Second Assault — Bond And Treason —

Chapter 33 - Count On Me

Thursday, April 18th. Alexei & Xander's room, 8:40 a.m.

XANDER

When I returned to our bedroom last night, after saying goodbye to Lev and Yaakov, Magnus was

already asleep. He had stripped off the clothes, leaving them scattered all over the floor, keeping only

the boxers on, and small snores escaped from his half-open lips. He must have been exhausted or the

emotions ended up draining his energy, falling into a deep sleep.

He wasn't even disturbed when, forty minutes later, I climbed into bed next to him, having taken a much

needed and well-deserved shower. I left a kiss, more like a subtle touch on his chest, before I closed

my eyes and surrendered to the world of dreams as well. In the middle of the night, I feel his body

pressing against mine, his firm torso caressing my back, and his strong arm encircling my waist, pulling

to attract me more to him.

—I love you, kitty — whispered in my ear in a low, deep voice, the lips touching my hearing aid and

causing a pleasant chill along my spine.

I smile, although my expression is clouded by the darkness of the room, and I move even more

towards him, absorbing his heat and feeling the warmth of his breath on my shoulder and neck. I close

my eyes and enjoy his proximity. When I wake up in the morning, I'm practically on top of his body, in

contact with all that delicious amount of naked skin.

The only parts that are still in contact with the sheets are my right hand and my toes. I don't even

remember when or how the hell I managed to crush him in this way and I feel a little bad, even if he

doesn't seem uncomfortable at all. My cheek is flattened against his chest and every time he breathes,

a lock of my hair moves, tickling my nose.

I don't want to move, but in the end, I give up and with all the care in the world, stand up. He just

shakes and wrinkles the eyebrows a bit, but then his breathing gives away that he is still asleep. I sigh

of relief and confirm on my phone that it is barely six o'clock in the morning. I giggle, my brain always

playing up and working better than any alarm.

I go to the bathroom and do my usual grooming routine. Clean, dry and dressed, I send a message to

Lev and ask him to please take care of sending us breakfast.

I don't know if Magnus is in the mood to eat, but I still want to have something for him, just in case. I

leave the cell on the bedside table and sit on the edge of the bed, watching him.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing him like that. There have been many times when I have taken

advantage of his unconsciousness and admired the perfection of his features. The smooth skin, the

firm muscles, the shiny brown hair, the masculine profile, the thin and delicious lips... It drives me crazy.

—Are you done observing? — His amused voice startles me and I put a hand on my chest, trying to

soothe my heart. When the hell did he wake up?

—For God's sake, Magnus — I gasp and he opens the eyes, a sensual smile is drawn on his lips —.

How long have you been awake?

—Since you climbed down from me — sighs, while extending an arm and his hand closes on my naked

thigh —. You look sexy in my clothes, kitty — Yeah, I found out how much I like wearing his shirts. It

would be useless to try to dress up some other of his garments, as he outgrows me by far. But the

shirts are wide and long enough to reach almost to my knees.

I also love to smell his scent on the fabric and surrounding my skin. It's quite addictive. When I came

out of the bathroom, I took out one of his white shirts and put it on. I didn't even have to undo the

buttons, my head slipped through the opening without a problem.

His gaze ran down my naked legs with lust, slowly running the tongue over the lips. My Omega begins

to purr, responding to his call with excitement.

—You and your early-waking-up habit, kitty — says, glancing at mine with a little frown —. Do you

know how lonely I was when you left?

—I was crushing you, Magnus — I respond, unable to stop myself from laughing —. I'm surprised you

didn't push me to the other side of the bed yourself.

—If I didn't, it was because I didn't mind — reaching out to me —. Come here — I quickly crawl, my

knees sinking into the mattress and the sheet crumpling between my fingers. I step one leg over his

body until I am sitting astride him, cross my hands on his chest and rest my chin on top. He smiles —.

That's better — leaves a kiss on my nose and with the right hand, buries the fingers in my hair.

I close my eyes and purr again, enjoying his caresses.

—Did you sleep well? — I ask after a while. I hope to address the issue of Fred, but I don't want to drop

the bomb from the beginning and make him feel uncomfortable.

—Let's say I did — he grimaces and averts the eyes to the ceiling —. I'm not sure how I feel now — I

know, I can get a glimpse of his inner self through the bond, all that clutter of mixed emotions and

fighting with each other overwhelming me too.

—Give them a chance, honey — I kiss the center of the chest with sweetness and that's when his gaze

falls back on me —. I don't know about Angelo or Derek, but Fred truly has feelings for them.

—He's my brother, Xander. I've always tried to keep him safe, even though sometimes, things didn't

work out the way I wanted, but... — a heavy sigh comes from his half-open lips —. Just... Fuck, I don't

know.

