Selvans nodded, his expression becoming a study in seriousness. “Sal, Scarlata, hold her down. And don’t let go.”
Race couldn’t hear a damn thing coming from the kitchen and he knew someone had thrown up a sound barrier.
Which made him crazy.
“Hey, man. I think the little guy would appreciate being able to breathe a little better.”
Shit. Race immediately loosened the arms around Arin, who stared up at him with wide eyes. If the kid could talk, he’d definitely be telling Race to get a grip. Just not around him.
“So you’re
versipellis
.” Justin sat across from him, the baby in his arms asleep. “Haven’t had too many here.”
“And what exactly is this place?”
Race decided if he couldn’t be with Mara, he’d at least get some answers.
“Sanctuary,” Justin said. “For those Etruscans who need it.”
“Are they in danger?”
“Some have been, yes. Some just find it easier to live here. Away from people who might not be as…tolerant of what they are.”
“And what are you?”
Justin smiled. “Just a guy in love with a girl who has wings.”
Race figured there was a little more to the story but didn’t pursue it. Instead he forced himself to tend to Arin, get the kid out of the bulky snowsuit so he could at least have some range of motion.
“So, you and Mara. More than just friends?”
He answered without thought. “Yeah.”
“And she’s on board with that?”
He fucking hoped so. “Yeah.”
“And the guy who had this spell laid on her, righteous prick, huh?”
“You could say that. If he wasn’t dead already, I’d kill him again. Slower.”
“Dude. I like you. So, this whole baby thing. Weird, right? I mean,” Justin looked down at the bundle in his arms with a smile Race could only call goofy, “I can’t imagine my life without her but before she was born, I couldn’t imagine how the hell life was going to work with her in it.”
Race just grunted. He hadn’t really thought about it. Arin was Mara’s so therefore Arin was Race’s. Probably shouldn’t say that out loud. Sounded pretty arrogant.
So he did what he normally did and kept his mouth shut.
“So you’re a wolf, huh? That’s pretty cool. Don’t meet many of them, since y’all tend to live in dens.”
The guy continued to talk. He was good at it so Race let him, though he couldn’t keep from watching the doorway to the kitchen. He couldn’t see or hear anything and it was driving him nuts but Selvans had told him to go and he didn’t want to piss off a deity. Especially not one who was helping Mara.
A half hour later, he was ready to climb the walls. And storm the kitchen. Arin had started to get antsy, gnawing on his fist or anything else he could get in his mouth.
He figured Mara had packed a bottle and he was just about to dig it out when Selvans walked into the room.
Race didn’t wait for permission this time. He figured he’d been patient long enough. Selvans would understand.
In fact, as he got closer, the god smiled at him, though he looked tired. “I’ll hold the baby, son. I think you’re going to want your hands free.”
Shit, that didn’t sound good.
He passed off Arin then rushed into the kitchen, finding Mara slumped over the kitchen table.
He called her name. Okay, he shouted her name, which made her groan.
She sat up with a start as he reached her, sucking in a breath that sounded pained.
Race cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him and only him. “Mara, are you okay?”
Vaffanculo
, she looked so damn pale, as if she’d had the life drained out of her. Her face was the color of ashes except for around her eyes, which looked bruised.
Then she opened her mouth and everything else ceased to exist.
“I’m fine.”
Her voice was raspy, as if she had a sore throat. But she had her voice back.
Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m fine. I’m just tired and—”
He grabbed her and hugged her to him, only loosening his arms when he heard her squeak out a protest. She must have thought he was going to release her because her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she clung.
He would’ve sat there forever, holding her, but when she pulled away, he let her go. Not far. Just far enough to look at him.
“Everything’s going to be fine.” He’d make sure it was.
She smiled, just a bare curve of her lips, but it was enough to make him breathe a short sigh of relief.
“Can I see Arin?”
“Shit, of course. Just let me—”
“Here he is, dear.”
Selvans walked into the room, as if on cue. Arin was already reaching for Mara and she took him and hugged him to her, whispering in his ear. Arin’s entire focus was on Mara as she spoke to him, his eyes wide. Then he began to giggle, which made Mara’s smile widen.
“Race. Mara. We need to talk.”
Sal’s quiet statement cut through the room, causing Mara to clutch Arin a little tighter and Race to move closer to Mara.
“We’re pretty sure when the spell broke, it alerted Veive to your location,” Selvans said. “And since we’re pretty sure he’s working with the
Mal
, we’re just going to assume that he’ll tell them where you are.”
Sal and Selvans exchanged a look that raised Race’s hackles.
“Why would they care?” Mara’s voice sounded weak and he didn’t think it was a side effect of the spell breaking. “Arin wasn’t born
Mal
.”
“No, he wasn’t.” Selvans shook his head, his gaze transferring to the baby. “But he
was
born to be my replacement.”
* * * * *
Mara stared out the window of Race’s truck, an odd sense of relief warring with nerves as Race drove home.
Finally. An explanation. A reason. Something that made sense.
Okay, yes, her son was going to grow up to be a god. And yes, that should freak her out completely.
But it was so far out of the realm of real life that it didn’t seem real.
Turning from the window, she focused on Race, who hadn’t looked surprised at the news. Actually he’d looked rock-steady. As he always did.
It was why she’d been drawn to him from the first minute she’d seen him. But it wasn’t the only reason she’d fallen for him.
