#Chapter 427 – A Mating Gift
“What?” Roger asks, going suddenly rigid and raising his head, his alpha instincts probably anticipating an attack of some kind “No,” I say, gaping up at the sky. ” Roger, look -”
And he turns to follow my gaze, his own mouth falling open as he sees. What looks like a thousand shooting stars cross the sky in a blink, one after the other, chasing each other across the blackness above the sea.
“Oh my god,” he murmurs, his head falling back as he stares upwards. Instinctually, I close the slight distance between us so that my body is pressed seamlessly against his, and I take his hand, and we both stare.
His body, like mine, is still thrumming with the joy of it – of the promises, the s3x, the marking, all of it – but this – the awe we both feel We’re both silent for a long time as we stare up at the sky, marveling.
“Cora,” Roger says after a long moment, turning his head to me a little but unable to tear his eyes away from the meteors that flash across the sky. ” Did you…do this?”
“What?” I ask, shocked.
“I mean,” he says slowly, “I’m pretty sure that you did the wind, and the earthquake –
“The what?” I gasp.
He turns to me for real now, a wide smile breaking out on his face as his eyes meet mine. “I mean, I know I’m good Cora, but you had to have noticed-
“An earthquake?”
“The ground shook, Cora! What did you think it was?”
“I thought it was just a – a little shake! Not an earthquake.”
“Well, yes, just a little one,” he replies, still laughing, giving me a tiny shrug. “I mean, I don’t think you levelled any cities – though, I mean, I can try harder next time – ”
It’s my turn to growl now, smacking him on the chest. “You don’t get to take credit for my gift, mate – ”
“I mean,” he growls, turning towards me and grabbing me by the waist, pulling me flush against him again, stomach to stomach, “I get some credit
I laugh again, kissing him, joy rippling through me as he kisses me back. But then he pulls away a bit, staring into my eyes for a long moment before glancing up at the sky again. “But seriously,” he says, “do you think you did it?”
“I honestly don’t know,” I say, looking up again at the sky, where the meteors continue to streak, leaving behind their long tails of golden light. They’re slower now, more patient, less a frantic rush of stars. Now they seem to take their time, wanting to put on a show. “I mean…that,” I say, pointing up to them, “sort of matches how I feel. So,” I shrug, “…maybe.”
“Wind, rain, hail…now earthquake and meteor?” He raises his eyebrows, impressed, and I grin to see it. ” Nobody’d better piss you off, Cora,” he says, considering. “Or we’ll get an asteroid and another species-ending event, like the dinosaurs.”
“Yeah,” I say, giving him a playful shove. “So, keep that in mind, sir.”
He laughs, turning to me again and nudging his nose against mine. “Oh, I intend to piss you off every day,” he murmurs, grinning. “I like taking you to bed when you’re angry.”
I snap my teeth at him then, making him laugh, inviting it. Because honestly, he doesn’t piss me off – not really.
Roger not everyone gets him, but with me he walks a very fine line of teasing, bringing me right to the edge of my limits but never pushing too far. And me? Too-serious me? I need that in my life.
And he’s right. It makes us great in bed.
“All right, little mate,” I murmur, laughing and turning my head away so he can study his handywork on my neck. “What’s it look like? Did you do good, or did you mess up and give me a sloppy mark?”
“Hmm,” he says, raising his head to study it. “Nah, it’s real pretty Cora. You’ll like it. And I put it high, where everyone can see -”
I laugh at him then, spinning my head back, grinning. “Jealous,” I accuse, narrowing my eyes playfully at him.
“Mmm, yes,” he murmurs, dipping his head now to press a kiss to my collar bone. “I want everyone to know you’re mine. Can you just start wearing a t-shirt that says ‘hands off’?”
“Oh sure,” I say, laughing harder now. “I’m sure that will go over really well with the humans we’re trying to convince that we truly believe human and wolf kind are equals – for the only human in our little wolf family to start walking around in a t-shirt that says ‘ Property of Roger Sinclair.”
“Ohhh, I like this new wording,” he says, sitting up a little and grinning down at me. “I can get you one for each day of the week -”
I’m laughing harder now, shaking my head at him. “Only if you wear a matching one,” I reply, “pink, ‘ Property of Cora,’ emblazoned on the front and the back.”
“It would be helpful, honestly,” he says, his voice full of mischief as he brings his face again close to mine. “I already have to beat the women off with a stick – this will cut my job in half -”
I shriek then, smacking at him with my hand, “you shut up! You so do not have to turn women away – ”
“I do!” he insists, laughing harder now. “Seriously, every five minutes! Sorry, I’m a mated man sincere apologies, I know, it is a loss for womankind, to have a specimen like me off the dating market – ”
I growl then, even as I laugh, grabbing him tight and pulling him against me, letting my nails sink a bit into his skin. “You’re a liar,” I murmur, bringing my lips to his, “but if you push it, I really will make you wear the shirt. Because you’re mine, Roger Sinclair. And I’m not sharing.”
“Good, Cora Sinclair,” he murmurs before he kisses me, a long and sweeping kiss. “And neither am I.”
“Good,” I reply, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, relaxing, bliss still running through me – deep and true.
Just then, I feel…a curious little tapping along my second bond and burst into a smile. Roger laughs again, glancing down towards my belly, and I know that he feels it too.
“Baby’s up,” I murmur.
“Probably the earthquake,” he replies, “hard to sleep through.”
I laugh again and send my own little feeling along the bond to the baby. Happy? Happy! Comes the response, making us both laugh.
“I wonder if this means that he’ll be a happy kid,” Roger murmurs, smiling with a deep content that I also feel, “or if he just…doesn’t have a very wide emotional range.”
“He’s just like, a tiny little thing right now!” I protest, putting a hand on my stomach. “He’s like, the size of a marble. He doesn’t have room for any emotions beside happy. And it’s not even like he knows the word – he’s just telling us he’s content.”
“Well let’s see what else we can make him do,” Roger says, shifting himself lower so that his face is closer to my belly now.
I laugh at him, shaking my head but playing along. “He’s not a Labrador, Roger,” I murmur, “he doesn’t do tricks.” But my mate ignores me.
“Baby,” he says, pitching his voice loud, which makes me laugh harder, because I know that this isn’t how it works. The baby – he probably won’t be able to hear anything outside my body until much further along in the pregnancy. But still, Roger is making me laugh, so I indulge him.
“Baby,” Roger says, sending me a happy little glance, “I’m going to say some names, and I want you to tell me which one you like.”
Giggling, I wait, but no response comes.
“I don’t think he wants to play,” I say, grinning down at my mate.
“Sure he does,” Roger says, grinning up at me and then focusing on my stomach again. “Baby, what do you think of Edgar?”
We both wait, but nothing happens. I reach out my hand and Roger gives me his, his eyes still on my belly.
“Let’s try it this way,” I murmur. And then I close my eyes, and send the word along the bond, so that the baby and Roger can both hear it. Edgar?
There’s a long pause…and nothing.
“Knew the kid had taste,” Roger murmurs, proud.
“Okay, well, try one you actually like,” I urge.
“Are you going to do it too?” he says, flashing his eyes up to me.
“I will,” I say, squeezing his hand. “I promise. But mine are really good, so I’ll give you first try so you feel like you had some say in it.”
Roger laughs and then dips his head to kiss my stomach before passing another name along the line.
