Dawn of Light: Fated Darkness Book 3

Chapter 4: Saltwater

Amelia and Gabriel spent the next few hours taking turns getting reacquainted with one another with their limbs tangled, taking turns pleasuring each other, whispering declarations and promises, and reveling in the joy of impending parenthood. Again.

Amelia couldn't believe how well Gabriel was taking the news. She thought there would be more groveling on her part, yelling on his part, and overall displeasure. But this was so much better.

Gabriel had wanted to take things slow. He tried to multiple times. Not wanting to go as hard or as fast as he knew she liked it. Probably nervous over the child she was now carrying but he was quick to learn that pregnancy didn't make her fragile, it made her ravenous. She had to demonstrate just how much her body could handle by the numerous positions she guided them into. By urging him on, guiding his hand to wrap around her throat while the other fisted her hair.

Gabriel quickly realized that his mate being with child had created an insatiable beast, prone to submissive and dominant bursts. One minute she was riding him as though her life depended on it and the next she was begging to serve him, her head bobbing up and down, swallowing him deeper than he ever imagined.

Now they lay wrapped in each other's arms with the sheets in a tangled mess on the floor. Tray's of food that had been brought up hours earlier were left randomly around the room. Some of it Amelia had picked out, other's devoured, a couple outright rejected due to her few aversions. But Gabriel didn't mind it one bit.

The sun was just beginning to set outside, casting the room in soft orange and yellow hues.

Amelia's head rested against his chest. The soft graying hairs tickled her face as she breathed him in deeply, trying to infuse his scent into her blood, engrain it in her DNA. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, causing a sensation of burning pressure in her head as she tried to hold them back.

What made her think she should have stayed away for so long? How could she have gone so long without her mate? Without her other half? Her child's father. Why did she have to be so selfish?

"Stop," Gabriel commanded, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. "Don't do that."

"I thought we promised not to read each other's minds." Amelia sniffed, burying her face further into his chest.

"I made no such promise. Especially not when I can sense your distress. Your pain. Don't think for one moment I won't break down every barrier in your mind when I sense you hurting."

"I don't know if I should be pissed or incredibly turned on by that. Mostly pissed, but I understand the sentiment." Amelia rolled her eyes, suddenly not so weepy.

Gabriel squeezed her tightly against his side while his hand drew lazy circles against her expanding stomach.

"I'm not going to apologize for being protective of you. And I certainly don't mind reminding you that you are anything but selfish. You lived on your own for seventeen years with only yourself to rely on. Am I pissed you kept most of this pregnancy from me? You bet your firm ass I am. But can I blame you? Not for a single second. We've been under a lot of pressure since you took over the Wandering Moon. Trying to juggle both packs and the vampire's lurking on our borders has put everyone on edge."

Gabriel sat up on one elbow, disturbing her comfortable position against his body, forcing her to support her own weight looking up at him. His silver eyes pierced straight through her sea green ones, gazing straight into the depths of her battered and scarred soul he had spent the last two years repairing. The edges were still a bit jagged but he was a patient man.

Gabriel trailed the tips of his finger over her swollen belly, between the twin peaks, along her slender neck until his hand cupped her face. The calloused pad of his thumb brushed against the underside of her chin, lifting her head up further, bearing her neck to him in complete submission.