Voluptuous Vindication (27 page)

“You see, Sara, our love goes far beyond a simple lust. It's soul deep, a connection between you and I that can never be broken. It's been approved by Heaven itself, and He doesn't answer a prayer just to take it away. And that's what you are to me. An answered prayer.”

He quickly rubbed at his face, unashamed of his tears. “This ring belonged to my mother. I've kept it all these years, never believing I would ever want to marry. And then I met you. I love you, Sara. Will you marry me?”

Sara dropped to her knees in front of him as she whispered one simple, but meaningful word. “Yes.”

They hugged again, caught up in a great joy that could only be experienced when the stars aligned for two lovers destined to be together...
Forever.

* * * * *

Arch willed himself above the clouds, returning to his true home far above the troubled world. His soul was at peace, at least for a little while. All had ended well for Ian, his Endurer finding the closure he needed to continue to endure. The love of the angel that was mated to him would do the rest.

Entering the temple, he sought the one he loved above all. “My child,” the voice said, his tone love itself. “Welcome home.”

“It's good to be home,” Arch replied. “You've seen the outcome between Ian and Sara?”

“I have,” the voice replied. “You've done well, Arch, but I expected no less.”

“Thank you,” Arch replied humbly.

“Ian and Sara will want to marry, and this is to be expected. A marriage performed by you will be completely acceptable in my eyes, despite the announcement of the mortals. A marriage license is a mortal requirement, but it was never my commandment.”

“I know,” Arch said, his thoughts troubled. “What will this new development mean for the mortals that wish to marry, though?”

“I will recognize any marriages performed by a man of the cloth. Do not be troubled, Arch. I see all, even the intent of the heart. There is still good in the world below us, despite all.”

Transparent images sprung up on the wall of the temple, stretching further than a mortal eye would ever be able to see. Like small televisions, each squared area displayed a live view of every Endurer. The voice sighed. “So many Endurers, but so little time. Each one has a purpose, each one deserving of the happiness that only a mate can bring.”

“It's getting bad down there,” Arch replied, his eyes flitting from Endurer to Endurer. They all held a special place in his heart. “So many of them have given everything in their fight for what's good and right in life.”

“You know what's to come next,” the voice reminded him.

“I do,” Arch replied, sadly.

Epilogue

Christmas Day

Sara stood at the edge of the massive bed. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” she told the blond male lying on his stomach, with his face buried between two pillows. “Don't tell me I wore you out that much last night,” she added, teasingly.

In one swift move, Ian rolled over and grabbed her, carefully pulling her into the bed with him. He was ever mindful of the blessings growing within her stomach. Laying her on her back, he nuzzled her neck as his hand slid toward her breasts.

“Why are you dressed?” He growled out as he pulled up the edge of her shirt to reveal her full breasts. “It's Christmas, I was looking forward to my gift.”

“In that case, it's Christmas everyday for you,” Sara replied breathlessly, as he leaned forward to  trail kisses slowly across her stomach.

“Okay,” he replied teasingly, his hand sliding up her curvy leg. “Then let's just say I was looking forward to giving my bride her gift. It's a little hard to deliver when that beautiful body is covered so completely.”

They had married a few days after her return. Arch had officiated, Scarlett, Anna, and Kim quickly pulling together a small wedding for the happy couple. They should all be used to it by now. When an Endurer found his mate, he didn't give her time to change her mind.

His bachelor party had consisted of an unlimited supply of alcohol with his best friends in Shayne's study. Vincent, Peter, and Shayne had taken great pleasure in reminding him of how anti-marriage he'd been. Things had really heated up when Arch and the rest of the Endurers had arrived. Each one of them had taken great joy in recounting every snarky comment he'd made about matings.

That was the bad thing about immortality... Their memories were very long-lived.

His hand sought and found as he trailed his fingers over the seam between her panty-covered lips. He could feel the heat hidden within. She needed, and he could deliver. It was as simple as that.

Sara groaned, letting her bent knees fall completely apart. “Oh, God, Ian,” she groaned out. “Arch is-” 

One moment, Ian was in bliss, his fingers hooked in Sara's underwear. The next he was standing in Shayne's huge dining hall, surrounded by cellphones as twenty Endurers gleefully photographed their startled comrade.

