The Wolf Who Hatched an Egg (13 page)

Skylar offered them an understanding smile. “Certainly. Come this way.”

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Skylar led them to his office and then discreetly left them alone.

Shiloh plopped on the couch, looking at his hands. “You wanted to talk?”

“Yeah.” Liam knelt next to his mate and took Shiloh’s hand.

“Baby, you know how much you mean to me, how much the egg means to me. But…I just want to be sure this is what you want.” He licked his suddenly dry lips. “The documentation hasn’t been processed yet. We can still decide against registering officially.

And…you can find another mate, a swan mate.” His heart hurt even as he said the words. “I would…I would let you go.”

Shiloh’s eyes shot up. “What? You…You’d do that?”

Liam forced himself to ignore his connection with Shiloh and focus on what he meant to say. “I just want you to be happy. If you can’t do that by my side, well…”

“But I thought we were mated for life,” Shiloh protested. “You can’t just suddenly change your mind.”

Liam closed his eyes, the sight of Shiloh’s earnest gaze too much to contain. “We could try to break it. I mean…Brody managed, kind of, and…You never bonded with me, the swan way, so it should be fine.”

Liam was so focused on not breaking into a million pieces that when the punch came, he didn’t even realize it until it was too late.

The blow sent him falling to the floor, and he cradled his hurt cheek in shock. Distantly, he registered the fact that Shiloh might have busted his lip.

“How can you say that?” Shiloh glared down at him. “I know I haven’t been the best mate in the past couple of weeks, but how can you say we didn’t bond the swan way?”

Liam gaped as he watched his mate’s eyes fill with tears. Shiloh hastily looked away, but Liam had seen what Shiloh was trying to hide. He got up and made his way back to his mate. He hugged Shiloh’s back, inhaling the swan’s unique scent. “Baby…I’m sorry.

I…I want what’s best for you and the egg.”

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Shiloh pushed away from him and turned, bringing them face-to-face once again. “And if we were to break this mating, what would you do? Would you go back to the pack, find a nice, sexy bitch to have puppies with? Or would you hook up with the famous Anson again?”

The sarcasm was nothing but a mask for Shiloh’s emotions, and Liam struggled to ignore it. “No,” he replied levelly. “I would stay here and watch you from a distance. I would go wherever you went, even if you were no longer mine. I would make sure our egg hatched safely and grew up happy.”

Shiloh looked gobsmacked. He stood there, frozen, staring at Liam as if he’d never seen him before. Tears shone in his beautiful eyes again, but this time, Shiloh made no effort to hide them behind sarcasm. Instead, he buried his face in Liam’s chest.

“Oh, God, Liam, I’m so very sorry. I shouldn’t have said those awful things. I was just so scared for the egg. Please, please give me another chance.” He clung to Liam, his nails digging into Liam’s skin through the material of his shirt. “I need you. I…I love you.”

Liam felt afraid to say anything lest he break the beautiful moment between them. He knew Shiloh was being honest. Hell, he’d known Shiloh regretted the nasty exchange even then. But to have Shiloh acknowledge it was something entirely different. And to hear Shiloh say the words he’d been waiting for ever since they’d met astonished him. Still, a part of Liam feared Shiloh’s panic pushed him into a declaration he might not fully mean.

“It’s okay, Shiloh.” He wrapped his arms around his mate and squeezed him tight. “I’m yours for as long as you want me.”

Shiloh looked up at him. “Are you sure about that? Forever is a long time, you know.”

It was Liam’s turn to stare in shock. Shiloh was truly serious about this, then. Suddenly, the huge chasm of distrust that had loomed between them in the past days began to disappear. Liam could almost see the bridge between them form once again. Words often hurt more
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than silver daggers, and Shiloh’s had done quite a lot of damage to Liam’s heart. But as their connection flowed back into place, it seemed as if he finally understood the truth behind everything Shiloh had ever said and done.

“Forever isn’t long enough,” he answered. “I’m sorry, too, Shiloh.

I should have never suggested breaking up.”

