Midnight

 

Kalkin appeared on the screen. “Midnight.” Behind him, stood his mate, Keeley, his twin, Caden, and Caden’s mate, Danielle. None of them looked pleased. I could feel the tension radiating off of all of them.

“Kalkin,” I replied. “We’re safe. For now.”

“What the fuck happened?” A younger Kalkin would have been growling by now. Older, wiser Kalkin held his temper in check. Sort of.

“A tracker was slipped into the kid’s stuff. It’s my fault. I should have checked it before we left the truck stop.” I could have gotten shitty about the situation, but it would have gotten us nowhere. “The girl got a little bit of attention, and...” I shrugged. “It won’t happen again.”

“Kids.” Kalkin grunted. “Best thing in the world, yet they still somehow manage to be the biggest assholes around.”

Keeley smacked his shoulder. “Watch it.”

He glanced over his shoulder at her then turned his attention back to me. “The house fire was contained to the unit. Forensics is already there, assessing the bodies.”

“The girl did it,” Danielle whispered. “Why?”

I never questioned Keeley or Danielle’s abilities. They were a force of reckoning. “If she hadn’t, they would have killed me and taken her. I told her to let loose.”

Danielle gave a solemn nod. “It was the right thing to do. How is she?”

“Scared,” Leora said. “She’s going to need a good bit of therapy when she arrives.”

“We’ve already prepared for her,” Keeley stated. “She’ll have everything she needs when she arrives.”

“Thank you,” Leora replied.

“What else can you tell us?” Caden interjected. In the time I’d known him, he’d always been the reserved twin. In his natural environment with his brothers and family, he opened up more, so, at work, he was all business.

“PBH has kids working for them.”

Keeley sucked in a breath while looking to her sister. “What?”

Midnight shrugged. “At the truck stop, a group of boys who appeared to be Haley’s age, gained her friendship. To any outsider, they were all a normal group of high school kids grabbing an early dinner after school. None of them appeared to be over eighteen.”

“But, they are,” Leora added. “I have been following this trend for a while. It would seem, PBH is recruiting young men for these particular missions and not one of them is over the age of twenty-one. They are the tracking teams. Get as close to the older female or male subject as possible, tag them, then let the more experienced PBH teams do the hard work. The group of men who were killed at the safe house were an extraction team.”

“Son of a bitch,” Kalkin growled. “We’ll send out a confidential communique to the other teams. Let them know the game has changed. In the meantime, I’m sending a new set of directions to your devices, you have forty-eight hours to get here. I expect to see you then.”

The screen went black.

“Asshole,” I muttered.

My phone and Leora’s tablet buzzed. “We should get some sleep. We have to leave early if we’re going to make it in two days.”

I stood. “In every mission, shit happens. Why is it, this one is worse?” I hadn’t meant for Leora to answer.

“I think it’s the girl. She is both shifter and has abilities. She’s a diamond in the rough. If I had to put her in the top ten kids and adults with abilities. I’d make her a five. With Danielle topping the list.” Leora opened the door. “Come on. Sitting here won’t do you any good now. I need you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by seven.”

Shit. I’d only get four hours. “Yeah. Sure.” We’d all be dragging ass when this was over.

 

For an hour, I paced the room. Sitting as close to Leora as I had during the debriefing, drove me insane. Sure, I didn’t show it, I focused all of my energy on Kalkin. The asshole would know if something was up—and I don’t mean my dick. It also meant shallow breathing for thirty-plus minutes to keep myself in check. I’m not sure Kalkin would appreciate seeing my naked ass while I fucked my mate.

When Leora asked about raven-shifters, I had my in. I wouldn’t push this fast. Let’s face it. We were on a mission. The kid and I were almost killed, and we still had two days to Window Rock. Nothing about this situation should even factor in sex, yet the more I tried to push the urge away, the more I needed her. She smelled like sex and candy. Cheesy, I know. But, there was a nectar sweetness to her scent, and it mixed with the tart of her arousal and...  son of a bitch. I adjusted myself and groaned when I gave an extra squeeze.

I never thought about death by erection, but it might be in my near future if I didn’t get myself under control.

A soft knock came at the door before it opened. I glanced up. Leora stood there. She stared at me with open, wild abandon. Her cheeks were flushed. I could see the hard points of her nipples pressed against the thin material of her sleep shirt. Everything about her in that moment exuded sex.

“Leora, if we start this, there will be no turning back.” I had to make her understand. She was mine. If she wasn’t ready, she needed to walk away.

She took a step into my room. Then another, closing the door behind her. With each stride, she closed the distance between us, and the heady smell of her desire clawed at my belly, turning me into a salivating fool. I had to taste her. Crawl between her legs and lick her clean. I clenched my hands into tight fists, struggling to hold onto my sanity.

“Midnight,” she murmured. “Look at me.”

