Destiny Forgiven (Shadows of Destiny) (25 page)

_{Felicity kissed him heatedly. When he found her wet for him in a way that had nothing to do with their shower, he drove a finger up into her. She moaned into his mouth and then kissed him harder, wrapping her arms around his neck so he couldn’t escape. He nipped at her lips, then buried his face in her neck and bit down, not caring if he l
eft marks on her. In fact, he hoped he did.}

_{Instead of complaining, his girl moaned. She spread her legs apart, letting him settle his hips between them. Squirming around, she eventually lined his cock up with her entrance and tried to get him inside her. The sweet heat between her legs encouraged him to rush, but he wanted to make sure of his reception. He kissed his way down her body to her core and licked her there until she was whimpering.}

_{“Please.” She tried to pull him back up, but he ignored her and wrapped his hands around her thighs, keeping her from wriggling away. “Maddox, no. I don’t want to come like this. I want you inside me.”}

_{How could he refuse that?
He growled then rose up on his knees and grabbed her hips. He drove his cock into her in one stroke.}

_{She cried ou
t in pleasure. Maddox fucked her hard and fast and she clawed his back like a hellcat.}

_{“Who do you belong to
, Felicity?” His voice was tight as he tried to hold back his orgasm.}

_{Her eyes glinted. “Dalton?”}

_{He fucked her viciously for a moment and she slid further up the bed. She was gasping and her eyes rolled back.}

_{“You’re mine. Do you understand me, woman?”}

_{Felicity’s sex rippled around him and her mouth opened for a scream that was nearly silent. She came hard, her body twisting and fighting his. He pinned her down and pounded into her.}

_{He
leaned down until his lips were close to her ear. “This is mine.” He slammed into her. “You’re mine. And if you ever look at that bastard sideways, I’ll kill him.”}

_{She was still writhing beneath him and she sobbed out
her helpless agreement. He was sure it wasn’t a binding contract, but he was willing to pretend it was.}

_{He held back as long as he could to draw out her pleasure, but when she raked her nails down his back again, he was a goner. His entire body tensed up and his world held its breath. A moment later, he lost control, grunting, fucking her hard, then emp
tying into her violently. He collapsed on top of her, panting.}

_{They lay there together for a lo
ng while. He shifted to his back and pulled her into his arms. She ran her fingertips over his biceps, making him shiver.}

_{He pressed his mouth to the top of her head and breathed. Inside, part of his
screwed-up soul relaxed, happy just to be with her.}

_{“You know I was teasing.” She
smiled softly up at him, her eyes luminous. “I don’t want anyone else. Things were never like that between him and me. For me, it’s always been you.”}

_{“Even though I’m not your charming, funny best friend anymore?”}

_{“Mmm. I like the badass version of you better.”}

_{He gave her a squeeze. “You’re too forgiving.”}

_{“So I’ve heard.” Her hand glided across his chest, coaxing his tension away. “You know, forgiveness has nothing to do with the past. It doesn’t change it. But it does change the future.” She sighed softly against him, her breath making goose bumps rise on his skin. “Forgiving your father will help you let go. But forgiving yourself is the only way you’ll truly be free.”}

_{He turned that over in his mind as he watched her back rise and fall. Her long hair fanned out over his arm, covering his scars. It was almost symbolic.}

_{“I don’t know if I’ll ever achieve that, Cee.” Wholeness. It seemed too far from his grasp. If his nightmares didn’t remind him, his scars always would.}

_{“One day you will.” The confident way she said it made him smile. So strong, his beautiful girl. “One day you’ll think back on
Marwolaeth Du
and you won’t feel anger.”}

_{He snorted. “What will I feel then?”}

_{“Nothing.”}

_{Q
u
iet murmurs from downstairs woke Maddox from a dreamless sleep. He’d been taking pills to keep the nightmares away. Hurting Felicity during a night terror had become one of his biggest fears.}

_{Felicity’s soft breathing was the only other sound. He looked at his woman, curled up in a ball like a little kitten, with the covers tucked under her chin. The whispers got louder and he recognized one of the voices. James was back.}

_{Careful not to wake Felicity, he slid from the bed and crept into the hallway. He glanced over the railing and spotted James speaking with a woman. Sage? He looked closer. Braided hair fell down to her mid-back where a black leather corset was tied with cord. Her short skirt and tall boots made Maddox wonder how she’d gotten out of their bedroom without James wrapping her up in a robe. A chuckle escaped him and the conversation stopped as they both glanced up.}

_{Sage smirked and placed a hand on her hip. “Maddox.”}

_{He made his way down the creaking stairs then stopped at the bottom to listen for sounds that he’d woken Felicity.}

_{“It’s been a long time,” Sage said.}

_{The guest room remained quiet so he sauntered toward Sage and James. “You look different.” He remembered a skinny thing with short brown hair, striking green eyes, and a glare as fierce as a frightened kitten defending itself. The hair and eye color were the same. Maybe her wardrobe made the difference, and the air of confidence as she looked him over then raised her brows.}