—Are you afraid he's gonna get hurt? — I mumble, unsure how he'll react. He is silent for a few

seconds, with an absent expression as his thumb absently brushes my lower lip.

—Yes... I guess — finally states, the frown deepening between his eyebrows —. Besides, Derek has

been stalking you since he arrived and even before that. How can you expect me to believe that he's

suddenly "in love"... — by making the quotation marks with the fingers —. With Fredek? And in all

honesty, I don't know what to expect from Angelo. Damn it, the guy miraculously appears in our lives

and despite I am grateful for everything he has done for us, I still can't let my guard down with him.

I nod with a slight movement of my head, processing his words. He's partly right, he barely knows

Angelo, and Derek has given him enough reasons to distrust his sincerity. But in the end, the decision

was Fredek's... And he's already made his choice.

—No one told you to let your guard down, honey. What I do ask is that you trust Fred — I raise a hand

and rub my knuckles on his cheek.

—What do you suggest I do? — his question takes me by surprise, I would never expect him to request

my opinion. Even if I planned to give it to him anyway.

—To wait — I put a finger in his lips when I sensed he wanted to protest —. I know it's not what you

want to hear, but the right thing isn't always what makes us happy.

—But, Xander...

—No buts, Magnus — I pinch his cheek and he winces, even though I know it didn't hurt at all —. Give

him time to experience the novelty of what's happening and to confirm on his terms whether Derek and

Angelo are indeed in sync with his feelings.

—What if it doesn't work? — grabs the hand that I pinched him with and bites my index finger without

hurting me.

—I trust he'll know what to do — I laugh when he does the same thing with my thumb — Fred's not a

child anymore, honey. He's old enough to make decisions for himself and has the freedom to

experiment — he grimaces.

—You were right up until the experimenting part — I laugh harder.

—I go back and repeat, he is no longer a child. He's an adult and you have to let him make his choices

— sighs and stays silent for a long time. His hand returns to my hair and plays with the locks in a

distracted way, watching me with eyes half-closed. I lose myself in his gaze, thinking how lucky I am to

have such a man for myself... And only for me.

—I hope you're right, kitty — adds eventually in a low voice —. I know he's an adult now, but to me,

he'll never stop being my mischievous and rebellious little brother. Protecting him was and will always

be my responsibility and I love him with all my heart, even if I don't always know how to show it — his

words warm my chest and if I thought I couldn't love him more, I was deeply wrong.

—He knows, honey — I smile and kiss him —. I promise you, that's how it is — his eyes become clear

and looks away from me in shame —. Though it wouldn't kill you to tell him more often — That makes

him laugh, and seems relieved and grateful that I managed to distract him and prevent the tears from

appearing. He kisses me on the forehead, lasting a few seconds with his lips on my skin before parting.

—What would I do without you? — his hair shining from the sun's rays that stream through the window,

but that doesn't take my breath away as much as the love that is reflected in his gaze.

—Believe me, honey. Even I don't want to know the answer to that — laughs before leaning over and

kissing me. I sigh happily and allow myself to be carried away, enjoying the emotions that embrace

both of us under his shelter and bring us even closer together. Despite the circumstances, I have never

been happier.

My grandmother once told me that, someday, I would meet a good man, who would love me and would

move heaven and earth to make sure I was happy. Our home would be full of babies and I would be

the luckiest Omega in the world.

I shrieked with happiness and leaped around our shattered house, emotion coursing through my veins

and thousands of images and illusions, which would overshadow the best fairy tales, developed in my

mind.

That lit up my days for a long time. Indeed, Magnus does not exactly fit the concept of a "good man",

and there is no longer any possibility of having children at all, but I am sure that everything else has

already been fulfilled. The kiss was long and soft. Magnus moved us until I was under his body and he

dipped into my mouth with passion and tenderness, holding my hands.

His tongue made its way inside me and I could take advantage of it to taste him as I pleased. Moans

originate in my throat and escape through my lips, getting lost inside his mouth. His hands hold my

waist above my shirt and bring me closer to him. Now I can feel his hardness pressing on my stomach

and mine forming a tent under the fabric, as I am not wearing any underwear. He notices and breaks

the kiss. Then, a playful smile appears on his sensual lips.

—Well, well — his raspy voice only makes my excitement grow more —. Perverted pussycat — his

hand is placed between my thighs and starts to rise, very, very slowly —. You were expecting this,

weren't you? — His touch warms my skin and makes me pant.

—I won't deny that I hoped something would happen — his smile widens and I groan as his fingers

brush against my ball sack.

—You're so sensitive — leans and kisses me, this time deeper and more urgently. With the index

finger, he runs along the length of my erection gently. I moan and spread my legs, allowing him better

access.

Traces circular movements in the head, expanding the pre-semen drops around, devouring my mouth,

sucking my tongue and biting my lips. When I feel more fingers joining in the delicious torture, a few

knocks on the door cause us to separate. His hand moves away and I release a frustrated sound. The

idiot laughs, gets out of bed and I pull the shirt down over my legs again.

