Tempestuous Miracles (12 page)

His gaze zeroed in on the figure lounging on the bed, waiting for him. Mirian was naked, his fair skin already gleaming with sweat and his green eyes feverish with lust.

He didn't speak, and neither did Frey, but then it was hardly necessary. The one look they shared said more than any word they could have uttered. Frey slowly walked toward the bed, already taking off his jacket, but never once looking away from his mate. His wolf urged him to claim, to take, but at the same time, to soothe. This wasn't about him, not really, but about what his mate needed, what Mirian felt comfortable with.

For obvious reasons, Mirian no longer had a choice, but that made it all the more important for Frey to show Mirian just how precious he was. His trust was a gift, one Frey would not squander like others had in the past. He would take his time with Mirian, lavish his mate with affection, make this about more than their bodies' instinct to breed.

Of course, that was easier said than done, because as it turned out, Mirian had no intention of making things simple for Frey. As Frey approached the bed, Mirian supported himself on the pillows and spread his legs. His cock was hard, already leaking copious amounts of precum. Frey caught sight of his glistening opening, and he couldn't help a groan of tortured lust.

Mirian's dick leaped as if in response to the sound Frey made. The spell between them shattered and twisted into something else, something almost wickedly intense. Mirian arched his back and released a breathy moan. "Frey... Please."

Frey couldn't have denied his mate to save his life. He started stripping faster, although he still tried to keep a tight rein on his control. It wasn't easy. He felt Mirian's gaze on his skin like a brand, and the scent of Mirian's arousal grew even headier with every second that passed.

Once he was naked, he joined Mirian on the bed—only to be pounced on by his mate. Since their first time together, they'd shared kisses and intimate caresses, but it had never gone past that, and as a rule, Mirian was still pretty shy. Even when Mirian initiated things, Frey usually ended up taking the lead.

This time, it was different. This time, Mirian had no qualms against showing Frey exactly what he wanted, and taking it.

When their lips came together, it was an onslaught, a blend of sensation and emotion. Their tongues dueled and their hands explored each other's bodies with greed. Mirian climbed into Frey's lap, grinding against him, and Frey groaned into their kiss, aching for more, aching for his mate.

Unable to hold back, Frey cupped Mirian's ass cheeks and massaged the soft mounds. Mirian moaned and leaned in closer to his chest, giving Frey more access to his nether regions. Frey didn't delay in taking advantage of the chance Mirian had given him, and slid his fingers over the slick opening.

Mirian hissed and bit Frey's lower lip, demand written in every beautiful line of his body. Frey let Mirian guide him and slowly pushed the tip of one digit into Mirian's clenching hole.

Mirian's flesh parted easily for him. That wasn't a huge surprise—it came with the territory for a Bearer—but it still made Frey growl in arousal. The tightness around his finger was almost unbearable. He could only imagine how it would feel around his cock. Delicious.

His possessive instincts responded to the imagery, and he pushed Mirian back onto the mattress. Mirian didn't seem to mind the change in position. He simply accommodated it, wrapping his arms around Frey's neck to pull him even closer.

Their cocks slid against one another as he and Mirian moved, and pleasure sparked over Frey's body, setting his nerve endings ablaze. It was so good and yet, not enough, nowhere near enough. But then, Frey was unlikely to ever get tired of touching Mirian. The long wait had been torturous, but definitely worth it, because now he could fully claim Mirian as his own, without having to rein in his wolf for Mirian's protection.

They only broke their desperate lip-lock when the need to breathe forced them to. Frey would have eagerly delved back in, but he still had so much of Mirian to touch, to taste. His mouth watering, he kissed down Mirian's neck, swirling his tongue in the hollow of Mirian's throat.

It would have been easy, so easy to bury his fangs in Mirian's soft flesh. Mirian wouldn't deny him or resent him for it, not now. But not even Mirian's sweet seduction had managed to change Frey's mind when it came to taking his time with his beloved mate. He would wait until he was inside Mirian in every possible way to finally complete their bond.

For the moment, he continued his exploration of his mate's form, kissing down Mirian's chest. Almost immediately, he noticed that Mirian was even more responsive than he'd been in the past, which was saying a lot. The realization gave him a wicked idea. He already knew Mirian's nipples were incredibly sensitive. Why not test exactly what effect the heat had on the tiny buds?

