by Ford, Hope
Penny
I no sooner lie down than he’s pulling my panties down my hips and tossing them over his shoulder. He’s breathing deeply, in and out, but there’s a quiet rage inside of him that I can tell he’s trying to control. Sweat beads on his forehead and I want to reach up to him, touch him, and kiss him.
He’s panting, looking at me, and when I reach my hand for him, he runs his hands up my legs, pushing on my inner thighs, spreading my legs open and giving him a look of my swollen, seeping core. I don’t even have to touch myself to know I’m soaked for him.
His hands move across my thighs, my lower belly, my breasts and back again. It’s as if he’s memorizing me and the feel of me under his hands. My body jerks under his touch and it’s like an electrical current follows his hands along my body.
I open my arms to him and I know that I sound like I’m begging but I don’t care. “Bruin, please?”
His hands fall between my legs, pushing my knees farther apart. He opens me then, holding me with one hand and stroking his fingers through me with the other. When he presses his thumb to my clit, my hips come off the bed, meeting his touch and wanting more. His finger trails down to my opening and he pushes easily inside of me. It’s instant, I couldn’t stop it if I tried, but I clench down on him, my pussy contracting on his finger.
His voice is gruff. “Aww, baby, you need this, don’t you? You want me to claim you, make you mine?”
“Yes, yes, please Bruin, make me yours,” I plead with him.
He pulls his finger from me, swiping through me one more time before fisting his cock and lining it up at my entrance. “Nothing. I don’t want anything between us, Penny. I’m going to take you bare, but I’m clean. I’ll always protect you. Do you trust me?”
I look into his eyes and I know he’s not just asking about fucking me bare. There’s so much more to it. He’s asking me… if I trust him. With my body, my life, my future.
Without blinking, without thinking twice, I nod my head at him, feet planted on the bed and pushing my hips up to meet his.
He pulls back. “Tell me, baby. Tell me you’re mine.”
He grabs on to my hips painfully and pulls me to him, his cock pressed against my sodden pussy. I breathe the words out heavily. “Yes, I’m yours. Only yours.”
He doesn’t even hesitate; he enters me slowly. I’m holding my breath, knowing that it’s going to hurt. “You okay?” he asks me.
He’s looking at me with so much concern, and dare I hope maybe love on his face, that I know he won’t do it. I know he won’t hurt me.
I push with my feet, lifting my ass off the bed and pushing him farther inside me. He slides easily in and I feel his large girth stretching me, filling me. I know exactly when he reaches my barrier because he freezes, his whole body contracting. I thrust my hips then, pushing him to breach my barrier, and he buries his dick deep inside me until I feel him in my womb. I can’t stop the scream that escapes my lips. His eyes are wide, alarmed, like he just realized what he did.
“I’m so sorry, fuck Penny, I’m sorry,” he begs.
I shake my head, already the pain subsiding and the pleasure, oh fuck, the pleasure is growing. “Fuck me, Bruin. Fuck me like you want to, like I’m yours.”
His body trembles at my words and on reflex, he starts thrusting in and out of me. I meet him, thrust for thrust and with every thrust he reminds me. “You.” Thrust. “Are.” Thrust. “Mine.”
As if I need reminding, because what he’s doing to my body there’s no way I can forget. His hands goes between us and he opens my lips, pressing his thumb right on my puffy clit. On contact, I can feel myself creaming and he moans, “Oh, hot, you’re so hot.”
I wrap my legs around him, pulling him deeper inside me, and my core clamps down on him, sucking him in, holding on to him until I’m climaxing my release and milking him as he fills me up with his hot spurts of cum. He paints my insides and I grunt and moan underneath him.
When my arms, legs, heck my whole body starts trembling, I have no control over it. I let my legs and arms drop to the bed. He’s looking at me and the smile on his face is contagious. Even though I’m exhausted, I smile back. Still inside me, he leans down, kissing me, and I can feel his cock stirring inside of me.
“Again?” I ask him readily.
He shakes his head, pulling slowly out of me. “I’ll hurt you, honey, and I don’t ever want to do that. I’ll let you heal a bit.”
