Today's chapter PURE SHAMELESS SMUT so, I kid you not, you know what happens now: yes, I'm gonna ask anyone under 18 to better GTFO. The ones that are left, if you're ready for some more sensuality and high-voltage, then enjoy and let's meet at the end!

TAKE ME WHEN YOU NEED ME

PART XXXIII

ALEXANDRIA 2 - PLANET REACH – Epsilon Eridani System

FEBRUARY, 2563

She pushed the door open and clung to his neck again, chuckling.

"Come on, Chief, you have to carry me through the threshold!"

"Remind me again, why?"

"It's tradition!"

The Spartan took a step, solemnly. Nothing changed; they were in the corridor, now they were inside the room. Cortana laughed again, stretching her neck to plant a sloppy kiss on his clean-shaven cheek that left a smear of red lipstick. She cleaned it the best she could with her veil, then John put her down on her feet and closed the door.

With another laugh, Cortana discarded the veil and went to the windows. The Master Chief took a moment to survey the room: the finest hotel in New Alexandria 2, maybe the most expensive suite in all of Reach. Golden curtains, golden carpet, cream-colored cover on the huge bed, two dozen pillows, a beautiful chaise-longue with a golden floral design, two huge mahogany cabinets, a lot more squared feet of space than what was necessary for two people. It smelled nice. Even the lamps were fancy-looking.

Well, according to what he knew, she didn't have to worry about money.

John had to acknowledge that he'd never been in such a fine environment, and he was somewhat impressed. Out of his element, with no clue about what was he supposed to do next… but there was a bed and it gave him some ideas. Cortana yanked the curtains closed, the lamps turned on bathing the whole room in a soft amber glow.

"Take a seat. It's over now, just the two of us."

John made himself comfortable at the foot of the bed, with a long sigh.

"How are you feeling?"

He nodded. "I'm fine."

"It was such a long day." she commented, smiling.

Cortana had been smiling like that since Captain Cutter pronounced them officially and through the few hours that the small reception lasted, even afterwards. In consideration to the special guests, they had skipped a lot of parts proper of a traditional wedding like the cutting of the cake, the dance and the heavy drinking. There was a toast, of course, and a lot of good wishes, but it was kept simple.

Aside from the tons of pictures that Propaganda wanted for their next big campaign, of course. And little Sarah would be well taken care of for the rest of the night, so…

"Are you tired?" the Spartan asked.

"The night is still young, Chief. Tired is for the weak."

He drew a little crooked smile, amused.

Cortana tugged on the collar of his jacket and bent over to kiss him, with untamed lust. Her breath hitched. He attacked back, running his hands on the delicate embroidery of the dress from her thighs to her waist and breasts, a step away from ripping that thing off her. It was pretty, but it was on his way. She bit him playfully, defied him with her tongue. John's restraint had very finite limits and she was testing them. But, Hell, this was their first night as husband and wife.

She pushed him back softly. The Spartan obeyed, breaking apart.

"Stay put." Cortana whispered, against his lips.

"Yes, ma'am." his smirk widened.

John took the cap off his head and held it in his hands, lazily.

"You look handsome wearing white, I like it." she commented, drinking in the sight of him with a wanton look. "So very handsome. In fact…"

She reached out, without breaking eye contact, and opened two clasps of his jacket as a distraction, so she could snatch the white cap away right from his fingers. John growled and attempted to capture her, but she slipped off his grasp whirling graciously away. She put the cap on her own head and smiled.

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful." he confirmed, with that smoldering honesty of his.

She was truly a vision in that sparkling dress that fit every curve of her body perfectly. Her figure was a flawless hourglass, her sapphire-blue eyes rimmed in black were stunning, her lips tinted in red invited to kiss them. John drew her favorite smirk again, thinking of all the things he wanted to do to her, of all the corners of his own body that he wanted to see that red lipstick smeared onto…

A painful throb shot down his lower abdomen, the demons were stirring.

"Linda says that, apparently, one has to marry wearing white."

Cortana pressed her lips tight, preventing a burst of laughter.

"Yes, that's correct. And do you know why?" she inquired. John shook his head once. "Because white represents purity. You marry in white if you're a virgin… which none of us are. By far." this time she chuckled at the way he frowned, confused. "It's fine, that's a silly part of tradition that nobody follows, nowadays. I just wanted a pretty white dress."

Still wearing his cap, Cortana moved to the closest mahogany cabinet and pulled two bottles from a bucket full of ice.

"Time for a little drink." she announced.

"I don't drink."

"It's a very special night, Chief. You don't have to be anywhere tomorrow at the crack of dawn, do you? We start next Monday."

He tilted his head, but ultimately agreed with her.

"Then, we drink." Cortana placed one of the bottles in his hands, then went back to the cabinet to pick two glasses. She handed him one. "Now, if you do me the honors…"

John popped his bottle open and then did the same with hers, while she held it. There was such skill in his steady hands that the contents didn't burst out, which was a relief. It would've been an annoyance to stain her pretty dress with champagne. A sweet scent of fruits filled the air. Cortana watched with a pleased smile, then poured the golden liquid in her glass and drank. Cold, delicious. A bit stingy on the tongue. Wonderful taste. So good. She arched an eyebrow and nodded, urging him to get his own fill. The Spartan complied, begrudgingly.

The liquid he poured was mostly golden with a tinge of pink, this caught his attention.

Without looking at her, he asked: "Why your bottle has a different label?"

"Different flavor." she was quick to reply, innocently.

"I don't believe you, ma'am."

She grinned. "It's Missus now. Don't you forget."

"I still don't believe you."

"You don't like bitter drinks, so I got you strawberry champagne."

"Oh." John blinked, looking at his bottle. "Thanks. So, what happens now?"