Grinning to himself, Frey lowered his mouth over one of the bits of flesh. As Frey flicked his tongue over the coppery peak, Mirian arched his back and cried out. His eyes widened almost comically, and he was obviously shocked by what he felt.

Encouraged, Frey continued with his ministrations. He lightly sucked on Mirian's left nipple, while rubbing its twin with his free hand. A little while later, he changed sides and was particularly thorough with both of the tender buds at his disposal.

Soon, he had Mirian writhing under him, desperate with want and gathering pleasure. The scent of Mirian's intense arousal was almost too much for Frey to bear. He endured, using it as incentive, focusing on the sound of Mirian's breathy voice. By now, what little Mirian could say had dissolved in a litany of Frey's name and whimpers for more, and it was quite possibly the most beautiful thing Frey had ever heard, a carnal symphony that seduced Frey's senses.

Finally deciding that he'd tortured his mate long enough, Frey reached for Mirian's erect dick. One stroke of his hand, and it was all over. With a soundless cry, Mirian came, his slender shaft painting Frey's fist and both their abdomens with pearlescent streaks of cum.

And yet, even as he climaxed, Mirian didn't soften. He convulsed through his orgasm, tossing his head back and forth like a man possessed, but couldn't seem to fall into the state of contentment that usually settled in after intercourse. He clutched Frey's shoulders with almost rabid need, fingernails digging painfully into Frey's flesh. "Fuck me. Claim me now, Frey."

Mirian's eyes were glowing, as if he was a shifter too, and Frey was hypnotized by the sight, by how incredibly beautiful his mate was in his unrestrained passion. His brain grew foggy with the haze of lust, and he fell back onto his instincts, the instincts that had so far served him so well.

Despite their shared urgency, Frey took the time to lick Mirian's abdomen and dick clean of spunk. Mirian's tremors increased more and more, and he let out a small sob when Frey took the head of his cock in his mouth and sucked.

And then, Frey bent Mirian in half, exposing his slick opening. Unable to resist, he thrust his tongue into Mirian's clenching channel, tasting his mate in this most intimate way.

Impossibly, Mirian came again. It took everything in Frey's power not to follow his mate over the edge simply at the renewed scent of Mirian's seed and the sinful sight Mirian made. He focused on holding and caressing Mirian as his human rode the waves of his second orgasm. He continued swirling his tongue around the rim, groaning at the taste of the natural lubrication Mirian's body produced.

Mirian melted against the mattress, still vibrating with arousal, but too drained to continue moving like he had before. His body relaxed in Frey's hold, and Frey used his tongue like a little cock to stretch his lover's channel.

When he himself was skirting the edge of madness out of sheer sexual need, he lifted his head and braced his mate's legs on his shoulders. Their gazes met, and despite all the sensual pleasures they had shared, that was likely the most intimate moment in the whole exchange.

Something simply clicked between them, and Frey slid home, enraptured by the open love written on Mirian's face. Mirian's body was tight and hot around him, squeezing him like a velvet fist. A small gasp escaped Mirian's lips, the sound of Frey's name once again. Finally Frey dared to tell his mate what he had not had the chance or the courage to say, but had wanted to ever since that day at the hospital. "I love you. So much."

In all fairness, he had known it even before he'd almost lost Mirian, perhaps from the moment he'd opened his eyes to the roar of a storm and the sight of the most beautiful man he'd ever met. He had known it ever since he'd first spotted the island and had somehow sensed his future was waiting for him there. But what he had known then had been only a sapling compared to the all-encompassing feeling now growing in his chest, so intense it would have felt smothering if it hadn't been so beautiful.

Mirian didn't reply—at this point even saying Frey's name must have been a challenge—but he didn't have to. His blissful expression said everything he could not.

As they started moving together, the intimate dance of their bodies spelled out the truth in their hearts. Mirian's fatigue had melted away, turning into renewed ardor. He met Frey's every thrust, impaling himself on Frey's cock with abandon. The delicious friction, the scent of sweat and sex and Mirian, the heat around Frey's dick—it was almost too much to bear. Frey felt closer to Mirian than ever before, and even still, it seemed to him that he couldn't get deep enough. He wanted to crawl under Mirian's skin, leave absolutely nothing of Mirian that was untouched and unclaimed, and have Mirian touch him and claim him in return.

