stilled for a moment, just enjoying the sensation of being joined so intimately. When he drew back, he did so deliberately, slowly, until he was nearly out of her and then slid right back inside. Maisie gripped his forearms and tugged him down so that she could kiss him. It was a messy, passionate kiss punctuated with every thrust of his hips.

“I love you,” he declared, holding her gaze as he rocked in and out of her body. “I love you, Maisie.”

“I love you.” The fingers of her right hand returned his declaration. “So much.”

Terror thrust deep, so deep that her clit was pressed against his lower stomach, and stopped. He leaned down and palmed her breasts. He suckled each one and lightly grazed his teeth over the sensitive peaks. She gasped, and he felt her reaction along the length of his shaft, her inner walls fluttering around him. Wanting to feel that again, he repeated the suckling and grazing until she was shuddering and grasping at him.

Terror straightened and licked his thumb, leaving it wet and slick. He placed it against her swollen clit and began to draw lazy circles around the bud. Thrusting again, he held her dark, lust-filled gaze. He marveled at the beauty of her face, and the way her perfect, pouty mouth shaped the needful sounds that escaped her throat.

“Harder,” she urged, tucking her toes against the back of his thighs. “Harder. Faster.”

He gave her what she wanted. Hard. Fast. Each thrust causing the swing to sway wildly back and forth. He rubbed quicker circles over her clit, and her toes pressed into the flexing muscles of his thighs. The tension in her grew and grew until finally it exploded.

Overcome with his own need to climax with her, he gripped the straps of the swing and used the momentum of the contraption to take her. She bounced on his cock, leaving a glistening sheen of her slick sweetness on his shaft. A shiver of pleasure pulsed in his lower belly, spreading down through his balls and into his thighs. That familiar buzz of joy left him panting, and he growled as he came, jerking roughly as he spilled his seed.

His head throbbed from the intensity of his orgasm, and from the way Maisie slumped in the swing, he sensed she was wrung out from pleasure, too. He scooped her up, his cock still buried inside her, and kissed her the way he had dreamed about kissing her all those months without her. She clung to his shoulders as he backed them away from the swing and turned toward their bedroom.

He shifted her in his arms, slipping free from her slick heat, and tugged down the covers on the neatly made bed. The smell of something feminine and floral filled the air, probably some outrageously expensive detergent that Ella insisted on having. The sheets were soft against their naked skin. Somehow, it seemed right to tumble Maisie into a bed that smelled so good and was so comfortable.

Nestled in their cozy cocoon, they shared gentle, sweet kisses. He was reminded of the first time they had cuddled together like this when she had been so weak and sick after escaping the Valiant. He remembered how unusual the experience had been and how it had left him craving that sort of innocent intimacy. At the time, he hadn’t believed he would ever really be able to keep her or share moments like this whenever they wanted.

Now, here he was, safe and secure in his quarters, holding his pregnant mate. It was almost too good to be true. Would it ever feel real? Permanent? Would he always fear that he was one wrong step away from losing her again?

Maisie interrupted his thoughts by grabbing his hand. She placed it on her belly, high on the swell and over to the left. He understood what she was trying to do, but he didn’t feel anything. She frowned, and he started to pull his hand away, not wanting her to feel pressured to share the movements of their child. Vicious had told him how difficult it was to feel in the early days when Hallie described the flutters of feet and hands.

Thump.

Terror froze. He held his breath, certain he had imagined the sensation.

Thump.

There it was again. This time, he knew it was real. Strong and insistent, their baby kicked and stretched inside Maisie’s womb. Shaken by the experience, he glanced at Maisie who smiled up at him with love burning in her adoring gaze.

“He’s strong like you.”

Terror swallowed hard. “I hope it doesn’t hurt.”

“No, it doesn’t,” she assured him. “It’s strange, at first, but now it’s comforting to feel him. Even when I was alone at the orchard, I wasn’t ever truly alone. He was with me. A part of you,” she touched his chest, “was with me.”

Terror gently touched his forehead to hers before kissing her tenderly. He slid down the bed until he reached her belly, and he pressed his lips to the spot where their son still kicked. He let the tears fall from his lone eye. He wasn’t afraid to let himself feel in front of her. No, he wanted her to see the depth of his emotion. He wanted her to know how very happy he was and how much he truly loved her and their baby.

When he returned to her side, sharing a hopeful look and a joyful smile, he said, “Four more months.”

She covered his hand on her belly. “Four more months.”

The End.