November Reign (Northarbor Coven #3)

18. A Moment of Peace

A Moment of Peace

Oak

Dreams truly did come true. At least, I was living my dream: Thyme tied up on his bed rather than mine, and begging. Silk ties weren’t as good as my silken ropes, but none of us had all our things here.

Tears of frustration leaked from his eyes as I brought him to the brink of orgasm for the fourth time before I pulled away again. I’d let him come earlier, hours ago now. I was just dragging this session out, wanting it to last.

I was so hard I ached with it. There was this desperate need to get inside Thyme again, despite the fact I’d fucked him twice already just that morning. The proof of it was leaking out of him. I wanted him covered in my come, wanted it painting his insides, so there was proof he belonged to me. It was animalistic. If it was possible, I would have thought I came from shifters. Didn’t they like to cover their mates in their scents?

“Don’t come. Not yet. ”

“Oak!” Thyme moaned as my hand made a twisting motion over the head of his cock. The fingers of my other hand were in his hole, massaging his prostate.

“Check in,” I ordered.

“Green,” he gasped.

His tears were stunning, making his blue eyes look like a summer sea. I felt him getting close again, so I let go of his cock and stilled my fingers in his peachy ass. He gave a sob, more tears leaking out. He was so damn beautiful like this. Better than I’d dreamed.

Even after days of being holed up in his room, only leaving to get more food, I couldn’t get enough of him. The real world could wait. All I wanted was to enjoy this honeymoon phase where Thyme was mine and only mine. We didn’t have the coven or Basil to worry about in his bedroom. Only what was happening between us.

I loved him. All of him. I was pretty sure he loved me, too. We just hadn’t said the words. Yet.

One day soon, when all the mess with Basil was done, I would tell him how I felt about him. I’d tell him I wanted a life with him by my side as my husband. It was the future I saw for us. He was it for me.

Babies. I wanted a family with him. Either our own with magic, or adopted. It didn’t matter. I just wanted to raise little people with him. Teach them, mold them into a better generation than the one we had come from.

All that truly mattered was that Thyme was by my side through it all. With him next to me, we could achieve anything.

“Gonna fuck you hard, then feed you. Want that?” I couldn’t wait any longer.

“Yes! Please,” Thyme begged as he writhed on the bed.

He’d been so good for me, I’d give him a break. Treat him nicely, then make him cry again later. Much later.

Hiking his legs over my hips, I thrust inside him in one move. He was so soft and open to me after all our hours of play. He felt amazing around my cock as I flexed my hips and drove in and out of him.

“So perfect,” I growled. “Let go, baby. Come when you want. You don’t have to hold back anymore.”

His eyes met mine with such trust and affection. His cheeks were flushed with pleasure, his mouth open with a soundless cry, his back bowed as he gave in and came over his stomach.

I leaned down over him, scooped some of his spend, and fed it to him. “I’ll feed you properly later.”

“Oak, please,” he cried. His lips met mine in a messy kiss. I tasted him on his tongue. It drove me wild.

I shifted one leg higher, changing the angle until it sent me over the edge, the squeeze of his muscles milking my orgasm from me. Was it possible to die from an orgasm? I swear my breath stopped for a second.

Instead of pulling out when I came back to myself, I untied him and kissed his wrists. They were slightly red from all the struggling and straining against his binds he’d been doing. Then I turned onto my back, bringing Thyme to lie on my chest. We were still connected. I wasn’t ready to leave his body.

Thyme nuzzled against my chest, then promptly fell asleep. I stayed where I was until I softened enough I slipped free of him. Even then, with come leaking down his thighs, I just held him.

He fit beautifully where he was, as if my body was made to hold him. Thyme was older than me by nearly twenty years, not that it mattered thanks to our witch life spans, so maybe I had been. Maybe we were always meant to find each other.

I looked down at his sleeping face, fixing it in my memory to treasure for the hard days ahead. Gently, I kissed his forehead and eased him onto the mattress. The room was warm, but I covered him with a blanket so he wouldn’t wake. Time to get my man a decent meal.

Hela joined me on my walk to the kitchen. I’d thrown on a robe with little other option. The rest of my stuff was still in my hotel room. I was just grateful I’d thought to call and book it for longer, so they didn’t throw it out. With Basil watching me closely, I didn’t want the risk of going back there to get it. I wasn’t gambling on anyone’s safety and Barr couldn’t portal into the hotel.

The attack ruined the clothes I had worn. At some point, I’d have to get something decent to wear, but that meant seeing other people. Hard pass. Seeing the others meant letting the real world into my bubble with Thyme. No thanks.

