Chapter Five

Blake

From the Journal of Blake Knight-Darnel

The rest of the house is still out cold. We're all set to leave in a few hours and it breaks my heart to think of staying or to think of going. Once, a stalker followed me all the way out here. Before that, before Psycho Roger, I wanted to be here where I felt the closest to my parents. In the end, I went home to Lee. Before, home was where he was, because Duke was little and moved where I did. Now, it's not so simple. I know years of medical service have worn on Bane who talks about changing careers every other week. Mostly in a joking way – I think it's in a joking way at least. Maybe it's Mage Street that he and my brother need a break from.

Either way, staying is impossible right now. The rest of our kids – our kids who are still too little to take care of themselves – are counting on us to come back and I can't let them down. Would never let them down on something so big. I always do my best to be everywhere on time for them. I never want them to feel like I forgot about them. At the same time, the idea of leaving Duke and Duchess breaks my heart. Why do kids grow up and leave home?

Maybe it breaks my heart so much because I never left home. Well, not in the way Duke and Blithe did. My parents died and then my brother disappeared. Then I left to find him. Did I miss out on a milestone that would make it all make sense? Would I understand it better then? I'm not sure, but I gotta get moving or we're not going to have time for breakfast before we have to leave.

***

Jonah was unusually quiet during breakfast. Even over our mating link his wolf was mostly silent besides commenting on the fact the bacon could've been crispier. Thankfully, the furry hottie kept that between us because I didn't want any of the kids to get their feelings hurt.

After breakfast we had just enough time to double-check that we packed everything, hide some new towels in the linen closet to ensure Duke had enough, and hug everyone goodbye. Duke hugged me so hard, I thought he might crush me before he let go. He was always a big hugger like that but somewhere along the way he went from my tiny baby boy to a giant of a man who I still sometimes saw as that little boy trying to fly away after Fred or me.

Duke walked with us to the Other World gateway and Jonah even let him carry the bags without an argument. Was he sick? Not feeling well? Something was up with my alpha, and I wasn't sure what, but as soon as we were out of earshot of our kid, I was sure as hell going to find out.

Duke hugged us both again and I kissed him on his cheek saying that I'd text him when we got home to let him know we got there safely. I always wanted the kids to text one of us when they got home and now that he and Joy were grown, I tried to do the same for them. I didn't want anyone to worry. I didn't want to leave anyone in the lurch. I lived in that lurch after Lee disappeared. Sometimes if I didn't see him for a few days, it felt like I was right back inside that old lurch. My therapist would say that was an emotional flashback. I wasn't sure what I'd call it, but I hated it and never wanted to make anyone else feel that way.

We made it through the first gateway without a problem. We slipped past the little crowd gathered up chit-chatting without anyone asking Jonah for an autograph. It was a game we played any time we went anywhere in public. Some fans caught on and said it made him an asshole, but my guy didn't owe them every second of his life and one autograph was never just one autograph. Maybe we would be better off moving to Heartville for that reason.

"Maybe we just want him more to ourselves," my wolf piped into my thoughts, his voice deep and husky.

Yep. He was horny. I was too. Well, as horny as someone could be having spent the weekend visiting their adult child and grandchild and was about to go home to greet their house full of kids. Sometimes, sex and romping were put on the back burner. That was just the way of life and as long as I got my Jonah cuddles every night, I could deal with it.

"This way," Jonah said, tugging my hand in the wrong direction.

I'd made this trip enough to walk it blindfolded and still get to my destination as long as no one got in my way.

"Wrong way, babe," I laughed and tugged him in the other direction.

"No, it's not," he grinned. "Come on."

"Huh? Jonah!" I laughed. "We don't have time to get lost. The kids are expecting us home any time now!"

"No, they're not," he shook his head and pulled me off the beaten dirt path under the canopy of the tree line.

I glanced up because I could never resist the urge since I knew the Other World had a lot of dragons. Raising a kid who flew made you realize how most people never look up at all. A rainbow flock of birds rested above our heads, chittering to each other.

"What do you mean? The kids aren't expecting us?" I asked him.

"While you were smuggling new towels into Duke's linen closet, I called a place. Then when I got the answer I wanted, I video called the kids to see if they were okay with me taking you away for a few days on a surprise. They were all excited about it. They'll be okay. They were excited about you getting a present since you're always giving everyone else one."

"Where are we going? Not Europe? Too many fans over there," I shook my head.

"We're not going to Earthside. We're staying at a little Bed and Breakfast not far from here," Jonah grinned.

"Only you could get a last-minute reservation at an Other World BB," I laughed.

"It wasn't my name that got me in. It was you. Apparently, the guys who run it remembered your parents passing through."

I grinned at the thought of walking the same paths my parents did. With Duke all grown up I missed them more than ever. I remembered how much I missed them when Duke was little. I wanted to tell them so many things and I wanted them to meet their grandbaby.

