“You marked me our first night?” I smiled widely, “Yuri no middle name Ebsen, did you like me like me?”
“I don’t know about the first time,” he admitted, “but the morning after I did. When you lifted my shirt to show me my mark I was a goner.”
A pressure I didn’t know I was holding in my chest released. He did like me; I didn’t trap him into being with me.
“Back to the claiming,” Ebsen said, “I don’t remember a whole lot from that night. I remember shifting in the rain and you being soaking wet shivering at an unauthorized backcountry campsite with a tarp what was rapidly-”
“Yup I know it was stupid, continue with the parts you remember about me not being stupid,” I interrupted.
He glowered at me and turned back to the bacon, “We will be having a long conversation about backcountry camping....at a different time. So, I carried you back to my tent, covered you with as many blankets as I could.”
“I’m no wilderness ranger, but I’m pretty sure you should have stripped me naked and cuddled next to me with your naked body...you know....for body heat,” I said. My eyebrows wiggled in an attempt at humor which was not picked up by the grumpy bear at the stove.
He looked over at me, “I did. You were out for a while, I was able to dry your clothes and redress you before you woke up.”
“You did not!” my eyes were wide and I heard his boisterous laughter echo through the cabin. It was a good sound.
“Anyway, you woke up, were freaked out, crying, and Yuri took over,” he said, “Next thing I remember was you running across the field to the bear yelling that I was your mate and no one should touch me.”
I took a deep breath, “Please don’t be mad.”
He stilled, “What? Why would I be mad? Are you ok?”
“I....we... ok,” I took another deep breath, “I was telling you about my weekend and you shifted. Strictly speaking, you didn’t mark me as part of a mating claim.”
“What? But you told the council you begged me-”
“Art said they were going to send you away to a lumber camp or kill you,” I said. I was speaking so fast I could hardly understand myself, “and I couldn’t let that happen, it was my fault in the first place so I told Art it was a mate mark. This is your home, it’s your land, I couldn’t let you lose it because of me.”
“But, you told them you wanted me as your mate,” he said slowly.
“I do Ebsen,” I said, “I want nothing more than what we have right now. I want you making me bacon and for the two of us to live and work here until we’re old and grey. I want to explore the backcountry with Yuri. I want to know every inch of you, Ebsen. No one makes me feel the way you make me feel.”
“I’m so confused,” he said, plating the bacon and putting the plate on the table in front of me, “Did I mark you?”
“Yes,” I said, “All over my back.”
“But you just said it wasn’t a part of a mating claim,” he said.
“Eb,” I placed my hand over his, “do you want to claim me as your mate?”
He nodded, “Yes, Souli, of course I do.”
“And I accept your claim,” I said, “I bear your mark and we cannot be parted by the shifter laws.”
His brow furrowed in confusion then suddenly recognition dawned, “You lied to protect me. I did maul you.”
I grabbed his face in my hands, “No, you marked me. I want your mark. Your bear was startled by my reaction to the mark. In the hubbub of the rangers getting me medical attention, Yuri was confused and took off searching for his mate. You did not maul me.”
“But you said I shifted in the tent with you in it,” he said, “I would never do that, I would never risk you like that, Yuri would never hurt you like that. I don’t understand how this happened.”
“Eb- I need you to focus on me,” I pressed my lips to his, “I’m your mate, no one is going to take me from you. I need to hear you say it.”
“You’re my mate,” he said looking deep in my eyes, “Souli Barre is my mate. My Firebug is mine, no one will take her from me. No one will take me from you. No one will take you from me.”
“Good,” I said, “Remember that. If you need to repeat that to yourself- do it.”
He nodded. “Ok.”
I took a deep breath, “You shifted when I told you about my ex-boyfriend proposing and petitioning the council to claim me as his mate.”
“You’re my mate. Souli has my mark. She’s mine,” he repeated this mantra breathing slowly. He kept his cool and when he was ready, Ebsen nodded for me to continue.
