Page 30 of The Aurora Marelup Complete Saga Omnibus

Dom elbows me, and I follow him out the door. “Sebastian and I are going to patrol the grounds tonight. Dimitri is going to remain as his bear on the porch and Andre on the roof. You’ll have the house to yourself.” Dom grips my shoulders tight thenpulls me in for a hug to end all hugs. “She knows you love her. It’s time to show her how much. Let her in Jayce, let her love you back.” He raises a knowing eyebrow at me. “And don’t give me thatI’m an omegabullshit. You’re a great warrior when you have to be. You’re a far better man than I am; you can understand emotions. That’s a gift I wish I had.” Dom smiles at me, and in his way, I received a pep talk. Now, if someone had a roadmap to a woman’s G-Spot, that would be awesome. One last snicker from Dom before he starts to turn and walks off. “Don’t worry about what to do. Aurora is dominant; she’ll submit when she wants to, but most times, it’s hold on for the ride of your life.” Dom gives me his usual wise-ass two-finger salute before heading off down the hallway.

What the actual fuck have I gotten myself into?I run down the hall to my room, take a quick shower and trim my mustache and beard. Once I am pleased with my appearance, I pick out a nice silk shirt and my favorite slacks. My suit jacket is perfectly tailored to me. I stand before the mirror and do a last-minute check; I fucking love the way this suit looks on me. Reaching into the top drawer of my dresser, I retrieve the necklace I had bought Aurora while I was in town. Carefully I pull it out of its satchel and stare at it. The pendant is an exact copy of the paw print Dom and I have tattooed on our wrists. One can only hope she appreciates it. Gently I place it in my right coat pocket before I head back to see my mate.

Lightly I knock on her door and wait. Man, I’ve never been this nervous in my entire life. The clicking of the knob turning draws me out of my inner monologue quite quickly. Aurora stands there, hair in a messy bun with a nightshirt that aptly saysFuck off. I smile and lean in to kiss her gently, but the princess has other plans. Aurora grabs onto my lapels and drags me into the room, and locks the door behind her.

Mercury orbs gaze back at me, and in this moment, I know what a rabbit feels like when we hunt them. Slowly her gaze moves over my body inch by inch; I swear to the gods that I can feel her eyes caress me. A gentle smile graces her lips as she moves in closer. Ever so lightly, her fingertips glide over the soft material of my jacket. Her hands stop at my waistline before she steps back and makes the turn around motion with her finger. I’m quick to comply with her silent command. I’d do anything for my mate, absolutely anything.

Her smile lights up the room and puts my soul at ease. “You look very handsome, Jayce. A well-cut suit on a man is like a tiny lace thong on a woman. Very much appreciated.” Her eyes bounce back and forth between human and wolf; apparently, I have the attention of both. “Allow me,” she says softly as she reaches forward and slowly unbuttons my suit jacket. I gently toe off my dress shoes because fuck if I’m going to be fumbling with them later.

Slowly she exhales and reaches up, placing her hands on my shoulders and slides my jacket off. I don’t know who’s getting more turned on here, me because I’m being stripped, or her. It’s quite evident she’s getting worked up. The scent of her arousal is filling the room and engulfing me in her scent, almost strangling me. Her hands gently hold my jacket as she moves to lay it over the arm of the chair. When she returns, her eyes remain locked with mine as she undoes my tie.

Fuck, this is the single hottest thing I have ever witnessed or been apart of. I’m literally terrified to speak; I don’t want to break the spell. She slips my tie off and lays it on top of my jacket before she returns and works on my silk shirt buttons. She stands on her tippy toes and lightly presses her lips against mine, and whispers, “do not move a muscle.” I feel my cock harden and pulsate, straining against my boxer briefs. For the first time in history, I’m afraid of blowing my load too early.After what seems like an eternity, she has my shirt open, and with feather-light touches she caresses my skin.

Aurora keeps her eyes locked with mine as her fingers roam over my chest and abs. Holy fuck, she’s tracing every single cut and ripple of muscle I have. Silently I thank my brother for forcing me to work out with him. Every pain-filled workout is now made worth it seeing the appreciation in her eyes. Aurora moves behind me and grips the collar of my shirt, and pulls it off. Again, I feel her soft touches moving over every bump and ridge of corded muscle. My eyes close of their own volition. I can’t help the shuddering breath that escapes my lips when she kisses my left peck right over my heart. “Can I call this mine?” She speaks so softly; her breath tickles my skin.

I open my eyes to see this dominant female looking so unsure of herself. I can’t have that. I reach down and take her hand in mine and place it over my heart. “It’s always been waiting for you, my love. It was yours long before I knew your name. I just hope to be wolf enough to deserve yours in return.” Tears threaten to break loose from my eyes as I finally speak my heart to her.

Aurora’s eyes well up with tears, and she begins to softly cry. I bend down and gently kiss away her tears. Lingering on the last one, I press my forehead against hers. “You’ve always been wolf enough for me, Jayce. I love you for you. You are the kindest, most thoughtful mate a female could ask for. I am grateful I was blessed with you.”

Her hands come to grip my belt, and it comes off super-fast. That confidence she lacked just a moment ago is now back in full force. I can’t help but laugh at her antics as my pants hit the floor.

She steps back and cocks her head to the side, and smiles. “I’ve found a huge difference between you and Dom.Yoursis definitely bigger.” She bites her bottom lip as she grabs hold ofmy boxer briefs. One finger shifts, and her talon slices through the cotton like a hot knife through butter. Mercury orbs lock on the sight of my rigid leaking cock.

