Chapter 123 - From scoundrel to hero

**Hopes pov**

The pain in my chest as I walked home from the clinic was dull, Luna's grief was noticeably worse. She had really tried but the woman's wolf was already gone. Emaciated after starving from the lack of contact with her human. The woman herself took her last breath soon after. Her gaunt face finally looked peaceful. My thoughts went to Anton and what this would mean for him. I don't know what decision Callum made regarding his father, either way the boy wasn't going to have it easy.
Callum got off the couch and rushed over to take me in his arms as soon as I opened the door. He had of course also felt the bond break when she died.
"I'm so sorry…I couldn't get her there in time, her wolf..neither Luna nor I could do anything."
"Shh, don't take this on, I should have known how bad it was, I've known she's been bad for a long time, I should have gotten more involved." We held each other in silence for a while. Luna and Beacon huddled together in our heads.
"I haven't felt any other bond break, you let him live?" I looked up into those blue eyes and could see Beacon looming past, I suspected they disagreed about Callum's decision.
"A while longer, but I didn't do it for him."
“Anton?" He nodded slowly in response to my question.
"The boy should not have to live on with the memory of a father who gives up and let his mate die. He will join us on the attack against the Sons. He will go in the front line and he will die as a warrior. Anton will honor his father's memory and remember that he died a warrior, a hero." It looked like the words left a bad taste in his mouth. The sins of a father can easily determine one’s destiny. Now Anton’s future would look brighter and get a lot easier.
“Have I told you how much I love you?” I kissed his neck up to his lips.
“Not that I can remember..” He murmured, busy kissing me back. I felt the hunger from both of us, the emotions of what we had just witnessed made our need to be close to each other that much greater. He slowly pulled my jumper over my head and as his fingers drew circles on my skin and his kisses left hot trails along my body, he dropped to his knees. He gently rubbed his nose over my round belly while whispering.
“Nothing could ever be more important than you and the life we created together.” I felt a lump form in my throat as my fingers played with his hair.
“Nothing.” I whispered back. On the way up he picked me up and carried me to the bathroom. My loving mate, the water was already running, I could smell the lovely oils he added. Candles were lit and the flames reflected in harmonious patterns on the tiles on the walls. He knew we would both want to wash this sad experience away. He continued undressing me and helped me into the tub. I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he poured us each a glass of wine and then began to undress himself. I could never get enough of the sight before me. Not just his body, he was built like a god. No, his insides, his big heart, his loyalty to the pack and his unwavering sense of justice. It shone through his facade and made him even more beautiful. He handed me the glass and stepped into the bath. He sat opposite me and took my feet and placed them on his chest. “How do you feel about the attack? Do you want to postpone it? Wait for Zandra to come back?” His question surprised me, I would have liked to forget everything else but us right now.
“No, we have to attack, who knows what Dirk might do if we wait too long. I don’t think he learned anything during his time here, but I don’t want to risk him seeing anything on his way out that could be harmful to us. But we may have to do it without the vampires.”
“Huh? Why? We talked to them just a few hours ago?”
“Zandra…I think she’s headed to Ambrogio…I think she went there to kill him.” I told him everything from the beginning. About Zandra believing Aayla demanded his death, how she carved the dagger from Aaylas tree and invented the soul separation spell.
He sat quietly for a long moment...
”I don’t know what I think about that...isn’t that weird? It wasn’t long ago that I wanted to tear him to pieces myself, now, I feel like I’ll miss him at the next barbecue party.” I chuckled a bit at the simile, but I understood what he meant.
”Yes, he has a way of growing on you...but we can’t get involved, this has to be between them. They are mates with the most horrible of backgrounds , only they can decide which path to take and I know he will let her make that decision.” He nodded slowly as he massaged my feet and I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling.
“There’s one more thing, it concerns my so-called father.” I told him about my time in the temple, about my conversation with Selene or the dream about it, whichever it was. “I’ll gladly kill him for you, problem solved.”
“I don’t really think it works that way”
"So, what do you want to do?”
“I don’t know yet, but if we get him, we’ll bring him back here, after all, I owe him a stay in a cell.”
Callum let go of my feet, grabbed my hand and pulled me to him. My belly wasn’t that big yet so I could still lay on top of him.
”How about we spend the rest of the night in our own bubble?” He spoke softly in my ear and nibbled on my earlobe.
“Mmm, I love our bubble, it’s my favorite place.” He grabbed my buttocks and pressed me harder against him. A wave of pleasure coursed through my lower belly and I felt the blood rush as he grew in the tight space between us. I demanded his mouth and my hunger was answered, our tongues danced and our breathing quickened, even though we were only pressing against each other I was already close to cum.
“Goddess, you taste good.” He murmured into my mouth as he nibbled on my lips. He grabbed my armpits and lifted me, I took support from the towel rail on the wall as he placed me on his face.
“Oh God...Callum...yes, yes, yes..." He sucked me into his mouth and his tongue worked my clit while with one finger started massaging my inside. Everything exploded, if it was the pregnancy that made me extra sensitive and receptive or if it was the break from everything around us I don’t know, it doesn’t matter, I screamed out my orgasm right there in the bath, sitting on Callum’s face.When I got down and stopped shaking, he let me slide back down onto his chest.
“Good?”
“No, terrible!” I giggled and smacked him lightly on the arm.
“In that case, I’ll make sure to make it nice for you in some other way.” He helped me stand up, when the water drained he rinsed us off, he stroked me deliberately slowly and soon I had to lean against him because my legs were shaking so much. He chuckled and carried me from the bathroom to the bed.
“They’re getting bigger, I like it.” He sucked one nipple into his mouth while his hand played with the other. I was going crazy with desire every time his member touched me, I could feel how hard he was and I knew he was waiting it out just to make sure I was satisfied. But I wanted him in me and I wanted him now!
“Callum, please...”
“Please what?”
“I want to feel you, I need you..please!!!” He hooked my leg with his arm, opening me up. He slowly rubbed against me a few times, partly to tease me a little extra, but also to lubricate himself with my juices. He kissed me deeply as he slowly pushed in. I had read somewhere that sex while pregnant was better, you were more sensitive, had more blood flow, but I could never have imagined this. It was like every nerve was raw, I felt everything, and it was wonderful. He started slowly, we kissed and our hands explored each other’s bodies as if it was the first time. I grabbed his ass and held him still, at first he grunted a little disapprovingly, he wanted to move, but I bit his lip and started moving under him, rolling my hips, massaging him with my insides. His grunts turned to moans and soon he was breathing heavily.
“Fuck Hope..you’re going to embarrass me...” He grabbed my arms and locked them over my head, took command and increasing his pace.
“Callum..I’m coming, I’m coming..” My insides had their own fireworks as I fell over the edge and I felt him come with me. We screamed out our orgasms, our frustrations and our anxieties over everything around us, we put it all in the same sack and threw it over the edge. We didn’t even get up and wash, we fell asleep there, in each other’s arms, still connected.