The rest was pure chemistry, at least on her end. It was a combination of the way he treated her and the way he treated Arin. In the way he’d made love to her last night and the way he’d stood beside her for the past six months. Even if he hadn’t said a word, she’d known he’d been by her side and on her side at every turn.
But this…
She had no idea what was going to be required of her. And she wanted to be up to the challenge. Needed to be for Arin.
“You’re going to hurt yourself thinking that hard.”
She smiled and automatically raised her hands to answer before she remembered.
“I don’t think that’s possible.” It felt almost weird to have her voice back again. The raspy quality was receding with use but it was almost as if she were regaining the use of her lips. “My son is going to be an Etruscan god. It’s not something you hear every day.”
Everything was topsy-turvy in her world but she’d realized she might never be able to get off the roller coaster.
“No, but you heard Selvans. It means nothing right now. Arin’s going to have a normal childhood. Except for the fact that he can communicate with animals. That might take a little getting used to. But he’s going to have you by his side. And he’s going to have the
lucani
at his back. And when the time comes and he needs to know what’s expected of him, we’ll handle it.”
She liked the sound of that. “We” instead of “her”. Liked the sense that she wasn’t alone against the world.
Though she knew she should probably learn to stand on her own, to take care of herself and Arin on her own…just knowing she didn’t have to allowed her to breathe easier.
“And what if the
Mal
find out?”
That was the thing that most worried her because it was the most immediate threat. Selvans was still powerful, more so than many of the other deities, so he wasn’t in danger from anyone who they knew of. Not like the goddesses who’d been targeted by Charun in the past year.
Thesan, Goddess of the Dawn, and Lusna, Goddess of the Moon, had given up some or all of their powers in order to save themselves. Lusna had transferred hers to Cat. Mara assumed that’s what would happen with Arin and Selvans. Later. Hopefully much later in his life.
“The
lucani
won’t allow the
Mal
to get close to Arin.” He paused and shot her a look. “I won’t allow it.”
That look promised so much more than his protection of Arin. And it made her want to wrap her arms around him and kiss the hell out of him. Made her think of getting him alone in a dark room and showing him just how much she appreciated him.
As if he’d read her mind, he shot her another look, this time his gaze narrowed and glittered.
By the time they got home, she couldn’t wait for Arin to go down for the night. He’d been cranky on the drive home. He hated to be confined for long periods of time and he’d been in the car seat more than he’d ever been before.
After she’d fed him and bathed him, he’d practically fallen asleep in her arms. Laying him out in his crib, she stood by the side for several minutes just watching him breathe.
With a final brush of her fingers through his dark hair, the same color as her own, she walked back into the living room. Back to Race.
He stood in the kitchen, staring out the window.
“He’s asleep?”
That deep voice always did such warm and wonderful things to her insides. She wanted to walk up to him, wrap her arms around his waist and just hold on. Let him hold her.
She nodded, stopping a few feet away because she still wasn’t sure what this meant. What
they
meant.
Then he turned and leaned against the sink, holding out one hand. She took it and found herself pressed against him from breast to hip to thigh. Her nipples peaked at the contact, her pussy tightening with an ache like she’d never known. His erection burned against her lower belly, hard and hot. Making her want to slide her hand beneath his jeans so she could wrap her hand around his cock.
“Mara.”
“Yes.”
He released a rough breath, as if he knew exactly what she was saying yes to.
Still, he put one hand beneath her chin and tilted her head back until he could see her eyes.
“I want you to know I’m here, for as long as you want me. No pressure. No commitment. Just know I’ll be here whenever you need me.”
That sounded like a commitment to her. And she was okay with that. Before she could tell him so, he dropped his mouth over hers and kissed her with enough force to put everything else out of her mind.
Since there was too much crowding her brain, she let it all go. For this time with him, she wouldn’t worry about tomorrow or Arin or anything else. She’d let herself enjoy the moment.
And when tomorrow did roll around, she’d let him know how she felt.
She may be young. She may be emotionally damaged and have trust issues. She probably wasn’t anyone’s idea of a dream date.
But she knew what she wanted. And she’d take him for as long as she could have him.
Because she knew, at some point, she wouldn’t have him.
As if he’d sensed her thoughts, he caught her around the waist and lifted her until her feet hung inches off the ground and her eyes were level with his.
And the tip of his cock rubbed against her clit.
She sucked in air but he covered her mouth with his again, grinding his lips against hers. Her mouth opened to his insistent tongue but this time instead of letting him have the lead, she took it.
With her hands cupped around his nape, she tilted his head and let herself attack his mouth.
She kissed him with no restraint, let her tongue dart into his mouth, mimicking his movements from last night.
Groaning low in his throat, he wrapped one arm around his waist to hold her in place then let his other slowly work its way from her waist to her breast.
He cupped her, kneaded her while she kissed him, let her tongue tease and torment. He tasted hot, his lips soft against her.
Her hips began to grind, needing more pressure.
“Put me down.”
He released her so fast, she thought she might actually stumble but she should’ve known better.
“Sorry—”
“Don’t you dare.” She slapped her hand over his mouth before he could apologize. “I’m not afraid of you. I just can’t do what I want when you’re holding me way up there.”
He blinked, as if she’d said something he didn’t understand. Then his eyes narrowed as her hands moved to his waistband. He wasn’t wearing a belt, thank the gods, so her hands slipped into his pants without impediment and she pushed them down.