Midnight Son, page 14
“Clean, crisp, luscious.”
“And you think I smell like that?”
Braxton nodded.
“Not Helena?”
He shook his head. “You.” He licked his lips, wondering how much he should tell. “I knew there was something different about you. You’d changed—not only your scent but your personality.” He winced. “I couldn’t call you by her name,” he confessed, feeling stupid and dropped his gaze.
“What? You—”
Silence settled around them, so deep Braxton had to look up.
Raina remained in the same position but she stared forward, her eyes unfocused. This wasn’t the panic from before. She was remembering.
“You didn’t,” she finally said, turning her stare on him. “You rarely called me Helena.”
“I didn’t understand it but you were so dramatically different this time. You were—are—what I’m looking for.”
“But my sister is so exciting and free and beautiful and—”
“She’s not you. You are brave and strong and so damn sexy.”
Raina scoffed—actually scoffed!—and rolled her eyes. “Right.”
Braxton rose over her. She had little choice but to lean backward. He slipped one knee between hers and her thighs opened beautifully. He kept moving until she was flat on the bed, his hands digging into the soft mattress.
“I like that.” She raised her eyebrows in question. “You don’t think you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever known.” She shook her head and gave him another eye roll. “Good.” This time he got a confused squint. “I figure, if you don’t believe it, then I have time after time to show you just how sexy and beautiful you are.”
He didn’t let her protest again. He leaned forward and kissed her. The lush lavender scent that surrounded her translated into the sweet taste of honey as he sank his tongue between her lips. She welcomed him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, opening her thighs wider.
Braxton slipped into that sexual space, the heat from her pussy setting his need on fire. He nudged her entrance. The thick denim blocked too much of the sensation. They twisted together on the mattress, moving to the middle, stripping off clothes. Braxton grabbed the condom out of his back pocket. His mother had slapped it in his hand when the beginning of Raina’s panicked phone call reached the living room.
He slid the latex along his shaft, trying to slow himself. Raina stretched out on the bed, extending her arms over her head. The seductive pose pushed her breasts a little higher. He couldn’t resist taking advantage.
“Grab the headboard, baby and don’t let go.”
She hesitated for a single heartbeat. Drawing in a deep breath that did delicious things to her body, she curled her fingers around the lower edges of the wood frame.
“So sweet,” he whispered. He bent and took one tight nipple into his mouth, sucking lightly as his fingertips teased the other peak. She twisted beneath him, her sleek legs rubbing the outside of his. Delicious friction. The heat of her passage called to him. He slipped the head of his cock into her opening, watching her eyes to make sure she was ready for him.
“Yes,” she replied in a low soft tone, the single word both agreement and command. He pushed in, giving her time to adjust to his penetration. The sweet grip of her pussy held his shaft perfectly.
He slowly pulled out, struggling to remain gentle. The dig of Raina’s heels into his ass and the enticing squirm she gave, working his prick back into her broke the wall of restraint he’d been building. He thrust in deep, losing himself in her body and the sexy cries. It was fast and hard, similar to their first time.
“Come for me.”
Her body seemed tuned to his command. She gasped, tipping her head back. The inner walls of her passage massaged his shaft giving him that extra bit of pressure he needed. The climax hit him like an out of control train.
“Raina!” he shouted, thrilled to be able to call his love by her name. He drove deep into her one more time, not wanting to be separated from his mate.
He couldn’t say how long they laid there, drifting. He’d taken care of the condom and they’d climbed under the blankets but neither moved beyond that.
Braxton trailed his fingers up and down Raina’s spine, delicate touches, needing to maintain the connection. He could practically hear Raina’s mind churning so wasn’t surprised when she shifted in his arms and pressed up on her elbow so she could meet his gaze.
“You’re really a polar bear shifter?”
She didn’t tense the way she had earlier. That had to be a good sign.
“I’ll show you.”
“Now?”
He chuckled. “No. Later.”
“And Jasper?”
“We don’t know. Sometimes if only one parent is a shifter the child doesn’t shift but...” He wasn’t sure how much he should tell her about the Source yet. “We have ways of encouraging his inner bear to come out.” He drew her down against his chest. “Plus, we’ll have to see what kind of animal you turn into.”
