Our Last Hope

Back In the Groove

Maya Thorn is quite a woman, not only is she show-stoppingly beautiful. She is kind, funny, generous, and she has a heart of gold. She is a special education teacher here in the community and there is no one in existence that doesn't love her. She is ambitious and will need a special kind of man to cherish her heart.

Sheamus McCarty is just as impressive. He is a well ranked guard and has a good head on his shoulders. He has a great smile and personality, he's also not bad to look at. I had my fingers crossed that this couple could go the distance. They were one another's top choices from the dance cards that we collected a few weeks back. I had a feeling that they wouldn't need me much throughout the next 8 weeks.

Each couple will follow the 8-week timeline, hitting specific milestones to make sure that they can get through the hard decisions and hurdles. Each week will have different themed challenges that they will have to work through. I'm so thankful that life has finally calmed down enough that I can give these hopefuls the attention that they deserve. I held such pride in my new role, and I sure as hell didn't want to f**k it up.

Gregor had been in and out of the house all day, but every time he saw me, he had a tender kiss and a warm embrace for me. I knew that he had been running around like a chicken without a head the last couple of days. On top of my usual mating duties and his training, we also had a massive conference scheduled for this week. Leaders from all across the region would be in attendance for the training and strategizing events. There were easily 1,000 men coming to our territory by the end of this weekend. Father had to get creative to ensure that we had enough room for everyone in attendance. Lorelei has been a huge help as well. Not only has she placed a protection spell on Harrington territory, but she had spelled us extra living quarters to house all of the traveling troops. Some of our well-known families here in the territory have relatives and friends coming to stay with them during their visit. That helped take some of the pressure off quite a bit.

Father couldn't wait to see his comrades once more, as well as show off his shiny new son-in-law. I may be biased, but Gregor was easily the best fighter that we have seen in decades. He took his job very seriously and he radiated pride.

"Hey my love, how is your day going?" Gregor bent down by my ear and placed a chaste kiss upon my cheek. I looked up over my shoulder and he took my lips in his. I could feel the heat radiate from my toes up to my ears. It took over my body and all I could feel was the need for my mate. Gregor continued to dance his lips with mine as I slowly adjusted myself in my office chair, so I could sit sideways, so he had more access to my body. He groaned against my mouth as he realized that it was go-time. I was in between clients. I had a couple of hours to spare.

Gregor carefully lifted me from the chair and up onto my desk. The change in movement caused my sundress to lift a little higher on my thighs, exposing more skin. Gregor moved down to the crook of my neck, where my old mark used to be. I noticed that it disappeared shortly after I took Will's ring off. Gregor's mark was free to take it's place, whenever he was ready. I knew that we were both still adjusting to the freedom that we had now. For the time being, I just wanted to enjoy his touch and surrender to him fully. Body, mind, and soul.

I lifted my legs slightly and Gregor grabbed onto my knees to cradle himself in between them. I tilted my head up towards the ceiling as he began tracing kisses down my sternum and in between my cleavage. A breathy moan escaped me as the tension began to build between us. We were fevered, trying to remove the extra clothing. My hands were shaky as I reached for the buttons on his shirt and I hooked my ankles behind his back. His lips began to fight with mine once more as our hands began to glide across each other's bodies. Greg slid my spaghetti straps off of my shoulders. My breasts have swollen so much in the last couple of weeks, that my dress was unable to fall down on its own. Gregor hooked his finger in between my breasts and tugged slightly on the cotton fabric, making them topple out. He growled against my lips before going straight for my erect buds. I could feel the wetness building more and more as his lips and tongue played with them. I had goosebumps on every inch of my body and the tingle traveled throughout my veins.

