Chapter 53
"I can not stop looking at him," Manya gushed as she hugged Maksim to her chest.
True to his words, Owen had portaled Manya to the palace in hopes of getting her to help find the jinn. However, Manya refused to talk about anything until she met Maksim.
"My first grand baby!" Manya almost shed a tear as she kissed Maksim.
Owen wrapped his arms around Mavi and placed his chin on her shoulder. He couldn't get over the feeling of his heart being so full as he watched Manya talk to Maksim and cuddle him.
"He looks just like you," Manya said to Owen as she turned to look at him. "Look at those eyes! AH! My handsome boy!"
Mavi laughed from her spot in Owen's arms and leaned her head back. She felt him place a kiss on her shoulder as his arms tightened around her waist.
"I hate to break up such a tender moment," Caspian from from where he stood at the top of the stairwell. "But we need answers."
Manya watched Caspian descend the stairs carefully as she handed Maksim over to Mavi. The last time Manya had seen Caspian, we saw the vision of youthfulness. But now, as her eyes looked over his familiar features, she saw how much he had aged.
"So it's true?" Manya asked. "You really did give up your immortality."
"It was overrated," Caspian rolled his eyes.
"What will happen to your husband and your son now once you grow old like the rest of us and die?"
Mavi felt uncomfortable with the way the two spoke. She knew Caspian's immortality was something he didn't like to talk about. Exton had tried countless times to pursue him to let Gemma or the shamans make him an elixir to prolong his life, but Caspian refused every time.
"Let me go with dignity," He would always say. "I don't need borrowed time."
And then Exton would grow angry and grumpy and threaten him by saying Gemma would bring him back to life once he died.
"I made my bed, and now I must lie in it!" Caspian had once said smacking Exton with the folded fan he was holding. "Stop being so obsessed with me, god. People might think you actually like me."
Mavi had always admired Caspian's choice of letting his immortality go. But ever since she met Owen, her mind had changed. How could one not want to spend an eternity with the person they loved?
As she watched Caspian come down to the bottom of the stairwell, Mavi made a mental note to speak to Owen about when they should drink the elixir for themselves.
Rye had gained her immortality as soon as Xavier had marked her. His pure lycan blood made it easier for them. Exton and Gemma drank the elixir of immortality at their wedding. It was Xavier's gift to them and Mavi was sure her father had saved some for her and her mate as well.
"They will have to live with my memories like every other happy soul on earth," Caspian said as he fixed his top hat and bowtie. "That is how it should be."
"Yes," Manya nodded watching the extravagantly dressed merman.
"So where is this jinn?" Caspian raised a brow as he rubbed his satin gloved hands together in excitement. "Is he in a lamp?"
"No," Manya shook her head. "He's in Morocco."
Caspian's face fell, "Well that's no fun."
"He's no fun," Manya rub her arm as if she got chills just thinking about the smokeless being. "Are you sure you want to mess with him?"
"We're not messing with him," Caspian motioned for the group to follow him into the study Xavier had set up for them all. "We just want to poke him with a stick for a while."
Manya looked over her shoulder at Owen.
"He's kidding," Mavi said quickly as she watched the worry swim in Manya's eyes.
In front of them, Caspian covered his lips as he hid a chuckle. They all entered the newly refurbished room together as he removed his top hat and hung it on the coat rack.
"Any luck, Jiminy Cricket?" Caspian walked behind Adam and ruffled his hair as the boy poured over the pages of the spell book in front of him.
"I got the first four steps of the spell down," Adam said, chewing on the pencil in his hand. "Gemma is working on the rest."
"Very good," Caspian nodded. "And you?"
He turned to Toby who was sprawled out on the green couch with a book in his hands.
"What are you doing to help?" Caspian asked.
"He's the pretty thing for us to look at when our eyes grow numb from reading Roopcian," Exton said from the head of the table as he rubbed his temples.
"What he said," Toby pointed to Exton as he sat the book down.
"Ugh," Caspian mumbled. "Useless mutts. Except Gem and my Adam."
"Hello, Manya," Gemma came into the room with a cup of tea in her hand. "It's so nice to see you after so long."
Manya ripped her eyes away from the mountains of books on the table and looked at the blonde girl.
"Hello," she said. Her eyes lit up as she took in Gemma's belly. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you," Gemma laughed as she waddled over to the chair next to Toby. "Please, have a seat."
Owen handed Maksim to Manya as she sat down next to Gemma. He walked back to where Mavi perched on the table next to Adam and pulled out a chair.
"The jinn is in Morocco," Caspian announced.
"Morocco?" Exton shut the book in front of him.
"Yes, Exton," Adam said. "It's a country."
