Omega's Bears (Hell's Bears MC Book 1)

by J. L. Wilder

  I don’t know how long we stand there, panting like beasts, holding each other, but eventually, our thoughts settle and our heads clear. I laugh weakly, wrapping my arms and legs around Luka and burying my face in his neck.

  His hands wrap firmly around my breasts, squeezing them hard, and flicking my nipples with is forefingers. His hard cock penetrates slowly into my juicy vagina, filling me with a wholeness that makes me feel complete.

  After that intensity, the actual sex is an exhale. We move together gently, setting a relaxed pace, mouths locked together the whole time. We breathe as one. Every time we break the kiss to look into each other’s eyes, we both laugh, even as the pleasure mounts. This is the most intimate experience of my life. It’s not just about passion or pleasure today, although those elements are certainly here. It’s about the experience we just shared. It’s about the fact that we’re bears, and the fact that we’re animals together, and part of the same clan.

  I’m not ever going to be able to stop doing this with Luka. I know that now. I don’t have the willpower, and what’s more, I don’t even want it to stop. Any time he finds me alone, I know I’ll be his. The only question that remains is what that will mean for the rest of the clan when they find out. How will Jack respond? And will Ryan be angry, given that his claim preceded either of the others’? Aside from myself, Luka is the lowest ranking Hell’s Bear. If the other two decide we’ve done something unforgivable, it will be us who are forced to leave.

  And that would put us in danger of being found by the wolves.

  I need to figure this out, and fast.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I wake up the next morning to the sound of howling wind echoing through the entrance to our cavern, spectral and terrible, like a ghost. Ryan is already sitting up beside me and staring at the tunnel, concern written across his face, and the others are beginning to stir too. It’s a little alarming. We’ve heard wind through the tunnel before, of course, but never so loud, so forceful. I want to retreat away from it, as little sense as I know that makes. For the first time since my very early days with the Hell’s Bears, I wish we had a house that could protect us from the elements.

  Jack wakes up and detaches from the rest of us, making his way over to the tunnel without a word. He disappears inside. Luka, Ryan, and I remain huddled together by the fire. I can feel the tension coming off of both of them, and it only serves to heighten my own anxiety. They’ve been living like this a lot longer than I have. If they’re nervous, that means there’s really something to worry about. I want to ask them what might be happening, what they’re thinking, but I’m too afraid, somehow. It’s as if saying it out loud would make it real.

  Jack returns and I know, right away, what he must have found by the snow in his hair. I’m still not prepared, though, for the stress in his voice when he speaks. “It’s snowing,” he says grimly. “Storming, actually. There’s already several feet on the ground. I couldn’t even get out of the tunnel. We’ll have to dig.”

  “We can dig,” Luka says. “That’s not a problem.”

  “But I don’t think we should go anywhere today,” Jack says. “There’s no visibility. I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me. The snowfall is very thick, and the wind’s blowing it everywhere. And if we get lost out in this, it could be fatal.”

  “We won’t get lost,” Ryan says, as if the very idea is an insult to him. “Come on. We’ve been here long enough. We know these woods. I’m not going to let a little snow keep me inside.” To my surprise, I feel a deep ache when he says it. I don’t want Ryan to go out there, I realize. I want him to stay here, where it’s safe, and not take any chances. I know he’s probably right, that he’ll probably be fine, but I don’t want to risk it.

  Have I developed feelings for Ryan?

  I remember how it felt to ride on the back of his motorcycle. How steady and secure he made me feel. I remember the moment he imprinted and think about how I’ve been preoccupied ever since. He’s been avoiding me, and I don’t know why. I want us to fix our relationship. I want things between us to be good.

  And yet, I’ve been sleeping with Jack and Luka, and I don’t want to stop doing it. How do I square these things?

  Jack’s face is hard. “It’s an order, Ryan. Nobody goes out today. I’m not risking a member of this clan. We need everybody here.”

