Finding the Blood Assassin [Lords of the Expanse 3] (Siren Publishing Allure) (17 page)

Her legs wrapped around him and held on tight. She smiled when he breathed her name in the same reverent tone that she used for him often. “I know, Ra, I know, baby.” Her fingers clenched on his shoulders even as she tugged him in and closer. “Love you, Raven, so much.”

Moving his mouth up her throat, he teased her throat with his teeth before lifting his head to find her lips with his. “I love you, Jami,” he murmured to her. Kissing her deeply, he helped move her body up and down on his cock.

She felt all he gave and gave back all she had and all she was. She poured all of her love for him in their movements, their loving, and couldn’t have held anything back had she even tried. She moved with him in a perfect harmony that was their mating.

Pulling his lips from hers, he nipped at her gently. “Feed, my lady love,” he whispered to her before he bared his throat. Pushing her head toward his neck, he cupped her bottom in a firm grip. “Please, Jami, feed. For me, for you, and for our daughter.”

She wasn’t going to refuse, not when they both needed it. She needed it for more than just the necessary feeding for their daughter, she needed it for them. Her lips moved over his neck lightly, and her tongue peeked out and tasted his neck before giving him a firm lick when he thrust his cock into her hard. She moaned and began the downward spiral of her orgasm as she bit deeply into the side of his neck and fed from her lover, her husband, her soul.

Holding her to him as he continued to drive his cock into her pussy with desperate need, Raven’s head fell fully back. It was a show of his ultimate trust in her. By giving her full access to his throat, he was giving her a way to kill him, something a Vampire Lord would never do with one he viewed as an enemy or didn’t trust. Jami knew he was showing her how much he trusted her and how much he loved her with such a simple and yet telling move.

She sealed the twin pricks on his throat and trailed kisses along his throat before whispering against his opposite ear. “I love you, Raven, please. I need to come. I can’t without you.”

Shifting again, he laid her down on the grass even as he remained on his knees. Holding her bottom, he pushed his cock into her, the angle causing ripples to begin in her pussy. “I love you, Jamison,” he whispered. Driving into her harder and deeper, he let out a growl as he thrust one last time and came, his body kicking into hers hard as he spilled his seed.

Tugging his head down to hers, she kissed him even as both their bodies climaxed in complete and utter abandon and joy. Her long lean legs wrapped tightly around him and held him in place as they both climaxed as one.

Collapsing over her, Raven buried his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder. His breathing was ragged, a perfect match for her own.

Chapter 14

Watching her, Raven hid a smile behind the report he was supposedly reading through and giving his professional opinion on before the mission commenced. His poor lady wife was quite round with their child, and yet she continually sat in the one piece of furniture she couldn’t get out of. She would say each and every time, “It’s the most comfortable piece, Ra.” Only a few minutes before begging help out of it. He couldn’t argue with her. He honestly didn’t mind doing anything and everything for her he could. He was finding he quite enjoyed his new life.

He’d told the Alliance that he was never going back into the field. It kept Jamison happy and let him keep his hearing, since she tended to get very, very loud about him going back out doing what he had been doing. Now he was a consultant, his years and years of knowledge put to good use to keep those younger safe from the dangers he’d constantly faced.

Pulling his thoughts back, he knew she was close to asking him to help her up. She was doing her little wiggle in the attempt to get closer to the edge of the seat. Her theory was that if she could get close enough to the edge, she wouldn’t have to ask for help. She’d yet to actually manage it yet of course, but it was fun to watch her.

Finally she grumbled and scrunched her face up and then turned to him with a serene and sweet smile on her face. “Raven, will you help me up, please?” She loved the way he smiled so freely now. He gave them to her easily. Everyone else, not so much, but it was getting better. Everyone in the household had begun to notice it as well. “I seem to be stuck once more and unable to get up out of this chair.”

Lifting a brow at her words, he set the report down. “Oh really?” he asked as he stood and moved around to stand before her. Taking her hands, he pulled her up gently. “If you would stop sitting in that chair you wouldn’t have this problem continually, my love,” he pointed out for the hundredth time that week.