I bite my lip, because we both know that bear shifters heal extremely fast. Any pain or discomfort from this will be gone in no time. I run my finger across his chest. “So in thirty minutes I can have you again?”
He laughs, a big belly laugh. “Yeah, honey, you can have me whenever you want.”
The rest of the night is spent with us learning each other’s bodies in a triathlon of sex. I started the night innocent; no man had ever seen me naked or touched me. And now, well, now, Bruin has seen every part of me, loved every part of me, and taken everything I was willing to give. I fall asleep wrapped in his arms, right before the sun starts to rise.
Hours later, I wake up, stretching my body and reaching for him, but he’s gone.
I sit up and call his name, but he doesn’t answer. The house is so quiet, I know he’s gone. It’s almost eerie how quiet it is. I walk through the house and a thought fills my head - no one is watching me. Not Bruin, not Ronan, not Bree, there are no other shifters around. If I run right now, I could make it. I could be free and escape the Eaters forever.
I run back to my room and get dressed, packing a few things into a bag and head for the door when it hits me… I can’t leave. I love Bruin and I know it is more than just sex what we have together. He’s become a part of my life… I’m bonded to him and I’m almost sure he is my mate. My father used to tell me about fated mates, but I’ve never seen it, never experienced it, until now.
I would be lying if I didn’t say I’m not terrified I could be throwing my life away if I’m wrong about Bruin. This could be my one chance to be free and have a life that isn’t dictated to me by the Eaters. But by running, I’ll be leaving Bruin.
I put my bag back in my room and sit down on the couch with my head in my hand. I hope I’m doing the right thing.
11
Bruin
“What do you mean you’re not going to let her go?” Deator asks me.
I prepared my speech the whole way down the mountain. After these last few days with Penny I knew I couldn’t give her up. I feel guilty that I haven’t told her that she could go, that she’s free. When Deator called me, I should have told her right then, but I didn’t. I know I should’ve told her and let her make her choice. But even after everything, I was afraid what she might decide. I know she’s my mate. I know she’s the only woman, the only spirit bear I’ll ever want or need. But does she feel the same way? Does she even realize that I’m her mate? I’m not willing to find out, not until I have some kind of plan for keeping her.
I came to the clubhouse to talk to Deator. I know what he said. I know he told me to let Penny go. But I can’t… and I won’t.
“She’s mine. I’m not letting her go,” I tell him with more force in my voice than I should be using with the president of my club.
He’s shaking his head. I know he doesn’t like to fight with the Eaters. I’m sure it’s because we’ve lost so many members when we go against them. We just lost Petey not too long ago. “Bruin. First you fought me when your cousin came to town, now this…”
I just stare at him openly. I know I shouldn’t second-guess him. I know he’s our leader but I can’t back down from this. I won’t. “She’s my mate,” I tell him quietly.
He scoffs. “Your mate? Hell, boy, you don’t know that. You met that Eater what, five days ago when she snuck into your closet breaking onto New Law territory. She’s not your mate. There’s a difference between your mate and getting your dick wet.”
I jump up from the chair ready to pounce. No one, and I mean no o
ne will talk about Penny that way. I put my hands on his desk and lean toward him. My voice is stern, calm, deadly. “No one will talk about her like that. What would you do if someone talked about Kassie like that?” I ask him, referring to his ol’ lady.
He doesn’t hesitate and I see the muscles of his jaw tighten as he stands up from his chair, leaning toward me. He may be an old man, but he’s still intimidating. Even to me and I’m a lot bigger than him. “I’d kill them.”
I stand to my full height and cross my arms over my chest. “That’s right. Because she’s your mate.” I stand with my feet apart, ready to take it if he decides to punch. He may be the oldest member of the club, but I know what he can do. “I have done everything for this club and it has been my number one priority since I became a member. But I’m telling you, Penny is my mate and she’s my number one now.” I hold my hand up when he starts to talk. “And I know you’re going to tell me that the club always comes first. But let me ask you, if your club told you to let Kassie go, would you? Knowing you love her, that she’s your mate?”