She jerked upright, staring down at him.
“What?”
He smiled. “Oh, baby, there is so much to tell you.”
Epilogue
Raina collapsed onto the couch, exhausted, exhilarated. It had been an insane two weeks. Brian’s arrival and departure, Braxton getting shot, Raina coming clean. Sex with Braxton. Braxton turning into a polar bear in front of her. More sex. Even more sex.
Multiple walks on the beach—her and Braxton and sometimes Jasper joining in. A phone introduction to Riordon and the revelation she could turn into a shifter—holy cow!—and yes, more sex.
Her body ached in delicious ways. It was as if Braxton was trying to imprint himself on her body and soul.
There was still a lot to decide and discuss.
She’d taken an extended leave of absence from work because she’d been unable to make herself leave Alaska. She wanted to stay with Braxton. The pull connecting them strengthened each day and refused to be ignored.
The sun dipped low on the horizon. Still not going down but getting closer every night. It had taken her days to adapt to sleeping when the sun was up—thank God for blackout curtains. Now, she wondered what it would be like to not see the sun for more than two months.
She flipped over her phone and waited for it to ring. Since Helena realized Raina wasn’t mad at her—at least not anymore—Helena had sent a text setting up a phone date. Making their schedules match had been a challenge what with them being literally at opposite ends of the earth.
Her phone chimed, alerting her to a video call as Braxton walked into the room with a cup of tea. It was a special tea, gathered and dried by Braxton’s mother. She insisted it would make Raina more likely to become a shifter when they went to the Source and make her more fertile as well. Braxton brushed off both comments saying it was folklore.
Raina had looked up the ingredients—she refused to drink some mystical elixir without knowing what was in it—and discovered the native plants Beatrix used had historic medicinal uses. And tasted lovely as well.
Raina tapped the screen. “Hey, twin two,” she greeted, using their childhood name for each other.
“Twin one!” Helena shouted back. “How are you—? Whose arm is that?”
Raina accepted the tea mug as she turned the phone. “Uh, Braxton?” Whoops. Forgot about that.
“Wait. You’re still there?” Her eyes grew wide. “I thought you went home.” Yes, Raina might have given her sister the impression she’d left Alaska, not wanting to answer questions she didn’t have the answers to. “Oh my God! You’re sleeping with Braxton?”
Raina glared through the screen, attempting to silently warn her twin to shut up. Braxton didn’t seem to mind. He leaned in and kissed Raina, a slow sensual kiss designed to whisk delicious tingles all the way to her toes.
He turned to the phone. “There’s not a lot of sleeping going on.”
“Go.” Raina pointed to the kitchen. Her lover chuckled and backed away.
“Wow. You and Braxton? That’s so cool.”
“It’s...new, but going well.”
“Are you moving up there?”
Raina opened her mouth and closed it again, looking a little like a fish.
“Maybe?”
“This is fast for you. Good job! You must really like him. And now with Jasper, you’re the perfect little family.”
Raina’s heart thumped at the sound of Jasper’s name. She was a little surprised the baby’s welfare hadn’t been the first thing her sister asked about.
“Oh, that’s so sweet.” Helena clasped her hands together. “My sister and my one-night stand.”
“Ugh, can we not mention that?” Raina had been trying not to think about it.
“Oh, God, don’t even worry about that.” Helena leaned in and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Until he poked his head in, I couldn’t remember exactly what he looked like.”
Braxton grunted in the kitchen. With those bear-ears, he heard her sister. Of course.
“How’s everything going at the South Pole?” Raina asked, switching topics.
“It is so freakin’ amazing. The people are amazing and the science stuff is interesting.”
“What science stuff are you doing?”
“Not me personally. I’m administrative help so I work with all the scientists and keep their data in order.”
“You keep data in order?” Raina couldn’t hide the dismay in her voice.
“I know, right? I’m channeling my inner Raina, organizer to the stars. One of the guys here—I’m not sleeping with him before you ask—said that after this year is up, I could maybe join one of their South American teams. They’re searching for some plant in the rain forest. It sounds exciting and after all this cold, six months in a South American jungle sound fabulous. It was freakin’ seventy-five below zero yesterday. I didn’t go outside or anything, but even the walls are cold.”
