by Kallie Frost
My shoulder throbbed as we touched, reminding me of the next step.
‘So now… we mark each other?’
His ears came up alertly. ‘Are you ready to?’
‘I think so. What do we do?’
‘We just bite each other.’ I could hear him purring. ‘Right where the spot on your collarbone hurts.’
‘Okay, let’s do it.’
I stepped closer, trying to keep my balance on the bed. We stood still for a moment, then he dipped his head and I could feel him nuzzle near my neck. I did the same. And then, a couple of pinches.
‘Your fur is thick,’ he chuckled. Then, a flash of pain as he sank his teeth into me, through my fur.
I quickly bit him back and the pain transformed into an incredible rush of pleasure. I felt a surge of joy that I thought was from my inner cat. We released each other and he stepped back, looking pleased.
‘What now? Is that it?’ I asked.
‘That's it,’ said Cambry.
I couldn't quite maneuver to examine it as a cat, and wanted to change back to get a better look. I closed my eyes and focused on becoming human. Soon enough, the itching began again. I felt like I really needed to stretch, as though I were curled up in a too small space. It felt just as strange as changing into a cat had been. And before I knew it, I was human, standing awkwardly, naked, on my bed. I let out an embarrassed chuckle, and climbed down. I went to check myself out in the mirror.
Even though I was expecting it this time, I was still startled by my new reflection. I grinned at myself and then looked down at my collarbone. It looked like it was already starting to scar over.
“Is it healing?” I asked him surprise. I hadn't even realized that Cambry changed back, but suddenly he was there in the mirror next to me, fully human. And mouth-wateringly sexy.
“Yeah, we heal incredibly rapidly.” I noticed the matching bite mark on his collarbone.
“It doesn’t hurt at all. In fact, it feels kind of nice,” I said. I was certainly still aware of the spot, but in a strange way, as if someone were gently putting pressure on it, almost like a massage. The pain was gone.
“We're connected now,” Cambry said. “It won't be anything like what you feel with your inner cat, but you should have some sort of a vague sense of… me.”
I did, I realized. I could feel his contentment, his love, his joy. And something almost like relief. Maybe he had been worried that I wouldn't agree to this. Or maybe he was just glad to finally have a true mate.
“This is amazing,” I told him. “So, I can sense your emotions?”
“Sort of. Like I said, it's not very strong, but there's always sort of a general sense of each other. And you'll know if I'm okay, if we're apart.” He tilted his head to one side, in a strikingly cat-like manner. “Not that I would ever want to be apart.”
I laughed. No, I couldn't imagine ever wanting to be away from Cambry.
He hesitated and then chuckled softly. “There's also the shared pleasure.”
“What's shared pleasure?”
“It's easier if I just show you.” His voice sounded shy, but mischievous. He returned to the bed and pat the spot next to him.
I sat down, acutely aware of how close he was to me. I swear electricity was leaping between the few inches of space between our thighs.
“So, what’s shared pleasure?” I said, as he leaned over and kissed me.
It was even better than our other kisses, and the spot on my collarbone seemed as if it was getting warmer, almost hot. I realized my senses as a human seemed heightened. Cambry’s scent, and even his taste had nuances that I hadn't noticed before, and didn't think I could ever hope to name. It didn’t merely remind me of hazelnut now; it was hazelnut and a hundred other things. And I wanted all of them, all the time. They were suddenly my favorite smells and my favorite tastes in the world. I tried to identify more, as our tongues dueled, and finally settled on hazelnut and vanilla.
We were already naked, so it was easy for him to climb on top of me, slowly pushing me down until I was flat on my back. He straddled me, heavy, but not unpleasantly so. It was nice. My dick was already hard as a rock; his thigh and his own his dick rubbed against mine and I gasped.
“Touch me,” he ordered.
I grinned slyly at him and gently scraped my fingernails across his chest. He shuddered, and then rocked his hips roughly against mine.
