The Dove and the Beast

THE DOVE AND THE BEAST

COLUMBIA

Columbia

T he pain radiated from the point of impact and Columbia fell to the ground with a loud grunt.

Not exactly ladylike or sexy, but it wouldn't deter her husband, the one who had struck. It didn't matter how many times she fell, how many times she grunted, or how many times she fought back and managed to knock her beast of a husband to his knees, he would love her.

"That's right," he exhaled, his growl mixed with pure adoration as he dropped the wooden staff that had landed the blow. "Get down on your knees for me, Little Dove. You know what you owe me."

Theirs was a game of strip poker based on their training exercises. Every time one of them lost, they removed a piece of clothing. Dimi was down to his underwear and she was already naked. This personal drama was unfolding in their private studio, the one they'd built off their master suite so they could mix training with sex without being interrupted.

Such was life with children, family, and all the friends and strays they attracted to their Malta estate. The odd ones, the broken ones, the ones who had nowhere left to go after she and Dimi rescued them from their captors.

There were people from all over the planet, from all walks of life, from all backgrounds who had all been drawn together by the darkest forces. The unifying factor was they had nowhere else to go and were willing to work with Dimi and Columbia until they were trained enough to head out into the world and fight the good fight to counteract that darkness.

Columbia rubbed her leg where she'd hit the floor hardest and smiled up at her beast.

"I don't remember making any deals about that," she said with a grin and pretended to hurt much more than she actually was. Her lifetime of self-harm and cutting followed by her life of training and dangerous work with Dimi had given her a toughness that was hidden beneath her soft curves and thick wavy hair. He still had a soft spot for her, though, despite his rock-hard body and ever-present rock-hard cock when he was grappling with her.

"And I think you hurt me."

She let her lower lip tremble and looked up at him from under her thick lashes, understanding exactly the effect she had on him, that she'd always had on him. From the first moment he'd found her in his penthouse back in Vancouver to this very second, she understood deep in her bones how much she could control him with a single flick of her eyelashes or the tremble of her lip.

"Fuck, I'm sorry," he exhaled, his voice rolling across his tongue into a growl. He dropped to his knees beside her and cradled her gently, bent to brush the hair away from her neck, and kissed her.

She let him run his rough hands down the length of her leg and hid the small smile that fluttered across her lips as she made her move.

She twisted in his grasp, flipped up, and arched her back at the same time. His eyes widened in surprise and delight and she wiggled free. Before he had a chance to react, she was on her feet and straddling him, forcing her cunt against his face as she gripped the back of his head.

"Impressive," he chuckled and looked up at her, his beautiful eyes filled with lust. "But you forgot one thing."

"What's that?" She laughed breathlessly and tensed in anticipation. Dimi always had one more trick up his sleeve.

And he didn't disappoint when he flicked his tongue against her already soaking wet, throbbing cleft, and said, "This isn't a punishment, you know I love devouring this pretty little pussy any chance I get."

She gasped and a laugh fell from her lips before she bit the lower one. She sunk slightly, bent her knees, and spread her legs to give him better access. She ran her fingers across his newly shorn skull and pulled him tighter to her.

There was no resistance. Dimitri Sokolov, once feared killer for the Solntsevskaya Bratva, exiled by pain and disfigurement, still swift and deadly when he was targeting those who deserved their painful demise…was a complete and utter kitten when it came to his Little Dove. He would have let her guide him into the depths of hell if it meant the sweet taste of her juice across his tongue. He would have let her ride his face until he drew his final breath, suffocated by her trembling thighs, and he would have died a happy man as she exploded in pleasure on top of him.

But Columbia never would. She couldn't imagine a world without him in it, and what was the point of breaking your toys when you loved them deeply and they made you feel as good as this?

"Fuck," she moaned, and he wrapped his arms around her thighs, parting them farther and cupping her ass as he lifted her up. Her feet no longer touched the floor of their sparring studio and she felt for a moment as if she were flying. "Oh, Dimi."

His tongue drove deeper into her sopping slit and he flicked her tender flesh until she couldn't hold back the tides of bliss any longer. As she came, he stood up with one swift movement and held her there, pressed against his face and hunched over his head, clinging to him as if he were a rock in the middle of a tumultuous, storming ocean.