“What the hell?” Ian asked, holding his hands over the front of his Christmas briefs. Sara had ordered them from the Internet, and he'd worn them to please her. Too bad there hadn't been enough time for the underwear to meet with an unfortunate accident.
A lot could be blamed on a washing machine. 

Designed to look like a reindeer, there was a special pouch in the front for the nose,
a bright, blinking nose
. Ian looked behind his hands, relieved to see the light was off.

On him, the material was stretched to the max, the nose more of an antler.
A very long, wide antler.
The briefs hadn't been designed for a well-endowed male like him... And it showed.

As if his thoughts had activated the light, they turned on. Ian gaped, before looking suspiciously at Arch with narrowed eyes. He stared back at him as innocent as the proverbial angel... But he was anything but innocent.

Several Endurers roared with laughter. Turning from Arch, he glared at them, his eyes promising a hellish retribution. 

“Oh, look,” Peter rumbled out, his face full of amusement. “Santa and his flashing pecker has arrived.”

“Santa is about to punch your lights out, if you don't find something else to look at,” Ian retorted, pulling Sara in front of him.

Arch sat at the huge table, the corner of his napkin tucked underneath the collar of his shirt. He shot Ian a sheepish grin and shrugged before asking innocently, “Didn't Sara tell you? I called and told her I was bringing the two of you over.”

Sara turned her head to look at him, her plump lips moving up into a rueful grin. Ian found it impossible to stay irritated while looking into her sweet features. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back to him as he whispered in her ear, “It's okay, baby. After all, how could you possibly remember in the middle of a seduction from me?”

“I'm going to puke,” Vincent groaned out, a long-suffering expression on his exotic features. “Is he trying to foreplay her at the dinner table?”

Several other Endurers groaned as well. “Come on, man. We're trying to eat our Christmas ham,” Jeremiah bellowed at him before shoving a huge piece in his mouth.

Ian shot Vincent a droll look. “Do you really want to talk about sex and food, Vincent? Really?” While in New Orleans, Ian had caught him in a rather compromising position with Scarlett, in their kitchen.
His memory was just as long-lived as the others, when needed.

Vincent's high cheekbones turned a light shade of red as the other Endurers looked between them with curious expressions. Choking on the food he'd been chewing, he turned to Scarlett's knowing look and asked, “How is the baby doing, darling?” Scarlett was heavily pregnant, but not due yet.

Jeremiah shook his head, a look of disgust on his features. “Damn politicians,” he grumbled as he looked down at his plate. “Always getting caught with their pants off. Even an Endurer isn't above it. I mean, look at this dumb ass. Just a few weeks ago, he became Mayor of this hellhole, and now he's caught in a compromising position. Why stop at this, Ian? Shoot for the stars and get caught having a blow job under the desk.”

Sara turned her head enough to give him an evil look. “I wouldn't follow his suggestion,” his normally calm angel warned him. “
Not if that reindeer wants to keep his nose.
”

“Okay,” Shayne drawled out, cutting Jeremiah off as he opened his mouth for another long-winded speech. He stood up and made his way over to Ian and Sara. “Glad you two could make it,” he said, smiling brightly. “Ian, let's go upstairs. I'm sure I can find something for you to wear.”

Leaning over to kiss Sara's cheek, Ian stepped out behind from behind her. Wearing a cocky grin, he faced the long tables of Endurers, letting them get an eyeful as he said, “
See it and weep.
” Then he turned and followed Shayne as the cellphones came out again, clicks and good-natured whistles filling the air.

* * * * *

Ian laid his fork down, totally and completely full. It wouldn't last, though. With his appetite, he'd be hungry again shortly. Their bodies burned through calories as if they were nothing.

“My compliments to the chef,” he said to Shayne, raising his glass up in a toast. “And might I add, I'm glad I don't have to foot the bill for this meal.”

Shayne chuckled, his expression relaxed and happy. “It's enough to bankrupt a man. It was worth it, though. It's nice, being with so many Endurers again. We don't get to see each other often enough, and that's a shame.”

A lot of the guests were staying at Shayne's compound for the rest of the week. Vincent and Peter, along with their mates, would be staying as well. It was enormous, with more than enough room to accommodate everyone that was there. They'd depart after New Year's Eve, returning to the cities they called home.

“Marriage,” Ian snickered. “It's making a wuss out of you, man.”