I continued to work on removing his clothing as Gregor's free hand slid down between my legs. He pushed the hem of my dress further up onto my thighs. He began to heavily pet me through my panties. I felt the moisture slowly work its way through the thin fabric as Gregor pushed me further into desperation. I needed him, more than I ever thought I would. I was trying to catch my breath as his lips continued to attack mine. His tongue worked its way past my soft lips and into my mouth. I was finally able to make my way through his belt, pant's button, and finally his zipper. I used my feet to gently push down on his pants until they dropped to the floor. I grabbed the waistband of his boxers and tugged, letting his c**k spring to life. I grabbed onto him with both hands and he growled into my mouth. He was so impressive in size that it made me quiver with want. I began to stroke his d**k, feeling every inch of his soft, warm, delicate skin. I stopped momentarily on the head of his c**k and rotated it between my fingers. His breath hitched and he broke away from my lips suddenly. I looked into his eyes, they were clouded with lust and I knew that I needed him inside of me. I removed my hands from his erection and grabbed behind his neck. He hooked his index finger into my panties and pulled them off to the side of my labias. He closed in on the space between us and I hooked my ankles tighter around his back. He pulled me closer to the edge of the desk and leaned into my body, taking my lips in his. I moaned loudly as anticipation hit me hard. He easily slid in past my folds, making me cry out with joy. I held on tight as he began slamming into my sweet and dripping center. I rocked with his body as he filled me over and over again. I could hear the slapping of our skin and the slurp of my wetness as he took what was rightfully his. Our moans became louder and more frequent as our bodies moved as one. I could feel the hard mahogany shift underneath me with every movement. I dug my nails into his back as I was lifted higher and higher. He planted his lips in the crook of my neck and began to suck at my skin. I whispered profanities into his ear as he pushed me closer to release.

He looked deep into my eyes as our bodies tensed, preparing for our explosions. He moved his lips further down my skin and took one of my n*****s in his mouth as he f****d me harder and faster. It was almost too much. I couldn't control the sensation any longer, I could feel my orgasm coming for me, I was reaching my tipping point. Gregor released my bud and grabbed a fistful of my hair. He tipped my chin up and I saw him bare his fangs. I knew that he was hesitating, there was so much darkness in our past that it clouded our future.This was the moment I was waiting for. This was the mate mark that I would bare for the rest of my life. I wanted to display it proudly and draw attention to it every chance I got.

"f**k, f**k f**k. Do it Gregor. Please, I need you to do it." I begged him, hoping that he would mark me as his. He pierced my delicate skin with his bite, sending me over the edge. My orgasm clouded my senses and I lost my vision as I convulsed in front of him. His grip became tighter as I felt the blood rush out of the marking spot and into his mouth. I moaned loudly as I felt him empty his hot c*m inside of me. My knees were shaking and I could feel the sweat beading on the back of my neck. It took him a moment to finally let go of me. He kissed me passionately, as if he needed my kiss so he could continue to breathe. He pulled me to his chest and I rested my cheek on his sternum as his hands lightly stroked my back.

This is what love was supposed to feel like. Our love was effortless and pure. Now that I was marked, it would be a new beginning for us. One with laughter and light. It was as if we had regained our sight after being trapped in the dark for what felt like an eternity. He kissed my temple before reluctantly letting me go. We both knew that we had more work to get done today. I was overjoyed with the change that we were heading towards, even though I felt a piece of my heart leave as I watched him climb up into the Tahoe.

The twins began to stir just as I finished cleaning myself up. They were growing up so fast, right before my eyes. Lilly was now able to forecast visions into my mind, without having physical contact. She was quite a gift, one that I vowed to keep protected at all costs. Henry was making progress as well, not as quickly, but you could see him slowly start to gain his powers. I knew that Henry would have a long road ahead of him. One thing that the encyclopedia left out was that he indeed did have powers, but he wouldn't feel the full force of them until much later. I made a mental note to add all of my personal findings to the encyclopedia, even if that meant that I had to write in the margins. We were learning so much day by day, it was little things here and there, but if it could help someone in the future, it was worth documenting.

I was walking towards the nursery when my vision went black, only for a moment. I blinked my eyes a couple of times before I could see the world through Lilly's eyes. I was looking out from her crib, towards the door that led to the hallway. I felt the pull of my heart and my feet picked up pace. When I reached the door, I was met with my own reflection. I felt the leap in my heart as Lilly's happiness took over my own emotions. I shook my head, willing the fun house mirror effect to end. I could hear her giggle as I approached the crib. Once again, my vision went black and I regained my own sight. I smiled down at my beautiful baby girl, who was now clapping her hands at her accomplishment. She reached up for me and I snuggled her tight to my chest. Henry was still in his twilight state, so I had a few quiet moments with my daughter. She hummed as I rocked her slowly back and forth, and my heart swelled with love. I wanted to ingrain this moment in my brain forever.

I got the twins settled once more, the nannies came over from the main house. I had a few more appointments scattered throughout the rest of the day, but I knew that I would eventually have to make my way back over to the main house. I'm sure mama was swamped right now, even though she thrives on chaos. I huffed as I sat back down in front of my laptop. Today's matches were actually going quite well. This next match will be a little more difficult. They both come from troubled childhoods but they show real potential. Everyone is entitled to love, no matter how dark and twisty they might be.

