Chapter Sixteen
Xander
Xander was horrified that Anzû had gotten close enough for Silas to hear his thoughts, but not close enough to trip any perimeter alarms. But they had just discovered a huge advantage: Silas could hear him.
Xander had been able to communicate with his fellow assassins for years, but he’d forgotten how much effort it took to open a mind link with someone new. No one wanted their mind invaded, even if they could only listen to what he had to say and not hear every thought, and even by someone they trusted.
So when Ghost had introduced the idea, everyone scoffed at it. Ghost reasoned that it would make them a better team and they all eventually acquiesced. Training to mind link had been more exhausting than combat, weapons training, and tracking combined. He would rather be out in the cold for weeks on end, tracking a target that was well trained in diversion and evasion tactics, than mind linking with another.
With Frost close to his side and Silas in his arms, they headed downstairs to relay this new information to Ghost and the others. When he had finished explaining, some of them, like him, were pissed that Anzû had tried to get so close. Most of them thought it was great that Silas could hear the fuck, giving them a bigger and hopefully ultimate advantage.
Jade and Ax walked in and they looked as though they had gotten their asses kicked.
“The assignment was compromised. There were several shifters laying in wait, and it was a hell of a fight.”
Ghost left the room, probably to call his contact and ask about the specifics of the contract.
As Liv pulled out one of the first-aid kits, one of many that were stashed around the house, Frost started to clean Ax’s injuries.
“Do you want me naked?” Ax asked her. “I’m willing to do this, for you.”
Frost wiggled her eyebrows and Ax smiled, a knowing smile that relayed hope that she would say yes. “No, I’m good, big man. I’ve seen it before.”
Silas laughed aloud and everyone turned to him. Then laughter filled the room as they fell in love with Silas’s light sound.
But when Ghost came back in, they all sobered. “The contract didn’t come through normal channels, so I guess that Anzû wanted to test us and see how prepared we were. He faked the location and target. From now on, the contracts will be scrutinized and rechecked by me. Anzû and Nightfall have been put on a watchlist and he’ll never work as a contractor again.”
There wasn’t anything really left to do, not until they could fill Kai and the rest of the vampires in on their plan.
Hungry.
“Can I feed him and then take him for a walk around outside? It’s a nice day and I want to spend time with my favorite little man.”
Xander glanced at his mate and smiled at Jade, nodding his thanks. Then he turned his gaze to his mate. He had been missing her over the past month. Although he agreed with Liv when she had recommended that Frost take a break before they made love again, it had driven him crazy now that he abided by her suggestion. He had kissed her and touched her, but refrained from making love to her.
But it had been worse for Frost during the time they abstained. Her hormones went haywire after the birth, and more than once, she had almost talked him into making love to her. When that didn’t work, she had gone for the all-out seduction. That had been the hardest experience of his life, resisting his mate, the one who called to him in every way. She hadn’t tried again when she realized how serious he was as he conveyed his worry about her health, but he would pull her close every night and tell her how much he loved her. That seemed to satisfy her, for a bit. But today she was given the all clear.
Frost caught his eye and tilted her head up the stairs. Xander gasped when an image flashed of him pinning her to the door with his body as he drove into her, a pure look of ecstasy of her face.
Xander reached for Frost’s hand and they darted upstairs, closing and locking the bedroom door behind them. He blew out a breath when they hadn’t run into anyone in the hallway. There was always someone roaming about.
“It’s been too long.”
“I know, sweetheart, and I’m sorry.”
She jumped in his arms and their lips met in a scorching kiss. Her hands ripped his shirt so that she could get to his skin. “I’ve missed this.”
His hands traveled over her as they made their way to the bed. “Are you truly ready to make love?”
When she growled and pressed her lips to his neck and sucked, he tilted his head back and moaned at the sensations she drew from him.
“Fuck, sweetheart, I need you.”
“Finally.”
As he went to lay her on the bed, she managed to flip them until his back was pressed against the mattress. Without missing a beat, she latched onto his nipple and sucked, darting her tongue against the sensitive flesh and he growled at the sensations that went straight to his cock. She reached for his belt and loosened it, before snapping open the button of his jeans, and then placed her mouth on his stomach and pressed down, her tongue tracing around his navel. She drew his jeans and boxer briefs down, and licked and nipped at his hipbones, not leaving any inch of his skin untouched.
Soon, she reached for the base of his pulsing, swollen cock and swirled her tongue around the head, drawing curses and moans buried deep in his chest. He moaned her name in such a ragged and torn way that he scented her rush of arousal immediately. Instead of climbing on top of him and taking her pleasure, she swallowed his cock and listened to his breathing stutter out of his chest. His spine tingled with unspeakable pleasure, and he knew that he needed to be inside her or all of this would be over before it began.
Before he could speak or move, she reached up to cup his balls and he wasn’t prepared for the stroke of pleasure that licked up his spine.
“Fuck, sweetheart, I need to be inside you.”
He flipped her onto her back with the utmost care, before he kissed his way down her breasts, savoring the taste of her swollen nipples. He kissed down her stomach, nipping at her hipbones, before he finished with kissing the top of her mound. He listened to her heavy breathing and without hesitation, licked a swath from her entrance to her clit, wrapping his tongue around her sensitized bundle of nerves. He sucked it into his mouth as he inserted one finger inside her. Both of the overwhelming sensations had her coming over his finger and down his hand.
He surged back onto the bed and kissed her, both losing themselves in the sensations.
Please, Xander. Fuck me. I can’t wait any longer.
Xander, with more care than necessary, going by Frost’s warning growl, slid inside her and once their hips were pressed together, they both let out a sigh of pleasure. Xander pulled back and thrust in, losing himself in her scent and the sensation of loving her, his mate. He drove hard as she encouraged him with her moans and pleas, both through their mind link and aloud. Soon, they both released and for a moment, everything fell away until it was just them, loving in the most elemental way.
When he caught his breath, he rolled to his side and pulled her close, and when he glanced at her, he noticed that her eyes had changed, again.
“Your eyes…they’re aqua.”
Frost laughed. “Each time we make love, it seems as though we discover something new. I couldn’t be happier.”
Xander relaxed back and reached to open his bedside drawer, pulling out a black box.
“I know this isn’t traditional, and that’s something that suits us to a T, but will you marry me?”
He opened the box, revealing a band. The smaller diamonds circling both edges were accentuated by the brilliant blue-green stones that wrapped around the entire band.
“Yes, Xander. I would love to marry you. But let’s have a quick, small ceremony. I only care that I’m your wife.”
Xander kissed her. “Anything you want, sweetheart.”
Over the next few hours, they made love and talked about their future. Even though they had never been so happy, there was a small niggle, knowing who was coming for them and their family. Whatever happened, Xander knew that they would get through it, together.