Chapter 15

Liz

She didn't want to waste time drinking more water, but the moment the cool glass touched her lips, she sucked down the hydration as though she could put out the inferno in her belly with it, even knowing there was nothing except the enormous male who could ease her aching. His pheromones teased her nostrils and made the fire blaze hotter, but Blaide stuck something else between them.

Wanting to growl and knock the plate from his hands, Liz barely focused on its contents before she stopped the rash urge. A myriad of baked sweets sent her nose crinkling even though they smelled delicious, because all she wanted was the rich, wild scent of the man who'd saved her.

"Eat, Red. Your body needs it."

With his teeth clenched shut as he spoke, Liz gasped as the sight of his canines inspired an all-encompassing cramp in her lower belly. A flood of slick warmed her already soaked pants, spreading onto the sheet under her. As she regained her ability to think, Liz sucked in a labored breath and moved to meet his yellow gaze but got caught on the neatly folded stack of blankets he'd set on the edge of the bed.

"I don't want it."

She reached out to the nesting material, but his reflexes were too quick. Her fingers landed on a pillow of sugary dough instead of fabric. Blaide's purr morphed, his unintentional rumble rising in pitch and hitting something buried deep in her chest.

"Please, little omega. Let me pamper you."

Before she gave her consent, her fingers brought the cake to her mouth. She hummed in delight as a beautiful balance of sweet and tart electrified her taste buds, but his purr of praise gave her a deeper sense of fulfillment.

Bite after bite, she ate until almost half of the plate was empty, sinking into an organic heat as his eyes followed her every move. The hunger in them made her want to rub the sweets on his flesh and explore every inch of him.

Her stomach rebelled as she reached for another treat, her longing to please him greater than her physical discomfort, but he pulled it away before she touched one. Without a word, he knocked the stack of blankets over with his thigh as he stepped backward, pulling her attention to the softness. She filled her fist with the material, testing each one before choosing which she wanted first.

As she unfolded it, her shirt slipped off her shoulder. Unsure of how she'd manage the stifling clothes, she dropped the blanket and ripped the shirt over her head, tossing it to the foot of the bed and using the bedpost to keep her balance as she stood and shucked off her pants. The knife clunked onto her toe, but she didn't feel it, her core throbbing so fiercely she wanted to beg Blaide to take her now. She kicked the pants onto the floor, then dropped back to her task.

Meticulously placing each layer until satisfaction flowed through her over the foundation of her nest, she eyed the rest of the blankets and fought back a snarl. None of them held the delicious scent of the others, but they were soft. So why did she want to shred them? Liz grabbed the nearest one, set on making the top part of her cocoon anyway, but shrieked and created a tornado of fabric, ruining her hard work and littering the floor with blankets.

Massive fingers wove into her hair and yanked her head back, forcing her to meet blown pupils.

"My feisty little Red. Stop. Whatever you need, I'll get it for you. Just tell me."

She couldn't stop the tears from forming any more than she could end the cramping of her womb. Words wouldn't come, so she shook her head and shrugged.

"Start again. You're safe. I'll protect you while you perfect our mating nest."

Even as a wave of embarrassment flashed through her, the delight on his face spurred her into motion. She let go of her thoughts and fluffed, primped, and kneaded the quilts until a purr escaped from her chest. Sliding into the middle of her cocoon, Liz checked the pillows and placement of everything before deeming it a masterpiece.

When she peeled back the top to look at Blaide, she gasped in startled fascination.

She'd seen diagrams of the alpha reproductive system in school and used mock phalluses during her heats, but he surpassed her expectations in every way. It wasn't like he was her first, but the betas she'd experimented with were nothing like him. With a pointed tip and flanged head, his cock was thicker and longer than she thought was possible. At the base of his shaft, the vibrant red skin bulged where his knot would expand and lock them together, almost big enough to hide the swollen balls dangling between his legs.

A pearly bead hung on the tip, drawing her attention. Want swamped Liz as his potent scent invaded her nostrils. She flung her hand out and wrapped her fingers around what she could reach of him, the smooth silky feel as she slid to the base making them both groan.

Even as she blushed at her own brazen movement, she begged him to move closer with her eyes. He stepped to the edge of the bed, his tail raised and muscles locked as he tried to reel his instincts back.

She licked at the moisture on his head, moaning as her core clenched in response.

"No, I'm too close to losing control. Let me into your nest, Liz."

Too far gone for words, she pulled him into her cocoon by his cock, only letting go once his shoulders filled her space. She rolled onto her back and ran her hands over his chest as he held himself above her, mesmerized by the thick mantle of fur on his shoulders.

