“I have something I need to tell you,” she whispered.

  “Huh?”

  She ran her fingertips over his chest, nerves biting at her. But she needed to tell him. It wasn’t fair to keep the truth to herself. “I…” The words weren’t easy to get out, then it came to her in a flash. “Do you remember telling me you would teach me Russian?”

  “Yes, I do. But now? How about in the morning, malysh?”

  “Seriously, Maxim. You taught me how to tell you I’m crazy about you, but I want to know another phrase. How do I say I love you?”

  He went still, frozen, and she had to contain the grin.

  “Why?”

  “Well, I need to know them, don’t I? Then I know when you say that to me what it means.” She kept her tone reasonable, waiting for him to consider her words.

  “Ya lyublyu tebya vsem serdtsem means I love you with all my heart.”

  “Then help me say it, Maxim.”

  He repeated the words slowly so she could parrot it back, and she levered up so he could see her face. “Maxim? Ya lyublyu tebya vsem serdtsem. Because I do. I love you, Maxim, and I always will.”

  His eyes widened, and she felt the sting of tears again, like she regularly did these days, since she and Peter had been released from their fears.

  “I want everything you have to give me, Maxim. I want to be with you, to love⁠—”

  He stopped her then, arms like metal bands hauling her ever closer as his lips found hers and devoured her, moving wildly over her skin and setting her alight once more with passion.

  He whispered words of love, in Russian. Words she didn’t yet understand but welcomed as she returned the caresses turning her body molten from the inside out. Her body moved and welcomed him as she rolled, sliding her legs apart and finding the most secret recesses hot and ready for him.

  Now he plunged deep, and she arched up, crying out as he filled her, pleasure drilling deep in her brain, so all she could do was hold on and return the embrace wordlessly.

  He moved in and out, the pace rapid. Pippa twined her legs around his waist, demanding more and deeper with her body, welcoming the thrusts until they both exploded. When she opened her eyes, it was to see the fading glow of his wings as they beat in the air.

  Her chest bellowed, and he steadied her, sliding shaking fingers over her face. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No, Maxim. That was wild but beautiful. You made me feel loved.”

  “Because I do, Pip. I… I adore you.”

  “Good,” she whispered, placing her lips against his. “We can do this again tomorrow night.” She looked at her watch. “Uh, tonight, but we should get some sleep.” Fatigue was crawling along the edges of her consciousness.

  “Come. In my arms, you sleep.” His own voice was sleep-roughened, and she grinned. His words always became less cohesive when he was tired or emotionally pressed. She snuggled as he moved her before him, spooning so his chest and front slid along her back.

  “Always and forever,” she whispered, safe in his arms. Just where she wanted to be forever.

  Epilogue

  SEVERAL MONTHS LATER

  Maxim knew that Pippa was keeping a secret from him. He wasn’t totally sure he knew what it was, but he was hopeful.

  She’d been nagging for months, ever since their intimate wedding in the trees as the sun glinted down on the leaves. But Maxim had considered her request something he was pleased to fulfil. The thing that held them up was finding a property in the right location, one that offered them all the amenities Pippa had deemed necessary for a happy life.

  So here they were. The house before them was large enough for a family, and he wondered if the idea was future planning, but he didn’t let that bother him. Three houses down was where Gregori and Katya had located their brood of thirteen children, even though only three were technically and biologically theirs. A white picket fence surrounded the property in front of them with a small wildflower border, and the scent of lavender and roses filled the air.

  He looked up and down the street. It was quiet, well-lit, and he knew, well-patrolled by the police regularly, being a location other paranormals had found attractive. It was also a gated community, something Maxim had deemed vital.

  Behind the house itself was a small forest, and he smiled, aware that Pippa wanted him to embrace his nature, something she’d become more comfortable with since their first dance. His mind settled on the memory of that first time…

  “Your wings are blue and green,” she breathed.

  “My natural colour,” he answered. “Colours that only show when I’m with the one I love.”

  “Will they glow, like last time?” She traced the edges with a fingertip, and he shivered in reaction.

  He smiled. “Let’s see, shall we?” And he divested himself of the rest of his clothes and waited as she hesitated.

  “No one will see us?”

  “This is a private forest. No one else can enter while we’re here,” he said, then he took her mouth…

  Plus, it was close to Pippa’s workplace, a small restaurant the house had opened to the public just three months ago, and right next to what had become a centre catering to the needs of paranormals in need. Medical care, legal assistance, and even financial planning services. It didn’t matter what kind of para you were, any could access the services, and he was proud of what they’d accomplished, especially since his medical registration had finally been approved.

  “Daniel and Cressida are popping by the centre later today,” he told Pippa.

  “That’s great, but then I guess since they’re a third of the backers…” She let the words trail off, and he smiled. “They, along with Celina and Javed, and Simon and Niamh, have certainly been kind with their funds.”

  “Yes. But there’s more. David and Genny have agreed to join the board since she announced she’s pregnant. Genny will teach self-defence and offer investigation services, but only the kind that don’t require her leaving the office. They’re bringing another on board to do the leg work, and David is sinking funds into helping with reinforcing the building itself.”