  Ryan turns to Luka. “You can’t possibly think this is a good idea,” he says. “If the snow’s already building up over the entrance to the cave, we’re going to be completely buried by tomorrow. We need to dig our way out while we can, or else who knows how long we’ll be trapped in here?”

  Luka is already making his way over to the alcove where our food supply is kept. “There’s plenty here for a few days,” he says. “As long as we keep replenishing the snow, it shouldn’t go bad. I think we’ll be okay.”

  “And we can always dig out the snow around the entrance periodically,” Jack points out. “We’ll send someone down the tunnel every few hours to clear it. I’ll go first.”

  This all sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Jack, as usual, has made the best and smartest choice for the group as a whole. Luka seems to think so too—his relief is obvious. But Ryan still seems agitated. “I can’t spend the whole day sitting around here, Jack. I can’t.”

  Why can’t he, though? I don’t understand.

  Then his eyes flick to me, and with a sinking feeling, I realize I do.

  All this time, he’s been avoiding me. Ever since Ryan imprinted, we’ve never really been alone together. We’ve never even been in each other’s company, except for functional things, like dinner and sleep. Now there’s going to be a whole day with nothing to do except sit around and talk to each other, and like it or not, Ryan and I are going to have to share close quarters.

  Jack seems to understand this too. He places a hand on Ryan’s shoulder and lowers his voice. “You’ll just have to find a way,” he says. “Take a nap if you’d like. You don’t have to do anything. But I can’t let you go out today. It’s just too much of a risk. I’m sorry.”

  Have the two of them talked about me? Does Jack know why Ryan’s avoiding me, despite having imprinted? Maybe that’s why Jack thought it would be okay to take me for himself. And, for all I know, maybe it is okay! Maybe Jack and Ryan have discussed what happened. Maybe Ryan really just doesn’t want me at all, and gave Jack his blessing.

  I need to get some answers about this stuff soon.

  But the morning is surprisingly busy, so no one has time for a conversation, even if I was prepared to start it. Ryan goes down the tunnel to take the first shift digging out the entrance. Not much snow is threading its way into the hole at the top of our cavern, but Jack sets up a tarp in the middle anyway, so we can catch what does fall and pack it around the food. Luka moves our fire to a sheltered spot—not ideal, since the smoke can’t escape straight up like it ordinarily does, but as long as we all sit far enough back from it, it’s very warm and easy to avoid smoke inhalation.

  By midafternoon, though, there’s nothing left to do. Luka scratches at the dusty floor of the cave with a stick, making patterns and then wiping them away. Jack does crunches, fast and seemingly inexhaustible, one of our furs spread beneath him as a mat. Ryan stares into the fire, quiet and brooding, unmoving. He hasn’t spoken a word to anyone all day.

  I muster my courage. Something has to be done. The tension hasn’t dissipated between us, and it will only continue to grow until one of us diffuses it. It’s clear now that that person isn’t going to be him. We can’t keep avoiding each other forever. I cross the room and sit down beside him, half expecting him to get up and walk away the moment he sees me.

  He doesn’t, though. He slides over a little bit, which could be either a sign of welcome—making a space for me—or a sign that he wants to distance himself. Ryan is always hard to read.

  “Hey,” I say.

  “Mmm.”

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “
Just want to go out and get some fresh air.”

  “Ryan,” I say, “I’m not stupid.”

  “I never said you were stupid.”

  “You act like I’m stupid.”

  “I don’t think you’re stupid.”

  “Why are you avoiding me?” I ask, fully expecting him to deny that he’s doing any such thing.

  He doesn’t answer.

  “I know you’ve imprinted,” I say. “You know that I know. And we both know I’m an omega. I’m a breeder. It’s why the clan voted to let me stay in the first place.”

  “It’s not like that anymore,” Ryan says.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re not just here to be a breeder. You’re part of the family.”