They gazed at each other with feral eyes, obviously picturing the same heated images in their minds. They hadn't been together in over two weeks because of her businesses. She felt on fire. That scent was slowly creeping up under the Spartan's skin and breaking havoc. It wouldn't take much longer. It didn't have to take that long, in fact.

But she was a vixen. A creative vixen.

"I think you know." Cortana said, her voice so husky. "But first, there's a little game I want to play."

"I don't have much patience for games tonight."

She licked her lips and tilted her head up, defiant. "Oh, but I do."

John put the bottle on the carpeted floor, beside his foot, and sat straight holding the untouched glass in his hand. She was far from him, again, standing in all of her bewitching beauty. He was just waiting for a cue to attack.

Maybe he could just surprise her…

"Here's what we'll do." Cortana started, holding her glass playfully. "I will tell you a few little secrets, things about myself. You will drink whenever I say so. If you manage to stay put until I'm done, and if you drink the whole bottle, you will be… greatly rewarded. And so will I."

"What kind of game is that?" John complained.

"Drink." Cortana ordered. She took a sip of the glass herself.

A little reluctant, John smelled the liquid and tasted it, first. The bubbles itched on his tongue. It had an alcoholic aftertaste, something that immediately put him on alert, but the flavor was nice. Sweet. Kind of dry. He drank. Had to admit that it wasn't bad.

She nodded, pleased.

"It's a game I like to call 'All the Men I've Fucked Before'." she said, smiling over her pristine shoulder, now. He didn't like it, alright. Cortana saw his eyes darken, his face turn into a mask made of stone. Good. She wanted him to mark his territory again, she needed him rough. But she didn't want to be unfair, either: "I will tell you about every other man that had the privilege to take me to bed, and why you are the best. You win only if you stay seated until the end, and if you drink whenever I tell you to. Do you want to play?"

The cadence of his glare shifted slightly. He was coiled like a snake, ready to pounce.

But now, the Spartan was also intrigued.

"Every other man?" he growled.

"Jameson Locke and you aren't the only men I've been with." she took another sip. "Drink, again."

He complied, unlocking his jaw only for a millisecond.

With a ceremonious gesture, Cortana put the bottle and the glass on top of the cabinet and took the ring off her finger. The Master Chief was staring at her, wary. She rolled the silk gloves off her arms, let them fall to the floor; then she placed the ring back on the right finger. John relaxed a little.

But she could only imagine what he was thinking.

"Let's see… I had my first boyfriend when I was nineteen. I already had earned two engineering degrees in Computer Sciences and was about to start my courses on Applied Cybernetics." she took the glass again, strolling, gazing away. "His name was Connor. He came from money, just like me. Not the sharpest tool of the shed, but he was handsome and kind, his family was important. I dated him to piss off my mother, mostly."

Cortana took her glass and sipped again.

So far, John was quiet and serious but not angry. Not yet. She continued:

"I was a sheltered virgin with no clue about relationships, I totally fell. It didn't last much, though; my mother scared me into leaving him. I was angry with her, so I let Connor fuck me in the backseat of his car the last time we met… and it was… so disappointing." Cortana accompanied the explanation with a measurement held between her forefinger and thumb: just a few inches. This made John arch an eyebrow. She gave him a sly smile. "It got a little nasty near the end, I told him I didn't feel a thing and he got so embarrassed that he tried to pin it on me. Apparently being a virgin means I had no idea what pleasure felt like and I was wrong about him. Connor was my first, and I didn't even enjoy it."

Rolling her eyes, Cortana wandered across the room.

She glanced at him sideways. John's nose had a few wrinkles now.

"Drink, please." she purred.

The Master Chief swallowed a longer gulp of the pinkish champagne, this time.

She took his cap off her head, and chugged down the last of her glass to leave it on the floor by the chaise-longue. She bent over to undo the clasps of her lovely silver heels, very aware that her brand-new husband was checking out her curves, just as she intended him to.

She slipped off the shoes and curled her toes on the soft carpet, delighted.

Then, Cortana picked up the open bottle to take a sip directly from it. She made him a gesture with a finger, indicating that he had to drink too.

John downed the rest of his glass in one gulp.

"Where were we?" she mused. "Ah. Yes, Martin. That asshole."

Bringing the bottle along, Cortana strolled just outside of his reach.

"I was starting up my company and my first patent was in the market. Queries came from every other private manufacturer." she continued, sitting down onto the chaise-longue with her feet uncovered, she wore black stockings under that pristine dress. "They wanted me to design for them, John. I was getting very hot in everyone's mouth: the daughter of Catherine Halsey, with a name of herself."

Her arrogant smile was worth a million credits.

The Master Chief kept silent. He wouldn't give her the pleasure of seeing him lose.

She continued: "Martin was a decent professional, except that he wanted to be the star. His ego was a very important part of the relationship, you can say. First, I found his self-confidence charming. But later, it became… toxic." her delicate features darkened, she was tapping into unpleasant memories. She put the bottle down beside her feet. "He wanted me to tone it down with the interviews and the publicity. Instead of supporting me, he became a critic of my work and a harsh one at that."

She tossed her head back and ruffled her hair, a myriad of small gleaming particles fell onto her shoulders, little sparkling things. John took in a sharp breath, admiring the beauty again. When Cortana looked back at him, her short hair was wild and sexy, perfect.

"A little more, Chief." she requested.

His glass was empty, so John snatched the bottle from the floor and drank, quickly. He was getting a little twitchy, this made her smile. Cortana slid both hands down her neck and cleavage, running them all above the embroidery of the corset with sensual movements.

The ring gleamed on her finger, directing the Spartan's attention.

