Hearts of Warriors Ch. 19

"Oh, I'm getting there, sugar," he chuckled, his heart thumping wildly as he teased a finger into her body, feeling her wetness coat him easily. His breath rushed out loudly, echoing the startled breath Lily expelled. Mac slowly withdrew his finger and pressed back in.

Lights danced behind Lily's closed eyes. She wanted to watch Mac pleasure her but the feelings he was evoking were so intense her eyes wouldn't stay open. His hand moved languidly between her thighs, drawing out her pleasure slowly. Her hips flexed up to meet each new thrust inside, her passion mounting quickly.

"Mac!" She was vaguely aware that all she could say was his name but she didn't care. The tension in her abdomen was spiralling with each slow stroke of his finger inside her and she knew she would fly apart very soon. A light flick against her most vulnerable spot and the lights exploded and she was falling in the sweet bliss of her climax.

Mac watched Lily explode, his greedy gaze capturing every nuance of her expression as she shattered against his hand. This was the only image he wanted to have of his beautiful mate, the one that told him he'd pleasured her to completion. His body ached to join her but he continued to press his fingers deep within her body, drawing out her pleasure for as long as he could. She bathed his hand with her release, the aroma so heady he growled loudly. He had to taste her nectar.

Mac knelt before the bed, spreading Lily's thighs apart and drawing in a deep breath. Her scent was the most potent of aphrodisiacs, a temptation he'd never be able to resist. His tongue snaked out and dragged roughly against her tender flesh, Mac groaning again as she filled his mouth with her essence. This was what he lived for, the heady taste of his mate's passion.

Lily cried out, bucking up wildly. Mac's mouth feasted against her flesh, his tongue dancing through every crease and fold, drinking greedily as he groaned. He was relentless, teasing and flicking, pressing deep inside her as he sought everything she had to offer him. She was going to climax again and he hadn't received any pleasure.

Lily pushed at his head. "Mac, stop."

He growled, not wanting to be denied the wonderful taste in his mouth, but his mate was being insistent, pushing him away. He growled again and frowned up at her.

Lily giggled at his grumpy expression, crawling on hands and knees until she was face to face with him. Her damp hair fell forward in tangles, her eyes smoky with passion. "I want to taste you too, Mac," she breathed against his lips, hearing his sharp intake of breath.

Her words had his heart thumping hard in his chest. The thought of Lily's mouth giving him the most intimate of kisses was so erotic he pulsed hard. He licked at her bottom lip, sucking it in and succumbing to the desire to nick the plump flesh with his fangs. He suckled softly at the sweetness of her blood, being careful just to take a little.

Once he calmed the racing of his heart at her words, he released her mouth and gave her a slow smile full of intent. "Whatever you want, sugar. Lie on your back." It was an order, plain and simple and one she obeyed instantly.

Mac rose up, covering her body, his hardness pressing against her lips. Lily sighed with pleasure, opening her mouth to receive him as his head buried itself between her thighs one more and his tongue began its wicked torture again.

Lily licked slowly up and down her mate's impressive shaft, loving the textures in her mouth. Mac groaned against her body and she knew he was enjoying her attentions and that gave her more confidence. Never had she thought that using her mouth on him would be so erotic. No wonder he didn't want to stop tasting her if he took as much pleasure from this as she was.

He was so hard and yet so soft too, his hips flexing uncontrollably to press himself deeper into her mouth. She was doing this, making him so mindless with pleasure that the head of his shaft was pushing against the back of her throat as he tried to fit more of himself in. It was a heady feeling and combined with his wicked tongue between her thighs, she knew she was going to climax again soon.

Mac couldn't decide what was sending fire racing through his veins more, Lily's heady flavour or the hot mouth sucking greedily on his body. He was trying to restrain himself, trying not to be too rough, but she was attacking him with such vigour all rational thought was receding, leaving only wildness in its place.

Lily's mouth was both pleasure and torture rolled into one. He wanted to press deep, his blood so hot his fangs had elongated and were aching to sink into her soft skin. He could feel Lily tensing, knew she was a heartbeat away from shattering once more. He was so close to joining her, so lost in the lust she was teasing out of him.

