Forsaken (The Found Book 2) (21 page)

“Annie,” his tone was reverent. “You are my woman, and I love you. Know that. But this pussy? It was made for my cock, it glistens and tempts and beckons and will forever make me your slave.”

His tongue spent long minutes making her believe every word he just said.

“Please.”

He pulled her clit between his lips, and laved it with his tongue.

“More!”

He sucked it up, stroked harder, and she crashed into bliss.

****

Looking at her, all dewy with perspiration, a bone deep sense of satisfaction encompass him. When was the last time he had felt such peace? It was easy. The last time he had truly been in Annie’s arms, and that was back in New Mexico almost two years ago.

She was clutching him, her legs wrapped around his shoulders. He tried to untangle himself, but when he did, she just clenched harder.

“Let go, I need to get a condom.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I want another baby.” He looked at her, and her black lashes drifted up. She still looked flushed with fulfillment, but her emerald green eyes were also sharp with intelligence.

“Sweetheart,” he started.

“I want us to do this together this time. I want you to be part of it all. Please, no condom.”

“Are you sure?”

He watched the glow dim. “I don’t want to pressure you.”

“Are you kidding? You’re giving me the world.” He cupped her cheek, and molded his lips to hers, loving how fast she took fire. They were lost in a world all their own. Her legs drifted downwards, so she could cradle his hips between her thighs, and his cock pressed against her wet slit without protection for the first time. He almost came right then and there. She grinned against his lips. The wench knew his problem.

He slowly pressed into her hot, tight depths. He lifted his head, so he could watch her reaction. She breathed deeply. He could see her pleasure and then there was a moment when she took an even deeper breath.

“Annie?”

“I’m fine, it feels good.”

“Liar.”

“More, I love how it feels, you’re stretching me just right.” She gave him a beautiful smile. He agreed, she was gripping him just right too. Finally he was in all the way to the hilt.

He started a rhythm he feared would never happen again. Slowly, their bodies moved together. The cadence might be the same, but the feel of her silky depths without the barrier of the condom was driving him out of his mind. He slid his chest against her breasts, surrounding himself with the every possible scent and texture that was Annie.

“Love,” she panted and shoved upwards. He twisted his hips.

“The,” Annie licked the side of his neck and his balls tightened up, and he scraped against the bundle of nerves deep inside her.

“Hair,” she screamed as she came, biting down on his neck. He released into her as they shot into the stratosphere.

****

Sarah recognized him. He was supposedly interned in the Atlanta school district a couple of times. He’d met with some of the gifted students, and had quite a long list of questions. He wasn’t the first counselor she met with, but he was the cutest.

“Hello Sarah,” he repeated. That finally roused her, and she walked over and ignored his hand.

“So your name really is Max Lawrence. What took you so long? Nell’s been unconscious for two days. You should have been here.” Fuck, why did that last part sound less like a professional woman and more like an accusing child.

He nodded his head. “I accept that. As soon as I sensed Nell’s distress, Aylen and I headed inland. We were on a catamaran near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It took us a day to get to a major airport, and another day to arrange a flight and get here.” She looked at him, he did look a little bedraggled.

“Well you’re here now.”

“I wanted to see her with you. How long have you been healing now? Can you do it yourself, or do you still need others?”

She met his intelligent blue eyes, and wanted to ask so many questions he apparently had answers for, but now was not the time.

“I can heal, but the amplification affect is still better with others, especially Noah and Kali.”

“Ahh, they’ve taken back their names.”

“They’ll be here soon, I called them, as soon as you called us.” Shilah tugged on his arm. “Nell is in the nursery. Let’s see what the three of you can do.”

Sarah’s head whipped around and she saw a quiet girl, with long brown hair and blue eyes, standing near the sofa. She felt an immediate click with her and realized she was
found
as well.

“Who is she?”

“Let me show Sarah who Aylen is.”

Shilah released Max’s arm, so he could reach Sarah. She looked at it. She was tired, and she really didn’t want to be drawn into anything other than getting through to Nell.