"The sex was nice." she kept going, rubbing her torso, arching her back. "Martin had a nice cock and we had fun for a while. The criticism sooner or later made it to the bedroom, I didn't even see it coming at first. I had a little roll here that didn't look very good, my skin was too pale, my ass wasn't perky enough. My thighs weren't firm and strong. There was something about my nose too." she scoffed, mockingly. "Do you think he was right?"

She looked at him, waiting.

Oh, she wasn't ready for the sight of his angry mug.

An arousing sense of danger overcame her, so raw that a breathless moan escaped her lips. He was furious, the tight fist that held the neck of the bottle shivered. But John wasn't angry at her, no. There was wild shock in his steel-blue eyes, the frown that twisted his eyebrows was so intense and… protective?

Then, he spoke. And his words made her burn inside:

"You're perfect." John muttered. "That piece of shit didn't deserve you."

His tone was so rough and animalistic, even the cursing was hot. It might have been the booze talking, but right now he wanted nothing else than to break that little runt into pieces, and Cortana loved it. It sounded insane to him. That imbecile had tried to hurt her. The idea that a lesser male that had the privilege to access her body would deliberately belittle her… it filled him with pure rage.

"Oh, John. " she sighed, her hands skidded once more down her breasts and belly, hips and thighs, all of this above the dress. She gave him a wide, wicked smile. "You know who comes next. The first man ever to make me feel like a woman, the man who filled all my needs except for one..."

Cortana stood up with a graceful movement and reached under her left arm, then began to unclasp the little clips hidden in the corset, one by one, down to the hip. The garment opened slowly, revealing a black lace strapless brassier…

John didn't drop the bottle just because he had a very, very steady pulse.

She pushed corset and skirt down, bending towards him slowly, unearthing even more; black lace panties and matching thigh-high stockings, woven in the same pattern as the intricate brassier that held her abundant breasts. She stepped out of the dress and proceeded to stretch her lithe body in an unbearably sensual way, throwing her arms above her head, pushing her chest forward, her hips back. Cortana could swear that she heard the Spartan swallow hard.

Speechless, John devoured her with his gaze. If she was beautiful in her dress, she was absolutely stunning without it and she knew it. The scent of her arousal flooded his senses again, desire rushed through his veins urging him to take her… but she promised a reward if he could stay put until the end.

He muffled a growl.

"Color me impressed." she smirked now. "You're still sitting!"

John frowned even harder, hung up on something she said before: "All of your needs?"

"Well, Jameson was my best fuck yet." she sighed, her naughty fingers played with the hem of those beautiful black lace panties. "Different from any other man I dated before. He was so strong and attractive. Skilled. Clever, in a street-smarts way. He had me wrapped around his pinkie way before we started to fuck. And when we finally started to fuck..." she hummed again, poking John's ego. Her fingers went under the lace, straight to the hidden sweet spot. She stretched again, keeping her hands down there. A sound of glass creaking shot through the room, but she carried on: "He could've been the one, you know? Except for a little, tiny issue: he was married. He didn't hide it, I was dumb and got compromised. He kept dragging me down, making me submissive, eager, using me. But I felt so sexy with him. Desired. I felt like I deserved a big, strong man like him. He gave me everything..."

She stopped fumbling under her panties, there was a bitter expression on her face.

"But whatever he wanted from me, he wasn't willing to go that far to get it, it seems. I didn't even want him to be mine, I just wanted a baby."

Being slightly drunk gave John awful thoughts. The bottle was starting to shatter under the pressure of his grasp. He couldn't bear hearing her talk like that about Locke, to see her touch the most delicate parts of her body when she was thinking of him, even if that lesser male's offense had ultimately led to them meeting and crafting an arrangement.

It was pure torture and she did it just right.

"He wasn't worthy either." John's face was livid, now.

"No, he was not." Cortana said, confidently. "Give it another sip, Chief."

She turned her head to him, to appreciate the wonderful sight of her husband dressed in white, seeping in murderous rage. Now, the Spartan wasn't so sure that he could stay put until the end; he was about to burst in flames and ravage her until dawn, non-stop, just to reassure her why she had made the right choice with him.

He was her rightful partner, the only one meant to love her and breed with her.

But he did chug another long, thirsty gulp of champagne, harshly.

She calculated that he was one or two servings away from downing it completely.

Cortana's hands rolled down the sides of her body, again, she bent over and grabbed her bottle. She drank another sip and put the bottle on the cabinet, then reached behind her body and unclasped the hooks of the brassier.

The beautiful garment fell, freeing her breasts from its constraining embrace. Cortana stretched her arms above her head again, smiling, giving her Spartan a good look of the assets. Heavy, pale breasts that he could fit perfectly in his hands. If she had to judge his interest by the strain of his pants, well, he was very interested by that point.

She bit her lip, temperature rising like the tide inside her.

Cortana sat down, her breasts bounced slightly; her gaze was lost in thought.

"And then there was you."

She paused, hands lying limp on the couch. She looked so…

"What about Lasky?" he quipped, not without intent.

"Nice try." she chuckled, huskily. "You know that Tom and I never fucked. We barely kissed, and it was awkward for both, I'm sure. So, after Jameson Locke, there's only you."

She sounded sincere. The Master Chief's grasp on the bottle softened; he swallowed hard, paying more attention. His senses were suddenly disturbed.

"What about me?" he managed to say.

His tongue felt… slow. Sticky.

"You changed everything, John." she breathed. "I thought it would be easy: just fuck a few times, get pregnant, carry on with my life. Make it look like it was just business. But I wasn't ready for it. I wasn't ready to have a real man between my legs." Cortana made eye contact again, her hands went straight to her breasts, massaging them. "We didn't get along well at first, I know. But when we found the way, oh… that was absolute glory. You have nothing to envy to anyone, John; you are, by far, the best lay I ever had."

