Chapter Twenty-One

Just before dawn, she tried to get up, and she couldn’t. Her body was limp and sated. Grigory nuzzled her neck and pressed soft kisses against her skin. She gave up her light purr, and he smiled against her shoulder. The kisses had asked you, okay? And her purr was her response.

As pregnancy celebrations went, the previous night had been pretty thorough. The jewellery rustled as she moved and threaded her fingers through Grigory’s hair as he continued to taste her skin.

She whispered to him, “Don’t you ever have to go to work?”

He smiled against her skin. “I go in when you go out. I also have very competent people around me who can work a cell phone. I meet with suppliers during the day, and now that I am becoming a family man, I am trying to keep evenings free for family.”

His hands moved down her body, caressing and waking her on the way. He slid her thigh onto Delun’s hip, and his erection teased her until she flexed her hips against his. He exhaled softly, “Ah, my treasure.”

He slid into her to the edge of his knot. Her eyes widened as he stretched her to capacity. He edged in deeper, and the deep ache she felt took over, and Lexa bowed back against him. His knot made way for itself implacably, and then, he settled while she panted. He set his teeth over his mark, and she gasped as a full-body pulse ran through her. She moaned long and low as her body reached critical levels, and her orgasm blazed through her. He chuckled and purred as his hips flexed, moving the knot inside her by tiny increments. The waves continued to run through until she felt the electric charge in her system creeping to overload. The pressure against her g-spot went critical, and she clenched around him as much as she could. The world went white around her, and pleasure shattered her mind into a thousand glittering pieces.

As she came back to herself, she saw Delun with his head propped on his fist. “Now, that is worth waking up for.”

Her marks were humming and hot. “Oh, dear. Poor Arthur.”

The door opened, and he was breathing heavily as he walked into the room. She took in his riotous bedhead and covered her mouth to hide her grin. “Sorry.”

He walked up to the bed and crouched down, looking her in the eyes. “Nice start to the day?”

She nodded. He cupped her jaw and traced her lips with his thumb. She sucked the thumb into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it.

His eyes narrowed. “Are you teasing?”

She shook her head. “Nope, still stuck.”

Grigory chuckled. “I went in all the way, and now, she has to wait.”

Arthur smiled. Delun had moved to the head of the bed and was checking emails and texts.

Arthur raised a brow.

“Oh, I had my fun last night, this morning, two hours ago. And will have more this evening, possibly before dinner if Lexa is feeling generous.”

Lexa sucked hard on Arthur’s thumb and bit him. She squeezed, and Grigory groaned as his cock flexed and spluttered inside her. “Ah, treasure, you’ve killed me.”

She abandoned Arthur’s thumb and said, “It will keep you out of trouble. If you go to the clubs, you can remember this, and if I smell another woman on you, this will be the last time we have this particular morning cuddle.”

“Ah, treasure, jealous?”

“Yup. Mine.” She clenched, and he grunted, curling around her. She curled her hand around Arthur’s.

Arthur asked, “You aren’t going to claim Delun?”

Delun grinned. “Oh, she did. I am feeling the love.” He put his phone down and headed to the bathroom. His back was a crossroads of claw marks, and his shoulders were bitten savagely.

Arthur looked at her and said, “Lexa?”

She laughed. “What? He likes it.”

From the bathroom, a purring voice spoke loudly. “He really does, petal.”

She checked, and Grigory was still annoyingly a few minutes from letting her go. He was tenacious today. She beckoned to Arthur, and he moved closer, sitting down next to her at the edge of her reach. She whined and reached for his cock, stroking it slowly, running her fingers along his knot before teasing at the weeping head as she moved her fingers over him. She had to lean forward to lick him, and it pulled her against Grigory. He was chuckling, which meant he wasn’t moving.

Each wiggle sent another flare of heat through her, and Grigory grunted when she wiggled.

She whined, and Arthur moved two inches closer, and he hissed when she captured him in her mouth. He cursed and jumped when she increased the suction and flicked the opening at the head of his cock with her tongue. It took her less than two minutes before he clutched her hair and shouted as jets of cream spewed from him.

She swallowed as much as she could and then held the remainder in her mouth. Delun handed her a face cloth, and she spit the rest out. She looked at Arthur’s amused expression. “Sorry ‘bout that. Your knot was packing.”

He laughed. “I should apologize, but I don’t feel the least bit remorseful.”

She wrinkled her nose and gently checked. About thirty seconds.

Delun was getting dressed, and Lexa watched all that scratched-up skin disappearing under his tailored suit. He winked at her as he slid a tie around his neck.

Arthur kissed her, tasting himself. “I had better get dressed as well. We have a long, trying day ahead of us.”

“Dealing with your mother.”

“Duelling with her lawyers. It will be interesting. Thanks for keeping tons of paper trails with notarized date stamps.” He got to his feet.

“You are welcome. Maia’s situation taught me a lot about your mother and how to fight her, even if she brings a howitzer to a paper fan fight.”

He kissed her again and then stole Delun’s robe to go back to his room.

She felt Grigory’s knot shrink and was about to lunge away, but he grabbed her and held her against him.