“Please, just give me a moment, this will help to explain things.”

She looked up into gray blue eyes, and saw his sister had taken his other hand.

“Fine,” Sarah said. She touched her fingers to his, and was no longer in the Natani’s apartment.

****

She spread the fingers of her small hand, they looked like a little brown starfish with pink tips. She flapped them up and down and the pretty little red headed girl next to her grinned and hugged her.

“I’m so sad,” she laughed. Her lip pouted out, “but I’m so happy too.”

Sarah looked into the seats of the stadium. She squinted into the bright sun, and tried to see her aunt, but the streamers of light were too blinding. She let go of the girl and waved her arms wildly. She knew her aunt would be waving back.

Her aunt had promised she would get to go and be with a really big family and she would have so much fun, and get to do good things for people. Sarah talked to many adults and other children and agreed this was the right thing for her. It was easy when you had a knowing.

She pulled the rest of the raisins her aunt gave her out of her pocket, they were all mashed together in a warm mass of goo, and just the way she liked them. She pried apart half and offered them to the other girl, who grinned and took them. The juice spurted into her mouth as she waited. Finally, a girl even littler than she was, walked to the front of the stadium. A big boy walked with her. The little girl had really long brown hair, and the boy had dark hair.

He put down a stool and so the girl could stand and look over the podium at all of the assembled children. She started talking into a microphone.

Sarah giggled, the girl sounded like a baby, she talked with a lisp. Then she heard her say they were children with beautiful souls. It was the same thing her aunt always said. Sarah smiled, and kept listening. She loved what the little girl said next, and Sarah’s heart filled to the brim.

****

“You were the girl at the front of the stadium,” Sarah said, turning to Aylen. She looked at the woman with the sea foam eyes and the smattering of freckles who was smiling at her.

“Yes. Max told me all about you when he came back from Atlanta. I was sorry I didn’t get to meet you when you were little. He said I wasn’t to miss anymore school.” She frowned up at her brother. “I can’t wait to meet Nell though. I can’t believe the boy I met as a child has a daughter of his own.” Sarah looked at the two of them, and felt a surge of hope. If anyone besides Seth and Annie could help Nell, it would be these two people.

All three of them followed Shilah into the nursery. She wasn’t really surprised to find her big brother cradling Nell against his chest and singing to her. What did surprise her was the song he’d chosen, “
Put a Ring on It
.”

“What the hell?”

“Baby girl needs to learn early that she needs to get a ring from the guy.” Cyrus grinned at her sheepishly.

“How’s she doing, Cyrus?” Max asked.

“Do I know you?”

“I’m Max, Sarah’s guardian. I came over with Sarah and helped to get her placed with your family.” Max’s voice was solemn. Cyrus looked at him in shock, then he finally spoke.

“Then on behalf of the entire Johnson clan, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” Max walked over to the rocking chair and held out his arms.

“May I?”

Cyrus held out the baby.

“Hello little Nell. I’ve been meaning to come and meet you. I’m sorry it had to be under these circumstances.”

Aylen sidled up and peeked around Max’s shoulder. “She looks just like Seth.”

“Sarah, where have you been examining her?” Max asked.

“Over here on the changing table.” Max carefully laid Nell on the table. She was wearing a little yellow onesie, and matching yellow socks.

“She feels to be in perfect health, but you’re the expert. Can I feel through you?” He had the power of healing too? Sarah started to lay her hands over his.

“No, your hands first, then mine over yours. I don’t have the same level of ability so I need you to be touching her.”

Aylen, snorted.

Sarah looked up and raised an eyebrow. “Should you be touching as well?”

“Start with Max, I can monitor and determine if more juice is required.”

“Juice?”

“Ignore my sister, she has a weird sense of humor. Just place your hands over Nell’s heart and head.” Sarah did as he asked, and when he covered hers she felt a jolt unlike anything before. She looked at him, and he shook his head.