Then, her thumbs hooked the panties, carrying them down her hips. Again, she turned around, showing him her back and magnificent rear, and pulled down, down, down as she bent over and gave him a first-row view of her hottest, most secret spot. All holy and wet, ready for him.

John gasped very audibly. His entire body throbbed in response, it was too much.

At last, she stood back up again and kicked the panties away. Only the stockings and the jewelry remained. Cortana was aware that she was almost naked, but those eyes made her feel bare to a level that scared her. He was looking right into her soul, she realized. Her pale figure strikingly beautiful. She recalled the bulge on John's pants, again.

He'd been such a good soldier, standing against the odds.

Her pussy ached, she was intolerably aroused. Cortana flicked her hair again, turning the short black mess into a sexy short black mess.

"The men I had before… I never loved them. I never felt about them with this depth or blinding intensity. Not as I felt about you from that moment when you showed up to rescue us, after dropping down an elevator shaft and blowing off an airlock with a grenade." Cortana continued. Her seductive voice held lot of tenderness. She took one step closer to him, and another, swaying her hips. "Then you told me that I was pregnant, and I knew you cared. How much you cared, in fact. You tried to keep me safe, you got me food, you let a monster almost rip you apart and you instructed your brother to protect me while you were hurt. You endured four years away, waiting for me and our baby girl."

Her eyes gleamed with little tears, he perceived a mixture of sadness and arousal.

"I had to be strong myself, John. I had to change. I had to become this beautiful woman that has them all impressed, the woman that conquered the Master Chief himself. It was all part of Petra's plan, but… you know what?" she stopped, still away from his arms' reach. It was hypnotizing, the way she cupped her breasts and bit her lower lip, she had an uncanny erotism about herself. Every muscle in John's body was locked in astonishment. "I like it. I know I'm pretty, but I also like being sexy, I like it when people look at me, knowing that I belong to someone else and they will never have me. It makes me feel powerful. Confident. I can do anything with that confidence."

She continued to approach. John's pulse was off the charts, the erection caught inside the tight dress pants pulsated and hurt, so much.

"You have no idea how much it turns me on to know what a legend you are. A God of war clad in circuitry and titanium." she blurted out. "Unstoppable. Reliable. Righteous. Dangerous. Deadly. The Ares to my Aphrodite. We were meant to meet, John. Meant to be together, to make beautiful children and to love each other."

Oh, she was using mythological references, now. John felt a little dizzy. And so hot.

"I'm all yours. I want you. I love you." she stood before him, sliding both hands down to her flat belly. "Right here, nice and deep; this is where I want to feel you. Give me…"

She knelt between his spread legs and picked up the bottle, taking it to his mouth and tilting it so he would drink. He accepted the offer, staring back.

"… until..."

She smiled as the champagne drained down his throat.

"… the last..."

He swallowed for the last time, and the bottle was empty.

"… drop." she grinned wide.

John snatched the bottle away from her hands. They ogled each other for a while; the Master Chief glaring and Cortana with her little crooked smirk. Any time, now. She kept teasing, rubbing her hands up to his hips, to the tense white fabric covering his crotch. John squirmed a little when her adventurous fingers grazed the raging hard-on. He couldn't understand how he hadn't snapped yet, he had fucked her silly in the past over lesser aggravations. Cortana licked her lips.

"Cortana…" he growled, looking down at her maddening sapphire-blue eyes.

"I wasted so much time." she whispered, scraping her pretty nails across his hardened thighs. John was unnaturally still, hanging on to every ounce of self-control he had left. "I should've found you right when I turned eighteen. Why choose lesser mortals when I could have a God filling up my womb?"

"What?" he snorted, confused.

John glanced at the bottle she had left behind by the long couch. Was she drunk?

No, she was rubbing deep between her legs, now. Oh, the little minx…

With the other hand, Cortana followed up by unbuttoning his uniform's jacket to reveal the soft, white fabric of the shirt, running her fingertips up the powerful muscles beneath. He was tight as a piano string, and she loved it. Cortana managed to open his pants and pull down the underwear, releasing his manhood at last. John groaned with intense relief and sighed when she trapped him in her fist, greedily.

"Cortana!" he barked.

She stopped and looked up to him, innocently. "What's the matter?"

Her cheeks were flushed, she continued moving her hand between her thighs.

"Are we done with the game?"

"No, Master Chief." she bit her lower lip, excited. "I'm not done with you yet."

"How much longer?"

His fingers clutched the cream-colored cover of the bed with a death-grip.

"Oh, don't you remember?" she narrowed her eyes. "You did it to me, too. You teased me until I couldn't take it anymore, and then fucked me into Oblivion and beyond. We can say this is my payback."

"I can just take you." he growled. "You won't resist."

"True." she snorted. "But you hate losing, even at this."

The Spartan closed his eyes and locked his jaw, so his head would stop spinning.

But it was so hard to stay put or focused when she wrapped her tongue around the head of his cock. She sneaked both hands below the shirt, using her sharp nails on his stomach and chest. She knew exactly what to do, how to render him helpless: pressing her lips on the length of his hard shaft, licking the underside, taking it in her mouth as far as she could. The wet sounds were excruciating.

He growled something unintelligible, feeling quite rewarded already.

She let go of his manhood before things got too hot, thank God, and stood to kiss him, leaning her naked body onto his chest. The contact of her warm breasts and lips made John return to reality once more and he pushed forward, sitting straight again, catching her by the forearms so she wouldn't escape. A few grazes of her tongue later, the Spartan's grip on her arms loosened and his big, coarse hands roamed down her hips, thumbs rubbing circles dangerously close to the mound between her legs.

The scent of her desire twirled around him. If he kept his eyes closed and focused on her smell, he didn't feel dizzy. The excess of alcohol was running its metabolic course.

"Hmm, John… are you drunk already?" she giggled. "It was just one bottle."