“But, Ra, it’s the most comfortable of seats. Your daughter thinks so, too, and really isn’t that all that matters? That she and I find comfort when we can now?” The last two days she hadn’t been able to eat food at all. Only Raven’s blood was able to stay down and it worried her. “She’s all right, isn’t she?” Another question asked more times than not in the past months.

“Of course she is, love, you’re just getting close to your birthing time,” he said, softly touching her cheek. “She needs more blood to prepare, as do you, little one. It’s all perfectly natural, and the more blood you take the closer you are getting to delivering.” Stepping closer, he kissed her softly. “Your body knows what it needs to prepare and is doing just that. Go with it, my love.” He hadn’t told her yet that the two midwives that would oversee her delivery were already in the house, and they had been since she’d stopped eating food, but he likely should soon.

“Then me telling you that smelling you this close to me is making me drool won’t catch you off guard?” she asked as she stepped as close as she could with their child low and heavy between them. “I love to taste you, Ra, that’s one part of this pregnancy that I really, really think I can get used to.”

Looking down at her and the fact she had to bend over to even get her nose close had him smiling. “Did you want me to sit so you aren’t biting my hip?” he asked, trying to get his face straightened out once again into a serious expression.

She laughed and then frowned suddenly. She went completely still as she grabbed her belly and bit her lip. “Ra,” she panted slowly. “Raven.” She felt her head swimming slightly and almost felt her daughter’s pain. “Emily’s hurting.” She gave the name of their child, the name that Raven knew she’d known and hadn’t told him. “Why?” She looked up and felt a burning sensation in her stomach followed by a burst of pure agony, one that caused her to cry out over.

Wrapping his arm around her, his hand cradling her belly, Raven caught her before she went to her knees. Her next scream of pain and the sound of something hitting the floor had him sighing. Scooping her up, he headed for the door. “You are in labor, my lady love,” he told her softly, his lips to her ear. Stopping before a guard, he sent him for the midwives and headed up the stairs to their bedroom. Calling out to a maid that stepped into the hall before them, he asked her to send someone to tidy up his office. 

“No, no I’m not. I can’t be in labor.” But then another pain rocked through her and made her gasp. “Oh god, we aren’t ready for Emily,” she grumbled and looked down at her belly. “Emily Raina, you are not ready to be born yet young lady. I don’t care that you gave—oh, I gave your name.” She flushed and then said, “I don’t care. You’re not ready.” She argued with herself, he realized, before she bit her lip and whimpered in pain.

Shaking his head, Raven just kept on moving and soon had her on their bed. “Come on, love, let’s get you out of this dress before the midwives arrive and demand you are stripped down.” Leaning over her, he worked the ties loose and then, with an arm around her, helped her stand enough to wiggle the skirt up over her hips. Sitting her down once more, he tugged her dress off over her head and threw it to one side.

Kneeling he took off her shoes and then worked her stockings off her legs before he undid her garter. “Do you want a dressing gown or shirt to wear, love?” he asked her as he looked up into her strained face.

“Shirt, please.” She smoothed her hand over her belly and sighed. “Ra,” she said and paused before crying. “I think that I’m in labor.” As if he hadn’t already said that to her. She was only just now accepting it and wanting to be the one to tell him, and not the other way around.

“I know, love,” he said softly and quickly grabbed her one of the shirts. Coming back to the bed, he tugged it over her head and, encouraging her, he got her arms through the sleeves. Moving her farther onto the bed, he kicked off his boots and threw his jacket aside once he tugged it off. Sliding onto the bed with her, he wrapped her in his arms. “It’s all right, love,” he murmured, wiping at her cheeks to dry the tears. “Hold onto me, Jami, and just try and relax a little, love.”

“I’m trying, but she’s hurting and I don’t like it when she’s hurting.” Looking up, she asked, “If she’s hurt, can you fix her?” She was likely blowing it all out of proportion for no reason, but this was a first for Jamison. They were about to bring a whole brand-new life into the world. One that only she and Raven could protect, only one that she and Raven would love like the child truly deserved.