Delun chuckled. “Let her get some sleep, Grigory.”

Her thighs and the bed under her were soaked with slick and cum. “Not here, I am not.”

Grigory chuckled. “Perhaps you would prefer your nest?”

“Only if you sleep in the wet spot.”

He laughed and rolled up, lifting her in his arms. He stopped so Delun could kiss her goodbye for the day, and then, they moved swiftly through the halls to her nest. She paused and cleaned up in the bathroom then returned to her pillows and throws and curled in the surround and safety of her construction. Grigory dropped a light throw over his waist and hips, and then, he cuddled against her. “You have had enough loving for one night.”

She chuckled and leaned on his chest. “You smell like me.”

“And you smell like me.” He chuckled and stroked her back. “Roses and mouthwash.”

She giggled and yawned. “It used to be roses and citrus. I changed.”

“For the better, treasure. It was for the better.”

He tucked her against him, and she sleepily murmured, “You will get too hot.”

He soothed her, his touch over her necklaces causing a slight jingle. “I can manage with you, treasure.”

* * * *

Grigory smiled at his mate as she snuffled slightly, curled against his chest. She was adorably exhausted from their evening. She had shocked them with her stamina, but as they could remain hard, she could remain horny as they took turns arousing and satisfying their mate until sleep had called... for a while.

He heard the door opening and verified that they were both covered. “Come in, Hailey.”

Hailey crept in in her pyjamas, and she said, “Is it okay?”

“It is fine.” He reached for a new throw, and he draped it between him and Lexa like a hammock. “Come and cuddle with her, princess.”

Hailey carefully crawled between them and cuddled with her mom. Lexa’s eyes opened sleepily. “Hey, baby.”

“Grigory said I could cuddle for a bit.”

She chuckled. “He’s good at cuddling. You in a fuzzy throw?”

“Yup.”

“Then, c’mere.” Lexa pulled her close, her bare shoulder poking out of the throws.

Hailey turned and faced Grigory. “You look sleepy, too.”

He chuckled and lay on his side. “Busy night.” He reached and pulled a corner of the throw over Lexa’s shoulder.

“Mom always sleeps naked, so I have to make sure she’s got everything arranged before I come in,” Hailey said with authority. “It is nice that you don’t want her getting cold.”

“I care for your mother a great deal.”

“You just met about a week ago.”

“Yes, but sometimes in your life, you meet people who just fit. You don’t need time, but time makes things stronger. So, what hobbies does your mom have? Dancing?”

“Yeah, she liked dancing at home more than dancing for work. She said that it is one thing to have fun with what your body can do versus when your body is expected to do the same thing over and over. She liked gymnastics, skating, she’s good at riding horses...” She was thinking.

“Is that where you got your love of horses?”

“Mom was friends with another dancer, and she had a boyfriend that wanted to show off, so she would go riding with the friend, and the man would keep his hands to himself.”

“Why would he keep his hands to himself?”

“Mom’s scent made him sneeze.” Hailey thought that was the funniest thing.

“Ah, Rommer.”

“You know him?”

“Yeah, his allergy to roses is well known. What does your mom like getting for presents?”

“Um. Hugs?”

He paused and then tried another tack. “Does she like flowers?”

“Yeah. Roses. She can hide in them, but she really likes them in pink and purple.” She thought. “She also likes the purple-blue flowers. They don’t smell much, but they have ruffly petals.”

He paused, “Irises?”

“Yeah. Those ones.”

Lexa murmured, “Stop grilling her for information. I like pink roses. Blue irises. Any chocolate with caramel or nuts and cheap Chinese takeout.”

She leaned in and snuffled Hailey’s neck, and the girl squealed and giggled.

Grigory imagined his child in her arms and the giggles and snorts that would ensue. He blinked and remembered. It was happening. The white-haired little boy or girl was on the way if all went well.

After half an hour, Illyana stuck her head in, and she saw Grigory and carefully eased in and toward the cuddle on the bed. Hailey turned to her mother. “Mom. I have to go.”

Lexa sighed and stroked her hair. “I’ll see you later, baby.”

Hailey fought to get herself out of the embrace because Lexa held her tight. Illyana reminded, “Miss Lexa, she has to brush her teeth and get ready for breakfast.”

Lexa grumped, and Hailey laughed as Illyana pulled her free of the nest. Farewells were spoken, but the moment the door was closed, Grigory pulled Lexa toward him and started kissing his way down her body.

When he stared at her slick sex where life was beginning, he grinned and dove in, his tongue tasting every part of her. She threaded her fingers through his hair, and he explored every part of her until she moaned and shuddered, slick surging onto his tongue. She went limp, and he chuckled as the heavy snuffling showed that she was out for the count. He pushed pillows and bedding to walls on all sides before he left her so that he could go make some calls. His businesses were still rolling along, but there were many and hiring management staff was always left to him. He liked it that way. His beast liked it that way. But now, he was heading for a cub of his own, and he was going to have to change the way he did things. He also needed a shift in the worst way, which was what he would do that morning before he did anything else. Arthur had run the woods last night, and Delun didn’t need the change as often as they did, but their little gathering was actual ursine alphas, not just in the slight physical change others had. Their families had all managed to produce an actual working beast. It made their families protective of the genes, and finding Lexa with her penchant for ursas had been considered a sign.

