Her brow knitted, but she said, “Okay. Let’s talk in one of the guest rooms.”
She locked the door behind us as we entered a guest bedroom. It was a little dusty, and abandoned— we’d all had far more important things to keep up on over the last few months than cleaning, but Emma sat on the bed and patted the area beside her. I took a seat, giving her another embrace.
“I’m sorry.” My voice was muffled, as I’d pressed my lips to her body. “I haven’t gotten to touch you in so long.”
“It’s all right. You can touch me whenever you want.” Emma stroked my hair. “Ethan, what’s going on?”
“I need to know first where you were. I want to apologize. I’m so sorry I failed you. I know my actions ran you off. It’s our fault we lost the war, but I vow to be better from now on.”
“I didn’t leave you onpurpose, Ethan, especially without a goodbye. I never would,” Emma insisted. “What happened was an accident.”
I couldn’t fathom it as such, but I said, “Did you not mean to leave?”
“No. I— I really do mean I just saw you a moment ago,” she said. “Ethan… Kalina’s demigod powers were triggered the night we lost the Crystals. I don’t know why or how, but somehow, she transported me, herself, and her brother nine months forward in time. In my perspective, we just returned from burying Jasper and Ozzie. I went into the nursery, picked up Kalina… then some strange magic happened. It was like she opened up some kind of portal. When the magic stopped, I suddenly found myself in the same room, but nine months ahead in the future. It was just mybirthday, and now, almost another year has gone by.”
My body shook with the incomprehensible power of it all. “The twins still appear as infants.”
“Yes. They didn’t grow. The portal through time didn’t affect them, because it didn’t progress naturally,” Emma said. “I don’t think I’ve changed, either.”
The vacant turbulence on her face was substantial. I’d suffered and struggled through these past few months, but Emma had been through an unimaginable ordeal as well. She’d lost a huge gap of time, and had mere moments to get accustomed to it.
My lip trembled as I brushed back her hair. “I just can’t stop looking at you.”
Words couldn’t sustain what it felt like in that moment, so I kissed her. It was like coming up for air after nearly drowning. Her mouth restored me as if she was the breath of life. I let my arms settle around her as we kissed, and each moment of our lips connecting gave my soul wings.
Emma moved away from me. She stood, not out of my reach but too far away besides.
“Don’t go,” I whimpered, and my fingertips trailed her skin.
“I’m not. I just have a surprise.” Emma began discarding her clothes. I went breathless as I took in her appearance. She was wearing a light blue corset with black lace trim, a barely-there thong that had garter belts attached. Clipped onto the garter belts were long, thin stockings that rose past her knees and settled on her thighs.
Oh, gods.Socks. She knew they were my ultimate weakness.
She couldn’t do this to me. Vanish for months on end and come back looking like…that.
Emma turned in place. “I was wearing it the day I left. I thought you’d like it, once we got some alone time after the party was over. I figured I’d get a nice birthday present.”
I took her in again. Tears seared as my eyes again as reality hit me in all its entirety. “You really weren’t gone, were you? You were just lost in time.”
Emma nodded. She straddled my hips and cradled my face in her hands. I ran my hands over the thin stockings and shivered. I was already going mad with want, and my wolf desired a feast. She kissed me, and took my hands to place them on her breasts over the corset. Everything in me gave a mad thrill. The attention of a gorgeous woman like her was all a man needed. Food and water couldn’t sustain me like her love could. I’d withered without it.
I slung an arm around her and threw her onto the bed. I moved her thong aside so I could taste her. Emma’s hips bucked upward, and I dove my tongue inside of her. The sound of her moans gave hope to my deadened insides again. Her nails clawing at my back were an electric shock to the heart. I’d forgotten what living was, in her absence, and never wanted to do so again.
She already wanted to come, but I slowed down so I could savor each moment. I wanted every bit of our time together to last, because I hadn’t treasured her like this in so long. If this really was a dream, some temporary relief from the madness of my life, I wanted to prolong every second. I was down there for what had to be nearly an hour, taking my time and feeling the luxury of those soft, delicate hosiery she was wearing. If the gods struck me dead right now, I’d be a happy man.
“Don’t keep me waiting,” Emma breathed. I’d driven her to her peak several times, and now, she was begging for my cock. She reached down to fiddle with the button on my pants, and I undid them myself. I barely had time to free myself before I slid inside of her. Emma gave a gasp, and I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head. If I thought tasting her was pleasure, this was pure heaven. I’d nearly forgotten what sex felt like. My body went weak and my form began to tremble as I moved in and out of her, becoming more crazed with every loving thrust.
“Harder,” Emma rasped, and she bit my shoulder. I gave a groan and slammed into her so hard it shook the bed. The headboard clattered against the wall as I dove into her. I put a hand on it to steady myself, and a piece of it broke off at my strength as I attempted to hold on. My other hand found a pillow, and I ripped that apart involuntarily, feathers fluttering through the air.
I pushed myself so far deep into her that I couldn’t go any further. Emma cried out again in nearly a scream, and I was aware that we were being very loud, but I didn’t care. I wrapped her in my arms and loved her so passionately that the quaking bed caused a lamp to fall off the bedside table and break.
I was sorry to say I didn’t last long. I couldn’t. I was so wrapped up in her that everything inside of me had to break free. I shuddered as I emptied myself inside of her. Emma came at the same time, her body going boneless and fragile underneath mine as we reclaimed our love. I fell to the side next to her, dizzy and starry-eyed.
Emma gave a sigh of contentment as I managed to wrap an arm around her. My wolf stopped going wild inside of me and calmed at the pleasure coursing through our bond. Emma was here again, and my shifter side didn’t care about the complications time travel presented. She was near me, and safe, and that’s what mattered to my animalistic nature.
My mate waited for me to catch my breath before she lifted her head off my chest. “I can see we got distracted, but I really would like to know what’s been happening since I’ve been gone.”
My throat clenched as the bliss drained out of me, becoming cold and withered. I didn’t want to deliver her this news, but she had to know. “Life isn’t what you remember it to be.”