His head cocks to the side and he stares at me as if he’s deep in thought. I’m waiting on him to tell me to get the fuck out of here. I’ve seen him take the patch off members for less than I’m doing now. But whatever he tells me, whatever punishment he dishes out, I’ll take it as long as I know I’ll have Penny.
Finally, after minutes go by, he slams his hand onto the table and gets up. “Fine. But you know what you’re asking us to do, right?”
I shrug my shoulders. “If I don’t have the club at my back, I will do it on my own, Pres. It’s your call.”
He nods his head. “Klaus, come in here,” he calls out to the main room. Klaus, his youngest son, walks in and looks between us. Deator grabs him by the shoulder. “Take Johnny and go and get Penny from Bruin’s house. Meet us at the old deserted road on the edge of town in an hour.”
I want to go and get her myself, explain what’s happening, but the decision has already been made and I have to respect it. I’m already pushing my luck and plus, I know Klaus will protect her.
Deator turns to me. “Grab the guys and everyone meet at the deserted road in an hour,” he tells me before he walks out the door and I hear him grumbling into his phone, “Yeah, tell your guys that I have something they want. If they want her, meet us in an hour.”
Hearing the words, I know I have to trust that Deator is making the right call. I get it. If we don’t do this, Penny will never be at peace. None of us will. We’ll always be looking over our shoulders, waiting for them to come for her. But I also can’t help but wonder if I can fully trust Deator. Is he planning this only to try and really sell her? I shake the thought from my head. I won’t let that happen. It will be over my dead body.
I run out of the clubhouse to catch up to Klaus and Johnny before they leave. “Hey.”
Klaus stops as he’s about to get into his truck. “What is it, brother?”
I’m a little more at ease that he’s taking the truck. I couldn’t stomach thinking of Penny on the back of another man’s bike. “I need you to take care of her, Klaus. For me.”
He gives me that young, invincible, carefree look he has. “You got it. No worries.”
No worries? I watch as they pull out of the parking lot and say a little prayer that this plan works.
I gather the guys and we meet up at the old abandoned road. It’s important that I’m lined up with the New Law on the front line where the Eaters are lined up, waiting to see Penny.
When Klaus and Johnny show up with Penny, she won’t look at me. I can see her cheeks are wet and no matter how hard I will her to look at me, she won’t. Instead, Penny’s hard gaze collides with her half-brother, Silver.
He’s almost laughing as he says, “I bet you’re sorry you ran off now, only I’m gonna make sure it’s worse. You’re gonna wish these fuckers killed you by the time we finish with you.”
My fists clench and I want to charge after him right then. But I don’t. I bide my time, knowing that I have to wait until the right moment.
12
Penny
I watch as Silver pulls a stack of bills out of a bag and fans it, showing it to Deator. My stomach cramps, knowing what this means. Even the sound of his voice sickens me. “It’s all there. Let’s make a trade.”
Bruin takes a step toward Deator and Silver and finally I look at him. I won’t lie. It hurts what he’s doing to me, to us. I thought I could trust him. I want to turn away. I don’t know if I can watch as he makes the deal. My eyes fall to the ground in front of him and I barely stay on my feet, waiting on the trade, knowing without a doubt what’s going to happen to me when the Eaters get me to their club.
“We’re not here to make a trade,” Bruin tells Silver. “We’re here to let you know that Penny doesn’t belong to you anymore. Penny is under the protection of New Law.”
I gasp, looking up into Bruin’s face, but he isn’t looking at me. He keeps his gaze on Silver until I know he feels my stare and he gives me a small glance and a wink of his eye before he turns his head back to Silver.
Silver’s posture hardens and he stares between Deator and Bruin. “Says who?”
“I do,” Bruin roars. “She’s mine.” I can see the veins of his neck and arms bulging. The force of his roar brings his bear to the edge, and I can see his arms start to extend and his muscles bulge.
Silver looks at me and I know what’s going to happen. He’ll never let me go, not alive anyway. He charges toward me, shifting into his bear as he leaps for me, but Bruin crashes into him before he can reach me and the battle begins. Both clubs shift, but some are attacked before they are able.
