She sat in her rocking chair and put Penelope to her breast. Her daughter ate while Eliana rocked, trying to focus her mind on the here and now, instead of what was to come…or what could never come.
Malik prowled into the room and sat on the floor beside her. When he leaned his head on her knee, she ran her free hand through his hair, petting him like the cat he was.
She had her family, and though the others had told her she couldn’t die for them, Eliana knew she would do it anyway. If the time came where she had to sacrifice herself for her baby, for her mate, she would. Because it wasn’t a true sacrifice if she knew she would come back.
“You’re not going to die for me,” Malik said simply into the darkness. “We won’t put ourselves into that situation.”
She continued to pet him. “We both know it’s not us that puts ourselves in that situation.”
He leaned closer. “You’re mine, Eliana. I’m not going to lose you.”
She was his, as he was hers, but none of that could stop the sense of knowing that washed over her. The sense that her knowing would soon become unknown.
And that was far scarier than any form of fate and mating.
Chapter Nine
Eliana’s back pressed against the door as Malik pounded into her. She raked her nails down his back, needing to hold onto him but not able to fully grip him when she was so close to coming. He had one hand on her ass, keeping her up while the other slid between them to rub on her clit.
As soon as he touched her, she shattered, her body shuddering as she came in violent breaths. Malik growled as she came around his cock, his gaze on hers.
“Can you come again?” he panted. “I need you to come again so I can feel you squeeze my cock. Then I’ll fill you up. How does that sound, beauty?” Want me to come inside you?”
She rolled her hips and bit her lip. “I think you’re going to have to try harder to make me come,” she taunted.
They were both naked, sweaty, and exhilarated. They’d already made love that morning in the bed and on the floor beside the bed. Now they were against the door in the bedroom. At some point, they were both going to run out of energy, but apparently, being a paranormal also meant you were supernatural in bed.
Score.
Malik let out a roar before pulling out of her. She whimpered as he set her feet on the floor then gasped as he turned her around.
“Put your hands on the door,” he ordered, his voice a low growl. She did as he said, and he pushed her so close to the door her breasts were pressed against it. “Now let me fuck you.” He gripped her hips and pounded into her. Each time he slid into her from behind, her pussy clenched and she groaned. She knew they were being loud enough to wake the entire compound, but she didn’t care.
This was her mate, and damn if she was going to be quiet as he fucked her into oblivion.
“That’s my beauty,” Malik groaned. “You’re taking my cock and loving it. Your ass is so fucking amazing. I’m going to fuck that, too. Just watching your cunt eat my cock like this makes me want to come. But I can’t until you come, so push back on my dick, beauty so I can fill you up. Fuck me back, Eliana.”
She arched since he had one hand on her upper back, keeping her in place. He slammed into her again, and this time, she came, his cock hitting the right spot at the right time. Malik roared as he followed her, filling her up just as he’d promised.
With her cheek to the door, she couldn’t help but smile. “If we wake up like this every morning, we might not make it through the rest of the day.”
Malik chuckled roughly before pulling out and turning her around in his arms. Instead of hugging her, he slid his arm under her knees and picked her up. “I have late meetings, and Penelope is in bed after a very early breakfast. Jonah is watching her, and I wanted to make love to my mate. Now we’ll shower before we go get breakfast because I need you all nourished up so I can fuck you again later.”
She just laughed and let him carry her into the bathroom where he then washed her; very careful to get certain parts of her squeaky clean. By the time they were done, Pen was ready for her mid-morning snack and Eliana was starving.
Malik fried up bacon and potatoes with some eggs on the side while Eliana fed Penelope. It was all so domestic, and yet Eliana knew it wouldn’t be like this every day. Soon she’d go back to the human realm so she could finish up her art projects there and find out how she could connect her old life to her new one. Each of the girls had done it before, and Eliana knew she wouldn’t be much different.
She’d also have to eventually leave the house and see more of the Pride. It had only been a couple of weeks since Malik became Leo so it wasn’t as if she were truly hiding, but it was time to figure out how to live in this next phase of her life. She couldn’t hide from her future forever.