Astrid's Wish (24 page)

To Astrid’s surprise, Benedict smiled at him. From all he heard Ben say about his father, he was a cruel, unloving man, and so far all his actions showed otherwise.

“Dad, how are you keeping her from doing her witchy voodoo on you?” Ben asked Benedict.

“We just engineered these handy little talismans that render a witch powerless if we put it on them. So her magical bomb is still in place. The council will be sending these out to all field warriors to use against witches. And let’s just say they are coming in handy right now.”

The choker around his grandmother’s neck was a close replica to the one Ivan had put on him. He tugged on Klaus’s arm, interrupting the conversation. “That looks like what my father used on me.”

“That’s impossible. We just manufactured these. No one else has access to them. How did he get...” Benedict trailed off. He pursed his lips together as he nodded to himself.

“Looks like you know where to start your investigation,” Klaus offered.

“I think you’re right.”

“Astrid!” Constance screamed.

He curled into Klaus’s side at her yelling. He wanted to be rid of her, too, but killing someone just because he could wasn’t right. And quite frankly, he wanted to see her pay for her crimes.

“You don’t have to talk to her,” Benedict said. “But I do need to ask a favor of you, son.”

“What’s that?” he murmured.

Astrid’s Wish

189

“We need you to erase her memory of you being a fairy. I want to keep that knowledge just between us and the few others who know the truth. If word got out that you are indeed part fairy, part witch, I believe others would hunt you down and try to kill you. The possibility that you would become evil is just too risky for some to take that chance.”

“But you don’t believe that?”

“No.” Benedict shook his head. “My son is a good judge of character, but I’m even better. After meeting you, I can see that only goodness flows through your veins.” Benedict clapped him on the shoulder.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Come on over. Let’s take care of that hateful bitch. Her jabbering is giving me a migraine.” Benedict walked them over to where Constance sat struggling to free herself from him bindings.

“Benedict, my husband will have your head for this. Where is my son? Ivan!” Constance continued to shout.

“Oh, shut up. Van is quite aware of what is going on. He came to me months ago with his suspicion about you. I guess you weren’t as secretive as you thought.”

“What do you mean,” Constance stuttered out.

“What I’m saying is Van knew you and Ivan were up to something. He just didn’t know what. He asked me to keep an eye on your comings and goings, and it wasn’t until Ivan went to visit my son that I started to piece together what was going on. He’s not coming to your rescue, Constance.”

A stunned look spread across her face, and then her mask of indifference dropped back into place. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve got leverage.”

“Oh yeah, and what might that be?” Benedict taunted her.

“I’m sure Van would hate for it to get out that we created a half breed. It would ruin his reputation with the council. So I think Ivan and I are safe from prosecution.” Constance grinned up at Benedict.

190 AJ

Jarrett

Astrid wasn’t surprised or upset that she was using him as her bargaining tool to save her skin.

“Hate to burst your bubble, but that won’t be happening, and it’s only yourself you need to be worrying about.”

The evil grin fell from Constance’s mouth. “What does that mean?”

“It means my father is dead,” Astrid said as he squatted down in front of his grandmother. “I killed him.”

“But...how...” Her words came out broken. “But he was your father. How could you have done that?”

“How could you have handed me over to a monster who abused me every day for over a hundred years?” he asked but didn’t wait to hear her excuses. “Fathering a child doesn’t earn you respect and devotion. It’s being there to love and protect that does.”

“You couldn’t find it in your heart to show him any mercy?” she asked, appalled by his choice of action.

“Like you showed my mother?”

Constance’s blue eyes glazed over and became empty, black holes. “Maybe you are a Reznik after all. To kill without a second thought.”

“I’m nothing like you.”

“It doesn’t matter. Your existence should garner me some protection. Trade your life for mine, seems only fair, being how special you are.”

He reached out his hand to lie on Constance’s arm, and Klaus stopped him. “What do you mean ‘special’? Besides trying to destroy the council, what else did you need Astrid for?”

He looked from Klaus back to his grandmother. He was curious about that one, too.

“You’ll see. When the coming begins, no one will be safe. Not even your little half-breed fairy can save you.”