  “Oh.” I’m more surprised by this than by anything Ryan’s ever said to me. It’s so matter of fact. He doesn’t sound like he resents my presence, but he’s also not making any special effort to make me feel a part of things. He’s simply informing me of a fact. I’m part of the family. He might as well have been telling me about the weather, for all the emotion in his voice. Actually, come to think of it, he was a lot more emotional when we were talking about the weather. “Well. Thank you.”

  Ryan shrugs and resumes his staring.

  “You haven’t answered my question,” I point out.

  “We don’t have to do anything,” Ryan says. “You and me. Just because I’ve imprinted doesn’t mean we’ve got no choice.”

  “But I...,” I hesitate. I feel so vulnerable right now. “I’d like to.”

  “I’m sure either of the others would mate with you,” he says. “You don’t have to imprint to mate, you know.”

  “Ryan,” Luka says.

  I hadn’t realized he was listening in. I whirl around. Luka and Jack are both watching us. In hindsight, I was stupid not to think they would. There’s nothing else to do in this cave, nothing else going on. Of course, their attention would be caught by the only action.

  And I don’t know what Luka’s going to say, but there’s something in his tone that tells me all the secrets are about to be revealed. A thrill of fear runs through me. Once again, this decision is being made without my input. I was crazy to think I had power or authority over the information in our clan. Luka is going to tell Ryan everything.

  But he doesn’t speak.

  And maybe he doesn’t need to. Maybe the understanding between the two of them is just so perfect that words aren’t necessary. Because Ryan reads Luka’s face like a book. “My God. You imprinted on her.”

  I’m expecting Luka to fall all over himself apologizing, to assure Ryan that it wasn’t intentional. And part of me is also expecting Luka to get defensive and inform Ryan that imprinting doesn’t mean he owns me, or that he hadn’t staked a claim to me. That he was wasting time.

  I’m not expecting Luka’s actual response at all. He nods and simply says “yes” quietly.

  I’m desperately anxious. Should I be apologizing? Explaining myself? Am I about to be thrown out of the cave into the blizzard? Will the two men fight over me?

  Jack gets to his feet. “Believe it or not, Luka, you’re not alone.”

  Ryan’s eyes widen. “You too?”

  Jack nods confirmation.

  “Have the two of you slept with her?”

  “That’s really Cami’s business to share,” Luka cuts in.

  “I don’t mind,” I say hurriedly, even though the truth is that I’m wishing we weren’t having this conversation at all. “It’s Ryan’s business too.”

  “Well. Yes, we have,” Luka says.

  “We have too,” Jack adds.

  I watch Ryan in fear.

  He bursts out laughing.

  I look to Jack, frightened. Is he having a psychotic break? Is he about to snap on us?

  “How about that!” Ryan crows, still laughing. “The whole clan imprinted on her! That’s got to be a one in a million situation. Have you ever heard of something like this happening before, Jack?”

  “Never,” Jack says. “Really, Luka, you too?”

  “Definitely,” Luka says. “I’ve never felt anything like it.”

  “Hang on,” I interrupt. “You’re not mad at each other about this?”

  “Mad?” Ryan asks. “Why would we be mad? This is great. It brings us together as a clan. When we’re ready to breed, we’ll have more potential. This is going to be great for all of us, Cami.” He hesitates. “Are you okay with it?”

  Am I? I have to stop and think about it. All the worrying I’ve been doing since this whole mess got started has had to do with the men’s reactions. I haven’t given much thought to my own. Am I okay with belonging to every member of this clan?

  I think about Luka’s gentle but masterful technique. I think about the rough, almost brutal, powerful way Jack took ownership of my body. I think of the unsolved mystery of Ryan and how eager I am to figure him out.

  “Yes,” I say, looking to each man in turn. “I agree. This is going to be great.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next several days are—as predicted—great.