“Wait, you’re going from Antarctica to the jungle? What about Jasper?”
Helena winced. “Rainy, I’m not mom material. He’s sweet and I love him but I’m not the person you want raising the next generation. You know that.”
Raina struggled not to agree but perhaps her sister was right.
“I have an idea and I want you to think about it.” Helena twisted and gripped her fingers so tightly her knuckles turned white. “What if you adopted him? Or Braxton took custody? If you’re together, that would be even better, right? You don’t have to answer now but think—”
“Yes,” Raina immediately agreed.
“Yes.”
Her head snapped up at Braxton’s matching reply. She stared, wide-eyed, across the room at her lover.
“You’re okay with this?”
“I trust the fates enough to believe they picked my perfect mate.” He walked across the room and knelt on one knee in front of her. She dropped the phone into her lap as she fell into Braxton’s blue eyes. “I feel this bond to you in a way I’ve never felt with anyone. I like being with you. I love making love to you. I think I’m well on the way to falling in love with you.”
“Me, too,” she whispered in response.
“We’ll figure this out but I can think of nothing more wonderful than you, me and Jasper being a family.”
She nodded and leaned forward, needing the connection, his touch. Their mouths met in a deep, soul kiss that sent lovely flutters through her core.
“Hello! Weird view here.”
Raina jerked back as Helena’s voice broke through.
“Plus, I’m pretty sure you two are about to get naked and I don’t need to see that.”
“Excellent idea.” Braxton picked up the phone and looked at Helena. “We’ll call you back.” He glanced at Raina to make sure she was okay with his announcement. She nodded. He hung up and tossed the phone on the couch.
“Your sister is full of good ideas today.”
“You like the idea of us being a family.”
“I do. Right now, I like the idea of being naked even more.” The deep rumble of his voice ignited the sensitive nerves in her passage. “We’ve got a couple more weeks before the sun sets. I want to spend every night with the evening light washing across your skin.” He leaned back and pulled his shirt up and over his head, leaving his chest bare. The orange glow of the almost-setting sun illuminated the luscious muscles across his shoulders and chest.
Unable to resist, Raina followed him to the ground, straddling his thighs, draping her arms around his neck.
She didn’t know exactly where the future would take them but she knew it would be filled with laughter, love and hours beneath the midnight sun.
The End
Author’s Note!
I hope you enjoyed Midnight Son! It is (technically) book 6 of the Alaska Alphas but you don’t have to read them in order. Still, don’t miss out on the fun! Check out the other books! You’ll find links below!
And look for Riordon’s story to come out soon…what’s a poor werewolf to do when he’s got a cold and can’t recognize his mate by scent? Luckily, she’s got some definite ideas!
If you feel so inclined, please leave a review! It really helps authors!
Thanks!
Tielle St. Clare
MORE ALASKA ALPHAS
FREE ORIGIN STORY!
Alpha Origins
AVAILABLE NOW!
Untamed Instinct
Twisted Shifter
Bewitched Shifter
Polar Shift
Midnight Son
Midnight Heat
Midnight Storm
Other books by Tielle St. Clare
Denali Pack Exiles
Bad Dog
Bear Hug
Soft Kitty (Available July 2020)
Wolf’s Heritage
New Year’s Kiss
Summer’s Caress
Jackson’s Rise
Maxwell’s Fall
Shadow’s Embrace
Memory’s Flame
Shadow of the Dragon
Dragon’s Kiss
Dragon’s Fire
Dragon’s Rise
Dragon’s Prey
Lone Wolves
Unexpected Alpha
Beta Undone
Betas Unraveled
Alpha Untried
Fairy Dust
On Being Wicked (Fairy Dust 2)
Stand-alone books
Collective Memory
Simons Bliss
Holiday Wishes
Christmas Angel
Sweetheart Special
A Bit of Irish
The Earth Moved
Wicked Dreams
Gathered Together
Red Panty Diaries
Crimson
Scarlet
Candy Apple
Fire Engine
By Moonrise
First Moonrise
Tielle St. Clare, Midnight Son