“I was sobbing as I was telling you,” I said, “I was distraught. I don’t want to marry Sig. I didn’t want to be forced to be his mate and move back to Guardinnea. I was scared. I was coming off a weekend where I was surrounded by people I didn’t know telling me that I had to accept Sig’s claim or possibly disappear.”
Ebsen growled low in his throat.
“But all I wanted was you. As soon as I got back to my cabin, I made myself presentable and came here looking for you.”
His breathing slowed into deep, focused breaths, “I slept here that morning because I wanted to carry your smell. I stole a dirty shirt of yours and went out to the waterfalls. I was trying to find Yuri.”
Ebsen closed his eyes and rested his head on my lap, “Eat your bacon,” he grumbled. I pet his hair and took a piece of bacon. It was just as good as I remembered. I groaned.
“You make damn good bacon,” I moaned as I inhaled another piece, “I hope you like my baking as much as I like your bacon.”
“I mauled you,” he whispered into my thighs, “I mauled my mate. This is all my fault. I- I’m so sorry.”
“No,” I brushed my fingers through his hair. His hair was so soft. It grew fast too. He was shaggy. My shaggy bear. Mine. I pressed my lips to his crown wincing as the motion pulled my stitches, “Talk to me, Yuri. Tell me where your mind is.”
He looked up at me, his eyes red from tears, it tore at my heart, “How can you bear to be around me after what I did to you?”
“I love you,” I told him, peering deep into his eyes, “I know it’s only been a month, I know we hardly know each other, but it’s true. I want you. I need you. I’m at my happiest when I’m with you.”
“But I mauled you,” he whined bitterly.
“And I used it to force your hand to mate with me,” I stated matter-of-factly, “You can go to the council and tell them the truth. If it’s what you want,” I felt a lump grow in my throat, “I’m sure Art will choose a suitable mate-”
He growled, his fingers tightened around my thighs, “Mine.”
“Yours.”
He laid his head back on the tops of my thighs while I ate. I pet his hair with one hand and ate the bacon with the other. We continued like this until my plate was empty.
“What’s going on in your head, my love?” I asked gently, “you can tell me, I promise I’m right here.”
A growl escaped his throat, “You’re hurt,” he said, “I’m a monster. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”
“You want to know what’s going on in my head?” I whispered, leaning as close to his face as my stitches would allow, “Whether I should tell you to lay down on the bed so I can sit on your face, or so I can ride you.”
Ebsen gasped and sat up from my lap. He leaned away from me and stared. His beautiful brown eyes held an eager heat behind them. Just as quick as the heat appeared, his eyes narrowed, furrowing his brows with them, “You’re hurt.”
“Which is why I’m on top,” I said. I managed to stand up with the grace of an eighty year old woman before hobbling over to the bed.
I looked back at him, still squatting on the floor in shock, “And you might have to hold on to these if we get aerobic.” I lifted my breasts and winked at him. His eyes flared and he stood to follow me.
Ebsen slowly removed the t-shirt an
d shorts he was given at the infirmary, “Any pain and we are stopping, understand?”
I smiled nodding, “I will need help with my shorts, bending over is tricky with the stitches.” I said honestly, bending over was tricky.
He groaned and slowly stripped me of my athletic shorts and underwear. He kissed all around the space between my legs, inhaling deeply as he did.
“I didn’t think it was possible for you to smell better than I remembered,” he groaned. When he stood, he was rock hard, “I’m going to take my good sweet time tasting you today, no matter how much you beg.”
Now it was my turn to groan. With more coordination and effort than I thought it would require, I straddled Ebsen’s face on the bed and I could only see his eyes up to his mess of tawny hair. I wanted to thread my fingers through it, touch him all over, but I needed to hold on to the headboard to keep from tearing stitches. As soon as these were out, I would take him properly.