Shiloh laughed shakily. “You’re always trying to care for me, even when I’m a jerk.” Their gazes held, and, for a moment, neither of them spoke. Liam’s heart began to beat even faster. They hadn’t slept together ever since their argument, and while Liam missed the sex, he missed the closeness even more. Hell, they hadn’t even kissed, and Shiloh’s lips, his touch, were like a drug for Liam.

Ever so softly, Liam pressed his mouth to Shiloh’s. Shiloh closed his eyes, gasping and parting his lips. It was a gentle kiss, almost chaste, and it aroused a deeper need inside Liam. He wanted to touch Shiloh, to make sure his mate was truly there in his arms.

Slowly, the kiss began to turn heated, and Liam’s hands slipped under Shiloh’s shirt. Their tongues dueled, and Shiloh surrendered the battle, his arousal assaulting Liam’s every sense. He drank in his mate’s taste, almost in disbelief that he’d earned this again.

When they broke the kiss, Liam pushed his mate back on the couch and climbed on top of Shiloh. He peppered Shiloh’s face with kisses, needing more contact, wanting more skin to skin.

“We don’t have much time,” Shiloh gasped out. “We have to wrap things up with Skylar and go back home.”

It was true. Their egg was waiting. They were parents now, and had a responsibility. Liam broke away from Shiloh, panting hard. He wanted to touch Shiloh all over, to lick him, fuck him, take in all that delicious skin. But this was hardly the time, or the place. As long as they were together, he could deal with a little case of blue balls.

They got up from the couch and arranged their clothing and their messed up hair. It was a good thing, too, because a little while later, a knock sounded at the door. “Can I come in?” Skylar asked.

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It was quite amusing, given that technically speaking, this was Skylar’s office in the first place. “Of course,” Liam replied.

The door opened, and Skylar slipped inside. “Everything all right?” Skylar asked.

Liam nodded. “Great. Thank you.”

Skylar headed toward his desk, looking as kind and unruffled as ever. He offered them another smile. “Now, are you ready to sign the papers?”

Liam and Shiloh looked at each other. “Readier than ever,” Liam replied, grinning at his mate.

Skylar offered them the papers, and much like before, in Garth’s office, Liam and Shiloh put their names on the documents. It was done. They’d soon be the official parents of the egg.

This time, Liam truly felt enthusiastic. When Skylar congratulated them, he couldn’t contain his excitement and hugged the other man.

“Thank you for everything.”

Shiloh did the same, and through their bond, Liam felt his mate’s happiness. “You have no idea what it means to us.”

Skylar laughed. “It was my pleasure. It’s always nice to see abandoned children go to good families.”

“We have to go now, but we’ll keep in touch,” Liam added. He was very eager to return to their home and their egg. Daniel was temporarily babysitting, but a squirrel couldn’t be expected to take care of a swan egg for an extended period of time.

Skylar led them out, and the two headed toward the exit of the building. They reached their car in a much better mood than they had left it.

Liam got inside, taking the driver’s position, while Shiloh claimed shotgun. They both put their seat belts on and Liam drove off. As he engaged himself in traffic, he couldn’t help but remember the scene in the office, the taste of Shiloh’s lips on his, the feel of his mate’s body in his embrace. He sensed Shiloh’s answering arousal, and before Liam knew what was going on, Shiloh unbuckled his seat belt and slid
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on the car’s floor. The swan’s talented hands landed on Liam’s crotch, massaging his already-hard penis.

Liam groaned, struggling to control himself and focus on driving.

“Baby, I don’t know if this is such a good idea.”

The sound of the zipper echoed loudly in the car. “Of course it is,”

Shiloh said. “We both need it.”

And they did, Liam knew it. He didn’t protest further as Shiloh’s hand sneaked into his briefs and enclosed his shaft in a hot fist. Liam groaned and spread his legs wider to give Shiloh room to work. The swan took advantage of his silent offer and slid between his legs.

It took some smart maneuvering, but they managed to find a balance. Liam hissed when his mate released his cock from its confines. Without giving Liam one single warning, Shiloh lowered his mouth over Liam’s prick.

Pleasure exploded over Liam, and his vision crossed. He knew he should probably stop the car, but driving with his mate sucking his cock gave him an incredible rush. On occasion, he even stole looks at the thing of beauty that was Shiloh.