He growled and she felt the vibration in his chest, his throat, and along the stubbled planes of his cheeks. She shivered and shuddered but he held her tight, lapping up the last of her as if he couldn't live without it, as if she was the air he needed to breathe.

She loosened her legs when she felt the orgasm recede and he let her slide down, holding her close to him as she settled into his arms.

"You're delicious," he said with a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. They were filled with a burning lust that licked and flickered as swiftly as his tongue had moments before.

He strode across the room, her in his arms, and threw her onto their massive king-sized bed, dove between her knees, and drank from her once more.

Columbia screamed his name a thousand times in her head, and a hundred more into the pillow, as he claimed her body over and over and over again.

As if she wasn't marked by him for eternity already, as if she didn't belong to him, every inch of her.

As if he hadn't claimed her a million times since the first time he saw her.

As if they didn't belong together like the horizon, where the earth meets the sky, never falling apart.

Dimitri

Their limbs entwined and the sunlight danced through the lace of the shades. He loved these lazy days when everybody on the estate got the fucking hint that they needed each other, that they needed space.

She nuzzled into the curve of his neck and he inhaled the scent of her hair. She used some sort of intoxicating sweet shampoo that drove him wild, although he'd smelled her in her worst moments, after months of captivity or in the throes of a depressive episode, and he still found her intoxicating. Everything about her was an addiction to his senses, every single part of her.

"You know the children will be coming home today and this won't happen that often," he said as she laid her head on his chest. He played with her long hair, fanning it out across, stroking its softness against the rough, scarred surface of his skin.

"I know," she sighed, looking up at him. "I miss them, you know. It feels weird around here without them. As much as I'll miss doing nothing with you all day in our rooms, it will be good to have them back. I worry when they're gone."

"I worry too. It's difficult to balance our fear of the world with the need to raise independent children who will be normal adults," he admitted. It had been on his mind lately, especially since there was another sighting of his treacherous brother Ilya in S?o Paulo. Dimitri didn't know if he felt better having eyes on the bastard or not hearing about him and being able to pretend he was dead.

"Normal," she scoffed. "What is normal around here? There's nothing normal about either one of us or any of the people we've chosen as family. But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Yes, you're right," he replied and curled his arm around her tighter, the love he had for her surging through him with a ferocity that put his lust to shame. "But do you really want them living underfoot when they're in their thirties? Still knocking on our bedroom door? Still demanding your attention when I'm the one who matters."

"Having you is like having the biggest baby of all." She laughed and wiggled free. "Now, come scrub my back so we can prepare a meal for their arrival."

He let his eyes travel up and down the landscape of her body, the ruined flesh from years of self-harm, the slashes and scars of her self-loathing apparent on her tanned, golden skin. Every time he saw it, even now, it hurt him that he hadn't been able to keep Columbia safe in her childhood. He would spend every second making that up to her, and every ounce of his power keeping their beautiful children safe, happy, and enjoying their lives in ways he and his Little Dove hadn't been given.

"What?" she asked, self-consciousness flaring behind her eyes, and she rested one hand over the softness of her belly that had never gone back to flat after their baby had grown there. His cock swelled at the memory of her, big and beautiful and full of life.

"I love you," he said and followed her off the bed. "That's what."

He scooped her into his massive arms again, carried her to the bathroom, kissed her from her head to her toes under the steaming water, and let the lust take over the love when she grasped his throbbing cock in her small hand.

"I love you too," she gasped as he slid inside and held her up against the wall. "I love you so fucking much."

And love came back, battling with lust until the two sensations he had for her entwined together and tangled up and down his spine, bringing the world into bright, sharp focus as he showed her just how much he loved her.

Scars, belly, stretch marks, laugh lines, grey hairs at her temples. All of it, every bit of her was perfection, flaws didn't exist when his love was this raw, this real.

All that mattered was her.

Later that day they waited, watching the helicopter slowly make its way across the water to the landing pad on the west lawn.

"Daddy!" Cael called brightly as the kids tumbled from the helicopter the moment it was safe. They were eight now, and Cael was delicate but muscular like her mother while her brother Argo was tall and lanky, as he and Ilya had been. Henry, the aging terrier, rushed to greet them, yapping and bouncing around, nipping joyfully at their heels as they ran across the lawn.