He snuck a hand down, sliding two rough fingers along her wet, swollen labia…

It was enough to obliterate Cortana's will. She was embarrassed of how easy it was to surrender and give him a free card to be in charge; she mewled into the kiss and slapped his chest, playfully. He drew a cocky smile against her lips, but didn't falter.

Cortana pulled the flaps open and down his wide shoulders, John got rid of the jacket in the blink of an eye; then, she tugged on the plain white t-shirt. They barely broke the kiss for him to be naked from the waist up, the shirt flew out of sight. All that remained were his unspoiled pants, since he had kicked off his shoes before. The Spartan's mouth moved to her neck and shoulder, lapping and nibbling and taking in her bewitching scent. He pulled Cortana closer, caressing the silky skin of her hips with rough palms. She propped a knee on his lap, surrendering her body.

John took a minute to look at the black lace hugging her thigh; his fingers wandered across the semi-transparent band embroidered in exotic, swirly designs.

"Do you want to rip them apart?"

John smirked, again. "No. I like these."

Cortana yelped when she felt the harsh squeeze of his big hands on her ass, the heat of his mouth on her nipples. He pulled again, forcing her to prop the other knee up. Now she was straddling his lap with her legs wide spread, backside popping out and resting on her own heels. So exposed, dripping wet and ready to be taken and enjoyed. Her body was so hot and so willing that she couldn't imagine going for another minute without him inside. She let her head fall back and released a long, ragged whine.

John's cock rested between their stomachs, hot and just as ready as she was.

"Master Chief." she held his face up, their eyes met. "Promise me that we won't leave this room until I'm pregnant again."

"I promise, ma'am." he nodded.

She sighed deeply, longing to feel more.

"Two weeks. You were right here, and I couldn't see you…"

"I missed you too." John growled.

Pressing his lips on her throat, the Spartan wrapped his arms around her. There was another kiss, her tongue still wanted to fight but he didn't allow it. John dominated her with a gentle bite, chastising. His brain spun in a whirlwind of increased sensory responses and clouded thoughts.

Cortana moaned again and pushed to stand on her knees, just high enough for him to find the spot and let her slump back down, sliding inside her easily. Her tight, slick warmth made him shiver, groan and twitch. It was a shock that cleared his mind for a few seconds, he blinked and snapped. John pulled her down hard, driving all the way home. Her vagina squeezed, shuddered. She let out a choked gasp and opened her mouth to shriek the orgasm that took her completely by surprise.

She'd been holding back that one for too long, impossible to resist.

Her raw pleasure made his skin crawl in satisfaction, the female clutched to him with all the strength of her vicious grip. Light-headed again, John held her hips steady. She felt just right. Her voice was so tempting. She smelled so fucking good, too. The Spartan made a tremendous effort to wait her out, she needed some time. Cortana's hands roamed all over his back and shoulders, whimpering and begging, until she recovered enough to back down a little and meet his gaze, once more. Her eyes were glazed over with yearning.

He cupped her cheek in one of his huge palms.

"You're so beautiful." his thumb traced the shape of her lips, smearing what was left of her red lipstick. "The most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"Damn right I am." she snickered.

Cortana bit his thumb and sucked on it, more relaxed now. Savoring the taste of him in her mouth, feeling him throb deep. She closed her eyes when he approached…

"I love you, Elizabeth." John said, nuzzling her cheek with his nose.

She gasped and froze, suddenly.

The Master Chief found her crystal-clear gaze full of surprise. He remained quiet for a while. A disturbingly long while. The silence was agonizing.

"No regrets, I just… meeting you for coffee at that spaceport was the best decision I've ever made." he added, since she didn't speak. Gently, John ran his fingers through her hair, studying her face with a certain unsteadiness. "In the end, duty only can go so far. I've been ready to die since I was twelve, but now… it feels good to have something dear to fight for. A reason to come back."

At some point, Cortana began to shake her head, slowly.

She probably heard him say so many words at once a handful of times, and…

"I love you." John repeated, more assertive this time. "You gave me a higher purpose."

She broke a smile. "I can't believe I had to get you drunk to hear you say it."

Cortana eased the lines of his brow with a soft kiss, leaving other kisses on the bridge of his nose down to his lips. At the mere contact, John responded eagerly; the sweet taste of alcohol and strawberries made her moan under her breath.

She sensed the transformation, though. Cortana yelped when he stood up, carrying her on his arms, and then dropped her on her back onto the bed.

Quickly, the Spartan got rid of the rest of his clothes and lunged for her.

Oh, the animal was on the loose; the steel-blue of his glare was frightening. He caught her wrists and pulled her arms above her head, pinning them together to the mattress. She arched in response, pressing her body to his, to cope with the strained position.

She understood immediately the intent and spread her legs, still wrapped in stockings. He slid back inside quickly, deliciously. The assault was slow at first, his forehead pressed to hers and both breathing hard, diving deep into each other. He picked up the pace after a few minutes, fueled up by her moans and gasps. Faster every time, rougher, more intense. Her whines turned into shrieks and ultimately, screams. She laughed and cried out in sheer pleasure. John's spine shook, the friction of her tight insides wearing away his self-control.

"I love you." he growled again, coarsely.

"And I love you, John." Cortana breathed. "My Spartan, my husband…"

John kissed her and went deeper as his hips buckled hard, grinding together, restraining her. Cortana sank in the sensations for a couple more minutes until, again shocking her, the Spartan pulled away completely to flip her over and prop her hips up, diving into her from behind. He growled low, like a rabid animal. This was his favorite position to seed her, she would conceive faster if she was mounted properly.

He could sense her heat, almost taste it in the back of his throat…

She was ripe, her womb was ready. No time to waste.