His tongue rasped hard over her sweet spot, flicking the tiny bundle of nerves and sending her soaring high. Sweat bathed his body as he fought for control but she groaned against his flesh and his hips jerked convulsively. His fangs sank into her most vulnerable place, her musky aroma assaulting him as he suckled hard at her body, releasing his seed into her insistent mouth.

She took everything he gave her, shuddering wildly as he drank down her sweet essence. Mac was floating on air, his mate's life-giving blood nourishing his beast as he continued to lick and suckle at her sex, sending her into another climax as she drew his seed from him with her hot mouth.

Lily swallowed and moaned, her entire body on fire as Mac pushed her to greater heights of pleasure. He tasted so good, so amazing that she wanted more and swallowed again, drinking him down. The pleasure was absolute, her mate's wildness making her wolf preen. They had done this, driven him to lose control and take what was rightfully his as they took what was rightfully theirs. It was the headiest of feelings and one she knew she would want to experience again.

Mac withdrew his fangs, kissing Lily gently before reluctantly pulling from the hot moistness of her mouth. He'd lost control at the end and was concerned he'd accidentally hurt her but one glance at her satisfied smile was enough to tell him his mate was feeling very pleased with herself.

"Enjoy that did you, sugar?"

Lily almost purred as she stretched out languidly. "That was amazing."

He threw his head back and laughed at the smug satisfaction in her voice before he pulled back the covers and settled her into the bed properly. She yawned as he snuggled down behind her, one hand cupping a breast while the other gently cradled her abdomen. "You're sure you're okay? I wasn't too rough?"

"I'm not fragile, Mac. I'm a Vârcolac remember." There was gentle chiding in her tone but the hand she placed over his, linking their fingers over the new life they had created, softened it.

"That you are, my love," he breathed against her shoulder, running his tongue up to her neck and giving her a light nip. "But even Vârcolacs need to rest after having such an eventful day. Sleep, sugar."

Lily snuggled closer, protected by her mate's strong arms, smiling sleepily as her eyes closed against her will. She listened to the gentle rise and fall of her mate's chest, feeling safe within his arms, knowing it would take him a while to get over the fright she'd given him, but comforted that she was where she belonged.

"How long do you think we have before Andrei checks in?" Mac asked sleepily, rubbing his lips against her shoulder.

"Kallum bought us some time," she smiled, "They know I'm okay. I dare say Dad will have a thing or two to say the next time we visit." She yawned and then tilted her head back to look at him. "Mac, how did you find me? I was shadowed. Did my vomiting give me away?"

Pale grey eyes connected with hers and he frowned. "I didn't track you that way and you'd closed off our mate bond so I couldn't track you that way either." He raised himself up slightly to stare down at her. "Come to think of it, when you vanished, I managed to keep up with Kal and Liam which shouldn't have been possible."

Lily's eyes widened, surprise crossing her face. "You saw through my shadowing?"

Mac smiled slowly, reaching deep within and sensing the changes slotting into place, changes that had come about from his mating with a Vârcolac. The wolf gene was muted and probably always would be, but it appeared he'd taken on the more enhanced characteristics that went with the vampire gene. "It would appear I can, sugar," he drawled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "So, that's put paid to any future plans of running because I will always find you."

He chuckled at her mock-outraged expression and settled back down beside her, snuggling her in tightly. This was where he belonged, where he would always belong, with his beautiful Liliana Rose. "Sleep now, sugar."

"Mac, when I wake this time, you will still be in bed beside me?" There was a hint of vulnerability in the question, alluding to the fact that so far, she had always woken alone since they had mated. It was a mistake he wasn't going to repeat.

"Always, Lily. You won't ever wake alone again. Now go to sleep before I decide to sing you to sleep. Believe me, that is something you most definitely do not want to happen."

Sighing happily, Lily allowed sleep to claim her, safe in the knowledge that no matter what happened, she and Mac would always be able to work out any issues and overcome them, because that was what mates did.

*****

"Lily."

She woke with a start, dread filling her heart at the sound of the male voice inside her head. Turning slightly, she glanced at Mac to see him fast asleep, the mental intrusion failing to disturb him.

"Lily."