Argos seemed annoyed with the little dog, and for half a second, his face went dark and Dimitri's heart stopped. It was unsettling at times to see his cruel brother's features on the face of his son, the child he loved dearly but who had come to their family in the strangest of circumstances. Argos might have some of the Sokolov family shadowy soul, but Columbia's love was keeping it at bay.

And even though Columbia had forgiven him for everything, as if there was anything to forgive as she had reassured him countless times, he still felt a pang of guilt when he thought about what had happened. How he'd come to make this boy with his mother.

They were lucky in a way. Argos's mother rarely inquired about the boy, Columbia sent her updates and photos regularly, but there was never any connection between them. Argos had some sort of understanding that Columbia wasn't his biology, but knew she was his mother through and through.

When he was older, perhaps they'd explain. When he could handle the truth, they would let him know.

Argos sprinted ahead of Cael, seemingly over his moment of irritation. They were half-siblings but shared the same distinct, stubborn personality. He'd once, in jest, called their family a plague of Sokolovs unleashed upon the planet, but seeing these two formidable human beings develop as they grew made him wonder what kind of people they were sending out into the world.

As long as they used their stubborn yet clever ways for good and not evil, the world would be a better place because of it.

And with a mother like Columbia, there was really only room for good in their hearts, because she brought goodness into their lives.

In the face of darkness that was spreading like a cancer across the world, the love of their family would keep it at bay and bring their children into the light.

And only by being in the light could they carry on the duties of the family, take down their evil uncle Ilya, and help save the world.

With these two, though, Dimitri was certain they would do it.

Columbia

It felt so good to have her children home again. They'd gone with their uncle Nico and aunt Iryna on a training mission in the Alps, to acclimatize them to combat in the ice and snow, but they were home now. And safe.

Columbia had allowed them to go alone for the first time ever. It had taken weeks of begging and pleading from Cael and Argos and reluctant agreement from Dimi before she'd even considered it.

She trusted Nico with her life and the lives of her children, and Iryna had proven to be just as loyal to Nico and the rest of the family.

In spite of that, Columbia thought there was something singularly terrifying about losing her children that had left her pacing their estate like a lioness in a zoo until that last day when she was sure they were safe and returning to her. It was only when they were on their way home that she relaxed enough to spend the day in bed with Dimi.

And as he'd promised, here they were. Nico had brought her children back to her and she could breathe again. She didn't know what it was that gave her these soul-shattering visions of loss whenever they were out of her sight; throw a dart at her past and it would land on any number of things that could have contributed. But ultimately she didn't care, because she loved her children, both of them, with a fierceness and protectiveness that angered her when she thought of how careless her own mother had been with her safety.

"Not so much green stuff," Cael complained, and Dimi patted their daughter's head.

He bent down and said into her ear, "The green stuff will make you strong."

Cael pouted but accepted her dinner plate when Columbia handed it to her, green beans and all.

"Extra for me, then!" Argos proclaimed loudly and lifted his arm, flexing his bicep. "I'm going to be even stronger than our dad."

"Oh, are you?" Columbia laughed, arching her brow as she slid his dinner across the table to him.

They were seated in their private dining room, away from the bustling estate where their guests and family and employees all ate together every night. Some nights the family would eat out there as well, but Columbia craved the simplicity of life alone with her husband and children when the day was winding down.

Sometimes she wondered what her first baby would be like now if she hadn't lost it in that prison cell. Would they have been a boy or girl? How old would they be? Would they look like her or Dimi?

A shard of pain struck her as it often did when she thought about it, and she realized that was just one more reason she was so protective of her children.

Dimi dug into his steak and Columbia settled down, picking at her food and listening to her children chatter happily about seeing the world. At least it felt like the world to them, considering they rarely left the estate or Malta. They kept trying to one-up each other on their feats of strength and Columbia was laughing at how ridiculous they were getting.

"I'm going to be even stronger than Daddy," Cael said suddenly and grinned. "I'm going to be as strong as Uncle Ilya!"

The mood changed in an instant. A cold snake of dread shivered down Columbia's spine and her head snapped up, matching Dimi's.