  The snowstorm keeps us in our cave for another forty-eight hours. In that time, Luka visits me twice in my private nook. Even though the others must know what’s going on between us back there, we do our best to keep things inconspicuous, pressing our hands over each other’s mouths to muffle the sounds we make. I know we don’t have to keep things a secret anymore, but maybe I’m just too shy to let my sexual encounters be public.

  By the time the snow stops, I’m absolutely craving Jack. Sharing close quarters with him with no reprieve has been driving me crazy, but he hasn’t touched me in all the time we’ve been snowbound. When the weather clears, however, I quickly learn that Jack doesn’t share my hesitation about letting the rest of the clan know when something is going on between us. “You two go on ahead,” he tells Ryan and Luka, and the gleam in his eye is positively predatory. “I’ll catch up with you in a while.”

  I know I’m in for something ferocious—my heartrate is already accelerating in anticipation—and sure enough, as soon as the others disappear down the tunnel, he grabs my wrist hard enough to bruise. “You have to tell me if you want me to stop,” he says, his voice a growl, pupils blown wide, eyes dark.

  I don’t want him to stop. Now that I know this is allowed, I never want it to stop.

  Jack is quick and rough with me, just like before, but when we’re finished, he scoops me into his arms and lays me on a skin by the fire to recover. He places the water skin and a bowl of fruit beside me and kisses my forehead. “I have to go and help with the hunt. Do you need anything before I leave?”

  “Mmm...no.” I’m absolutely exhausted and more satisfied than I think I’ve ever been. I know I won’t be going to the river today. All I want to do is lie here in the glow and the warmth of our fire, dipping in and out of sleep, reliving the delights of the past two days. I only wish the men had found out they’d all imprinted on me sooner. We could have been doing this all along. But the future looks bright. Our den is warm and secure, we have plenty of food, and every day, I’m discovering new heights of pleasure with Luka and Jack.

  There’s only one problem—Ryan.

  The information that was revealed while we were snowbound has had absolutely no impact on our sexual relationship—or conspicuous lack thereof. Though he’s polite to me in passing, he still hasn’t approached me or attempted to start a conversation about our situation. And my frustration is reaching a point I can no longer endure. Jack and Luka are wonderful, but for some reason—maybe it’s just the power of the imprint—I can’t drive Ryan from my mind. I feel the electricity between us every time we’re close to each other. I’m driven half mad wondering what his hands would feel like on my body, how he would be different from the others. Is he gentle like Luka or rough like Jack? Would it feel like having sex with an equal or submitting to someone more powerful? I’m dying to know.

  And I’m starting to think
I’ll have to be the one to make the move, because it seems clear that Ryan is not going to do it. It’s too bad, in a way, that our conversation by the fire during the time we were snowbound together was interrupted, because I know that’s where it was going. At the end of the day, though, I can’t be sorry that the truth came out about the other bears having imprinted. I’m glad everyone knows the score now. I’m just going to have to try again.

  The trouble is that Ryan is almost impossible to find. Luckily for me, Jack has been coaching me a little each night on tracking techniques with an idea of taking me out on a hunt someday. We haven’t tested my learning in the field yet, but that might work to my advantage, because Ryan won’t suspect my capabilities. I wait for him to leave one morning and then follow after him out of the cave.

  At first, tracking is easy—I follow the sets of boot prints through the snow. But after a while, the prints diverge, the three sets going in three different directions. Which do I follow? Which belong to Ryan? I examine them carefully and, after a moment, settle on the biggest. I’m not certain it’s the right choice, but Ryan is the biggest of the Bears, so it stands to reason that his feet would be the biggest.

  My skills are valuable in this pursuit. I’m quick over long distances and I’m good at keeping myself quiet and hidden. I finally come upon Ryan lying flat on his belly, peering over a rise in the ground, and I know he’s spotted some quarry. I’ve never been on a hunt with the Bears, so I’m not sure what to expect here. I’m sure he won’t try to attack without shifting first. But will that be soon? If he’s about to shift, I shouldn’t come bursting out and surprising him. That’s the kind of thing that could end very badly.