She couldn't ignore the command in the tone no matter how much she wanted to. Her wolf would always answer to that command, at least, until another came along to usurp that relationship. Schooling her emotions as best she could, she slipped silently from the bed and found a robe belonging to Freya. Slipping it on, she padded barefoot outside to the man waiting for her.

Rafe's expression was so neutral it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Her Alpha stood on the first step of the porch, brown eyes quickly running over her face. "You're okay?" Even his voice was neutral.

"I'm okay, Rafe. Kothi was in the right place at the right time. The baby's fine too." It was hard to look into his penetrating gaze and her head lowered automatically in the submissive position her wolf adopted. Her Alpha had warned her of the penalty of blocking his link and she had gone ahead and done it anyway. It was time to accept his judgement even though it would break her heart to leave the pack. She knew it was only a matter of time before that happened anyway, but she wanted to remain part of the Armand-Hanlon pack as long as possible.

Rafe sighed, staring at Lily's bent head. She had placed him in an unconscionable position and they both knew it. It hurt to look at her so he turned away, sitting down on the top step and staring out at the panoramic view of the mountains and forest. "What am I supposed to do with you, Liliana?" It was a rhetorical question and they both knew it.

He sighed again, running a weary hand through his shaggy hair. "Come, sit with me." Rafe waited for her to take a seat beside him, trying to work out what to say. Annie had told him he would know what to do for the best when it came to his errant pack member. He wasn't so sure he was that wise. Lily had deliberately undermined his authority as Alpha, knowing what the consequences for that would be. How was he supposed to resolve this?

"Have you no respect for me, Lily?" The words came out sounding pained, touching on the root cause of Rafe's dilemma when it came to her.

Her head whipped around, shock blazing from her eyes. "Good God, Rafe! No, you can't believe that! Of course, I respect you. You're my Alpha. You have always loved and protected me, always been someone I could count on. I have so much respect for you, Rafe, please don't ever think that I don't."

"Then explain this to me, Lily. Help me understand why I fail so badly as your Alpha, because quite frankly I'm at a loss here. Why can't you put the needs of the pack before your own? What is it about my leadership that you find so onerous?"

It hurt to hear the plea in his voice. Rafe truly thought that he was somehow lacking as an Alpha and that was the furthest thing from the truth. He was the best Alpha she'd ever known, and she knew a few of them. Jared was a good Alpha too, but there was something about Rafe's kind heart that was that bit more special, that earned him love and loyalty, not just because he was Alpha but because of who he was.

Lily took a deep breath, trying to overcome the shock of his words, feeling his disappointment running down their bond. She knew Mac wouldn't hold it against her if she discussed the situation with Rafe. He understood the pack dynamic even if he hadn't come under Rafe's command when they'd mated.

Swallowing hard, determined not to cry and be seen as weak, Lily took another deep breath before fully opening up her bond with Rafe, letting him feel the emotions behind her words. "Mac didn't want children. He'd lost a child when he was human and had never recovered from the grief. I only found out just before I discovered I was pregnant. I panicked, Rafe. I closed down all my bonds automatically without thinking. It wasn't because I was disrespecting you. It was never about that, you have to believe me. I was afraid I'd have to choose between Mac and the baby. I was trying to protect my child."

He turned his head to the side, seeing the slight puffiness of her eyes that wasn't due to being woken up by his presence. He tried to imagine what she'd been through, feeling the tumult of emotions flooding through the Alpha bond. He had known some of it but hadn't realised just how extreme the situation had been. What Lily must have been going through to run from her mate to protect her child? It was an inconceivable position to be in and he wondered what Lacey would do in a similar circumstance.

Not that it would ever come to that, but the protective instincts of a mother was like no other. He knew that and had witnessed it so many times within the pack on a daily basis. And not just from mothers but the fathers too.

Rafe cast his mind out to his mate, feeling Lacey's disquiet and wanting to be with her. He delved deeper, feeling for, and finding, what he was looking for. Twin hearts beat within his mate, a son and a daughter. He felt love blooming within and smiled softly as he lightly touched on the thoughts of his growing babes.