I locked gazes with her as she reached for the hem of her shirt to lift it over her head. Each inch of exposed, curve-filled flesh destroyed my control a little bit more. “You’re not wearing any panties.”

“I never do.” She pulled the shirt over her head, giving me a spectacular view of her full breasts and berry-colored nipples. I could suck on those tits for hours and still not get enough of her.

“You’re fucking intense.” I closed the distance between us and pressed my groin to her lower belly. “This is what you do to me.” My dick hurt like a sore fucking tooth. The damn thing throbbed, craving relief only found while deep inside her. “You sure you want this?”

She gave me a cocky little smirk then palmed my balls. “Bring it.”

I pushed her to her knees in front of me. “Suck me.” I liked giving and receiving, however, I’d never been aggressive about it. With her though, staring down at her, while she released the drawstring of my pants, the demanding part of my personality pushed forward.

My dick jerked. A bead of precum pearled at my tip at the sight of her licking those fucking gorgeous lips. Leora leaned forward and nuzzled my crotch before releasing me from the torturous confines of my bottoms. She groaned, stroking me from the base to the tip of my cock.

“I knew you’d be huge,” she whispered.

“I taste even better. Get your mouth on me.”

She complied, wrapping me in her wet heat. I fisted my hand in her hair, holding her in place as she lashed my length with her tongue. She teased the sensitive flesh at the underside of my tip, sending me to my tip-toes. Damn, she was potent. Each suck of her tantalizing mouth made my head a bit lighter. I flexed my hips, pushing my dick a little farther into her mouth. She swallowed around me and groaned.

Holy. Fuck. I saw stars. My breath hitched in my throat. I slowly fucked her face, moaning at how good it felt. It was sensation overload. Each lick. Each nip of her teeth had pleasure rushing through my body. I had to stop this, if I didn’t, I’d end up coming down her throat, not inside her pussy where I’d rather be.

“Ease off me,” I muttered. “You got me all worked up.”

She looked up at me, and smiled around my dick, before pulling back slowly. She dragged her teeth along my length, adding to the thrill sliding down my spine. When she stood, she licked her lips and sighed. The little vixen. “Now what?”

“This.” I placed her on the edge of the bed, then lifted her legs over my shoulders as I knelt in front of her. The full weight of her excitement hit me like a ton of bricks. Her pussy glistened in the low light of the room, beckoning me to my reward.

I kissed a path up the inside of her thigh. She wiggled and sighed. Her fingers threaded through my hair. The prick of pain only added to the excitement. “Midnight.” Her husky tone went straight to my dick.

“Yes?” I nipped the sensitive flesh of her inner-leg. Her arousal grew stronger.

“Stop teasing me.” Fury flashed through her heavy-lidded eyes.

I chuckled and kissed her right thigh. “You can take it.”

She whined. “So rude.”

“You haven’t begun to see rude.” I licked her sex and grunted. Fuck. Pure unadulterated sugar. I could eat her all night. I placed my hands under her ass, lifting her to my face.

I buried my face against her pussy and began to lick. I didn’t leave any inch of her untouched. I latched onto her clit and sucked the hard, pulsing bead into my mouth. Leora rode my face, grinding her little clit over my tongue. The wild noises she made only served to turn me on even more, but I was determined to make her come with my mouth before getting inside of her.

“Oh... fu—” Her hand tightened in my hair.

“Come for me, sweet Leora.” I added my fingers to the mix, filling her with two of them.

She whimpered and let out a strangled cry. The first ripples of her release were soft tugs of her pussy. The wonder of feeling it, had me stilling. Until she cursed my name. I redoubled my effort, going back at her clit. The hard bundle of nerves throbbed on my tongue. The more I lashed it, the more she quivered above me. Her cream coated my chin the longer I continued to finger fuck her. Leora’s whole body went taut, before she bucked and rode my face.

I glanced up to see her bite down on her knuckle as she came for me. She was fucking gorgeous. Seeing this woman shatter for me, to lose all inhibition and just feel... it was a heady rush of power and of rightness. This woman was my mate. It should have fucking freaked me out, but in a way, a piece of me settled. I couldn’t explain it. It just is.

“So pretty.” I kissed a path up her body as I climbed up onto the bed with her. I swore her skin glowed, and her eyes twinkled. I had it bad. Way fucking bad. Like I could get us all killed in the next two days if she continued to look at me like I hung the moon and stars for her.

She tucked her chin. “That all we’re doing?” She cocked a brow as she glanced up at me.

“Hell, no. I thought you might want to ride me.” I held my hand out to her. “I’ll even let you give me a quarter.”

She snorted then laughed. “You did not just say that.”

“Do you prefer the merry-go-round or Silver, the horse from Lone Ranger?”

Leora shook her head. “Horrible. I liked the helicopter.”

“I think I can manage.” I eased her into my lap. The heat of her body enveloped me. “Quarter, Miss?”

“I don’t have one on me. Is there something I can do?”