He hungrily licked, probed, tasted and fingered me. All I could do was squirm and lean more on the headboard. He used his nose to massage my clit while his tongue was deep inside of me. Heavens above, that man had a long tongue. And it was all mine. He moaned just as much as I did. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he worked me over. His arms wrapped protectively around my thighs, holding me in place as he penetrated me over and over with just his tongue.
This was heaven.
This was the life I never knew was possible.
This was life with Ebsen as my mate.
Chapter 17
Art came over the next morning with a trailer of things pulled behind an ATV. His nose twitched as soon as he stepped foot in the cabin and looked at Ebsen, scandalized. Ebsen shrugged and kissed my head. I would need to ask what that was about.
Art dropped off groceries and all of my belongings from my cabin. As a newly claimed human, I officially lived with Ebsen. Which meant I got to sleep on a real bed. I wasn’t complaining. Art helped Ebsen bring all my belongings in and the two of them went out behind the cabin and talked for a while leaving me to sort my belongings that they’d put on the bed for me.
He also cautioned that Eb and I stay away from WAZ until the solstice, when the Council would officially accept, or reject our mating.
Which meant I got to do my work from home-err cabin. I set up on the small table off the kitchen. Ebsen was a bit twitchy about the new phone and internet hookup being installed but when Art reminded him it was either in the cabin, or in the village, he calmed down and helped install the phone lines.
Over the next week and a half I worked on finalizing details for the solstice celebrations. I called vendors, confirmed contracts, and coordinated the festival set up with the grounds crew via radio. While I worked, Ebsen was outside the cabin working on a secret project that was quite loud.
I had a few guesses what he was up to, but he would neither confirm or deny my theories.
Richard Johnson called, a lot. His number was ingrained in my mind and I auto forwarded it to Linde and Art on Art's recommendation. The council knew I’d been unofficially claimed, but Art didn’t want that broadcast outside of the WAZ.
“Guess what’s happening today,” I hummed into Ebsen’s back as he made breakfast. He had small red lines all over his back that were so faint I barely noticed them unless I was pressed right to his skin. I traced them, parting his hair as I did.
“Hmm,” he said the vibrations from his voice echoing through my body, “I don’t know, Firebug, what’s happening today?”
“My stitches are coming out,” I sang, doing a little dance. He watched me with a smile that reached his eyes. It took a while for him to start to forgive himself for the mark. I doubt he’d ever fully forgive himself, but I was working on it, “My stitches are gonna be gone, I get to wear a bra again.”
I twirled around, it had only been two weeks and the only tightening I felt raising my arms or moving around was the pull from the stitches. I was blown away by how fast I had healed. Ebsen had been my attentive bandage buddy. He was dutiful and insistent in my care. And I was dutiful and insistent in our creative lovemaking.
“I kind of like you walking around topless,” he said, turning and grabbing my hips and grinding his into me.
I raised my eyebrows and smirked at him, “And you know what we get to do tonight? Oh no, I’m keeping it a surprise.”
“You’re going to fuck me until one of us hurts ourselves or we run out of bodily fluids,” he said with a kiss to my forehead.
I smiled up at him. “Yup.”
We stared into each other’s eyes until the smell of burning pancakes turned Ebsen’s attention back to his task.
The good doctor came over mid-morning and took out my stitches one by one. It took forever. He joked that I healed like a shifter, Ebsen snarled. As soon as the doc was done, Ebsen herded him out of the cabin and turned to me with a hungry smile.
I jumped into his arms and started kissing him, devouring him. My skin was still tender but I didn’t care. I needed him. It was too long since I’d had him the way I craved him. He was mine and I was getting him.
“Take off your pants,” I demanded, “I want you to take me hard and fast. I want your mark on my hips. I need you, Yuri Ebsen.”
He groaned into my mouth, “You’re killing me woman. But this is our first proper time as mates and I want to make love to you.”
My heart melted, “Aww, I love you too.”