Anna glared at him as Sara brought her square heel down firmly on the top of his foot. “Ow,” he yelped, his eyes narrowing at his mate.

Everyone around them burst out laughing. Ian quickly tried to dig himself out of the hole he'd created. “I'm just kidding, Sara. I'm glad Shayne is getting in touch with his inner woman, I mean feelings.”

Changing the subject before he found himself in the doghouse, he looked around and asked, “Where did Peter and Kim go off to?”

Shayne smirked. “Where do you think?”

Michael grinned. After the night at the auditorium, Arch had decided the sheriff was Endurer material. The man had readily agreed after witnessing the horror of the demons. From all accounts, he was taking to his new life easily. Ian was glad. They needed everyone they could get.

“Are you guys always like this?” He asked, his dark eyebrows raised in curiosity.

“Nah,” Arch replied, a mischievous expression on his pale, luminous features. “This is tame compared to how rowdy these boys can really get. Remind me to show you the pictures sometime. Consider it part of the training. You need to get the dirt on these guys.”

Michael laughed. “Great. My type of people.”

“Oh, shit,” Scarlett hissed out, her face turning stark white before going unnaturally red. Everyone stopped and stared, unaccustomed to hearing her curse. Her hands pressed down on the sides of her stomach as she leaned her head back and screamed out in pain.

Vincent jumped out of his seat, immediately squatting down next to her chair. “Scarlett, is it the baby?”

“What in the hell do you think?” Scarlett roared, her body tensing up. “It's coming, and it's coming fast.”

At those words, every unmated Endurer jumped up and raced for the hallway. None of them looked back.

“It's too soon,” he said to her, lifting her dress as he attempted to peer underneath it. His tanned Venetian face was stark white, similar in shade to the tablecloth next to him. “The baby can't come for another month. You've got to stop it.”

“I'll get right on that,” Scarlett shot back sarcastically, the veins in the side of her neck bulging as she screamed again in pain. “You can't stop childbirth.”

Jeremiah speared another large slice of ham from a nearby platter. “So she's giving birth. In my day, this was not uncommon. The men would have a cigar and a brandy to celebrate, and life went on.”

“Shut the fuck up, Jeremiah,” Vincent roared, standing up from his seat and looking around in panic. “What am I going to do? My childbirth book is back in New Orleans.”

“The baby is coming now,” Scarlett screamed out, her body writhing in pain. “I've never hurt so bad in my life, you bastard! Damn you, Vincent. If I survive this, I swear I'm going to neuter you by slicing your balls off.”

Ian and Shayne cringed before he shot Sara a painful glance.
Maybe she hadn't heard that.
He was horrified to see her watching Scarlett in well, horror.

Knowing she'd be facing childbirth in the next seven months, he stood up with the intentions of getting her out of there. He was too late. Scarlett spotted him and immediately pointed in his direction as she said, “And you... You need to be neutered, too.”

Jeremiah laughed from the opposite side of the table as he said, “She's got that right.”

Scarlett struggled to her feet, her feet spread wide. Her skirt was wet, her eyes full of pain as she panted. Vincent immediately grabbed her arm to assist her. “I'm taking you to the hospital now, Scarlett. I can't bear to see you hurt like this, they will have drugs to numb the pain.”

“There's no time,” she groaned, her voice hoarse from screaming. “Besides, mortal medicines wouldn't really help, right? The baby has dropped, Vincent. It's coming, whether you're ready or not, so find me someone that can help,
and I mean now.
”

With one arm, Vincent knocked off every plate and dish that had been on the table in front of them. He set Scarlett on the table and said, “Lay down,” before pushing her skirt up to her waist. Grabbing a tablecloth, he draped it over her legs before pulling her panties off. Scarlett screamed again as another contraction hit. Ian watched the drama unfold in shock. He'd never look at Christmas dinner the same... Or Shayne's table.

Ian glanced at Shayne, the other man's face as pale as his. When it came to slewing demons, they were in their element. When it came to birthing babies, they were helpless and hopeless.

“Damn,” Shayne choked out as he looked at Anna. “After this, I'm buying stock in the largest condom company in the world.”

“Ian, could you pass me that pecan pie?” Jeremiah asked, his expression unconcerned. “I want to get it before Vincent throws it on the floor, too.”