I eyed her up and down. “I’m sure we can work out something.” I pressed my tip to her entrance, and she sat down.

If her mouth was heaven, her pussy was hell. Wet heat encased my cock, searing it with her cream. Her muscles flexed and rippled around me as her body accommodated my length. My eyes fluttered shut, and a rough sigh passed my lips.

“This is like no ride I’ve ever been on,” she said after a minute.

“Makes both of us,” I replied, rolling my hips.

I dipped my chin and took one of her nipples into my mouth and sucked. She slickened around me, and she arched her back, pushing more of her breast into my mouth. Like a greedy man, I took everything she gave me as she set the pace. Her hips mimicked the way she’d bobbed her head while sucking my dick. My eyes rolled up, and I swore I would die before this night was over. What a way to go.

“Ravens aren’t like canines or felines. We’re like dragons.”

She placed her finger to my lips, silencing me, and continued to work our bodies at a steady pace. I had to tell her the truth. She needed to know what was coming. I couldn’t stop it, and even if I could, I wouldn’t. I finally found the one person who’d spend their life with me. We should be celebrating this moment and fucking like there was no tomorrow. Instead, we kept this torturous pace. She extended our pleasure to the point of pain.

Already my balls were high and tight to my body. I wanted to flip us over and rut. I wanted to take her hard and fast, and when we finally came together, I’d make love to her properly. Yet, I made no move to change things up. I kept us in the same position we were in. She threaded her fingers with mine then brought our gathered hands to her chest. Her hips faltered, and I met her thrusts. I’d never experienced anything like this.

Leora’s lips parted. Our breaths mingled. The tight coil of expectancy formed low in my spine, signaling my impending orgasm. Our motions became frantic. We worked together, climbing the hill of satisfaction. Again, she ensnared me with her amber gaze, and I couldn’t look away. I hissed, the pressure building until I cried out.

The pleasure was too much. A tingle built on my chest, right above my right nipple. I’d seen my father’s mark, and always wanted one of my own. The absolute happiness of the moment washed over me. Leora’s gaze turned worried, but it couldn’t stop the way her pussy held me in a vice, then in the next second, went molten around me. Her release stole my ability to breath. Even in our unconventional position, I could thrust. I went wild beneath her. The sounds I made... I’d deny them if anyone said I sounded like a wounded animal.

Because I was.

In a good way.

The first spurt of my release rocked me. By the second, Leora cried out, covering her left breast with her hand. “It hurts.”

“It’s okay. Give it a minute, and it won’t.” I tipped her chin up and kissed her. Long and hard. She gave over to me, allowing my exploration of her as I continued to fill her with my seed. A wave of possessiveness crashed over me, and I wrapped my arms around her.

When I finally pulled back. I grinned. “Hope you like feathers.” There, right above her heart, lay her mate-mark.

Each mark is unique to the mated pair. Hers was black with a spot of white, while mine was white, with a spot of black. A bit of her in me and a bit of me in her. A sort of ying/yang for ravens. Each feather mark was the same in that regards. The only thing that changed was the colors. My father’s is a golden brown while my mom’s is black.

“How is this possible?” She stared down at it. “What did you do?” There wasn’t a bit of accusation in her tone, only open curiosity.

“I kind of knew the signs when I first saw you. Being around you...” I shrugged. “Not the best of times to do this, but I wouldn’t change it.”

“So... it’s what I think it is?” She blinked a few times. “I’m your mate?”

I nodded. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

“The dragon comment... It was to prepare me for what was coming?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve seen the dragon tears on Bell, Christoph, and Jackson. I didn’t realize you would be similar.”

“It’s a dinosaur thing,” I said.

She laughed. “Sure.”

I shrugged. “It is. Dragons, like birds, are descendants of dinosaurs. Hence, some of our mating appetites are the same.”

“What can I expect?” Her cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink.

“To be happy? I hope anyway.” I adjusted us, hating the idea of us being parted. “We’re not like the other shifters. We’re unique.”

“What about the full moon?” She cuddled against my chest, and I knew I was a goner for her.

“Not our thing. We don’t really have a cycle. We mate for life. Have a conspiracy, or a murder, and live our lives.” I kissed the top of her head.

“Wow.”

“Like I said, this is fucked timing. I could blame the idea I almost died tonight and the stress of the situation for why tonight happened, but it was going to, no matter what.”

“I wanted it, too. Trust me. I agree.” She yawned. “We should get some sleep. We only have a few hours before we have to be up again and on the road.”

“You’re right.” I helped her under the covers. “Keep your hands to yourself tonight.”

She laughed. “I think we’re well past keeping our hands to ourselves.” She wiggled her butt against my semi-hard dick, and I groaned.

“Sweet Leora, have mercy on my weary soul,” I grumbled.

Leora snickered. “If you insist. But, don’t be surprised if I don’t climb you like a tree.”

I smirked. “What an image to fall asleep with.”

“I aim to please.”