No one knew yet. Lacey had just passed the danger point for shifting, was in her fourth month with barely any change to her body as yet. They had planned on sharing with the pack once she could shift again, but events had overtaken that. Hell, even Annie had been so preoccupied she hadn't noticed yet.

Lacey was an experienced mother but Lily...Lily was still young in so many ways despite her many attributes. With so much happening in her life the past few weeks, no wonder she had acted without thought. The one good part of the experience was it appeared to have tempered her slightly, judging from the expression in her eyes.

"Come here," Rafe said, his voice gruff as he reached out and pulled his pack member into the warmth of his side. "Is Mac now reconciled to being a father?"

Lily looped an arm around his stomach, resting her head against his shoulder. "He is. A lot has happened, Rafe. We both have come to learn a lot about who we are as people and what we need to be as mates. I naively thought that once you found your mate everything just worked out. It never crossed my mind that there was more to it than that. I've been very foolish."

Rafe chuckled, brushing his lips across the top of her head. "We all are when we're young, Liliana, some more than others. You must understand there has to be some consequences for your actions though. While I understand now the reasons for your actions, you still disobeyed me. I can't let that go and do nothing about it. "

Rafe knew that now was the time for him to become the alpha, to do the hard part, and issue a consequence to one of his pack. It never came easy to him, because he instinctively felt that every member of his band of wolves were good at heart. It was always with great difficulty he meted out his punishments and punishing Lily, of all people, made it that bit harder.

Understanding her circumstances better provided reasons for the insanity that had ensued, however he had to take a hard stance and try not to be swayed unduly by the mitigating factors when setting his consequence. Rafe turned and looked into Lily's eyes, looking deep into her soul and knew what he would do.

Lily watched as Rafe, the man she respected most in her world outside her family, changed from the kind caring man she knew and loved to the Alpha he truly was. Shoulders squared, back stiffened, his sheer size gave little doubt as to why he was her Alpha.

"Do you understand what you did wrong, Liliana Romanov?"

"I let you down, and disobeyed your edict."

"No."

"No?" Lily stared up at him in shock, not fully understanding what he meant.

"No. While you disobeyed my directive; that was not what you did wrong."

"I don't understand."

"You let down the pack, child." Rafe watched as the realisation of the full harm she had caused slowly descended on her. "Let me explain to you why you're being punished. While you did disobey me, and that in itself is a huge strike against you, the harm you caused the pack outweighs everything else."

"The pack is a living organism, Lily; it's like a human body. I, as Alpha, am the head of the organism, my betas the organs, the pack makes up the remaining bones, nerves and tissues. Each action has a reaction on the body. Therefore, when a body part is lopped off, it's felt everywhere. If a body becomes pregnant, it's felt everywhere. If a limb stops doing what the brain tells it, it is felt everywhere."

Lily was now starting to see what Rafe was alluding to, and the guilt that she felt for her actions was beginning to increase.

"Child, when you left the first time, we felt it to the core. We, as a whole love you. Your absence had an impact on the entire body of our group. There was fear. Not only for your safety, but fear on your family's behalf and finally fear for ourselves, because if something were to have happened to one of the Vârcolac then we would be in grave danger. Your absence also stirred up helplessness, anger, and grief. Without you, there was a void in the pack, and each and every member felt it.

"When you fled the second time, it was felt tenfold. You had the pack searching high and low. You had members of the pack who were better served protecting the compound out searching for you. You put the pack at risk and on top of that nearly killed yourself and your child. Each and every time that link is closed the immediate impulse is for us to think that you are dead." Rafe held up his hand to ward off Lily from interrupting, he was not finished.

"You didn't just fail me, Lily, you failed the entire pack." Rafe let his words hang in the air for a several moments so that the severity of what was to come would sink in. "I warned you before that the consequence would be exile, but under the circumstances there are mitigating factors to be taken into consideration. You are pregnant, and I am not inhuman. Your mate is not of my pack, and we both know you will be leaving us anyway, but until that time, you will always have a home with your family and me.

"As such, I must take into considerations the needs of the pack. The consequence for your actions should not be punishment but rather a repayment to the pack. You have taken accountability for your actions and that does make me proud, Lily. As Alpha, as father to the entire pack, I could not ask for more.