  “I don’t think her father was impressed though. Did you notice how thick his accent got?” Pippa laughed.

  “It’s a shame Ilya isn’t here. He’d be proud of what we’ve achieved.” Maxim felt a pang as he considered the loss of Ilya months earlier. He was just pleased they’d reconciled before the old man had succumbed to the cancer eating at his lungs, and it was with the agreement of the backers, that the service was now known as the Ilya Kuznetsov Memorial Assistance Centre for Paranormals.

  “Yes, he would have loved it, just as he loved you,” Pippa said, and it took Maxim a moment to shrug off the sadness that dragged at him.

  “Mind you, Simon’s like a bear with a sore head,” Maxim said.

  “Will you be delivering the baby?” she asked him.

  Maxim shook his head. “I’m too close to her. Besides, I think Simon wouldn’t like that much. I think the midwives from the pack will assist, and her mother will come from Ireland.” He held up a hand. “I don’t understand how that will work since her banishment hasn’t been overturned, so don’t ask me.”

  “Come on then, let’s get inside and take a look.” Pippa pushed open the car door and stretched her legs. “David said it’s got five bedrooms and room in the loft for office space, or we could reconfigure it. We’ve got time.”

  “Years,” he muttered.

  She laughed. “Or more around seven months, give or take.”

  He stilled. “Seven months? That’s specific.”

  “Well, we want a home by the time the baby arrives, don’t we?”

  “Baby?” Had he heard her correctly?

  “Yep. Baby. So, let’s get moving, because we have plans to make.” Pippa grabbed his hand. “Plans to make together. Plans to make for all of our forever.”

  The End

  Of the House Secrets storyline, but stay tuned for more stories in this world.

  As Dawn Breaks

  House Secrets Book 1

  Genevieve is many things, but no single title fits her quite as accurately as ‘mutt’—the one bestowed by her vicious ex-boyfriend. She’s built a life, far from the family who’ve disowned her—one she’s proud of—as a police officer with the Paranormal Liaison Division, and hiding from the world.

  David is brittle from his experiences with his ex-wife Alexa, the truth his parents duped him his whole life, and he’s trying to come to terms with the fallout of those beliefs, running a nest and feeling like an imposter.

  A chance meeting between Genevieve and David opens up an opportunity for hope amid the grim realities of paranormal warfare.

  Trusting each other may be their only choice, but the past always bites back and this time is no different.

  _______________________________

  “Do you know anything about…?” David waved his arm, and Daniel shook his head.

  David clamped his arm on his shoulder and squeezed. He knew he was pale, but the reality of the situation impinged.

  Hope had glanced at him, smiled tremulously, but didn’t approach.

  “Are you okay?” Daniel’s question swam through David’s brain.

  He cleared his throat, considered the man before him. “I don’t… I’m resigning my commission and plan to seek a place in a new house.” The words erupted from him, but once out, David relaxed.

  Daniel frowned. “Today?”

  He shook his head. “No. When the mess with Attar is done. I’ve hung in only because… It was Hope who kept me together once I came to terms with what had been done. I treated her badly and so did my parents, and I feel dirty because I believed everything I was told. Now it’s hard to stay after…” David shrugged.

  “But if Hope forgives you, surely the situation can be resolved?”

  “No, Daniel. Everyone knows what I did. What we did. How we took her—Alexa’s—side and left Hope to suffer the consequences of the lies. It just… it doesn’t feel right, you know? She’s built something good and true. I can’t muddy it any longer than necessary. She needs to rebuild her life free of that taint.”

  Daniel frowned. “If you need to move, you would be more than welcome with me. I can talk to Javed…”

  “No. But thank you.” David shook his head. “When it’s done… Once Attar is defeated, I’m thinking of going somewhere else.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, he stepped back around Daniel and wandered to the other side of the room.

  Several Months Later

  David looked down at his hands. Instead of the neatly manicured nails he’d always sported, ragged edges betrayed the rage he’d held at bay over the last several months.

  Now this. The parchment paper in his grip crackled, and he released the hold slightly, forcing himself to read the front page.

  Referring to the decree made in this cause… the marriage between the aforementioned Plaintiff and Defendant be dissolved unless sufficient cause be shown to the court…

  He wasn’t unhappy with the outcome. Neither was he ecstatic. It wasn’t the way he’d planned for his life to proceed.

  Alexa had lied to him. Made a dupe of him. There’d been no child, and she’d blinded him to truths he should have noted. The betrayal ran deep. She’d colluded with his father, alienated his mother, and damaged the relationship he had with his sister.

  The situation felt untenable, really.

  But still… The life he’d planned to make was over. Deleted with the stroke of a pen by a Family Court judge.

  Slumping back into his chair, David surveyed the room. It was new, pale-coloured walls in a strange boxlike building, yet there was a charm to it. The kind he hadn’t ever felt in the old-world manor where he’d grown to adulthood.

  He sighed.

  Dawn had passed some three hours before, and while he, along with his master, Javed, had agreed the house didn’t require an external office set-up at this point, it felt odd to be ordering a coffee and still wearing the lounging pants he’d tugged on after showering at nine in the morning.

