She leaned down and kissed the top of Kendrew’s head. He had curly hair like his father. “Your father is one of the bravest men I’ve ever known because he saved Leto’s life and almost died doing it. There is nothing greater on earth than laying down one’s life for another.”
At that, Kendrew once more turned into her and looked up at her. “He is brave.”
“Oh, yes. And smart, so very smart. And he has the funniest sense of humor.”
Sloane’s hand grew slack in hers. She could feel his body sinking against her.
“And now, my darlings, time for bed.”
Kendrew didn’t protest, but slid off her lap. Sloane, on the other hand, at three, could barely walk he was so drowsy.
She called to Leto. He turned and smiled that beautiful smile of his, now full of affection for her, of love. She inclined her head in Sloane’s direction. He moved swiftly and lifted the three-year-old as though he were a feather.
The boys’ tent was at a right angle to theirs and held two cots. She tucked Kendrew in and kissed him. She put her hand on his forehead and offered a prayer and a blessing.
She left the tent and Leto performed a similar ritual with Sloane, though the younger boy’s eyes were closed when he put his large hand on the small forehead and offered another blessing and a prayer.
When Leto zipped down the front of the tent, he led her back to their larger tent. Before going inside, he glanced around. “I was going to put a dome of mist over our campsite, but then I realized it wasn’t needed. The colony is safe, and the one vampire powerful enough to break through Diallo’s mist is corralled on Fourth Earth.”
In the distance, she heard wolves howl, a long plaintive cry in the dark. She loved that sound. She loved Mortal Earth, where all life had begun, humankind and vampire-kind alike. She loved the hidden colony as well. She would have been content anywhere, in any dimension, with Leto, but she confessed she was happy in this quiet, secret ascended world, happier than she would have been on Second Earth.
This was a good place to begin her life with Leto, camping with Casimir’s boys. She wanted to have children, and maybe one day she would.
* * *
An hour later, Leto was buried inside Grace and trying not to laugh. Making love to her and attempting to keep as quiet as possible in order not to awaken or frighten the boys had given his woman the giggles.
“I’m just not used to this,” she whispered, laughing all over again.
“Hush,” he said, but his smile was broad. “You’re not helping, and if they wake up we’ll have to stop.”
At that, she grabbed his bare ass and sunk her nails. “Oh, please don’t stop,” she whispered back.
He thrust hard into her just once, which made her entire body arch and her mouth fly open. He crushed what he knew would be a loud moan, by kissing her and driving his tongue into her mouth.
She gave up her laughter then, and with her own h*ps met his pelvis in answering grinds. But her moans started anyway. Ah, well, it couldn’t be helped. Grace was very vocal, and he loved it. Better to just make it quick.
By now he knew her body well. Because of the breh-hedden he could feel her responses, the pleasure she felt with each thrust, just as she had to be experiencing what it was like for him to have her body encase him and pull on him.
Heaven, he sent.
Yes, oh yes. I’m so close.
I can feel that you are.
He felt her orgasm ride through her body, which caused him to speed his thrusts just a little bit more. Sharp cries left her mouth. So much for keeping their lovemaking a secret from the boys. Hopefully they were sleeping deeply enough.
He came then, pleasure streaking through his c**k so that even he, despite his self-control, uttered a long low moan. But his pleasure brought her again, so he sustained the rocking until her body grew quiet and slack beneath his.
Her hands were on his face, something she had done from the beginning. “I love you, Leto.”
“I love you, too.”
“You’ve made me happier than you’ll ever know.”
But he thought he knew. If she experienced even a tenth of what he felt, the joy, the deep sense of peace, and even a feeling of purpose in their breh-hedden union, then he did know something of her happiness.
Later, as Grace fell asleep in his arms, Leto gave thanks for the life he’d been given, for a life that had been returned to him in full measure. How far he’d come from Moscow Two when he was on the brink of death. Now he stood, and perhaps would forevermore, at the gates of rapture.