“What is the coming, Constance?” Klaus demanded.

Astrid’s Wish

191

“I couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to. Magic binds all things, and a blood oath cannot be broken.” Klaus gasped, and Constance started to laugh uncontrollably.

Astrid sat back and watched the cruel woman of his youth go mad.

She fell apart at the seams, babbling nonsense. By the way Klaus reacted to the blood-oath remark, they wouldn’t be getting anything out of her.

Laying his hand upon her arm, Astrid stared straight into her eyes.

“I wish for you to forget that I’m part fairy and that you even know me. We are nothing to each other.”

At his words, she quieted down and nodded her head absently as if she were keeping time to a song. Once he removed his hand from her arm, she came back to life.

“What am I doing here? Where’s my son?” She examined Astrid suspiciously. “Who are you?”

“No one.” Astrid stood up and let Klaus usher him out of the room. This was his chance for a fresh start, and he was taking it. He would deal with whatever this “coming” was when it came, but until then he would just sit back and enjoy life. After the events of the past day, he realized how precious a gift life truly was and wouldn’t waste a minute looking back.

192 AJ

Jarrett

So many things needed to be discussed between him and Astrid and among the council, but he couldn’t process any more information.

He needed to spend some time alone with his mate. Klaus wanted the comfort only his sweet angel could bring him.

No words were spoken when they arrived back at the warriors’

compound. He carried Astrid up to their room and straight to the shower. He turned the nozzle toward hot, and steam began to fill the bathroom.

Astrid leaned against the wall, his eyes lifeless. The usual spark of happiness was vacant in the blue depths. Everything his mate had learned had to be taking its toll. Life kept dealing Astrid a bad hand, and he wasn’t given the option to fold when it became too much.

There was no escape for him. This was his life, but he wasn’t alone.

Klaus would stand by the man he loved. A battle peeked just beyond the horizon, heading their way a little closer every day, but together they would see it through. Like his mother had said, Astrid was worth all the struggles they had suffered through. And there was still more to come, but he would fight, never giving up on what he and Astrid shared.

He couldn’t take away Astrid’s pain or change his past, but he could make his present and future full of love and happiness. Today marked a clean slate for both of them, and the first order of business would be to help his mate relax and take his mind off what happened back at the abandon hangar.

He grabbed the hem of Astrid’s T-shirt and pulled it over his head.

He didn’t move. Astrid just stood there and let Klaus maneuver his
Astrid’s Wish

193

body to remove his clothes. Next he popped the snap on Astrid’s jeans, grabbed the waistband, and tugged off his briefs along with his pants at the same time.

Once Astrid stood fully naked in front him, he took the time to scan his pale skin for any injuries. Pale-blue marks covered one shoulder and peppered the skin around his arms. Being immortal allowed for quick healing, but just because the marks went away didn’t mean a scar wasn’t left in its place.

Quickly removing his clothes, Klaus gathered his angel close and walked him into the hot spray. The water felt delicious on his skin, washing away the ugliness of the past twenty-four hours. He almost lost Astrid forever, and he’d give anything to erase that from his mind.

He turned Astrid away from him and dampened the long locks of his hair. Dirt and blood matted the blond strands together. He grabbed the shampoo and proceeded to wash Astrid’s hair.

After finishing with Astrid’s hair, he grabbed the washcloth and rubbed the soap against the soft fabric until bubbles dripped down his arms. Starting at Astrid’s neck, he slowly worked his way down his torso. He was careful not to aggravate the bruises painting his skin.

Klaus went to his knees to cleanse the tender organ that hung heavy between Astrid’s thighs. As he circled the skin right below Astrid’s navel with the washcloth, his mate’s cock started to come alive.

A soft whimper came from Astrid, and he looked up. His angel had let his head fall against the shower wall, and he slightly spread his thighs a tad farther to accommodate Klaus’s wide shoulders.

He licked a path down the underside of the now fully erect shaft in his hand. Klaus nibbled at the soft skin pulled tight over Astrid’s erection as he moved. He traced the thick vein that ran the length. The featherlight touches caused Astrid’s legs to wobble.

