Novels by Natalie May

Sebastian straightened up, trying to maintain his composure. "I’m here to take you home, Alora. It’s been long enough. The babies… they need to be in a stable environment. You haven’t even been to your checkups in a while."“Oh, so now you care about that?” I crossed my arms, glaring at Sebastian. "I’m not going anywhere with you. I’ve told you already. I’m staying here."My father looked between the two of us, his eyes narrowing. "What is this nonsense, Alora? Why are you refusing to go home?""I’m staying here because I want to, Dad. I need space. And if you also don’t want me here, then all you have to do is say the word. Sebastian has been nothing but trouble since he’s come into our lives. And why are you taking his side all of a sudden? Aren’t you supposed to be mad at him?"My father sighed. “I’m only thinking of what’s best for you, Alora. And that means putting our differences aside if that’s what it’ll take.”Sebastian's face tightened. "I came here to check on my wife and

"Get me the seedlings for the daisies, I tilled the soil for them yesterday.""Alright ma'am.""And don't take too long Anna, I'd like to be done with this so I can go up and wash myself. I smell like a farmer." I said and Anna chuckled slowly as I walked into the house to go get me the seedlings I needed for my garden.Not long, I heard some rustling behind me and I smiled, she really didn't waste much time."That was fast." I laughed lightly as I turned to tease her but as I saw who it was my smile dropped.The man from hell, Sebastian."Hi." he greeted as he strutted towards me, hands in his pockets."Hi." All the excitement I was sharing with Anna was suddenly gone and had vanished into thin air, my tone was clipped and my reply as curt as possible."You look busy." he said as he approached me."I am busy." I replied him and tried to stand up from the floor, an action my small baby bump was preventing me from doing easily.Sebastian set out his hand for me to take as an anchor in

I sat with Anna in my room later that day. I brought out the potion and showed it to her.She gasped and collected it from my hands. “You found it.”“I did…” I smiled softly. “You don’t look happy about it though. Why is that?”I smiled at how observant Anna was. “I know that it’s what I wanted. But now that I have it, I’m not so sure anymore.”Anna nodded in understanding. “You love him.”“I do…” I said, my voice breaking. I sniffled and wiped a stray tear to stop it from falling. “And anyway, I couldn’t use it even if I wanted to. It would affect the babies. I have to make a choice.”“You’re not going to…”“Of course not.” I replied, knowing exactly what she was hinting at. “I’ll keep it safe. At least until the babies are here. And then I’ll figure out what to do then.”Anna nodded. “Okay.”I stood up from the bed and hid the potion in one of my bottom drawers. It would be safe there. Anna left and I was left alone again with my thoughts. I had never been so unsure all my life. I

The journey back home was anything if not awkward. Sebastian and Lucian ignored each other, except for the occasional stink eye they were giving each other. I ignored the both of them and walked beside Emory. We took breaks when I got tired. Morning came and we were still walking. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, we were approaching Crescent pack. I pulled Sebastian to the side. “I think I’ll stay with my parents for now. You and your men can go on. Lucian will walk me the rest of the way.”“I can do that.”“I don’t want you to.”“Alora, you barely know this man!”“I think I can say the same thing about you, Sebastian. Look, I’m not asking for your permission. I need space. I need time to figure out what to do next. You don’t expect things to magically be okay between us because you showed up like a knight in shining armor to save me, do you?” I made air quotes when I said save me.Sebastian wiped a hand down his face. “Why are you doing this, Alora? Just why?”I scoffed.

Sebastian was here. His voice was unmistakable. I knew I’d heard it. I rushed outside. I screamed at the sight in front of me. Sebastian was outside with at least twenty men. The camp members were all on their knees, their things scattered and all over the place. One of the men grabbed Celia and made her kneel down too.“Let her go! What do you think you’re doing?” I shouted helplessly.Sebastian ran to my side and hugged me. I wiggled free from him. “Alora. Are you okay? Are you hurt? What did they do to you? I’ve been looking all over for you. You’re safe now okay? I’ve got you. You have nothing to worry about.”He was rambling and I could barely understand a word of what he was saying. I was focused on the camp. The twins were crying. Lucian was on the floor and one of the soldiers had his feet firmly planted on his back. “Let them go, Sebastian. What do you think you’re doing?”“They took you. I’ve come to save you.”“What the hell are you saying? Nobody took me. Tell your men t

Lucian’s mother stared at me long and hard. It was like she wanted to ask questions, but in the end, she decided against it. She looked at my thigh. "How's your thigh by the way? I made sure I used the best herbs in treating you.""Oh, it was you?" I was a little surprised.She laughed. "Yeah, I'm a herbal healer.""Oh my, thank you so much. I hardly feel any pain there anymore. I think it’s all healed.""It'll be better in a few days, might leave a scar but I have just the remedy for that too.""Oh, I'd like that thank you.” There was silence after that. I didn’t want her to get up and leave. The simple fact that she had nursed me back to health was proof that she didn’t hate me. I wanted to keep talking to her. “How did you get to learn such a skill?""I've spent way too much time here, in this jungle. I was alone for a while. I had to figure out how to heal myself and things like that. And I guess it just became a part of me. If you don't mind me asking…""Yeah?”"You're pregnant.