He was hoping they had the opportunity to show her soon. The school that Hailey was starting catered to the subset of shifters which popped up in the nearest three states. She was going to need to learn what they were sooner rather than later. The children she attended with would know that their parents were all shifters. She needed to know, but Lexa needed to know first.

He went to his room, grabbed a robe, and once downstairs, he headed straight for the thick woods. He found his preferred clearing and shifted into his beast. He stretched, marked some trees, and he roared.

* * * *

Lexa lifted her head, murmured, “Grigory, stop showing off.” And then, she returned to her nap. She wasn’t sure when she knew they weren’t just mimicking aspects of bears, but it might have been when they all did partial shifts while fucking her. The change in their body hair situation had been hard to miss, even if she could overlook the alteration of their cock. Delun knew that she knew, but they hadn’t said anything. He had been balls deep in her when he grew a muzzle, and that same muzzle reappeared when he was licking between her thighs. Honey tongue. Hah. More like honey hunter.

Arthur had been going to tell her that night. He had been working up to it, but then, the past interfered.

She had had five years to get used to the idea of having a shifter as a mate. It had only taken her two years to stop freaking out when she thought about it. He had been the only one for her until Delun. Actual shifters were so rare, there were organizations who wanted to research every bit of them. The Omega Centre was one of them.

Lexa needed to ask the guys if they had been registered with the centre. She knew that Olivia’s pride had been listed. Her presence had just given them exactly what they were looking for. She was pretty sure that Olivia’s guys were shifters. The animal rescue gave them the perfect opportunity to shift and run around with the cats. Her friend was comfortable enough with the actual cats, so if her guys were actually cats, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.

She yawned and stretched. A fun ache ran through her. She got up and headed for the shower and planned to get the largest coffee she could get past Yorgi.

Dressed in another comfy outfit but with underwear firmly in place, she went down for breakfast, and a robed Grigory came inside. She had put all the jewellery back in their cases, and he looked at her. “Where are your jewels?”

“Um, in their boxes.”

He sighed. “You need to put on at least a few pieces.”

She walked up to him and wrapped an arm around his waist, breathing in his normal scent with heavy musk on it. “So, do you scratch trees or were you looking for a seal in the woods?”

Her low words made him look down in shock. “What?”

She looked up at him calmly and smiled. “I prefer you less fuzzy, but I don’t mind that you are.”

His pupil’s dilated, and a wave of white fur moved over him, almost too fast to see.

“You knew?”

“Well, Arthur said he found ursas with similar characteristics. It wasn’t a huge stretch.” She chuckled. “The super-strong scents are definitely a giveaway. Do you know any other shifters?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Yes. One of my cousins. Why?”

“What kind is he? I mean, this sort of thing is astronomically rare.”

“Just as rare as finding a woman to match the shifter type.” He booped her on the nose with his finger. “Huh. Here I was worried about telling you. You have seen Delun?”

She wobbled her head a little. “Felt him. His nose changes to snout when he is going down on me. I have also noticed a wave of fur moving across all of you when I knot you, but I dismiss it at the time. I am busy.”

He shouted and lifted her above his head. “A true treasure.”

She squeaked as she was caught in his hug, and she muttered, “I just came down for coffee.”

“I wish I had frequented the Shattered Diamond while you danced there.”

“I am not very good, or so the management told me. So, I quit, and he tried to have thugs force me back to work.”

He went very still. “Adam Richards threatened you?”

“He had two very thick men do it, but yes.”

“Ah, treasure, I need you to come with me this afternoon.”

“Sure. Where?”

“To see an old acquaintance. Did the men lay hands on you?”

“They grabbed my arm and passed along the message. Shortly after, I started to hang out with Olivia and the guys, so I had some coverage after that. My work as a courier kept me moving, and Hailey had an after-school club, so I was able to work right until six. After that, I took her with me if I saw the cars out front of the house. They gave up after a week.”

He set her on her feet and smoothed a hand down her back. “They should never have been sent.”

She frowned. “I am guessing you have some connection to the business.”

“Correct. I own it.”

“You are joking.”

“I am not. When Arthur mentioned you, I recognized the name as Rose, and your reviews as a dancer were strange. They were not complimentary, but the suggestion to replace you was denied.”

“You wanted me fired?”

He shrugged. “You did not resonate with the clientele, so it was what we do. Roll you to a less intense timeslot, and if someone else is needed in that spot, you are out, and they were in. I have not been to the business in months, so I have never seen you dance. Were you any good?” He raised his pale brows.

“Apparently not, but Ford says I am amazing. So, I guess guys who are looking to pay are fussier than someone who just wants a few million views on a video.” She grumbled.

He chuckled. “I could give you an honest assessment in my office if you like.”

“I think you would enjoy that.”

“Oh, treasure, I would.”

She slammed her hand on his chest. “Not before coffee.”

He grinned. “I will be in my office. Any time you are ready.”

“What am I dancing for?”

“Your mate.”

She smiled. “Good answer.”