*******

Her long, dark raven hair billowed around her shoulders. Her eyes were bright crystal blue and her dimples were adorable. She embodied positivity despite her dark past.

"So what are you looking for in a mate?" Gretchen blinked at me a few times before taking a deep breath. I knew that she was trying to prioritize her list in her head.

"I would say patience is high on my list. I didn't have much compassion growing up. I need someone that can handle my massive personality." She giggled as she finished her thought. You could tell that she was comfortable in her skin, and she wasn't going to apologize for it. I nodded my head, I could understand where she was coming from.

We chatted back and forth for the next hour until my alarm went off. Her mate was my next appointment and I only had about 20 minutes before he came tearing down that driveway.

"Ooh, I should get out of here before I spoil the surprise." We both stood and I shook her hand before seeing her out. I quickly cleared the evidence off of my desk just as I heard the familiar crunch of the gravel. I straightened myself up as I heard the tires get closer. This was my last couple for the day. I couldn't believe that this was just the preliminary round, we had many more appointments until any of these mates could get married.

I was trying to get a read on Blane. Right off the bat, I knew that he was a giant goofball, he would compliment Gretchen quite well. I don't think that they would have a problem meshing their lives. Their zest for life would be the center of their relationship, it would be the one thing that would bring them closer together.

We were about halfway through our appointment when I heard another set of tires pulling down the driveway. Gregor was home. I tried to stay focused as I heard his heart beat getting closer and closer to the front porch. Blane and I were having a great conversation about the future that he was hoping for when I heard the front door open. Blane suddenly turned away from me to assess who had entered the room. Bright smiles spread across their faces as they recognized one another. Blane shot up from his chair and Gregor took a large step forward and threw his arms around Blane in a hearty embrace.

"What the f**k are you doing here?" They were chuckling, they were clearly old friends. I'm just surprised that I have never heard of Blane before. They separated, Gregor still had his hand on Blane's shoulder. "It's amazing to see you again. I see my wife is trying to find you a match?" They both turned towards me.

"Yes, you're wife is quite impressive. She is just incredible! Congratulations to you two as well. I'm hoping that Winnie will find me the girl of my dreams." He said with a wink.

I smiled brightly and nodded my head, "I will tell you that your match is one for the books, she really is something to behold. I think that you will be quite impressed. I can't tell you too much, but I do have a feeling that you two will be just fine."

Blane lit up when I mentioned his mate. I had no doubt that they were true love mates, they just had to wait a couple more days to confirm my theory. Now that we got business out of the way, I had to figure out how these two knew each other.

******

We all sat in the living room. The boys had poured themselves a scotch while I sipped on my blood orange smoothie. I placed my hands subconsciously on my stomach as the they chit chatted back and forth. This is what I imagined if Gregor had a brother who he actually got along with. They were caught up smiling, laughing, and reminiscing about their childhood. I knew that Greg didn't have the best upbringing, but with the witty banter flying about the room, I could tell that Blane was probably the one good thing to come out of it.

"I can't believe that you did that. I swear that you had a death wish." Blane was chastising Greg about a story from their adolescence. I was spacing out as their laughter continued to fill the room. Gregor called my name, bringing me out of my trance.

"Baby, you okay?" I looked over at them softly.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry, I think I'm just tired." I pressed my fingers against the bridge of my nose. I completely forgot about the main event tonight. I groaned as I imagined mama running around like a crazy woman and I was no where to be found. "And I still have so much to do today." I finished my thought out loud.

Gregor stood up from the couch and came over to the arm chair where I was sitting. He placed his hands on my shoulders and bent down to kiss the top of my head.

"It's only 2:30 love. Why don't you go upstairs and rest for a while? Blane and I can head over to the main house and help with the preparations."

His reassurance made me feel little better as I slowly worked my way up the stairs. Before I headed to my bedroom, I wanted to stop and check on the twins. I peeked my head in past the door. They were both happily bouncing about the nursery with their nannies. I didn't want to disturb their joy and I knew that I was fading fast. I smiled to myself as I headed back down the hallway. I welcomed the pillows and curled up tighter into my blanket, I didn't even bother getting undressed.