"What did you say?" Dimi demanded in a low tone, his face frozen in a dark grimace of rage.

Both children shrunk back, knowing something was terribly wrong but uncertain what they had done.

Columbia immediately recognized his anger, she felt it too. It flared behind her eyes and her hand reflexively grasped for a weapon. But she couldn't let Ilya's poison find them in here, her sanctuary.

She reached out and put her hand on Dimi's forearm. His corded muscle twitched with nervous anxiety and she could feel the slightest tremble beneath it all. Not many things frightened her beast of a man, but he had never fully recovered after what Ilya had done to him. She never fully knew, either, because he had been so drugged even he wasn't aware of the horrific things he'd done or endured.

But his body knew, and his reaction was visceral.

"It's okay, kids," Columbia said softly, offering them a smile. "We just want to find out how you know Ilya is strong, that's all."

They never talked about Dimi's little brother around the children, and there were no photographs of him anywhere on the estate. She fought her own trembling and tried to hide her sickening fear. Ilya had sworn to take everything Dimi loved and destroy it, and what more did he love than her and their children?

"We saw him on our trip," Argos said quietly. "When Uncle Nico and Aunt Iryna were getting everything ready at the hotel."

"They left you alone?" Dimi asked, his voice taut with danger. There should have been no reason the children were alone, and the thought of it made the air vibrate with tension.

"No, we were right behind them," Cael said, thrusting her chin out in defiance. Her bright eyes shone and she knew she had to protect them but she wasn't sure what she was protecting them from. "Uncle Ilya came over to where we were sitting and talked to us. But we knew it was him, Daddy, because he looks so much like you!"

"He told us we'd be getting a big surprise soon," Argos volunteered, happy to open up and share his excitement. Then his face fell, and he added, "We weren't supposed to tell you about it."

Columbia's eyes darted to Dimi's and his face was even darker then. They managed to present a united front and have a good meal with their children, and even surreptitiously grilled them on every detail they could remember about their encounter with the devil himself, Ilya Sokolov.

After the kids were tucked in, the alarms were enabled and Columbia made sure the perimeter defenses were set and working, and they were able to breathe again.

"We have to tell Nico. This is going to break him, knowing my bastard brother got to the kids," Dimi said solemnly as they walked through the hallway hand in hand. They needed to debrief their security team now that the kids were asleep and they wouldn't be frightened by what was discussed.

The entire estate was thrown into chaos as news of Ilya's presence spread and caught like wildfire among tinder dry grass, and Columbia felt heart-heavy once again. She needed Eden by her side, but her little sister had a life back in Canada with a man of her own.

She thought about calling Ioana and Boian, but they had six children now and the youngest twins were keeping them too busy. Columbia didn't want to lean on them for support when they were so close to breaking themselves.

This was a family matter, and she would lean on Dimitri for strength.

Later that night in bed, curled in his arms with his breath on the back of her neck as he snored gently, she realized what she had to do.

There was no point to this cat-and-mouse bullshit that Ilya took pleasure in until he was gone from the earth, she would never be able to rest.

So in the shadow of her beast with the heat of his body soothing her softly and lulling her fiery rage into a manageable tempest, Columbia set her mind to what she had to do.

She would kill Dimitri's brother.

She would bring down the man who hurt them so hard.

And she would keep her family safe. She would keep them all safe.

She'd slain dragons and devils before, this was just one more in a lifetime of killing.

It had been too long, because the moment she visualized his blood spurting, thick and hot, as his life drained from his shocked eyes, Columbia felt something stirring.

And she mumbled to herself as she reached around, grabbed hold of Dimi's already throbbing cock, and realized something important about herself.

Family fed her soul, but violence fed her lust.

She pushed Dimitri gently onto his back, climbed atop him, and slid herself down his thick length as his eyes fluttered open and a wide grin spread across his face.

"I love your cunt," he said with the thickness of sleep still blurring his words. "Almost as much as I love you."

She splayed her fingers across his chest, clenched her slick walls around him, and rode him hard with visions of his brother's death in her head, spurring her on.

When she came, her world spun and life felt normal again.

As normal as it could be when you were as beautifully broken and terminally twisted as Columbia and her beast.