Not wasting another second, he followed the wet path he made up to the cherry-red top. He flicked his tongue out, collecting the pre-cum as it dripped from the tiny opening.

194 AJ

Jarrett

“Klaus, help me forget,” Astrid cried out.

He grabbed Astrid at the base and guided the rigid cock into his mouth. As he sucked Astrid down his throat, he lightly tugged on his balls, initiating a gasp of excitement from him. He swallowed Astrid down to the root then slowly worked his way up to the groove under the head, massaging the glans with the tip of his tongue.

“More.” Astrid dug his fingers into his shoulders as he pulled him forward.

Positioning his hands behind Astrid’s legs, he ran them up the backs of his thighs. Grabbing his angel’s rounded ass, he squeezed and urged Astrid forward. He moved hesitantly at first, but at Klaus’s prompting, he began to thrust his hips forward, fucking his mouth.

He gazed up at Astrid. His taut muscles twitched and flexed as they relaxed from the moist pressure his lips provided. Astrid’s cock began to swell, signaling his release had neared. He hollowed out his cheeks and sucked on Astrid’s length and swallowed around the flared tip.

“Yes,” Astrid cried out.

The first burst of hot semen flooded his throat in a rush. He gripped the base and pulled back to taste Astrid’s spicy, sweet cream fully on his tongue. Astrid’s body quaked with aftershocks as he continued to lick and suck until he let the softening cock slide from his mouth.

Placing one last soft kiss to the reddened tip, he stood up and took Astrid’s mouth in a hard kiss. He pushed his tongue past Astrid’s lips, letting all the love he had for him pour into the connection. As the kiss deepened, he invaded Astrid’s space, rubbing his hardened cock against the silky smooth skin of Astrid’s stomach. The water provided an easy up-and-down glide, causing him to clench his eyes tight and groan into the kiss.

The skin covering his dick had stretched to capacity, and he feared if he didn’t find relief soon he would explode. Reaching down, he fisted his cock and began to move his hand at a lightning-fast pace.

Astrid’s Wish

195

On the upstroke, he rubbed his thumb against the head, spreading the pre-cum over the sensitive tip. He broke the kiss and let his head fall back on his shoulders.

Astrid started working his lips down his neck until he reached where the shoulder and neck connected. He bit down, causing him to shout to the ceiling. He began to pump his fist faster and faster. His skin burned with heat, ready to detonate at any moment.

“Get on your knees, angel,” he gritted out as he pushed on Astrid’s shoulder with his free hand.

Like a good boy, Astrid went to his knees. Klaus looked down and at the angelic sight of his mate on his knees worshipping him. He gripped his dick in his hand and aimed it at Astrid’s face as his orgasm was ripped from his body. As the first stream hit, Astrid closed his eyes and parted his lips.

Shiny, white cum painted Astrid’s face. His pink tongue came out slowly to lick above his upper lip where some of Klaus’s release had landed. He was held riveted by the sight as Astrid brought the cum into his mouth and sighed blissfully.

He fell to his knees and captured the seductive mouth of his mate.

His taste was on Astrid’s tongue and lips, and he welcomed the flavor.

The kiss lingered and then transitioned to little nibbling love bites here and there. The water cascading down upon them began to cool, and Astrid started to shiver. He stood and pulled Astrid up with him.

They couldn’t get sick, but he still didn’t want his mate to be uncomfortable.

“Let’s get dressed then get you something to eat.” Astrid let his eyes drop, and Klaus saw a tear spill before he could hide it. He gently grabbed Astrid’s chin and lifted his face upward. “What’s the matter?”

Astrid’s lower lip began to tremble as his tears fell. “I just love you so much and…and…”

196 AJ

Jarrett

“Shh, it’s okay, angel.” He wanted to take away all of Astrid’s pain, but only time could heal those wounds.

“When I saw my father holding that knife at your throat”—Astrid met his gaze—“our time together passed before my eyes, and I didn’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

Astrid’s hot tears dripped onto his chest, and his throat grew tight.

They survived, and it was no use reliving the episode over and over again. He would make sure to show Astrid how wonderful life could be and to never look back.