Chapter 37 FAMILY CHRISTMAS

Chapter 37 FAMILY CHRISTMAS
Lukas P.O.V

I haul her off the dresser in a fast motion, making her shriek, then I turn her around, and in one swift motion I enter her pussy, still wet and tight from her orgasm.
Fuck, she feels too good to be true, like a dream.
I want to be gentle, but my need for her is driving me insane and I can’t control myself. I grab her breasts with both hands and squeeze, while I thrust in her harsh and fast. I keep pounding into her, an arm now around her waist, holding her up, as her legs have already turned soft. But I’m not done, I want more, all this anger and frustration from these last days fuel me, making me speed up even faster. The slapping of skin against skin and Cindy’s moans fill the room in an erotic symphony that quickly brings me to my downfall. With a few deep jerky thrusts, I come undone inside her, filling my mate up with the fruit of our love making.
Breathing heavily, I gently pull out of her and cradle her in my arms. I kiss her softly and she smiles, but I can see that she’s spent; I might have gone too hard on her.
I take her to the annex bathroom and run a bath, and then soak us both in the hot water, feeling my muscles relax completely. 
I sigh. There’s nothing better than a hot bath after having had sex with my mate.
“Feeling better?” Cindy asks me while stretching like a cat in the tub.
“I do. Are you feeling ok?” 
I’m still a little worried I’ve been too harsh.
“Ok? I’m feeling great!” she says ecstatic. “Today’s sex was mind-blowing.”
I know she’s exaggerating to boost my ego and to erase my worries, but it still makes my wolf parade proudly in my head.
“Good.” 
I kiss her naked shoulder and let my hands roam lazily on her breasts and stomach. This woman is just perfection, and she’s all mine. 
“So, what are we going to do next?” she asks, sighing hornily when my fingers flick her nipple.
“First, I kill Danny the prick, then I chain Hazel to her bed and try to locate Derek. When we find him, Meera can cure him, and we’ll live all happily ever after.” 
Cindy laughs, making the water in the tub ripple. My water Goddess.
“Yeah, good luck with that. Hazel is never going to stay put, not until she’s found Derek.”
I sigh defeated, knowing that she’s dead right about it.
“Is it true that she’s pregnant?” she asks, trying to mask her excitement and apprehension. “I heard the doctor talking to Damon, they have scheduled an ultrasound for tomorrow.”
“Why not today?” I ask perplexedly. 
“Maybe because today is Christmas? And people have a right to celebrate with their families. Even doctors.”
The news hits me like a bombshell. With the rescue mission going on, I completely lost track of time. Today’s is Erik’s first Christmas, and I’m not celebrating it with him, instead I’m here soaking my frustration in a bathtub.
“Out. We need to get dressed and celebrate Erik’s first Christmas.”
I practically order, while sitting up in the tub.
Cindy laughs but complies, she hands me a towel, and in record time, we are downstairs, ready to celebrate our son’s first Christmas.
The scene that meets me at the entrance of the living room has my heart skip a beat. The room is fully decorated for Christmas, with a huge Christmas tree near the floor-length window, stocking and fir branches over the hearth and scented candles which smell of cinnamon and vanilla. Hazel is still hanging a few decorations to the tree, while mom is sitting on the sofa playing with Erik, who’s giggling at the cute faces Meera is making behind mom’s back. Damon is placing a tray filled with hot chocolate mugs and cookies on the coffee table, while admiring subtly Meera’s ass. 
Cindy grins openly looking up at me, and I know immediately that she had a part in all this. 
“Merry Christmas,” she whispers and kisses my cheek lightly. 
I smile, feeling happy and at peace, like I haven’t felt in a very long while. 
Derek is missing and many dangers still await us ahead, but at least for one day, I want to forget that, and enjoy this celebration with my family and friends, because it’s these small happy moments that make our lives worth living.
“Hot chocolate, really?” I mock. “Are we out of the good stuff?”
Damon smirks.
“These are for the ladies. I had my eyes on your Hennessy XO for a while.”
He winks, then goes to retrieve the two glasses and the amber liquor.
I pick up Erik from the sofa, where he was still giggling like a little charmer, and cradle him with my right arm. I kiss his forehead lightly, making him giggle again. 
It’s crazy how something so little can give the room so much positive energy. He’s like a little magical bundle which draws us all in, makes us forget all the bad stuff and fills us with joy and hope.
Cindy approaches us and hugs us, placing another kiss on Erik’s cheek. He immediately recognizes his mommy and flails his little arms indicating that he wants to switch. Sometimes I’m jealous of the way mommy always gets more affection from Erik than I do, but I guess it’s because he’s still very little and mommy delivers his food. Wait until he’s able to run and play, and the table will turn!
Cindy takes Erik from me swiftly and he giggles happily, the little traitor, then she nudges me and silently, but not very subtly, motions with her chin in the direction where Hazel’s standing. 
She’s still absorbed in hanging the tree decorations, I don’t know if it’s a way to avoid any unpleasant conversation with me, or if she’s just too much on her mind and is needing some space.
Without the bloodied clothes she does look a little better, but she’s so thin her face is gaunt and pale, and her frame looks so fragile she would crumble and fall apart if you touched it.
She probably feels me staring, because suddenly she turns my way and her gaze settles on me. She looks uncertain and a little guarded, like she’s worried I’ll go on a rampage again; but this time I won’t, I feel much calmer.
Not able to avoid it any longer, I approach her slowly, and I see her swallow, like she’s getting ready for a long scolding. At least she knows she’s fucked up. It’s a start.
“Feeling better?” I ask, making small talk.
“Yes, thank you.”
She doesn’t even look at me when answering, she keeps her eyes focused on the tree she’s still decorating. 
I hate how weird things are between us. We have worked so hard to get back to the friendship we had, after what happened during her heat. (Fyi, we nearly fucked, but luckily Derek showed up before we could do much, and that’s when I discovered Cindy was my mate. Huge mess, but we all worked it out, and we are all good now.)
“Look, I’m sorry for yelling at you, especially when you were so vulnerable. I just was so angry at myself for letting that happen to you, and angry at you for shutting me out.”
She looks up, guilt written all over her face, lips parted ready to say something, but I beat her to it.
“We are friends, we should be able to take care of each other. How would you feel if I were in trouble and I completely blank you out? You could not know how I am, where I am, if I’m dead or alive. How would that make you feel?”
A long-charged pause follows my tirade. No one even dares to breathe.
Then Hazel lowers her head and says, “I’m sorry.” And I can see that she really means it. That’s what I wanted, for her to understand how she made us feel, powerless, excluded.
I hug her tightly, surprising her a little. One of those bear hugs that only big brothers can give. She melts into my embrace and hugs me back, although her grip is frail, showing just how weakened her body is.
“Someone needs to eat a lot of food.” I joke, “Erik has a stronger hold than yours.”
She looks up, her eyebrows furrowed.
“I don’t need strength when I’ve powers.” 
That cheeky glint in her eyes tells me she’s going to try something, but to her own utter surprise, nothing happens. 
For a moment, she stares at her hands like she can find some answer there, then she shakes her hands out and scolds her expression into one of sheer concentration.