"Hey now," Jonah flashed me a sad smile, "I know that feeling, but let's actually relax on our little extended weekend, huh?"

"It's all so bittersweet right now, Alpha. I'm sorry," I bit my lip.

"Bittersweet or hormone filled?" Jonah asked me.

"What?" I laughed. "Like horny hormones?"

"Well, those too. Those every time we get the chance to let them out," he laughed and the sound wrapped around me like a warm, toasty blanket.

"What are you trying to imply, mister?" I stepped back from him, standing akimbo.

"Nothing. We'll see when we get home."

"See what? You think I'm pregnant?" I arched a brow.

"My wolf thinks so," Jonah shrugged.

"Was that why you were so quiet at breakfast this morning?" I asked, reaching out to take his hands in mine.

Jonah entwined our fingers together and his warmth spread over me.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I didn't want to say anything and outshine the breakfast. I also didn't want to jinx you into morning sickness."

"I haven't had any."

"You haven't always gotten it really bad though, either," Jonah said, letting go of one of my hands and leading me back onto the path.

"Maybe not. What makes him think I'm pregnant, though?" I asked, glancing down at my belly.

I knew from the way Jonah looked at our grandbaby that he'd want another pup soon. I'd get the stirring too, but I didn't feel pregnant.

"Said he heard it," Jonah shrugged as he led me around a bend in the road.

Tree limbs hung heavy on either side of the road, tickling the tops of our hair. A bird called out in the distance. Looking up, I couldn't find it, but it was there. I wondered if it was a crow or another of those gorgeous rainbow birds flying around today. You never knew what sort of animal you'd encounter in the Other World. That was one of my favorite parts about it. I made a mental note to sketch them out later and suddenly I had the urge to have my hands back in the charcoal and paint. I shook it off and focused on Jonah and his wolf's suspicions.

"Do you think they have pregnancy tests over here?" I asked him.

"Nope, but I have one."

"Will it work over here?"

"Umm… The magic doesn't cancel out science. Magic and science are lovers," Jonah teased.

"That's gonna be your next song," I laughed, and hip bumped him as the BB came into view.

It had a cozy log cabin vibe going on or at least as cozy as a big three-story log cabin could have. Still, it felt cozy to me. The path leading up to it was paved with grey and blue stones. Flowers of every color grew along the edges of the path on both sides. Jonah squeezed my hand as we approached the cabin. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted from inside as we stepped onto the cabin's big, wraparound porch.

"Think their bacon will be crispy enough for you?" I teased Jonah.

"Hey! That's what you get for eavesdropping so hard! I had to make him talk about something before you picked up on the fact I thought you were pregnant or that I was planning a getaway for us. I didn't want to tell you about my idea in case it didn't work out."

"Well, I'm glad it did and you didn't hurt the kids' feelings in the process. I thought the bacon was fine."

"I did too. He's the one who wants it burnt," Jonah laughed and pointed at his chest.

"You're one and the same," I rolled my eyes playfully.

Inside we were greeted by two cheerful men behind the reception desk. They were both tall elves with long, crimson hair tucked behind their pointy ears. I opened my mouth, almost asking about my parents, but decided against it. If I got to thinking about them too hard, the weekend would be a somber one and I wanted to have fun and relax as badly as Jonah did. The men introduced themselves but I was so lost in thought that their names went in one ear and out the other as Jonah checked us in. They ran down a long list of BB activities, but I didn't think we'd attend any of them. I didn't want to tend to anything that wasn't a naked Jonah now that the fact we were really going to have some actual alone time sunk in.

They didn't give us a key, only directions to our room. Jonah shouldered our bags as we walked hand-in-hand down the long corridor. The carpet was dark green, and the walls were as blue as the sky. The ceiling matched the walls except for the fluffy white clouds someone must've put a crick in their neck to paint up there. The doors were all different colors as if someone painted them all at different times. It would've been tacky in a lot of places, but here it only added to the cozy vibes. Our door was a deep, rich orange with our names on a little plaque.

"Jonah and Blake Knight-Darnell," Jonah read our names aloud.

"I still love how our names sound together," I said and opened the door.

Inside, wasn't just a room, but a suite. The living room was huge with big picture windows overlooking a lake that I didn't even know was there before I saw it. Jonah put our bags behind the black leather sofa and kicked off his shoes. Following his lead, I took off my shoes and shirt.

"Well, keep going," he smirked as my shirt hit the floor. "I like a show."

"You put on the shows," I teased. "I only watch from backstage."

"Nah," he shook his head and leaned his palms against the back of the sofa. "It's your turn to put on the show."

"What show is that?" I said, running my hands over my abs and chest.

"The one where I watch you get naked," he said, bringing his hungry gaze to mine.