He lowered his lips to hers and tangled their tongues together. A cramp stole through her and she bit down. Blaide purred as she whimpered an apology. The deep timbre dropped the bottom out of her stomach and filled her with electricity. Her hips jerked upward as his length scorched her sensitive flesh, her fingernails digging into his chest as too many sensations flowed through her.

When he pulled his face away, Liz chased after him, her heat overtaking her and demanding every part of him. Thick fingers wove into her hair, stopping her from finding his mouth, so she reached down and dug her fingers into his hips, grinding her desperate mound against his hardness.

"Please, Blaide. I need you."

Blown pupils grew even larger, and he growled, the sound of his name on her lips breaking his control. Snapping his hips, he pushed her into the bedding with his massive cock, rubbing her clit with the ridge at the edge of his knot. She yelped and dug her heels into his butt, but he lifted away from her and aligned his tip with her entrance.

Despite the copious amount of slick easing his way, Liz still whined as he pushed himself inside her. He kept funneling more and more into her, stretching her wider until she worried he'd never stop, but his gentle, even pressure found him fully seated with minimal pain.

At first, his stillness was a blessing since Liz was so overwhelmed she wasn't sure what her name was, but once she'd adjusted to his invasion, her estrous demanded more. She wrapped her arms around his back, testing his muscles with her fingernails and enjoying the pelt along his spine, wriggling to entice him to move.

His snarl pierced her skull as he pulled back and slammed into her, his brutal thrusts exactly what her body begged for. Her womb clamped down, sending a wave of fluid squelching between them as she came from his rutting. He pummeled her over and over again, prolonging her orgasm until stars danced behind her eyelids.

A satiated heap of bones and flesh, Liz smirked up at him in a stupor, only to widen her eyes and gasp when another surge of heat spiked into her veins. She still hadn't received what she needed most. Blaide gave her his everything, snapping his hips and roaming his hands over her body until he gave her what her body craved.

He crammed his ballooning knot behind her pubic bone and purred in pleasure, his lips peeling back to reveal sharp canines. Despite being in the throes of another orgasm, Liz watched in fascination as they lowered to her neck, the sharp scratch along her flesh a prelude to the irrevocable act.

Beautiful agony jolted through her body as he sank his teeth into the meat of her shoulder, wringing another release from her tired body. Her heart pounded in excitement as his soul opened to her, and even as she gasped at the flood of chaos, her tails wrapped around his and scrambled her senses.

He extracted his teeth from her, rumbling his joy against her skin as he licked the wound so it could heal, then rolled them over so she was on top.

The shifting made his cock jerk inside her, and his knot tugged and shifted her sex into another orgasm that had them both moaning. Panting and sweaty, Liz lifted her torso from his and met his gaze. She traced his firm jaw and masculine cheekbones, all while her tails danced and flirted with his. She marveled at the strength in both his body and soul.

Learning he was military at the gate had been a little shocking, but looking at him now, it made sense. He had an innate need to not only give his all but to protect those around him. He must have been an amazing friend to each person he'd met in service, and his tenacity no doubt gave him skills she'd never be able to wield.

Except now she didn't need to, because she had him. Through their partial bond, she could feel his devotion to her. It went deeper than the mere attraction of an alpha to an omega.

Fate meant for them to be together.

Hidden in her nest and surrounded by his strength, now that he'd knotted her and sated the worst of her heat, Liz couldn't help but worry about her nana. It was the worst timing, but their entire relationship had started in the worst of times.

His lips tightened as he sensed the shift in her thoughts, and when he filled his lungs to speak, their locked intimates sent her into another fit of pleasure. When she regained her senses, he was smirking up at her with delight written all over his face.

"Mark me, Red. Finish the bond. I need you."

His words highlighted the ache of their unfinished connection, so she nuzzled his pectoral before placing her mouth as close to his heart as she could. With their size difference, she barely stretched her jaw wide enough, but she caught his flesh between her teeth and clamped down.

Another almost painful orgasm stole through her as his decadent flavor flooded her tastebuds. Their bond snapped open, shocking in its intensity. With sluggish movements, Liz released his flesh and lapped at her mark, the sudden rush of perfection overwhelming her.

The stress of the last few days grabbed her energy and flung it away, making Liz drop onto Blaide's chest. She wanted to run her hands along his body, but her muscles refused to respond. Slipping into the most peaceful sleep she'd ever experienced, Liz smiled against her mate's flesh as her tails gave him one last delighted stroke.

Their journey wasn't over, but her heat and his claiming had taken every ounce of her strength, so she let her body rest, knowing Blaide would take care of her.

She also knew, without a doubt, that he would help her find her nana. The knowledge sent peace into her soul. She hadn't realized how hopeless she'd felt until his presence swooped in and bolstered her.

They'd save Nana together.