Exton threw a pen at Adam's head. His aim was perfect except Caspian intervened and changed the course of the flying pen mid flight. Owen's hand shot out and grabbed it as the pen changed direction and headed for Mavi's head.
"Can we have a normal discussion for once in this house?" Gemma glared at Adam and Exton. "One more interruption from anyone other than Maksim and I'll zap you like a fly."
Everyone around the room, except Manya, lowered their heads like little children. Gemma didn't get mad often, but when she did, it was deadly.
"You are going to make a great mother," Manya patted Gemma's knee.
"Thank you," Gemma smiled sweetly at the kind woman. "Okay, now back to the jinn."
"Yes," Manya nodded. "The first time I met Heyder was in Oman. Ivan and he were close friends. Then after the boys joined the king's guards I went to see him once more in Morocco."
"How did you convince him to help you with the silver blade ritual?" Toby sat up and smoothed his shirt. "Jinns aren't the most friendliest creatures."
"He owed Ivan a favor," Manya said quietly as she nestled a sleeping Maksim in his arms. "Heyder had left his realm because he had fallen in love with a human girl. She was from an affluent family and they used all sorts of charms to keep him away. Ivan had helped her escape and find Heyder."
"Oh wow," Gemma placed both of her hands around the tea she held and took a sip.
"Yes," Manya sighed. "Because of that Heyder had promised Ivan he could come to him for one favor."
"Do you think he will help us?" Owen asked.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure," Manya said. "Jinns are fickle creatures."
"We still have to try," Mavi declared. "I'm not going to lose my brother and son."
Behind her, Adam made a strange sound in the back of his throat, "Mavi....you know I love you right?"
Mavi turned to look at her best friend, "Of course."
"And you know I want you to be happy, right?"
"Adam just say what you have to," Mavi chuckled.
Adam took a deep breath, he looked at everyone in the room and then back at Mavi.
"I don't think you should keep Maksim here," he finally spilled.
The smile on Mavi's face dropped instantly as she realized he was serious. She slid off the table and peered at Adam as if she had misheard him.
"We all have been talking," Adam continued. "And we think it would be best if you send Maksim back."
Mavi didn't speak. She looked around the room as her brother, Gemma, and Toby avoided her eyes. The only one looking at her was Caspian.
"He has parents," Adam tried again when Mavi still didn't speak.
"He's my child," Mavi stated. "I'm his parent."
"No, Mavi," Adam shook his head. "Think about the Mavi that gave birth to him.....Azazel took him from her......you more than anyone should know what that can do to a mother. Remember what Rye had to go through then Azazel did the same to you?"
Mavi refused to accept Adam's words. She shook her head and turned to Manya who sat with a sleeping Maksim on her lap. Marching over, she picked up her child and walked out of the room, leaving everyone worried about her growing attachment to the child.
Owen rushed after her. He caught up to her on the stairs and called out.
"Mavi,"
But she didn't stop. Mavi held onto Maksim firmly and walked to the nursery. She placed him in the crib and kissed his forehead before walking back out. Owen stayed at her heels the whole time. He followed her quietly as she stormed into their room and shut the door behind himself.
"Princess," Owen began but Mavi stopped him.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"What?"
"Why didn't you say anything to them when they were talking about taking Maksim away from us?" Mavi demanded.
Owen opened his mouth to speak but couldn't get the words out.
"You feel the same way, don't you?" Mavi accused him in a quiet voice.
Owen sighed in frustration. He rubbed his face as he tried to think of what to say to calm her down.
"He's my baby!" Mavi said after a while when he didn't speak. "He's your son! Don't you care about him?"
"Of course, I do," Owen shut his eyes.
Mavi watched him for a while as a bitter feeling rose to her heart, "I see what's happening."
"What?" Owen looked at her in confusion. "What's happening?"
"You have a habit of pushing away people you care about," Mavi said as she took a step closer to him. "That's what you're doing to Maks."
"No." Owen said sternly.
"Yes, yes that's exactly what this is," Mavi said in anger as if everything was clicking in her head. "You did the same to me. You pushed me away. I had to almost drown in a frozen lake for you to accept me....You are not doing that to me again or to my child. You are not leaving us!"
"Our child," Owen said as his brown eyes cracked with hurt.
"No," Mavi shook his head. "He's my child. And I'm not going to let you push us away from me."
"Mavi," Owen took a step closer to his mate as she shook her head and pushed his arms away.
"No," Mavi said as Owen grabbed her arms and pulled her into his arms.
"Stop," He told her. "Stop it."
"Screw you, Owen Radacovick," Mavi pushed at his chest but the more she struggled the tighter he held her. "I can protect him all by myself. I do-"
"Keep talking and watch what happens princess," Owen pinned her to his chest and lowered his head to look into her eyes.