"I think you've seen that one before. It'd only be a rerun," I said, tugging off my socks.

"Maybe not," he shook his head.

"You've definitely seen that one before," I laughed.

"Not here, I haven't. Besides, what if it's my favorite show?" Jonah leapt over the back of the sofa to sit on it.

"Don't break their couch," I shook a finger at him.

"Made for dragons," he slapped it and raked his gaze down my body.

Goosebumps rose on my flesh. Who knew how many times Jonah had seen me naked? Who knew how many times he watched me undress? Still, sometimes his gaze made me flustered and put on the spot. I loved it. I reveled in my shaking hands, excited to undo my fly and show myself off to him. I took my time undoing my fly and sliding my pants off. I took even longer teasing him by playing with the hem of my boxer briefs.

When I was finally naked, the scent of his hunger filled the room, and my fangs tickled my gums wanting to come out and play too. I didn't drink from Jonah often. I always wanted him to preserve his energy just in case he needed it. Still, sometimes, fanged biting happened, and Jonah never minded. He beckoned me to him with the wave of a finger and I crawled onto the sofa between his legs and looked up at him. He looked like a cocky king perched on the back of the sofa.

"King, huh?" he smirked picking up my thoughts over our mating link.

"King of my heart," I nodded, sinking onto my knees.

"Who's trying to write cheesy song lyrics now?" he asked, trailing his long, nimble fingers over my cheek.

"You've rubbed off on me," I laughed.

"Only when you invited me to," he said, tracing my lips with his thumb.

He probed it between my lips, and I kissed it, twirling my tongue around his thumb as I'd soon do to his cock if I had my way.

"How about you be a naked king?" I asked over our mating link because my mouth was busy.

Jonah pulled his thumb away from me and stripped off his shirt over his head and let it drop onto our bags behind the sofa.

"Magi, are you engaged?" Jonah asked.

Silence rang through our ears.

"Good," I nodded.

Magi was a magical hearthstone system that was used not only in hotels, houses, and cars but in almost anything an AI personality would be helpful in. At least ‘he' was on Earthside.

"Exactly," Jonah nodded.

While Duke was a teenager, we went on a family vacation to a little BB in Spain. The place used Magi and someone turned off his emergency only recordings and tried selling photos of our teenager. That ended up with a guy having a lot of broken fingers and many singed body parts. We figured they were aiming for footage of Jonah but tapped in at the wrong times.

"One of the few times Fred and I agreed on something," Jonah laughed. "Test or romping first, love?"

"Romping, definitely romping. If we are my brain will going spiraling into the future and I think we did enough of that for a bit. We still gotta talk about Heartville, but not yet."

Jonah nodded and slid off the back of the sofa. He scooped me up, his powerful arms lifting me seemingly without effort. I laughed, feeling freer than I had in a long time. No one was randomly going to yell for us while we washed each other clean.

Jonah set me down on my own two feet and I rose to my tiptoes to steal a kiss. Our tongues danced between our mouths and his hands slid over my bare ass. I was already slick and hard. Jonah's dick pressed against my belly, making me want him more than ever. It would be so easy to drop to my knees and--- Then he was gone. He disappeared back into the living room of the suite and came back with our toiletries. Sure, the BB provided some basics, but we'd both grown picky over the years after finding the brands we liked.

I turned on the shower to heat up the water as he set them and our clean fresh towels from home out. Despite being put through the wash at Duke's house, they still smelled like home or maybe they just smelled like us and that tricked my brain into thinking about home.

"You are my home," Jonah said, stripping off the rest of his clothes and tossing them into the living room so nothing would get left behind.

He and his bandmates learned long before we ever met that leaving behind anything at a hotel or the like might just end up with that item auctioned off online. It seemed innocent enough but who wants to sell or buy a stranger's used underwear?

"People are weird," Jonah shrugged, reaching his hand under the running water. "Perfect. Maybe that's a perk of a BB in the Other World."

"Maybe I'm just good at knowing where to turn the knob to," I smirked.

I stepped into the shower and Jonah followed in after me, sliding the door shut behind him. We stood under the rain of the shower letting the near silence fill our ears. It was nice to have a break from the usual chaos of the world. I loved our life. I loved our kids. I loved our pack, but sometimes you needed a bit of space to hear yourself think.

In the silence, interrupted only by the pitter-patter of the shower, we scrubbed each other clean. We showered before we left Heartville, but there was something soothing about starting off a vacation like this. Maybe it was washing away our worries and starting with a clean, fresh slate, or maybe we didn't get enough chances to touch each other all over these days. Either way, I let go of my worries about all the kids and concentrated on Jonah's big strong hands drawing soapy circles over my naked flesh. The scent of our warm arousal filled the shower, clinging to the steam. I let out a long, slow sigh as Jonah turned me around to start on my back. I couldn't touch him anymore but I gave in to the gentle pressure of him all over my skin, slipping and sliding his way lower until the loofah slid over the curve of my ass. My hips arched for him out of familiarity. A growl vibrated out of his throat and my wolf whimpered back to him. Our inner beasts were on the same page as us for once. They weren't always, but they never turned down the chance for a romp.