“Concentrate on Nell.” Sarah closed her eyes, and was able to go so much deeper. Again she felt all of the baby’s physiology working perfectly, but when she went to Nell’s brain she got scared. She felt the
elsewhere
feeling again.

Sarah, concentrate, follow the path.
She was so surprised to hear Max’s voice in her head, she almost pulled her hands away. But he also soothed her, and it they followed the thread of Nell’s consciousness further than Sarah had been able to in the past. Even with Kali and Noah’s help, she hadn’t been able to see Nell floating in this bubble, and it’s where she was. She wasn’t in any distress, but when they touched the bubble it was firm. She poked harder, and realized it was impenetrable. She followed the thread back.

When she opened her eyes, she found the nursery crowded with people. Cyrus, Shilah, Aylen and Max, and now Nico, Kali, and Noah were there as well.

“Nell?” Shilah asked in a trembling voice.

“Nell is fine. She’s in stasis. It’s a matter of someone breaking through the bubble she’s in. Is that how you see it Max?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have an idea of who can do it? Is it Annie and Seth?” Shilah asked.

Sarah held her breath.

“Without a doubt Shilah. Nell will be a powerful dream walker. More powerful than her father. But she tried to use her abilities before she was ready and got lost. Now her mind is protecting her, so she doesn’t disperse in many directions, she’s being held tightly in one place. Safe, but out of reach to us.”

“But Seth or Annie could reach her, right?”

Max walked over to Shilah and she clutched him. “Seth definitely can, but it will take all of his focus. When I’ve reached out to Seth, he’s been too distracted. I don’t think he can do this right now.”

Sarah saw Shilah’s shoulders droop in defeat, and Sarah was sure her posture mirrored the older woman’s.

“Are you sure Nell is okay?” Shilah asked.

Sarah nodded with confidence. Giving comfort to loved ones was part of the job, she prayed what they were telling her was the truth. Max looked at her

Trust yourself. You’re one of the strongest healers I’ve ever known, and one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. Trust yourself as much as I trust you.

The only person who would have made her feel better was Nate.

“She’s safe right now,” Max said out loud. “But I am worried about Seth. This news will make it very difficult for him to keep his focus.”

Kali who had been sitting in the rocking chair shifted and let out a tiny groan, and everyone turned towards her.

“Don’t mind me, uncomfortable pregnant woman here also known as a beached whale.”

Sarah heard her discomfort and went towards her, as Noah looked at his small pregnant wife with concern. He murmured something and Kali answered him with a wobbly smile.

“Dammit people, we need to concentrate on the real problems, and it’s not me. We need to get Seth here so he can help bring Nell back,” Kali’s voice was clogged with tears.

“We’ll get to that,” Sarah said. Noah sat beside Kali on the oversized stuffed chair in the nursery, and propped his wife’s feet across his legs while he massaged them.

“May I?” Sarah asked.

“Please,” Noah said relieved.

“No,” Kali said at the exact same time. “You have to be tired.”

“Where are you hurting? Feet? Lower back? Shoulders?”

“I didn’t know you read minds,” Kali teased wanly.

Max approached, and when Noah released Kali’s feet Sarah grasped them. Max put his hands over Sarah’s but Noah grabbed them before they made contact. Noah maneuvered himself out of the chair and stood up to face Max.

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced, and until we have, you’re not touching my wife.” The flow of heat from Sarah’s hands stopped abruptly, as did her ability to breathe. She never heard Noah speak that way.

“I’m sorry, Noah, I thought you would have remembered me.”

“I do. As soon as Shilah explained about you and how you spent time in New Mexico, I remembered you and Aylen visiting Kauai. But it still doesn’t change a damn thing now does it? We haven’t been properly introduced, and you’re not touching my wife.”

It was clear Noah was much more physical in his training, but there was something about Max that was just as powerful. As a matter of fact, he was extremely imposing, and seemed to be holding back as he faced off with the Lieutenant Commander.

“So, you do remember when Aylen came and played with you and your young playmate Conner when you were eleven? Then when you were working on the dude ranch, we came and stayed for a week. Do you remember that?”