******

I woke up to the gentle sound of Greg's voice. I felt his hand graze my forehead, pushing a stray piece of hair away from my cheek. I moaned quietly and smiled at his contact. His lips gently pressed against my temple before he whispered again.

"Baby? It's time to get up. I got the twins ready for the night. They're with the nannies, we need to head over to the main house in an hour."

I turned slightly, still groggy from my nap. I curled up tighter taking the blanket with me. Gregor chuckles before he grabbed one of the corners and yanked it. I groaned when I felt the sudden breeze. I knew that he was right, it was time to get up and it would take me forever to fall back asleep, there is no time like the present. With one more final groan, I rolled over to face Gregor. He reached his hands down and carefully helped me off the bed.

"Do you want help getting ready baby?" I shook my head at his question, I knew that he had several other things to do before we could head over. I stretched out my shoulders and arms, a satisfying sensation settled into my muscles and bones as I heard several bones crack back into place. I knew that I didn't need to take a full shower, but I definitely needed a good freshening up. I brushed my teeth first, then washed my face and started my makeup. My skin was naturally dewy from the pregnancy, so I didn't bother with too much makeup. I re-sprayed my curls and ran some oil through the ends before through it up into a low, messy bun. I was ready to head out to the closet and get dressed but got distracted when Grwegor came strolling into the bathroom in his birthday suit. I tried to hide my blush and giggle as I admired his flawless body. Every line in his abs were perfectly defined. His messy waves were a bit out of place but it made me want to grab a fistful and never let go. His flaccid p***s was still glorious in size. He caught me staring at him and I could see the blood slowly start to creep into his nether region. I knew that if I didn't stop this now, we would definitely be late for tonight's festivities. I decided to distract him while I could. I walked over quickly and wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, trying to refocus him so I didn't end up spread eagle here in the bathroom. Gregor's hands traced the bones in my spine as he inhaled a big whiff of my scent. He kissed my cheek and lingered there for a moment longer.

"You should get in the shower, I'm going to go get dressed before you have any crazy ideas." I suggested. There was some humor and seduction in his eyes and he stared down at me. I flicked up my eyebrow, warning him not to try anything. I wiggled out of his embrace and scurried out of the room, not before Gregor gave me a good slap on my right ass cheek. I jumped at the surprise attack and it made me move faster towards my closet.

I was lost in the amount of choices that surrounded me. Although my belly had gotten more round, I was one of the lucky ones that hadn't gained weight during my pregnancy. Thanks to my hot flashes though, I knew that I would have to settle for something flowy and nonrestrictive. I breasts were so engorged that I definitely needed more coverage up top as well. At least it helped narrow down the choices that I had left. I reached for my top three and thought about each of them carefully. I finally decided on a champagne organza evening gown. It felt so ethereal and graceful on my skin. I stared in the mirror and swayed back and forth as I watched the fabric effortlessly move around my ankles. It had a small V neckline and full, elegant sleeves. The smallest part hit right above my rounded belly, flattering my upper body. I had a large slit up the one side so I could easily maneuver in it, as well as add a little bit of sexiness. I looked modest but felt fantastic in this choice. I slipped into a lower pair of nude heels, and stuck some simple, diamond drop earrings in. I fastened my favorite necklace around my neck and finished with some gloss on my lips. While Gregor finished up in the shower, I snuck down the hall to the nursery to say good night to the twins.

I slipped in quietly and headed directly over to Henry's crib. He must have just fallen asleep, he was slightly tossing and turning as I reached down for him. Once his cheek hit my shoulder, he was officially out. I swayed with him pressed to my shoulder and kissed his soft, black curls. I waited just another moment before carefully lowering him back down into his crib. Lilly must have known that I was coming for her next because she sat up in her crib and searched for me as I approached.

"Hi baby, why are you not asleep?" I whispered as I reached down for her. She pulled up on the railing to make my job a little easier. I lifted her up and pressed my forehead to her's. SHe giggled quietly as I placed multiple kisses all across her delicate features. I gave her one more tight squeeze before placing her back down into her crib.

"Goodnight my love, sleep now. I love you." I whispered once more. Lilly nodded as if she understood my words. She stretched out her tiny body before slowly lowering herself onto her back. She gave one more big yawn before her eyes fluttered shut. I tiptoed back out of the room and closed the door behind me. Although I knew that my babies were safe, this was the first time that we would be completely separated for more than an hour. I took a deep breath and tried to keep my anxiety at bay. Everything was going to be fine.