Well, how about that? Alcohol had interesting effects: he was thinking with his primal instincts twice as hard. Hitting tough against her backside, John joined her in her desperate moaning. Faster, tighter, rougher. His testicles pounded onto her exposed clit making her shiver, scream, cry, squeeze. Cortana pushed, meeting him halfway, wishing they could just blend into one, forever.

Everything was contracting, he was about to cum.

"Mine to do as I please…" the animal hissed, euphoric.

"Oh, John! Please, just…! Ah!"

But he wanted her to go first. Still in enough control of himself to react, John sneaked a hand under her to squeeze two fingers between her legs, finding the perfect spot. It worked more than well.

"YES!" she snapped. Cortana's body melted. "Oh, God, yes, yes, yes! I'm so close!"

She buried her face into the mattress, arching her back until it hurt, abandoning herself to the raw intensity of the Spartan marking territory with his commanding aura. The sheer kinetic potential of his strength was written in his every touch and thrust. He overpowered her by far and she loved it, she craved to feel his massive weight on her, pinning her down, dominating her. She was small in his embrace and it was perfect.

He could break her in half and it only made her hornier.

"Open up for me, love." John snarled in her ear.

She cried out another howl of ecstasy, her walls clamped and sucked him in greedily as the orgasm rippled across her body.

The Master Chief joined her shortly after, roaring louder, ramming deep and unloading a thick serving right where she wanted it. It overflowed her womb immediately, pouring out as he continued to thrust and grind, reveling in the intensity of their combined satisfaction. He wrapped an arm around his mate to keep her nested to his chest, their bodies connected deeply as he continued to deliver load after load. Steadying himself with his free arm, John closed his eyes to try and focus. In that darkness every sensation increased tenfold; her wild breath and her sweet scent, the hunger of her body throbbing all over his cock, the spasms of pleasure that exploded under his skin, his own heartbeats impossibly fast.

She twitched, occasionally, moaning and whimpering.

John pressed his forehead on the nape of her neck, resting. A few minutes went by in the silence only broken by quick and shallow heaving.

Oh, she could feel him everywhere and it was so, so damn good…

"More!" Cortana gasped, twisting her head to see him. "Take everything! My body is yours, make it yours!"

For a few seconds, they stared at each other.

She pushed back a little, grinding her ass to his groin…

"You know what I'm talking about, Chief." she purred, tempting him.

Now, his conscious mind was mostly out of the building and instinct was set to the task she gave him: not leaving the room until the female was pregnant again. Maybe the Spartan was drunk enough to take her words a little too literally, but this…

This got him interested. It had been a long while since the last time.

The only response she got was the soft pull of his manhood driving out of her.

Cortana exhaled softly, biting her lip. She enjoyed the warm semen dripping down the crevice of her inflamed labia, pouring onto the sheets. So good, her core trembled with the satisfaction of a successful mating. She arched her body to rise and sit on her heels.

"Come here." her husband called, or more like, growled.

With another playful smile, she gave him a look over her shoulder.

It was all in his eyes; the eyes of the Demon himself. Sharp and commanding, adding an extra layer of danger to the already menacing expression of his face. It was the kind of glare that shattered her defenses. Cortana quivered whole, helpless; her scientist's eye was admiring the magnificence of the specimen.

'Fuck, you do know how to pick 'em.' the voice said, in the back of her mind.

Obediently, Cortana pushed her weight back until her rear was, again, propped onto his lap. She squealed when John grabbed her waist, roughly, and pulled her closer, angling her hips the way he wanted her. Twisting her body to hook an arm around his neck, she glared back, defying him. There was a silent understanding in the soft and devilish curve of his mouth. Cortana answered in kind and reached for a hungry kiss, feeling his big hand sneak under her thigh to lift her up. She let out a strained moan, he had found the right spot.

The spot that wouldn't get her pregnant, but she needed John to fuck; so she bit him, fiercely, urging him to act. And he was up to the challenge, alright.

He was always ready to fight back and win.

The Master Chief pushed, breaking through. Cortana tensed up in his arms, exhaling a shaky breath, staring into his deadly eyes. She didn't forget the caliber they were handling, but one thing was to feel him tight and snug in her pussy and an entirely different thing was to have him barge into her ass. No backing away. She relaxed, falling back against his arm, her nails digging on the flesh of his shoulder and thigh.

Cortana closed her eyes, humming with delight at the feel of his lips on her cheek and jaw, trying to ease her pain as he continued to thrust into her.

"Harder." she whispered, gasping.

The Spartan complied. Lifting her leg a bit more, he increased the pace until she took him in completely; her hips moved by instinct, driving him down the spiral of madness. She wanted more. She wanted it rough, again. John read it on the subtle language of her body, lithe and covered in sweat. So, he got a better hold of her and gave her what she wanted. He aimed to please. Her head fell back and Cortana undid herself in moans and soft cries, both resisting and enjoying the invasion. Her nails were drawing blood on his shoulder, but John didn't care. His eyes were on her, on the pulse of that vein on her neck and the way her heavy breasts bounced, enjoying the tight fit of her around his cock and the overwhelming sensations that flooded his brain again, breaking him down.

It was easier now. He was pumping in and out of her quickly, the pressure of another explosive orgasm building fast. She couldn't hold it back and throaty sounds of pleasure escaped her lips. The desperate cry of the submissive female touched a very sensitive fiber of the Spartan's instinct, driving him wilder and wilder.

With his teeth clenched, John shifted her slightly onto his lap and kept going.

"Oh, fuck!" she exhaled, out of breath. "Fuck! Oh, John, oh God, yes… yes, YES!"

Her moans turned quick and fast, in tune with his thrusts.