“You know what I meant,” he chuckled. His voice was deep and husky, and only made me feel more mischievous. I continued running my fingernails down his sides, around his butt. I squeezed his ass cheeks gently and smirked up at him.
“No,” I said teasingly. “What did you mean?”
He growled, grabbed my hands, and pinned them by my sides, then lowered down until our noses were barely an inch apart.
“You’re feisty,” he chuckled.
I stretched up and gently bit the tip of his nose. He laughed and bumped his forehead against mine. It was strangely cat-like, and yet oddly satisfying. He sat back and released my wrists.
“You won't find out what shared pleasure is if you don't.”
Now, I was curious. This time I reached forward obediently and wrapped my hand around his dick, and slowly started to stroke. I swear he grabbed mine and did the same, and yet his hands were neatly resting on his hips. I stroked harder, letting out a gasp, as the pleasure only intensified.
“How…” I murmured.
He only chuckled. He let me stroke him a bit more, as I marveled at the shared pleasure.
“I want to fuck you,” Cambry purred.
The words sent a pleasurable chill up my spine. And suddenly I was hungry. For him.
“I want you to,” I answered.
He grinned, and I felt his fingers teasing down along my ass.
“Oh,” I said, suddenly feeling awkward. “I don't think I have any lube.”
He grinned slightly. “Yes, you do,” Cambry said confidently.
My protest was cut off, and I gasped, as his finger slid easily inside me, without the expected resistance. I swallowed hard, reveling in the feel of it, and could barely even remember what I was trying to say. Instead, I simply closed my mouth and moaned.
Cambry smirked at me. “Omegas have a natural lubrication.”
“I see.” Anything else I was planning on saying died as he started to slowly move his finger in and out.
He ran the fingers of his other hand across my chest, tickling and teasing, and then bent down to kiss me again. It was yet another explosive kiss. His lips pressed against mine and his tongue explored every inch of my mouth, as I greedily tasted him, chasing his tongue with mine. Vanilla and hazelnut for sure. And something else. I knew the flavor, but I couldn't place it.
For a moment I was distracted, determined to figure out the unique blend of spices that made the taste of my mate. I chuckled to myself. I was already thinking of him as my mate. Although, I supposed, we were about to seal the deal. My thoughts were scattered when he slipped a second finger inside me.
“Jesus!” I gasped.
“Feel good?” he teased.
“You can tell,” I shot back. “Can't you?”
He chuckled again and scissored his fingers in response. I arched against him, pushing them in deeper. And he answered by pumping them in and out again. It felt incredible, but I was already craving more.
“Please,” I gasped when I felt like I couldn't take it anymore. “Hurry up and fuck me.”
Cambry pulled back from our kiss and gave me a firm kiss on the cheek. Then ducked his head and took a bite at the place where he had marked me. An unexpected jolt of pleasure shot through me.
“Holy crap, Cambry!”
He licked it and then readjusted his position. I felt as if my body was vibrating with desire and realized abruptly that I was actually vibrating. I was purring. I was momentarily distracted by the rumbling in my chest. And then Cambry’s fingers were replaced with something much larger.
I gasped and r
ocked against him as he positioned himself, letting me adjust. He was trembling with anticipation as he held himself still above me. And, I realized with a grin, vibrating with purring as well. It was a strange sensation. Even his dick was vibrating inside me.
“Wow,” I said softly. “That purring is intense.”
“I can try to stop, if you like,” he offered.
“No. I like it.”
“Are you ready?”
I nodded. Cambry slowly drew himself out and then slid back in.
“Yes,” I moaned.
He did it again. A little harder, a little faster. I grabbed his hips, encouraging him to go even faster. In response, he grabbed my wrists, pulled my hands off him, and pinned them down next to me.
“I don't think so,” he said.
I struggled playfully against him for a moment. Even though we were roughly the same size, and I was pretty sure I could fight him off me if I really tried, I found I enjoyed being held down, so I let him win. I had a feeling we'd be doing this quite a lot. I figured that one of these days, I'd free my wrists and throw him a curveball. But for now, I was more than content to let him have his way with me.