Shiloh bobbed his head up and down Liam’s cock, creating a delicious suction. His fingers massaged Liam’s ball sac, slender, soft, and so very familiar. Liam would have loved to touch

“Focus on driving, Liam,”
Shiloh said through their bond.

Liam obeyed, even if Shiloh’s sinful touch was driving him crazy.

Over and over, his mate teased him, at times swirling his tongue around the head of Liam’s prick and then shifting to an almost unbearable rhythm of sucking. Every nerve in Liam’s body was alight with passion and sensual tension. He heard the sound of another zipper and realized his mate was touching himself.

The moment he felt Shiloh jacking himself off, his pleasure skyrocketed. Shiloh increased the pace of the suction and Liam couldn’t take it anymore. With a roar, he buried himself in his mate’s throat and came. Moments later, Shiloh found his peak as well, their bond entwining their orgasms together.

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A different time, Liam might have tried to do more, but they were already taking too many chances. By some miracle, or rather, a combination of his shape-shifter instincts and his experience with vehicles, he’d managed not to crash the car. Sheer luck helped them not get pulled over by a police car. But as the haze of the orgasm faded, his mind returned to the most urgent issue—their egg.

His mate did his best to clean up and extracted himself from between Liam’s legs. “Time to rush home. Our egg is waiting.”

With a laugh, Liam sped up a bit and headed toward their apartment. He and Shiloh were lovers, mates, and parents. What more could he ask from life?

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Shiloh chewed on his salad thoughtfully, content in the knowledge that Liam was protecting the egg. He couldn’t believe that he’d doubted his mate even for a second. The wolf clearly loved their future child as much as Shiloh did. He’d proved to be an invaluable help, taking over for Shiloh whenever Shiloh needed assistance or simply wanted to stretch his legs.

He leaned against the counter, imagining himself, Liam, and their child a few years along the way. What would it be like? He’d always wanted a family, but he’d sort of gotten both a mate and a baby within a short expanse of time. He’d barely managed to wrap his mind around it, but somehow, he knew it would all work out. Liam would help him.

All of a sudden, a strange feeling assaulted him, shaking him from his thoughts. His salad forgotten, Shiloh frowned, strangely apprehensive. Since he’d bonded with the egg, his senses had become more acute, always trying to find threats to its safety. And now, they told him someone was coming. When Shiloh focused, he sensed it clearly—the proximity of his own kind.

“Come to the bedroom, Shiloh,”
Liam said through their connection.
“I’ll deal with this.”

“No,”
Shiloh answered.
“I’ll talk to them and listen to what they
have to say. You stick with the egg.”

Just as he sent this message to his mate, the doorbell rang.

Anxiety coursed through him as he made his way to the door. He
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hadn’t seen another swan in years. Most just stuck to their territories and didn’t bother with those who chose a different lifestyle, namely him. There was only one reason why they would seek him out now, the egg.

Shiloh cracked the door open and couldn’t say he was entirely surprised when he saw his parents at the other side, accompanied by a group of other swans. “Hello, Shiloh,” his mother said. “Let us in, will you?”

Shiloh frowned at her. “No, I don’t think I will.” He didn’t have any intention to allow them next to his mate and egg.

He’d told his parents about Liam, of course, since he’d had no intention of keeping his mating to himself. He was proud of his mate and happy to have found the other half of his soul. Predictably, his parents hadn’t been happy, and Shiloh hadn’t talked to them since he’d hung up the phone on them. Judging by his mother’s expression, their attitude hadn’t softened in the past months.

His father sighed, sounding irritated. “Now, Shiloh, don’t make this harder than it has to be. We know you took it. Just hand it over and everything will be all right.”

It was as the older swan said this that Shiloh noticed the presence of one of his biggest mistakes, Charles. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he told her. “And what is he doing here?”

“Shiloh, let’s not play games,” Charles piped up. “You and I both know why I’m here.”

At this point, Shiloh was completely confused. He felt Liam’s alarm and sent a wave of comfort to his mate.
“Stay with the egg,”
he told Liam again.
“I can deal with them.”
Directing his attention toward his parents, he added, “Actually, I don’t know, and to tell you the truth, I don’t really care. Just leave me the hell alone.”