Jonah stepped closer and I rubbed my ass over his hard, throbbing cock, trapping it between our bodies. He growled again and the sound coiled around me. I ground harder as his hands found my hips.

"Too bad Magi isn't here to turn on the music," he teased. "You're practically dancing on my dick."

"That's why we have speakers in the bathroom back home," I said, rubbing against him, following a rhythm that only played out in my thoughts.

"I thought that was to hide our noise from the kids and a million other pack members who always seem to want to show up while we're in the shower," he said, tightening his grip on my hips.

"All of the above," I said, leaning back against him as I moved, letting him take on some of my weight.

"You're so slick already," he said, dropping the conversation about back home before we jinxed ourselves into an interruption.

"Always am when I'm alone with you," I nodded, grinding harder, so that he slid between my cheeks and stayed right where I wanted him. "You don't know how many times we've been in the middle of cooking dinner or doing some fucking paperwork that seems to never end and I've just wanted to toss it all out and knock you over so I could have my way with you."

"I think whatever paperwork that was could've waited," he let out a breathy chuckle.

"Adulting sucks," I laughed but the sound morphed to a moan as Jonah's big, warm hands slid to my cock. For a moment he held me with both hands, squeezing, before letting go with one and stroked me in time with my grinding back into him. My breath hitched in my chest before seeping out in a moan.

Our conversation fell away as I inched toward the shower wall. I rested my hands on the heated, blue tile and rubbed my ass against him harder. It didn't take Jonah long to get the message. He let go of my dick and ran his hands up and down my back before trailing to my ass and cupping both of my ass cheeks with his hard, throbbing dick still between them. I sighed, pressing my forehead against the tile. Sometimes `I just needed Jonah to fuck me. To let go and give into our primal energy. Sometimes it was the only way to chase away all the mundanity that threatened to drive me crazy. It was too easy to get caught up in paying bills and arranging playdates and after school activities and forget about the things that lit me up – art, writing, Jonah. Everything about Jonah and after all this time.

He dragged his mouth across the back of my neck and a chill shimmied down my spine as the head of his hard cock pressed against my slick, hungry hole. I gasped, pushing back against him to welcome him home into my body. His grip on my hips tightened. His fingers dug into my flesh as he pushed his way inside. I lost myself to my body waking up under his touch. My every nerve ending stood on edge as he filled me up.

"Footing good?" he asked, always the considerate mate.

"Perfect," I nodded, already panting from anticipation.

We found our rhythm easily. After all these years, we knew each other inside and out. Our bodies knew the dance and all we had to do was give in to the carnal energy flowing between us. He thrust deep into me, and my toes dug into the shower floor. Thankfully, the footing was as good as I thought it was because my knees wobbled as the heat built inside of me. I ground back against him, moving with him, and taking him inside me again and again until our flesh sliding together consumed us. His pleasure rained down on me over our mating link. It grew thick and foggy until I couldn't parse out what sensations started with me, and which really belonged to him. Truth be told, they all belonged to both of us. That's how the true-mate magic worked.

Everything inside me burnt hot and tense as Jonah fucked me closer and closer to the edge. His thrusts came faster and harder until we were one big ball of need rolling toward the edge of oblivion. With one hand still on my hip, he reached around and took my throbbing, jerking cock in his hand.

"Jonah," I gasped out his name as his fingers locked around me.

"Blake," he whispered against the back of my neck before raising the wrist of his freehand to my mouth.

So close to coming, I couldn't say no. My fangs elongated from my gums and sank into his offered flesh. His warm, coppery blood flooded into my mouth – pure ecstasy along side his throbbing dick jerking and close to orgasm inside me. I wanted to moan his name again, but my mouth was busy drinking down his offering. He squeezed me as he stroked, urging me on even as he chased after his own orgasm. I came hard, trembling in his hand as my body tightened up and clenched around his still pumping cock. I ground back against him, craving the warm explosion of his passion inside me.

"Jonah!" I gasped, pulling away from his wrist having had my fill.

His flesh knitted the edges of the bite marks together as he pumped hard and fast into me. I said his name over and over again as each thrust drew out my pleasure. He growled as his dick trembled hard before letting go of its warm, sticky treasure. My legs shook and I leaned against the shower wall for support as we panted our way back into breathing normally, his arm still wrapped around my middle.

He kissed the back of my neck whispering about how much we needed this. He was right. We needed the sort of break that we only found alone with each other. I wouldn't trade our kids for anything, but some days I still needed just to be Blake Knight getting his brains screwed out.