He thrust in and out, faster and faster. And I realized, somewhere amid the overwhelming pleasure, that I was feeling his as well. Even though he wasn't even touching my dick yet, I felt as if it was encased in something hot and tight and incredible. Just as I was starting to think that I could come from this alone, he released one of my wrists and wrapped his hand around my cock. I hissed at the sensation, as his fist closed around me, and he began to stroke. I felt as if the rhythm of his thrusting changed. It was harder than before, and yet he had stopped drawing himself all the way out and thrusting back in.
Something felt different inside too, as if I was being stretched even further. And I felt the strangest sensation, almost like a rippling. As if there were multiple fingertips tapping up and down inside me. It was indescribable and overwhelming. I closed my eyes as the feeling intensified and knew that I was close.
With one good hard, final thrust, Cambry’s fingers clenched around my wrist, and he let out an incredibly cat-like yowl. His yowl had a strange echoey quality to it, until I realized that I was yowling with him. Pleasure exploded through me. And I swear I saw stars for a moment. The next thing I knew he was collapsed on top of me. And we were both vibrating from our from purring.
“Holy shit,” I murmured. “That shared pleasure is amazing.”
He laughed softly against my neck and pressed a kiss to the mark. This time the sensation was just pleasant, soothing, as if our magic bond somehow knew that we were done having sex and were just snuggling. I reached up and trailed my fingers across his mark. It was nothing but a scar already. He moaned softly, and bent down, catching my fingers with his lips and kissing them.
“Are you going to…” I asked, as I realized he was still inside me. He pulled out a little bit. Then I felt an odd resistance. A tugging.
He smiled sheepishly at me. “Sorry, can't yet.”
“What do you mean you can't yet?” I asked, confused.
Cambry’s cheeks reddened. “I probably should have mentioned that,” he said softly. “I have barbs.”
“Barbs?!” I cried in alarm. “Like…” I looked down, to where we were still locked together.
“It sounds scarier than it is,” Cambry said quickly. “They're not really barbs. I'll show you some time. They’re sort of like bumps that form and lock us together before I come.”
“That's a shifter thing?” I guessed.
“A cat shifter thing. We all have different perks.”
“Is it a perk?”
Cambry shrugged. “You tell me. I'm told they feel good. I wouldn't know, since I've never had sex with another alpha.”
I thought of the strange, rolling feeling and tried to describe it to him.
“Exactly!” Cambry said. “That's exactly what it's supposed feel like.”
“Oh, how come I didn't notice them when we were fooling around before?”
“I don't know. It was kind of lazy, sleepy fooling around.”
“Barbs,” I chuckled.
“Barbs,” he said. He tried to pull away again, and this time slid easily out.
I looked at his penis, trying to see any evidence of that little quirk. It looked just like a normal human one to me. Granted, it was still quite stiff and glistening with omega lube and semen. But it looked normal, nonetheless.
He flopped down next to me with a content sigh, chest rumbling as he purred. I wiggled down until my head was resting against him, enjoying the vibration.
“I love you, Louis,” he said softly.
The declaration didn't surprise me or feel at all too soon. Instead, I felt a wide smile cross my face and easily murmured back, “I love you too, Cambry.”
Chapter Nine
Louis
When the blizzard ended, we went to his hotel to check out and get his things. The next few days were blissful. Easily some of the best of my life. I felt like I had known Cambry forever. He was already eagerly making plans for my shop and pitching ideas. I loved every one of them. He clearly knew what he was doing.
He told me I could get pregnant. And he told me true mates were extremely fertile. He even told me all about his family, his cousins, and how quickly they conceived. In spite of all that, it never even occurred to me that I could be pregnant already. But a week later, I slept in unusually late, gagged over the smell of my usual morning eggs, and then went into the bathroom to puke.
When I emerged, Cambry was standing there with a glass of water and a huge grin. As soon as I was over my shock at his suggestion we call a doctor, he was on the phone, trying to track down a local one.