My hope for an empty kitchen came true. The place was spotlessly clean and free of our housemates. Hela stalked over to her food dish and chirped at me. Once I fed her, gave her some pets, I checked out the fridge and the pantry before deciding to make a stir-fry for Thyme. He needed protein, carbs, and vegetables after all the energy and magic he’d used over the last few days. First the magic to get to me, then heal me. Then there was all the sex. We had to be burning the calories.

I was halfway through when Damon wandered into the kitchen. He made a beeline for the fruit bowl, picked up an apple, then took a seat at the counter to watch me cook.

“Wondered when you’d show your face,” he muttered. He took a bite of his crisp red apple and chewed obnoxiously.

Thyme had told me of his breakthrough with Damon, which sounded great for them. I wasn’t anywhere near as friendly feeling towards the ex-hitman. Yeah, I might have understood why he asked me to leave, but I couldn’t help but feel he wouldn’t have treated Thyme the same if he’d confessed to having contact with Basil.

“Just making an early dinner, or late lunch, I guess, for Thyme.”

“So he’s still alive? I thought maybe you’d killed each other with the noises coming out of your room. Figured since you were here, maybe it was my brother who didn’t make it.”

Damon may have said it casually, but there was a bite to his words. He was angry at us. Or me. Most likely me.

“We just needed some time to ourselves. I needed to recover— “

“Which is why we left you alone for now. Our patience is running thin. The coven—“

“Like you give a damn about the coven. You just need Thyme to clean up your messes.”

I watched as Damon took a deep breath, then muttered something too low for me to hear.

“There’s no point in arguing. I’m glad you’re back. Come see me when you’re ready.” He got up, threw the remainder of his apple in the trash, and headed for the door.

The words were so unexpected I faltered for a moment, dropping some noodles onto the floor.

“Damon,” I called.

“Yeah?” He paused.

“Just give me another day, please. Before everything goes to shit.”

“That bad?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Oak?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t hurt my brother. He’s the only family I have aside from Parker. The only parent figure I can remember having.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Good. And Oak?”

“Yeah?”

“Get some clothes. I can see almost everything!”

By the time I got back to the bedroom with our meals and more water, Thyme was sitting up in the bed scrolling through his phone. His hair was all mussed from sex. He looked so stunning he nearly stole my breath.

“Hey, I plugged your phone in. Both of ours were dead.”

“Thanks. Want to eat there?”

“Sure. You’re spoiling me!” He had such a sweet smile on his face. Had no one ever treated him like the prince he was?

I set the tray down on his lap and climbed into the bed next to him. We really needed to change the sheets. Real life was intruding in a bad way.

We were silent while we ate. Thyme put down his phone, but it kept chiming. He grimaced.

“Sorry,” he said as he reached down to silence it.

“It’s fine. I dread turning mine on.”

The fear was real. I’d been back with the coven for days. There had to be messages from Basil on my phone. He was probably furious with me. I was just grateful Thyme had done the tethering spell before I left.

If Basil saw me sleeping with someone else, especially Thyme, he would have burned the mansion down with me inside it. His rage would have had no equal. It didn’t matter that he cheated on me endlessly. If I so much as looked at anyone else, I’d feel his anger.

Once my plate was empty, I turned on the device. Sure enough, there were dozens of messages ranging from concerned to snappish, then right through to fury. I’d saved his number, then wished I hadn’t, as his name kept flashing on my screen.

I quickly texted Zinna, assuring her I was fine, before I sighed and opened the thread with Basil. This was going to be bad.

Basil

Are you okay, baby? Sorry they had to hurt you.

His concern was so touching, yet so fake.

Basil

I can’t see you anymore. Clever. Who are you tethered to, baby?

Basil

Break the tether or send me a pic. I need to see you.

Basil

Call me. Now!

Basil

Dammit, Oak! Call me

Basil

You better be dying or else you wish you had

Basil

Rumors are you’re alive. Your sister won’t be if you don’t call me soon.

Basil

Heard you were pretty messed up. You’ve got three days to call or I’m coming in

Basil

I want you by my side, baby. I’m worried. Call me

The texts were endless. I knew I had to do something.

Basil

Don’t forget your promise.

The words went blurry as tears of frustration welled in my eyes. I shook my head to clear it. No, he wasn’t doing this to me. I would buy us some time to fix this. To end him.

Oak

Healed. Working on a plan. Will call soo n

He was clearly waiting by his phone because his reply came moments later.

Basil

You’re running out of time

Didn’t I know it. My moment of peace with Thyme was almost at an end. The least I could do was enjoy this last night with him.

“Everything okay?”

I put my phone and plate aside. Wrapping my arms around Thyme, I sighed. “Better now.”