Cortana's crisped fingers moved from his shoulder to wrap around his neck, scratching him, his cheek, his ear, his scalp. John snarled, the bridge of his nose wrinkled dangerously to show his teeth like an animal. A primal wish to bite her surged up, so she would stay put and he could fuck her brains out without interruptions…

"HARDER!" she wailed, twisting her hips, using her free hand to stimulate herself.

He choked on his own breath, she was getting tight, so tight…

It was getting difficult to continue, but he did it anyway; she screamed louder.

"FUCK ME, JOHN!" she begged, howling.

John was blind to everything except her scent and the pleasure her body gave him, he wanted to keep doing this until his heart gave out and wouldn't care if an enemy sneaked behind him. It was in that haze that Cortana couldn't resist it anymore and came, her body arched and bucked and strangled his cock inside her, making him stop so he wouldn't hurt her. The Spartan seized her, not even trying to fend off the inevitability of his own orgasm, and after a few more spasms and thrusts, he let go within, buried deep, holding her tight.

Again, he shot all he had inside. To bear the devastating sensations, they refuged in a hurried, sweaty embrace. Their lips crashed together, they rode wave after wave between sharp breaths and muffled moans until the pleasure died down fading into silence.

Cortana ran her fingers down his cheek and neck, feeling the strong pulse; her body was twisted on his lap in a weird way, but she wasn't uncomfortable. The rough skin of his thumb rubbed one of her nipples, tickled and fired up another orgasmic ripple; she mewled again, John groaned and sighed, content.

She kissed him roughly over and over, pulling him down from that could of bliss.

"So…" the Master Chief started, when his voice returned. "Who won the game?"

She let out a trembling chuckle: "I think we both did."

Cortana would remember those twenty-four hours as the busiest of their lives.

The rest night went by in a blurry turmoil of heightened senses, demanding hormones and subtle expressions of love. Well, some definitely more subtle than others, since his way to demonstrate was quite physical for a man that had been deprived of intimacy for so many years of his life. The effects of the alcohol had almost faded from his metabolism with the amount of exercise he had gotten, but still, his head ached by the time le laid down beside his wife and huddled her closer to sleep, burying his face on her hair.

They woke up some time before dawn. In that occasion, Cortana gave him the ultimate weapon to ensure her own destruction: she taught him how to make love.

x.x.x.x.x

She ordered food to the room around mid-day, mostly fruits and nuts, and a lot of water to replenish energy. Of course, they continued with their preferred activity for a few more hours, lazily, allowing him to satisfy his curiosity. The Master Chief always managed to impress her in every sense. Eventually they showered together and went back to bed, lying naked beside one another. The room was theirs for the weekend, the door to a realm of endless possibilities was fully open. Cortana checked on their daughter with a videocall and they were both happy to know that Sarah was having fun with her wardens…

It was perfect, like a peaceful dream.

Purring, Cortana stirred her arms, arching her back and hips provocatively.

"Hmm. You're too quiet." she said, with a little smirk. "What's going on in there?"

John pushed her shoulder slightly. Cortana complied and moaned low, delighted, when he spooned her from behind, skin on skin and thick arms all around, one big hand lying flat against her stomach. She loved it. She understood well how Sarah felt when her Papa held her, safer than anywhere in the known universe. One could perfectly perceive the power he irradiated, it just poured out of him.

With a long sigh, she left a kiss on the bulge of his biceps and relaxed.

"The deal you made with Osman." he started, tracing slow circles on her stomach with a wandering thumb. "What did you give her?"

Cortana stiffened, shocked. Ah, he had her right where he wanted, now.

'Well, he's fast to catch up. Two plus two still makes four, right?' the voice told her.

Or maybe Osman had let it slip that there was a whole lot more to the deal than just the kindness of ONI's heart. She walked right into that one by her own foot, useless to deny it. Cortana wasn't ready to have that conversation with John, but the longer she continued to ignore it… well. Maneuvering between his arms, she rolled over again and looked up to his eyes.

The Spartan's stare was patient, asking her politely that she didn't lie.

"I signed a contract with ONI's Research & Development branch. I'm bound to them, basically. From now on, my life's work will be to follow on my mother's footsteps and take the SPARTAN program to the next level."

John's expression darkened, immediately.

A bounding contract. Her life's work. The SPARTAN program. The words of Doctor Halsey came back immediately, verbatim: '…what I fear, is that she might have traded a slave for another.'

"You sacrificed your freedom for mine." he muttered.

"If you want to look at it that way…" she shrugged, and broke eye contact.

The bridge of his nose wrinkled as much as his brow furrowed.

"Why would you do that?"

Cortana tilted her head to the side, thinking. She traced his eyebrows and nose with the tips of her fingers, tenderly, until he relaxed his face. In the end, she wiggled closer and left a soft kiss on his lips, desperately wanting to feel safe again.

"No price is too high if it means I'll have you with me, John." she whispered, plain and simple. "I love you. I want you to have all that was taken away from you, starting with your family."

"Not like this, Elizabeth."

John squeezed her between his arms, possessively.

She gasped and rubbed her lips on the warm skin of his collarbone.

"Please, don't think I'm doing it without consideration for consequences. I know how to fight my battles, and sometimes to win you have to be willing to lose a little." Cortana continued, still whispering but her words were strong. "I'm getting myself into a lot more than what I bargained for, I am aware that one day they might require me to do something awful and that they will make me choose between complying with their orders or losing you, losing Sarah. But don't forget who I am, John. Don't forget the things I can do."

She sensed fear in him, in the way his body trembled.

"John."

He didn't respond.

"John, please, look at me."

This time, he complied. Their eyes met. Now, aside from the fear, she saw his rage.

Her fingertips grazed the stubble on his cheek.

"It's going to be okay, I promise you. I'll figure it out."

The Spartan clenched his jaw. "Don't do anything without me."

"I wouldn't dream of it. I need you, John. I love you."