As fast as it was all happening, any time I started to freak out, all I had to do was look at Cambry. My inner cat danced and my heart surged with love, and I knew that, together, we could do anything.
~~~***~~~
There was a knock at the door. and a moment later, it opened and a fair-haired young man stepped in. There was something about him. Something I just couldn't place, but it caught my attention immediately.
“Can I help you?” I asked, feeling on guard against whatever the strange sensation was.
“I'm looking for Louis or Cambry?” he said.
“Oh, I'm Louis.”
He grinned and came in all the way, closing the door behind him.
“Hi there, it's nice to meet you. I'm Dr. Segel Neen.” He gestured around the café. “I wasn't sure I was in the right place.”
“I'm sorry,” Cambry said, coming down the stairs. “I probably should have clarified it was going to be a business and not a residence.”
“No, that's fine. I found it,” the doctor said, as he took a deep breath and smiled. “It smells wonderful.”
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” I offered. “On the house, of course.”
“No,” he laughed. “I don't want to trouble you.”
“I can make it while you get set up,” Cambry offered.
“Well, if you insist. I’d appreciate a cup, thank you. It was a bit of a drive. You guys are way off the map.”
I laughed nervously. I was used to being far away from everything in our little town. But it seemed that we were even more secluded as far as shifters were concerned.
“Where do you want to do this?” Segel asked, holding up a duffel bag, which I assumed must have been full of the medical supplies he needed for whatever he was going to do.
“I have a bedroom upstairs.”
“Perfect,” Segel said. “Lead on.”
I smiled and nodded to Cambry, before heading up the stairs. Segel went about setting up my bed for me. He stacked up some pillows on my bed, and then instructed me to lay down and pull up my shirt. I did so, feeling a little uncomfortable.
“So, what is it you're going to do exactly?” I asked.
He pulled a little device out of his suitcase and rubbed some sort of gel on it. “We
ll, this is basically a fancy microphone. And I'm going to put it on your stomach and listen for a second heartbeat. And if I find one,” he grinned, “you're pregnant.”
“Oh,” I said. “That's… simple.” I felt somewhat disappointed that I wouldn't be seeing a picture of the baby, like in the movies. “I sort of expected something to go, you know.” I made a somewhat lewd gesture and he laughed.
“No, luckily, we rarely have to actually do anything internal anymore,” Segel said. “I do take ultrasounds back at the office, which I could use to get some images. Unfortunately, I don't have a portable one. There aren't a lot of shifter communities up here. So, we're not really set up for house calls,” he said apologetically. “I made an exception for you because of the recent weather. I’d never dream of making a pregnant omega drive nearly three hours just for a check-up. Anyway.” He waved his device. “This will do the trick.”
“Great,” I said. “Thank you.”
Segel came forward and placed it against my stomach, just as Cambry entered the room.
“Just in time,” I said.
“Great.” He set down a to-go cup with Segel’s coffee on my desk, and then hurried over to take my hand.
“You're not nervous?” I asked my mate in a whisper, as Segel rubbed the device across my stomach. All I could hear was loud static. I realized that I was nervous as hell.
Cambry grinned. “My cousins and their mates have done it often enough,” he said.
In spite of his smile, he was clutching my hand rather tightly. And I knew he was probably just trying to act tough, so I wouldn't be nervous. If there was one thing I was quickly learning about my true mate, it was that he liked to put on a brave face and hide his emotions. I wondered if that was a cat shifter thing, or a Cambry thing.
I was about to ask Segel what kind of shifter he was, when the static abruptly turned into the distinct lub-dub of a heartbeat.
“Is that…” My breath caught.
“That's you,” Segel said. He moved the thing around a bit more, and there was more static. For the first time. I suddenly wondered what if I wasn't pregnant? Cambry and I had been getting so excited about it. And yet, could I really be sure? I hadn't taken a test, we had just jumped in and called the doctor, since Cambry seemed so confident. But what if I wasn't? What if something had gone wrong in the turning and I couldn't get pregnant? What if…