I sit down and press the back against the backrest. He grabs a pair of sweatpants from the closet and

puts them on quickly so that he can open the door. One of the henchmen brings a trolley loaded with

plates, a jug of juice and two steaming cups of coffee. Despite my frustrated excitement, I hear my

stomach roar.

—Hungry, kitty?

ALEXEI

Two hours later, with a full stomach and a satisfied kitty, I leave our bedroom and go in search of my

cousin. Xander told me about his message and now I'm on my way to meet him. I feel renewed

strength and my steps are firm against the soft carpet of the corridors. I enter my office a few minutes

later and sit at my desk, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep breath. I don't have to wait long until

Yaakov makes his appearance.

—Fuck, man — says as soon as he sees me, closing the door with a loud bang —. I just heard about

Fred and I don't have the bloody words to express my astonishment to you — collapses on the chair in

front of me and lights a cigarette too. I wouldn't bother, if it wasn't for the fact that he grabbed one of

mine.

—Yeah, well. I assure you that a smile wasn't what I had when I found out — I take another whiff and

blow the smoke out of my lips.

—And with Derek? — grimaces —. The guy doesn't waste time going from one cute guy to another,

huh?

I'm trying not to let his comment upset me, but the truth is, it does... Very much so. He' right, knowing

that recently he was behind Xander, picking up whatever crumbs of affection he could get, and now

apparently he's madly in love with my brother, seems pretty illogical, if you ask me.

But I want to believe that Xander is right and this time I'll step aside and let my brother make the

decisions. It's his life, as hard as it is for me to admit. Of course, at no point did I say I wouldn't watch

them through the cameras.

—I'd rather not talk about it anymore, Yaak — I'm pinching the bridge of my nose before looking at him

—. You'd better tell me about the mission. Xander informed me it would be the day after tomorrow.

—That's right — with a pleased smile, crossing one leg over the other —. Everything's ready. The men,

the weapons, the explosives, and the guts.

—Perfect. And why did you decide that Saturday would be a good day to attack?

—The man Adrik sent informed us that Dimitri will be in the mansion that day, but a portion of his men

will be out to transport some merchandise to the docks.

—At what time? — I give the cigar another drag before I crush it in the ashtray.

—At ten o'clock. Which is useful, since the darkness will allow us to hide better.

—How many men will be remaining at the site?

—About sixty. It's pretty big house after all, but we have the advantage that they're all human —

laughs, slapping one knee with the palm —. Fuck, that motherfucker's the only shifter inside that place.

—Yeah, but we're still not letting our guard down. We'll strike with the same ferocity, we won't give the

bastards a chance.

—Wait a second — the smile wipes off his face and he leans over the desk, supporting with the elbows

—. You're not going with us, are you?

—Of course I am. What did you expect?

—Don't even think about it! — hits the desk and jumps out of the chair, staring at me —. You must be Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

out of your mind. You can't go, we can take care of it ourselves.

—And I'm not asking your permission — I grunt back —. I'll go and there's no way you can convince

me otherwise. Dimitri must only perish under my own hands. I'll be the one to see the life leave him.

—That's why we can bring him here, Magnus. You don't need to put yourself at risk — running a hand

through his hair, evidently frustrated.

—If everything goes as well as you claim, I don't have to be at risk.

—Yes, but you know perfectly well that things could change quickly, leaving us at a disadvantage —

sighs regretfully, gazing at me seriously —. Magnus, you're not a rookie. We've faced this kind of

situation together countless times. Plus, you're the leader of this organization and on top of that, you've

got Xander, who's still traumatized by everything that's happened. Think things through.

—Yaakov, I won't change my mind — yes, maybe I'm being a hard-head and just complicate things

further with my presence on the scene, but revenge moves me and I'll be the last person Dimitri will

see before dying —. You have your partner here too and you'll still go. And I won't risk bringing that

scumbag here so Xander can see him, so get that absurd idea out of your head.

—Goddamn it, Magnus — closing the eyes and sighing —. All right, but on one condition.

—Fuck you. I'll go and I don't need your permission, Yaakov — irritation seeping into my tone.

—It's not my permission you need, it's my instructions, asshole — pointing a finger at me.

—. So listen to me carefully, the groups will be divided into four parts and you can kick, scream, insult

and threaten me all you want, but you'll go in last.

—And now you listen to me — I stand up and imitate his gesture, bringing my face closer to his —. I

don't give a damn where he is or with whom, as long as I am the one who sends Dimitri Zhukovski

straight to hell.

—Done — nods happily, straightens up, and fixes his suit jacket. I think the situation is ridiculous, so

much tension so that, in the end, he would agree so easily —. I will notify you if anything happens.

—Good. Now all that's left is to count the hours.