To say anything else would only open another can of worms and a hole that, being just married, she didn't want to go down. She would explain to him all the ramifications to her complex plans in due time. She continued to rub his stubbly cheek until he lunged forward and buried his nose in the crook of her neck, breathing in, savoring her sweet scent in the back of his throat. She twisted around enough to hold his face still and, again, kiss one by one those small freckles on the bridge of his nose.

"I have to pee." Cortana sighed, more at ease now.

The Spartan let her go, she rolled away after one last kiss and got off the bed.

Eventually he sat down, rubbing the soles of his feet on the golden carpet. He stood up, stretched and cracked his stiff spine, and meanwhile he waited for Cortana to return, picked up all the discarded clothes. He folded his uniform respectfully -there was a red stain on his pants, lipstick- and placed it neatly ordered on the chaise-longue; then rescued her beautiful dress from under the furniture and laid it on the backrest, admiring it with critical eyes. He did the same with the lace brassier and panties, and the gloves. The delicate perfume of the garments made his mouth run dry, again, and he stole a glance towards the bathroom door, considering to barge in and pin her to the wall…

John saw a dark-green object beside her heels. The champagne bottle from which she had been drinking, last night. Curious, he picked it up and read the label.

Non-alcoholic cyder.

The Master Chief smirked a little, feeling again that satisfaction stirring up in his gut.

x.x.x.x.x

Veta Lopis woke up with the sun shining over her eyes.

Groaning, she shrunk under the covers and hugged her hard pillow, trying to hide. She grazed it with exploratory fingers and realized the pillow was unusually warm and covered in scars. It was a man's arm, strong and well-muscled. Oh, right. Fred. She groaned again and pushed back, shielding her small frame against his heavy mass. So comfy. The Spartan answered just the way she expected, wrapping the other arm around her waist and pulling closer, skin to skin, clutching her in a protective embrace. So good.

Of course he wasn't sleeping either, Fred had the schedule hardwired into him.

The Lieutenant nuzzled the back of her neck with his nose, burying his face into her dark hair. For the first time in ages, even if Veta experienced a strange tingle roaming up her spine, she didn't react badly to that contact: she couldn't see his face and that should've riled her up in a bad way, but… no. She didn't cower. It didn't pull awful images from her memory. It didn't remind her of old fears and pains.

It was so right. He made her feel… safe.

She'd never been this comfortable with a man before. She was very glad it was him.

Fred would protect her from all the things she couldn't control.

His calloused fingertips cruised the line of a thin scar that ran below her bellybutton. It seemed too big for her, but then again, what had come out of there was too big for her as well. There was technology to make the scar disappear, and for a reason that not even she understood very well, Veta had chosen not to use it. She sighed, allowing herself a moment to collect her thoughts. He didn't blame her for what she'd done, giving up their son was the only thing she saw viable to protect both Gabriel and him from Osman, and to protect herself. She cared about all of them, her Gammas included. She had to live and work with that pain; she was remorseful, she admitted her mistake. Fred waited in silence while Veta spoke, it took him some time to fully understand all the implications, to comprehend what she went through. Perhaps he would never understand it completely, but…

The only thing the Spartan said was that he wished she hadn't hidden it from him.

"Are you going to marry me, now?" he asked, his deep voice muffled by her hair.

Fred already knew everything that there was to know. His resilience comforted her.

Lopis smiled a little; comfortable warmth spread under her skin.

"I think I will, Lieutenant."

TO BE CONTINUED

Well, how about that sexy wedding night, huh? Leaving aside her controversial methods of seduction and the little patience John has for everything related to her, what about Cortana's confession? Yes, just like she said: sometimes, to win you have to lose a little. Remember: three more weekends and it's over. I want you all to feel very rewarded with happiness before the end because, my friends, you deserve it!

A few messages for the non-logged users, post-Xbox event edition:

My friend REXSOKA, I thought I'd lost you! Welcome back. Sorry for the confusion with the time slip, but the story needed some air to set up a new start to the characters' arcs. Thank you for returning, stay tuned to see the end!

We have the newcomer CHIKAHPOX, you innocent soul, you just fell down this hole of Sin, hopefully you will come out unscathed. Thank you for saying something, I hope I'll see you again!

My dear AJ, first of all I'm sending another ambulance your way; second, I'm not an expert in fictional armors but most of the cosplay I've seen was usually of the H4/H5 generation of armor designs, so we should ask the cosplayers how the designs work in terms of limitations of movement and beyond. I do concur that it seems less "protected" but I thought the suit underneath was made specifically to be "bullet resistant" or something like that? And with the shields and all? LOL I'm just rambling, don't pay attention. Thank you for stopping by!

And behold, FROG31791 is back! Well, yes! Now we need Fred and Veta to get their little family together, I have a feeling it's going to work out well in the end *wink wink* thank you!

My beloved B93, I'm very glad you're enjoying the closure, these final chapters are mostly about that, there's literally no more plot than getting John and Cortana their deserved happy ending. Thank you for the support!

To the GUEST that says that the people who doesn't play the games doesn't understand how big Halo is… well, you just won. You won the entire argument, I'll get back to doing the dishes and leave the fandom to the real fans. Thanks for commenting, anyway!

And at last my precious LIZZY OF DUNWICH, just because I started answering from top to bottom; I understand your concerns with the names. It is implied that John was given a new ID but I wouldn't DARE to make up a name for him, nothing would ever please me. So, no, he will forever remain as John-117 in my heart. The Arbiter is such an underrated character, I should totally give him one last appearance! Thank you very much for your support, as always! I hope this sinful and overly-graphic chapter didn't scare you much :P

Please consider leaving your thoughts on the box below, I've been dying to show you guys this sexy tease for weeks now, LOL. Cortana is just so cruel. See you, have a wonderful week!