Silver’s bear is so ferocious and I hate to even doubt him, but I’m terrified that Bruin isn’t going to win. They are rolling across the ground, equal in strength, each step, hit and roll making the ground shake around me. I stand there, about to shift when I see Zenith, the president of the Eaters, running on all fours straight toward Bruin and Silver.
I break away from Klaus, but his gray grizzly bear is right on my heels. He backs off when I jump into the truck I came in, putting it into gear, slamming on the gas and heading straight for Zenith. I know my bear is no match for Zenith, but there’s no way he can win against a speeding truck. He sees me coming and the last thing I see before contact is his beady little eyes staring me down. I hit him, sending him flying into the air. He hits a tree and is knocked unconscious. Everyone freezes in shock.
He’s lying there not moving, and I don’t know if I killed him or not, but I know I stopped him from killing Bruin. All eyes are trained on Zenith and I know the Eaters don’t know what to do with their leader unconscious or possibly dead on the ground.
I step out of the truck and Silver leaps toward me. The breath from his roar hits me in the face and I know at any second I will be dead. I try to look around, to find Bruin, to look at him one last time, but I can’t find him.
I shift into my bear and all the New Law bikers around me gasp, but it doesn’t stop me. I pounce on Silver, determined to stop him, to not let him get between Bruin and me again. We battle, but before I know what’s happening, Bruin jumps in, taking Silver with him flying across the dirt path. Trees sway and break as they hit them, but it doesn’t stop them. It’s a fight like I’ve never seen before, but Bruin doesn’t give up. It’s like he’s a bear possessed. He’s tearing Silver apart, blood and guts flying everywhere, but he doesn’t stop. He destroys him until you can’t even tell who it is except by the color of his fur.
Everyone is frozen; all the battles have stopped. Instantly, the Eaters retreat, taking Zenith, who’s awake but injured, with them but leaving the remains of Silver behind.
I run to Bruin, who’s shifted into his human form and is lying on the ground, gasping for breath. I sit down next to him, my paw on his back. I want to shift, I want to hold him in my arms, but something’s telling me I shouldn’t. He’s groaning, and he rolls to his back. His shirt comes up
and his skin is torn open with a rib poking out. “Look at me, Bruin. Please, God, look at me.” I say it in my mind, but somehow he hears me.
He lifts his head and there are cuts and bruises covering his face. I cover my paw over him, not understanding why, but knowing I need to. When I do, he grimaces, but he doesn’t stop me. I can hear the creak of bones, but I don’t stop. My spirit bear has taken over and I’m healing Bruin, making him whole again. When I lift my paw, his skin is healed and no bone can be seen. I’m stunned and exhausted. I shift into my human form and fall to the ground beside him. He will mend, but I know he’s in pain right now.
He sits up, touching his stomach. I’m gasping for breath, like I’ve been running, and the New Law is surrounding us, all looking at me like they don’t quite believe what they’ve seen. That’s okay, though, because I can’t believe it either.
“You okay?” Bruin asks me shakily.
I can’t stop the tears from rolling down my cheek. I cup his face and soften my grip when he flinches as I touch a bruise. “I thought you were trading me,” I confess, “and even though I hated you so much I couldn’t believe that I still loved you all at the same time.”
He takes a deep breath and sits up, pulling me to his lap. I know I’m hurting him and I tell him so. “No, honey, this, you, it’s what I need right now. Right where you’re at.”
I quit struggling and sit down, leaning into his warmth, his protective arms. “I wasn’t lying when I said you were mine, Penny. You are all mine.” He kisses me passionately and when he draws back, he makes his own confession. “I’ve been yours all this time, I just didn’t know it until Deator told me to let you go free yesterday. I knew it would be like giving away my lungs to see you go.”
Surprised, I pull back from him. “Deator told you to let me go?”
He shrugs his shoulders and pulls me in, covering my mouth with his. He kisses me so deeply, and I just live in it, take him all in, everything he’s willing to give. Moaning, he pulls away from me. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let you go. I’m a selfish bastard… but I’m all yours.”
