Good Morning, Little Ones!

Thank you to Mel, Jill, and Dani!

.: 39 :.

I wake up gasping, my heart racing as my body fights to stop the scream that wants to tear out of me. For a moment, I'm utterly disoriented, lost in where I am and what I'm doing; all I can see is the knife as it slices through that baby.

Hot tears burn in my eyes, and I climb out of bed with shaky legs. Edward is deeply asleep beside me, and glancing at him fills me with confusing and conflicting emotions.

I slide out of bed, careful not to wake him.

His shirt is near me on the floor, and I scoop it up, pulling it over me as I slip out of the bedroom.

There is a trail of devastation through the cottage that traces our path from the night before, and for a moment, I'm caught off guard by it. I was so wrapped up in him, I wasn't paying attention to our magic.

It's a miracle we didn't level the house around us.

There are cracks in the walls and burn marks where our flesh brushed walls and furniture. I glance in the bathroom, and not only is the tub still filled with water, but water lilies are growing in there. There is a black mark where Edward devoured me against the wall, and through the char, small seedlings have sprouted.

We left a trail of life and death in our wake.

I swallow hard and force myself through the rest of the cottage, finding a door that will lead me outside.

I still don't know where we are, and I have no idea how he found this place. Outside, the beach is a few paces away, and a ways down the beach, I can see another cottage. I frown and wrap Edward's shirt around me tighter. It's freezing, but the cold air helps clear my mind as I walk out into the stiff sand and take a seat.

I know with absolute certainty that my dreams aren't a hallucination or something my mind is conjuring up. They are visions, and at some point in the past, this woman, wherever she is, sacrificed her child to free her lover.

The thought of it makes me sick.

Motherhood has always been something I knew would be a part of my life, but much later. I'm in no rush.

But even if it hadn't been a plan in my life at some point, I cannot fathom killing my child. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could be worth that. Not the freedom of someone I loved, not even my own freedom.

If this is the price Edward expects me to pay, then I cannot complete his quest. I will not bear him a child only to kill it.

My hands come up to my stomach, shaking and unsteady. I have an IUD, and I trust that to cover me against pregnancy, but I know magic and modern medicine sometimes do not work in tandem. I need to get my hands on some proper herbs to cover myself, just in case.

My hands flex against my stomach, and my mind shifts, capturing the memory of Edward as he worshiped me. My breath hitches as I think about the feeling of him; not just the physical, but his magic and… when he was buried inside me… his soul. I felt it, merging with mine in a way that absolutely terrified me. I didn't know such a thing was possible, and I don't know what it means.

But for once in my life, my hunger was sated.

I let out a breathy sound, dropping my hands from around myself. The enormity of what I've just shared with Edward is too scary to fathom, and I'm cold and hungry—but for once, for food rather than a body.

I stand from the sand, brushing it off my bare legs as I make my way back to the cottage.

The kitchen is stocked with teas and canned foods. Nothing fresh, which tells me it's likely a summer home for someone.

I set the kettle going and pull out a bag of tea.

While the water boils, I look in the cupboard at the food stores. Nothing looks even remotely appetizing, though after a bit of hunting, I do find some oats and honey. Oatmeal will have to be good enough.

I set to work, letting the familiarity of cooking soothe me.

I'm just pouring hot water into my mug to brew my tea when I hear Edward come into the kitchen. I turn to him, the breath leaving my body when I see he's naked.

Goddess.

He smiles at me, that wicked smile that sets my heart thrumming in my chest. "What a sight you make." He growls, his voice deep with sleep as he steps toward me.

I set the kettle down and turn to him, smiling a little.

"In the kitchen?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

He snorts and steps into my body, pushing me back against the counter.

"No." His nose grazes my jaw. "Dressed in my clothing. It gives me all sorts of wicked thoughts." He bites my ear and I gasp, my hands diving into his hair to tug him closer to me. He growls again, picking me up and placing me on the edge of the counter. It's the perfect height, and he steps between my legs, his hands traveling up my thighs.

I shudder under his touch.

"I must confess, Little One," he says slowly, his fingers burning trails up my thighs and parting my legs slowly. "You've taken me by surprise."

I look at him. "How so?" I'm panting as I ask, my breath heavy as his fingers brush over my center, making my body jerk. He grins and leans forward, capturing a breast through the shirt. I hiss and tug him closer to me again. He bites and licks at me through the fabric before letting me go, looking up at me through his long lashes. His eyes are dark with that same hunger and desire I saw last night, and my mouth waters at the sight.

"You present such a sweet and innocent package," he murmurs, his fingers dipping into me, making me moan. I'm already soaking wet, and when he discovers this, he growls, his head falling against my shoulder. "But you are so much more than that," he whispers, his words ghosting over my skin. "You are more tempting." His fingers dip into me again, sinking deeper, and my hips thrust against his hand. "And so much hungrier than I could have dreamed."

I fist his hair, pulling his face toward mine. Our mouths meet, and immediately our tongues are colliding, fighting, and pushing each other for a deeper and deeper taste. Edward's fingers sink further into me, and I bite his lip as he begins to pump in me.

Our mouths are wide, as if we're trying to drink from one another, and Edward pulls back, removing his fingers from me. I mewl in protest and he grins, bringing his dripping fingers up to his mouth.

"This." He growls, licking one finger. "Is the sweetest honey I've ever consumed."

I'm mesmerized as he sucks his long fingers, my body clenching down in need.

I grab his wrist, stopping him from licking another finger. His eyes meet mine, and I see his curiosity as I bring his hand to my mouth. I take his finger between my lips, sucking myself off of him. It's such a heady combination and he lets out a long growl.

"Wicked Creature." He snarls, grabbing the back of my head and bringing my mouth to his. He's devouring me, and I submit to him, completely yielding to his demands.

One of his hands reaches down, widening my hips and pulling me to the edge of the counter, and then he's slamming into me so hard and so fast, I gasp, crying out against his mouth.

"More," I demand. He slams into me, driving into my hips so hard I'm pushed back on the counter. I hook my heels against the cabinets below me, opening my hips wider and giving myself better leverage for him to rail me. He drives every thought and worry and fear from my mind until I am nothing but absolute pleasure.

Edward stills, and my fingers rake over his back in protest. "Hold on, Little One." He pulls out of me, and I whimper, but then he's yanking me off the counter, flipping me around and bending me over it. My back arches as he slams into me from behind, my hands slapping down against the tile as I scream. I'm on my tiptoes, back arching as Edward tugs my hair and it feels so fucking good. "You like this, don't you." He growls, his lips landing by my ear. "You like this bite of pain mixed with your pleasure." He pulls my hair sharper, and then one of his open palms is slapping my ass, delivering a sting that sends shock waves through my body. I lean into his unrelenting pounding.

"More," I beg. "More, more."

Edward does not hold back. He delivers pleasure and pain in a perfect balance until I'm right on the edge of shattering completely. His hand moves around my front, pinching and kneading the place he's pounding into me as his teeth sink into the back of my neck, and I'm lost to the blinding pleasure as it consumes me, burning through me with relentless force.

I can feel him pulsing inside of me, his body straining and shaking as he's lost within me, and I know, this force between us is greater than passion, greater than magic even. Together, we are creating something divine.