Ebsen carried me to the bed and gently set me on it. He pulled my shorts off and traced every inch of my legs with his fingers, I hadn’t shaved in weeks but I knew he thought I was beautiful even though I also hadn’t had a proper shower in weeks. He kissed my thighs, his scruff had grown out into a soft beard that tickled my thighs. I giggled. He looked up at my body with a smile.
We made love all day and all night. We showered and ate snacks and we made love again. Night fell and he cradled me in his arm burrowing his face in my hair, “Oh Firebug, you’re a dream come true.
Chapter 18
The solstice arrived too soon. Art walked to our cabin, Linde in tow. It was a warm day, not hot, but warm. I wore athletic shorts and a tank top, Art recommended I wear a long sleeve tee shirt to fully hide my mark until it was time to reveal it. I opted to wear a bikini instead of proper undergarments, knowing I’d have to expose the majority of my back to strangers. The occasion was formal, the dress code was not.
Art sent Ebsen ahead with Linde for his interrogation while Art waited for me to get changed and he would walk me to my own. Art made me shower several times with eucalyptus and spearmint soap before he was sure I didn’t smell of Ebsen anymore. I hated it. I smelled wrong.
“They’ll know if you lie,” Art said, as we walked toward the amphitheater that had been taken over by the council during the solstice events, “So don’t.”
I was nervous. The past weeks with Ebsen had been by far the best weeks of my life. I had a bit of cabin fever working at the tiny table, but Eb and I took early morning hikes and stargazed at night.
“They’re interviewing each of the petitioners privately now. Once you arrive, the council will question you before the petitioners and whomever is in the theater,” Art explained.
The council’s solstice and equinox trials were treated much like Supreme Court oral arguments in the human world, people could watch, and would as entertainment.
“Then your petitioners will address you, and you’ll get to respond to your petitioners. After that, the council will question you and your petitioners before they convene with the pack leaders of interested parties, and we will return with our findings.” His explanations didn’t leave me feeling confident. I didn’t want to answer questions about my life in front of an amphitheater of total strangers. Art saw my apprehension, but barreled through his explanation.
“When you get to respond to your petitioners, you can ask them questions,” he said, “This is your only opportunity so show the council w
hat you perceive as the suitability of the petitioners.”
I nodded. I could do this, “What happens if they don’t choose Ebsen?” I asked, I didn’t want to think about it, but it was a very real possibility.
“Don’t think about that, Souli,” Art said, “because I don’t have an answer for you.”
I nodded and we made it. The semi-circular stone steps that descended to a small stone stage were largely empty. I sighed in relief. I wasn’t sure why I was worried about a lot of shifters being interested in the claiming of a human during their midsummer festival. I was just grateful my love life wasn’t their entertainment. I recognized Richard and Clara, Sig’s entire family, and a few members of the WAZ grounds crew as I walked toward the stage.
The stage had two rounded tables facing each other with three chairs each. Those were the six council members. The predator table on stage right, the prey table stage right. Two wooden chairs faced the audience on the far side of the stage, the petitioners chairs, and a single chair with its back facing the audience, my chair.
Art led me to the chair and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, “It’ll be ok, Souli. I’m right behind you if you need me.”
“Thanks, Art,” I told him.
The council members filed in first. They were wearing casual clothing, cargo shorts, vacation t-shirts, and flip flops. The prey side had two women and one man, the predator side had two men and one woman. They looked at me with interest.
Sig filed in first and sat on the chair nearest the prey side and Ebsen nearest the predators. My heart leapt when I saw him. He looked incredibly nervous. I gave him a weak smile.
The council took their time getting situated. The predator woman sat between a man wearing a floppy hat and one wearing a baseball cap, she was in control of her side of the room. The prey council members were stiff, but appeared competent. The male prey sat in the middle flanked by a slightly chubby woman with bright curly red hair, and an incredibly thin woman with big yellow eyes that darted around the amphitheater faster than I could track.
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