Mavi had a sense of deja vu as her mind flashed back to the frozen forests of Juniper. She bit down on her jaw as she glared up at those warm brown eyes.
"I don't need you to protect him," Mavi continued despite Owen's threat. "He's mine, and I wi-"
Her words were cut off as Owen grabbed the back of her head and pulled her mouth to his. Mavi gasped as his tongue invaded her mouth and his hands gripped her ass. She felt her insides begin to melt and her knees begin to buckle as Owen started to suck on her bottom lip.
Picking her up, Owen walked his princess over to the bed and dropped her onto the soft mattress. Before Mavi could even take another breath, he was on top of her again, kissing her and letting his hands roam all over her.
"If you want me to stop," Owen whispered into Mavi's ear. "Tell me."
Mavi was angry at him. Very angry. He wasn't playing fair.....she should have stopped him, but he felt so good against her skin.
"Should I stop?" Owen nibbled on Mavi's earlobe as his hands slipped under her shirt.
Mavi tightened her legs around him and pulled him closer, "No."
Owen's hands slipped under the waistband of her jeans, "How about now?"
"No," Mavi shook her head. She moaned softly as his long fingers slipped under her panties and touched her. She squirmed under his touch as her heels began to dig into the mattress.
"What did I say about staying still?" Owen's voice was deep and husky as his teeth grazed Mavi's jawline.
When Mavi didn't respond and moved again, Owen pulled his hands out. She almost whined at the loss of contact as he jumped off the bed.
"What are you doing?" Mavi demanded. "Come back here."
Owen looked at her over his shoulder and smirked. Mavi sat up on the bed breathlessly as she watched him walk over to her dresser and pull out one of her black hair ribbons. Her breath hitched in her chest as Owen walked back to the bed with the ribbon in his hand and a devilish handsome smile.
"You, my dear princess," Owen whispered as he grabbed Mavi's legs and pulled her to the edge of the bed. "Need to stop being such a brat."
"No," Mavi bit down on her bottom lip as she placed a foot on Owen's rock hard abs and pushed him back. She watched as her little move only made Owen's eyes grow darker.
He leaned forward and grabbed her wrists. Mavi watched with labored breaths as he used the black ribbon to tie her hands together. Once done, he leaned her back until her back hit the throw pillows. Owen climbed on top of her and pushed her bound hands over her head.
"How will I take off my shirt?" Mavi lifted her head off the pillows and captured Owen's lips.
"I could just rip them off of you," Owen suggested. "Do I have your permission, your grace?"
"Yes," Mavi said a little too quickly. She felt Owen smile against her lips as his hands gripped the shirt she wore and tore it open. He undid the front hook of her bra and then moved onto her jeans.
Mavi laid naked on the bed as she watched him take his clothes off. When he came back to her, she raised her hips off the bed and sighed when he felt his skin against her.
"Mavi," Owen's deep voice forced Mavi to open her eyes and look at him.
"Yes?"
"I love you," Owen said as he slid inside of her.
Mavi's mouth opened in a moan as she wrapped her legs around his waist, "I love you too."
"Don't you ever say you don't need me," Owen pushed the stray hairs out of her face and looked into her eyes as he moved deeper and deeper into her. "There is nothing in this world I won't do for you. You got that, princess?"
"Yes," Mavi nodded as she urged him to move faster with her legs.
"Stop overreacting and trust me," Owen buried his head in the crook of her neck and bit down on her mark again. "Listen to me."
"Owen," Mavi called out his name as fireworks began to explode behind her eyelids.
"I am not leaving you," Owen whispered into her ear. "You're my princess and I can't get enough of showing you all the things I think of doing to you all day long."
Mavi tried to move her bound hands around his neck, but Owen stopped her and pinned her back down. He moved in and out of her as she climaxed and called out his name. But Owen didn't stop.
He kept up his torturous rhythm as his mouth moved to Mavi's shoulder. She felt him bite down on her gently as her stomach tightened again.
"Oh my god," Mavi moaned as Owen chuckled in her ear. She squeezed her limp legs around him as he made her scream his name again.
"You ever gonna talk back when I tell you to stop?" Owen asked, kissing the bottom of Mavi's ear.
"Yes," Mavi laughed.
"Oh really now?" Owen picked up his head and looked into her smiling eyes. "You're gonna keep talking?"
Mavi wrapped her legs around his waist once more and lifted her hips.
"Yes." She said looking into his eyes through her lashes.
"You keep running that mouth and watch what happens," Owen smirked.
"What are you gonna do, Owen Radacovick?" Mavi asked as she lifted her head and sucked on his bottom lip.
When she pulled back and saw the look in Owen's eyes, her insides grew warm with excitement. She liked challenging him and he liked giving it back to her.
I have decided I will take my time with this book, even if that means more chapters.