  The phone buzzed and broke the internal ruminations that occupied his mind.

  He answered with a curt “David.”

  “Sir, we have an officer of the law here. They say it’s important they speak with you. Something to do with a situation with the vampires.”

  “Fine. Give me a moment, then send him in.”

  “Her, sir.”

  He blinked. “Of course.”

  Letting go of the button, he rose from his chair, straightened his clothing—the teachings of his mother still held tight—before lowering himself into the chair, preparing for whatever came to pass.

  The door opened, and a slim, dark-haired woman entered the room. She wasn’t tall, and her features were regular. Her hair, tied into a neat and tidy braid, was dark brown, though her eyes were a golden green colour.

  The impressive creases, carefully aligned in her uniform, and the shine of her shoes told him she was either a new officer or one of those committed to her job. He had a feeling it was the second option.

  “David Jardin?”

  He inclined his head, and the woman stood, facing him.

  Discomfort flowed. In his world, you asked women to sit; they were coddled and kept at home until they married. This woman might look soft, but he noted a spark of something in her eyes and the ramrod straightness of her spine. This was no meek and biddable woman here. It was perverse, but he didn’t offer the seat.

  “You wanted to talk to me about the vampire attacks?”

  She blinked. “Uh, yes. I wanted to make some further enquiries. My name’s Officer Fernly, from the Liaison Division, and I need to check some facts to determine⁠—”

  His brow furrowed as he concentrated on what had taken place the evening before. He’d found a briefing paper on his desk when he’d entered that morning.

  “Oh yes,” he interrupted. Something about this woman put him on guard.

  She flipped open the tiny notepad she carried. “We have reports of a man attacked by what he believes was a vampire. He escaped, but it terrified him. He’s lost a lot of blood and may very well require assistance coming to terms with the attack.”

  “And what do you want me to do for you today, Officer Fernly?”

  “It’s been suggested that it’s more than just a single attack. We haven’t been informed of such a circumstance, and if there’s a likelihood of danger to the public⁠—”

  He raised a hand. “I’m limited on what I can divulge, Officer.” Now he indicated to a seat and watched as she slowly lowered herself to the padded cushion. The closing of her eyes and the gentle exhalation betrayed her emotional state.

  “You were on duty last night and attended this call. Yet you’re on duty this morning.”

  The woman seated opposite him glanced in his direction. “I work the hours necessary to get the job done.”

  Available from Love Books Publishing

  books2read.com/ImmortalConsequences

  Direct Autographed Copy

  https://www.imogenenix.net/AsDawnBreaks

  Star of Ishtar

  Warriors of the Elector Book 1

  Warriors of the Elector

  Book One

  The first time Elara laid eyes on Grayson was when he rescued her from the clutches of a madman and his scientists who were kidnapping humans and conducting horrific experiments on them. That was years ago. In spite of her attempts to deepen their relationship, they remained nothing more than close friends.Now Elara is a medic with the Admiralty, and she knows what she wants. It’s been Grayson since the beginning. When Elara is stationed on the Star of Ishtar, she arrives with a plan to further her career. But this time her plan has an added bonus—to finally get her man.

  Grayson’s spent years fighting the connection between himself and Elara. He’s certain it only exist because he saved her life. But his will is failing, and he fears he just might give in to temptation.

  _______________________________

  “I finally made it.” Elara Sudonne watched as the hull of the Star of Ishtar loomed in the inky darkness. She clutched her hands tightly together as the shuttle approached the hulking battleship.

  This would be her new home and first combat ST placement for the Earth Empire. She quaked inwardly with nerves but fought to keep her serene exterior. Previously her deployments had consisted solely of on-planet expeditions and in rehabilitation and dirtside facilities. When the chance had arisen to move to the battleship, she’d grabbed it with both hands.

  The frigid air chilled her bones as she sat in her shuttle seat, but a trickle of sweat inched its way down her back under the fresh gray wool flight uniform. Little puffs of vapor escaped her mouth as she rubbed her arms. Nerves stretched tight, she looked through the small portal at the front of the vessel. She wanted to tug at the collar that somehow seemed to have grown tighter as the ship loomed ahead, but instead she firmed her mouth, straightened her spine, and concentrated on the future.

  “So damned long.” She’d been working toward this outcome since the day Grayson Myatt and Duvall McCord had saved her from her Ru’Edan captors. She was lucky, she’d survived the ‘experimentation’ of the Ru’Edan leader Crick Sur Banden’s scientists. “And all I have to remind me are my scars.” She didn’t grin at her own joke.

  The person seated behind her jostled but she ignored it, lost in her memories. On that day, so very long ago, the young Elara, fresh-faced and with idealistic views of the empire, was taken from the mall where she’d been shopping with friends, thrust into the back of a transport vehicle, and given to the Ru’Edan scientists to experiment on.

  For days they’d worked on her and others, seeking an average pain threshold of humans, slicing her skin then noting reactions and how long it took to heal. They’d cut her arms, body, and even her face, and now she carried the extensive scarring of the exercise as a reminder to herself and others of what they were fighting for. Freedom. The freedom of Earth and its allied planets.