CHRISTIAN & HAZEL I chuckled as the doctor squirted the gel on Hazel’s tummy, making her squirm. Hazel always reacted to the cold. I kissed her and watched as the wand moved back and forth, and the image became clearer. “There’s your baby.” The doctor, Suzanne smiled, clicking and measuring. I held my breath as she turned on the sound, and I heard the heartbeat. The odd noise filled the room, the fast, steady sound like music to my ears. “You’re sure you want to know the sex?” “Yes!” Hazel and I exclaimed. “It’s a girl,” Suzanne announced. I laughed. “I’m surrounded. My own little harem.” Hazel’s eyes were focused on the screen. She tilted her head, looking confused. “It all looks good…” Suzanne’s voice trailed off. I frowned at the subtle change in the noise. It was faster, like an echo of itself, the strumming continuous. “Well, look who’s been hiding,” Suzanne mused and glanced over at us. She grinned and winked at me. “You did good, Christian.” She peered at the screen in

HAZELI crawled into bed with Christian, snuggled into his side, and rested my head on his chest. He groaned as he shifted.“Are you all right?” I asked, worried that I had hurt him.He nodded. “Colin warned me that getting the sensation back in my legs was going to hurt. He’s fucking right.”Between rushing after Valerie, walking for everyone, moving around the house with his walker, and sitting on Valerie’s bed as he read to her for over an hour, I knew he was exhausted. But when I asked if he was ready to sleep, he said he wasn’t. I felt the same way too. Mentally, I was still wide awake. “Do you want some pain killers?”“No. As weird as it sounds, I want to feel it. I never thought I would get to this point, so aches and all, I’m going to go with it.”I laughed softly. “You’re right, Christian. You are weird.”He dragged her up his chest,causing a little gasp of surprise to escape me.“You wanna help me forget about the aches, Hazel?” he murmured in my ear, biting my lobe. “Make m

The room around me buzzed with activity. Voices, people moving, talking to me, trying to get my attention. I held my breath, scared that if I even so much as breathed, I would miss something important.My focus was on one thing. The doctor examining Valerie. I had insisted, and finally Hazel relented, seeing how upset I was about her. My wife glanced up, smiling as she lifted Valerie to her shoulder. She tilted her chin, letting me know everything was okay. A fact that she was certain of, but I needed to be sure. She handed Valerie over to me and escorted the doctor out and I relaxed, pressing a kiss to my daughter’s head. She looked up, wrinkling her nose.“Hi, Daddy.” “Hey, baby girl.” She patted my hand. “Boo-boo better,” she cooed. “Good.” “Yeah, Daddy feels better.” I brushed a curl off her face. “How did you know?” She pushed on my cheek with her tiny finger. “You Daddy again. You smile.” I dropped my head, pressing kisses all over her sweet little fa

I had never tried to comfort a person still caught between being a young man and a grown-ass adult. I had never reached out and been the role model.It was another lesson I was learning.Dennis was emotional. Filled with apologies. Begging for forgiveness. Once I broke through his stuttering words and barely held-back sobs, I set him straight.“What happened was not your fault. You didn’t put me in this wheelchair, Dennis. None of it is your doing. You need to stop blaming yourself.”“I can’t.”“You can. Get some help. I’ll ask Randy to take you on. He is an amazing person to help you sort things out and get your head straight.” I barked out a laugh. “If he can handle my shit, he can help you.”“But he’s here.”“Yes,” I agreed. “Which is where you need to be. You have a life waiting here for you, Dennis. A job you’re good at. Friends. Family.” I huffed out a breath. “Don’t let that day define you. Move past it.”“The guilt,” he said quietly. “It holds me hostage. That I’m walking arou

I grabbed her hips, guiding her. Pushing her up and pulling her back down. She sobbed my name, her back arching as her release washed through her. I watched as she lost herself in the moment. I had forgotten how beautiful she was in her release. The way her entire frame shuddered. How she bit her lip and lowered her chin as if sinking into the feeling. The breathiness of my name falling from her lips. And how it felt when her muscles fluttered, tightened around me, taking all I had—giving me so much more.My body strained, the urge to thrust and grind against her eclipsing everything else. An orgasm hit me, obliterating everything in its path. I saw stars, the ecstasy was so great. I opened my mouth in a soundless scream, and somewhere, deep inside, I felt a flex, the pinching of muscles not used for so long now gripping, then vanishing as fast as they had engaged. A long, agonized sound escaped as my entire being surrendered. The pain, the pleasure, the sweet torture of it all.Hazel

CHRISTIANThe taste and feel of my wife chased away the last lingering remnants of my dream. Hazel wasn’t walking away. She was right here, with me, in my arms.Right where she should be.I kissed her deeply, seeking out her tongue with mine, stroking hard and deep. Reclaiming her mouth. Reclaiming her. I yanked her tight to my chest, pulling off the towel she had draped around her body. I pushed down the blanket that covered me, needing to feel her. I dragged her over my lap, groaning at the feel of her weight pressing down on me. Still kissing her, I slid my hands over her silken thighs, parting them and settling her so she straddled me.She pulled back, gasping. “Is this okay?”“Fucking yes, it’s okay.” I pressed my mouth to her neck, licking up the damp, elegant column of her throat. “It’s fucking perfect.” I murmured. “You’re so perfect for me, Haze. And I’m such an idiot. Everything that has happened, it only made you stronger, but not me… I got weak.”She grabbed my face, holdi