Just for good measure, I give my cock a slow, measured stroke. Her eyes follow my hand as it glides up and down my length. Now I’ve got her. I reach forward and use my claws to slice the nightshirt free from her. She looks a little shocked, but it’s worth it. There it is, the fabled black lace thong she favors. I drop to my knees before her and grip the lace with my teeth. My hands rest on my thighs as I slowly begin to pull the thong down.

CHAPTER 25

Epilogue Ascend

TOMAS

Moldavia,Romania

I pace back and forth within the castle walls. The calls and emails I’ve been receiving are quite disturbing and concern me immensely. Apparently, I failed in killing off the Marelup line. To make matters worse, it’s a female child that was born. I summon Bane Kraus, the alpha of the Ice Dragons, and Ellis, the Polar Bear clan’s beta. In theory, if that Marelup bitch is following tradition, these are the last two clan’s she’ll need a mate from.

Lucian from the Dire Wolf clan called me a week ago about the missive he received from the shaman’s sister. The fucking bitches hid the last heir to the fucking throne from me. I throw my chalice of blood and watch it smash against the wall. The white marble is painted red as I watch the life essence run down the length of the wall. Shaking my head, me and my fucking temper, that was a good tasting AB positive. My eyes scan through the last several messages from Johan the beta. He is frightened by the Marelup bitch. Somehow, she was able to kill a Wendigo—whatever the fuck that is. Damn new world abominations. In his last text, he said he and his father would kill her if she survived the battles she had left. The arrogance ofVlad was the downfall of his people, and now his child will be tortured.

Honestly, I can’t wait to sink my fangs into her neck and drain her dry over a series of days. Her stupid father secured his breeding right by neutering the other mates. Heh, I had to laugh to myself. A purebred Lycan female was weak and frail, so this should be easy. Perhaps the other shifters in the new world are more vulnerable as well. I walk out onto the balcony of what used to be the north tower. Slowly I look over what remains of the castle. Most of it is in ruins from the attack over two hundred years ago. Some sections, like this one, I’ve made my slaves repair. What’s left of the Lycan forces, as well as the Dire forces that enslaved my people are now my slaves. I felt it was only fitting. They started as slaves and are now slaves once more.

Bane enters my domain, and I see his white dragon making slow, lazy loops in the air before he lands in the courtyard. I’m still waiting on Ellis to arrive. Fucking bears are slow as molasses in winter. Returning to my desk, I roll out the area’s map, extending into Bane’s territory and over into the Polar Bears’. There is only one path for the bitch to take, and that’s to cross the land bridge. I sit here calculating the distance from the Lycan compound in North America to the land bridge. Unless she flies, it will take the better half of a week to two weeks, depending on the weather.

In mid-thought, Bane bursts through my doors and enters my office—the fucker didn’t even knock. Maybe I should put dragons back on the menu because of his insolence. “Glad you could make it,” I mutter under my breath.It took you long enough,I say to myself. I force a smile, though I know my grin is one you see in nightmares. Unlike Vlad the Impaler, we Strigoi don’t have retractable fangs. Instead, it’s rows of needle-like teeth that leave hundreds of puncture wounds; the better to bleed you with.

“Why am I here, leach?” Dragons are always so fucking dramatic. He seems put out by being summoned. His boots clop on the floor as he moves towards my desk. Every little thing about him irritates the fucking hell out of me.

I make a graceful sweep across the map. Each of the three territories are marked clearly, including the Dire Wolf and the Lycan’s compound. “What the fuck, man? I thought the last of the wolves were here, under your control?” He moves quickly away from the table to the balcony. He glares at me, and I can see that fabled dragon temper flaring. Blackened slits bleed through the green of his eyes, making his dragon’s presence evident.

“It gets worse. Anca’s daughter survived that night. She’s now collecting mates. There’s no answer from Lucian or Johan, so I’m figuring they were killed off or failed and are hiding. Either way, it doesn’t bode well for anyone involved.” I lean over the map, watching the dragon alpha process the information given to him. He pulls his phone out and starts typing out a message.

“I just alerted my son to be watching for any communication from the Lycan’s about a visit. He said nothing yet. So perhaps the problem sorted itself out, and no one survived the battle in the Dire compound.” He shrugs his shoulder like this is one big fucking joke.

“So that’s your answer to this problem? Just wait for the message stating she’s on the way?” I am getting more and more irritated with the giant fucking lizard. I swear to the nine hells that he is so fucking stupid even a rock would know better than him.

“Yes, that’s my fucking answer. Are you daft? Think of it this way; if she follows protocol, she’ll reach out to me to meet my sons. Then we know exactly when she’s on her way. No wasted resources. We can set the trap when we can estimate her travel time to the land bridge.” He takes my ruler and starts measuringmileage. “Depending on how fast she drives and what route she takes, she should get to the ice shelf in eight days. Once she hits the ice shelf, it’s on foot from there. Besides, how hard is it going to be to spot a pack of black wolves on snow?”

He has a point, and I hate admitting he’s right. I’m stressing over nothing. “Okay, so now we wait for her to reach out. Ellis, the beta from the Polar Bear clan, should be here in a few moments. They’ll lead the initial attack on the ice bridge. Your people will be the last line of defense.” I draw a line from Wales, Alaska, to Diomede Island over to Naukan, Siberia. Next, I draw a diagonal line from Uelen, Siberia to Naukan, Siberia, and put a pewter dragon on the line I drew. I make my lines as Bane watches and nods along.

Ellis chooses this time to knock on the door frame. I wave my hand at him to enter, not wanting to lose my concentration. “Just in time, Ellis. I need you and your bears on Diomede Island when I call you. You’ll be waiting to ambush a pack of black wolves and Lycan’s trying to cross the land bridge. There will be a single female with them. Bring her to me alive, everyone else you can do with as you please.”

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