_{“So do you.”}

_{“Did James tell you about
Marwolaeth Du
? Are you going to help us?”}

_{“I’m not keen on suicide missions so you’ll have to impress me with an amazing fucking plan first.”}

_{Now that sounded like the Sage he remembered.}

_{“Maddox?”}

_{He turned to Felicity’s voice and saw her at the top of the stairs. Sadly, she’d put the dress thing back on and pulled her hair into a ponytail. He preferred the rumpled look after she’d been in bed.}

_{“Come here, love.” He motioned to Felicity and she descended the stairs, yawning adorably. When she was tucked under his arm, he made introductions. “This is Sage, James’s mate and an old friend.”}

_{“Hi,” Felicity said and smiled.}

_{“Sage, this is my mate, Felicity.” Saying it out loud made him feel a surge of uncertain pride. He held his breath, waiting for Felicity to deny it. When she didn’t, he grinned.}

_{Sage assessed her with a smug expression. “A shifter? I figured you’d settle down with a nice sorceress or maybe a witch. But a shifter?” Her nose scrunched in distaste.}

_{Anger rose and he fisted his hands at his side.}

_{“Sage!” James scolded.}

_{Felicity grabbed onto Maddox’s arm, presumably trying to calm him. Right now he wanted nothing more than to throttle James’s mate. Sage’s lip curled up to reveal a small set of fangs. His anger deflated.}

_“Fangs?”

_{She looked back and forth between him and James. “You didn’t tell him?”}

_{James shook his head. “It didn’t come up.”}

_{“I’m a vampire now.”}

_{Maddox considered this for a moment. “A sorceress, a witch,
and
a vampire?” It shouldn’t surprise him. When an immortal mated with a mortal, someone had to change. Three supernatural races wrapped up in one lethal package. This was working out better than he’d hoped.}

_{She shrugged. “A vwitcheress.”}

_{Felicity chuckled. If she’d been offended by Sage’s condescending remark about her being a shifter, she seemed to be over it.}

_{“Let’s start planning before you get yourself in more trouble,” James grumbled while dragging Sage toward the kitchen table.}

_{They each took seats at a small table in the attached kitchen. Sage looked at Maddox expectantly. “Well, I figure I’ll hack the security system to unlock the cells from inside. Sage can work from the outside and collapse the ground around the building. The strongest freed prisoners can fight with us. Those too injured can follow the route I showed them to safety.” He looked at Felicity. “That’s where you come in. I’ll need you to lead them somewhere.”}

_{She nodded. “Dalton.”}

_{A growl escaped but he tamped down the jealousy and let her continue.}

_{“I’ll have him ready with vehicles to take them to the colony.”}

_{He nodded. “I’ll tell the prisoners to follow the falcon.”}

_{Sage raised a brow. “That’s your plan? A military base of hundreds of soldiers and you expect to just waltz in, you and James, and what? Punch and kick your way through the guards?” She snorted and leaned back in the chair.}

_{“No. I’ll go in disguise like I’ve been doing. You’ll knock down the front gate.
Then
James will waltz in.” He inhaled a breath and held it for a moment. “He’s going to burn the place down.”}

_{James’
s eyes lit up and he smiled.}

_{“This won’t work.” Sage shook her head.}

_{“Yes, it will,” Maddox countered. “They won’t be expecting it. We have dozens of shifters that will help us inside.”}

_{“They’ve been tortured. And wearing those fucking magic-sucking band thingies.”}

_{“I’ve been sneaking them nourishment. And I’ll unlock each one before we attack.” That might be tricky. They unlock by fingerprint and he was pretty sure Maddox Blackwell’s clearance had been erased. “I can at least get them weapons.”}

_{“It sounds dangerous.” Felicity put her hand on his arm. “James’
s safety is almost guaranteed but you’re mortal…”}

_{“I can fix that,” Sage said with a grin.}

_{Felicity’s eyes widened.}

_{“No need for that.” Maddox gave Sage a disapproving frown. “I’ll be careful.”}

_{She shook her head but James jumped in before she could protest. “I’ll find him and he can fight alongside me.”}

_{“No. I have one goal other than disarming the security system.” Something that had been a long time coming. “I’m going after my father.”}

_{Felicity’s face crumpled and he felt guilty for worrying her. Of course, if it’d been the other way around, he’d be strapping her with bulletproof vests. Or maybe take Sage up on her offer.}

_{Sage sighed. “I don’t think we have a chance in hell. If
Marwolaeth Du
was as easy to take down as having a witch stand outside and move the ground beneath it, it would’ve been done by now.”}

_{“No. We have more than that. Right now we have the best supernatural recipe to take this place down. A sorcerer on the inside, a witch, and a bunch of shifters with vengeance on their minds.”}

_{“Sage is the most vulnerable person in this plan,” James argued. “She’ll be their first target. She’s pretty much stuck in one spot when she’s conjuring that much power. Might as well throw her out there with a big bull’s-eye on her back.”}

_{“Don’t worry about me.” Sage gave her mate a nudge and smiled. “I’ll figure out a way to keep myself hidden.”}

_{“So?” Maddox asked. “Are you in?”}