At last, Mirian tilted his head, offering himself to Frey, and that was the end. Frey took what he'd craved for so long, burying his fangs in Mirian's throat.

A million things seemed to happen at the same time. Sweet blood invaded his mouth, and the link between them tightened and flashed to bright, brilliant life. Frey thrust inside his mate once again and came harder than ever before, all the while feeling Mirian's own climax explode over him like a hurricane.

The link between them had always been strong, but now, it became almost too much, consuming everything in its path. For a single moment, Frey and Mirian stopped being individual entities, all barriers between them swept aside. Their thoughts came together, their minds entwined in an act of intimacy even more powerful than the carnal relations they'd shared.

Memories and impressions struck Frey, recollections of a life he had not himself experienced, but suddenly seemed his. His own emotions, dreams and desires fused with Mirian's, and he felt Mirian's awe, marvel and love with the same depth and intensity as he did his own.

At the back of his mind, his wolf howled in satisfaction and triumph, and Frey and Mirian's separate identities became solid once more. It didn't feel like a loss, but something normal that sealed the perfect circle of their bond. Deep inside his consciousness, Frey saw Mirian kneeling in front of his wolf, hugging the beast's neck, fingers buried in his fur.

"I love you,"
Frey said again, as a wolf and as a man.

This time, Mirian answered, the words echoing through their bond in Frey's mind and soul.
"And I love you. I think I always have."

When at last, they separated, Frey felt complete, as if claiming Mirian had filled a hole inside him he hadn't even been aware of. As they returned to reality, Frey slid out of his mate and collapsed by Mirian's side, his body still buzzing with the aftermath of his climax.

Mirian curled against him, his fingers idly tracing the lines of Frey's chest. When he broke the silence, his voice was still raw and husky—a natural consequence of all the cries Frey had drawn out of him—but at the same time, utterly calm. "You know," he said, "I was afraid once, of myself, of what it meant to be a Bearer. I was so scared when my first heat came and all I had was suppressors. I'm not scared anymore."

Indeed, Mirian seemed completely content, and his voice didn't shake even when he mentioned the drugs he still hated remembering. Their bond glowed with a different flame, one that didn't express passion, but rather comfort, affection, devotion, trust. For Frey, knowing that he'd given Mirian this peace was just as intoxicating as their earlier love-making.

"I'm probably going to fall pregnant," Mirian continued, "but I'm not scared of that either. Maybe I will be later, but now I'm just happy."

"Good," Frey answered, pressing a kiss to Mirian's temple. "You deserve it. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

"Well then, I'm lucky to have found a mate so eager to make it happen." Mirian's tone held a dose of teasing and playfulness, even if the words were, in fact, completely true. His fingers finally stilled and he settled down against Frey's chest. "But for now, I think I need a nap. You exhausted me."

"Rest then," Frey replied. "I'll be here when you wake up."

He felt Mirian smile against his skin, the glow of Mirian's happiness bubbling in the bond they now shared. And as he drifted into slumber as well, Frey swore that he would always guard and treasure that emotion, just like he would always guard and treasure the miracle that had somehow crystallized into a person, into his beautiful Mirian.

Epilogue

A few weeks later

"Twins? Are you sure?"

Mirian's voice trembled as he tried to process what the doctor had just told him. He and Frey had expected the pregnancy, but they'd only anticipated one child, not two.

"Quite sure," the doctor answered. "Here. Look closer."

Mirian followed the doctor's eyes, scanning the images on the screen in a mix of trepidation and awe. By his side, Frey squeezed his hand a little tighter. Once the doctor pointed it out, Mirian could see it too, the tiny figures wrapped around one another. Two children. Twins.

He supposed he should have been scared. A few months ago, that would have definitely been his reaction. And to a certain extent, he did feel apprehensive. It was only natural, he thought. A child was a huge commitment, and being responsible for the happiness and well-being of a little person wasn't easy. Two children? That would be so much harder.