Gods he hoped he could, but for her he nodded. “Of course I can, love,” he murmured softly. Settling his hand over her belly, he began to slowly rub the tight flesh. “Nice slow breaths, little one,” he told her quietly. “She’s going to be fine, Jamison. You know I’m not going to let anything happen to her or to you, right?”

“Yes, Raven, I know that you won’t let anything hurt either of us.” She hissed out around another pain just as the midwives came in and ground her teeth. “They are coming faster and harder, Raven. I want to push now.”

“Not yet, love,” he told her, looking to the midwives, every instinct inside snarling at letting another near his female while she was so vulnerable. He knew it was the beast inside and the ancient ways, but these were modern times and she needed the assistance to bring their daughter into the world. Shifting so he could see the females as well as Jamison, Raven continued to stroke his fingers over her belly to try and give her and their daughter some comfort.

“My lord, we are ready when she and her body are ready to push your daughter out,” the lead midwife said as she perched on the edge of the bed with two more behind her. “My lady, when you feel the need to push, you can.” 

Jamison nodded and felt another contraction. “They are coming so fast together.” She panted and felt the pain, but not the need to push yet. “Raven,” she whispered as she clenched her hands on his.

Moving, he wrapped his arms around her, shifting to ensure that one hand was still resting over her belly. “I know, love,” he murmured as he focused and found the problem. “As soon as you can, love, push,” he whispered in her ear. “Our daughter needs to get out now. Her shoulder is out of place and it’s causing her pain that you are feeling.” Raven knew it was from the way she was lying in the womb. Her arm had gotten twisted up behind her and the shoulder joint had given way.

Tears were falling as she nodded. “She’s hurting and it’s hurting me, too.” She bit her lip and said in warning, “Pushing now, it burns.” He felt the tearing as she leaned forward and, biting her lip, pushed hard with a muffled scream. A moment later she fell back against him, panting hard as the contraction subsided.

“I know, baby,” he whispered against her ear. “I’ll make everything right, I swear it.” Gods he hoped he could keep that promise. Rocking her back and forth, he slid his hand lower over her belly and winced at the pain he felt from their daughter.

Another contraction came, causing her to scream this time as she leaned forward to push. It was several minutes of grunting and lots of cursing before their daughter came screaming into the world. Jamison fell back against Raven and, with tears falling, looked up at him. “I’m fine, Ra, please take care of her? I can feel her pain battering at me. She shouldn’t be in such pain.”

Wincing at the volume, Raven stayed still for a time as the midwives cleaned her up. “Don’t move her too much,” he warned. The shoulder needed to be cared for quickly, but he didn’t want them causing the baby more pain by rolling her around.

The midwife quickly had their daughter cleaned and placed her on the mother’s chest. “Your daughter, my lady.” They stood and bowed to Raven. “We will clean everything up when you take lady Jamison for her shower, my lord. I thought you might like to be able to spend a moment with your daughter first.”

Nodding, he waited for the females to exit the room and then gently picked up their daughter. “I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered to the little girl who was still so upset. Resting his hand to the shoulder, Raven focused deep inside to the ability he’d used on Jamison and turned it toward their daughter. The shoulder was out of place, and the tendons that normally held it in place were badly stretched. Lifting her a little closer to him, Raven pressed his lips to her little forehead and forced the ability to its fullest, uncaring of the damage it might do to him.

The girl’s cries stilled and then the hiccupping began as she watched him now with clear, wide green eyes. Jamison smiled and touched Raven. “Thank you, Ra, thank you so much.” Her fingers stroked up and down his back as he sat there holding their daughter. “That is the best image I think I ever could have dreamed for, Ra, to see you holding your baby girl and giving her love, sharing your heart with her like you do with me.”

Pulling back, he wavered as he blinked slowly. “You need to take her, Jamison,” he whispered in a tight voice. He was barely conscious as it was and he’d only be able to hold on a few more moments. Passing her their daughter, Raven fell over once he knew the baby was safely held.