by Aja Foxx
Holy shit!
"H-Henry, do you understand what you're saying?"
"I'm not sure." His brow flickered as he frowned. "What does that mean to you? I mean, is it different for a bear than it is for a human?"
"I imagine some parts are the same and others are different."
Henry snorted. "Well, that's as clear as mud."
I chuckled as amusement swept through me. "Sex between humans and shifters is just the same, with one very big difference. Since we are mates, I'm going to want to bite you."
Henry swallowed hard. "You want to bite me?"
I wanted nothing more.
"I do." I smiled so Henry would see that I wasn't talking about being a feral beast. "It might hurt a bit the first time, but it will never hurt again after that, and you might actually grow to like it. Biting between mates is a very intimate thing."
Henry just stared at me. "You want to bite me?"
"I do, but I want you to understand what that means." I reached up and stroked a finger over the soft skin I desperately wanted to sink my teeth into. "You didn't get the shifter gene, so I don't think it will affect you like it will me."
"How will it affect you?"
"Once I bite you"—I refused to say if—"it will bind me to you for the rest of my life. I will crave you like a drug, your scent, your taste, the mere sight of you. Everything about you already calls to me. This will just make it all that more intense."
My chest started to feel heavy when Henry squinted. "There's a good side to this," I said quickly. "I will never be unfaithful, I'll never want another, and your happiness will be my ultimate goal in life." I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat as I brushed the hair back from Henry's face. "I'd already sell my soul for one of your smiles."
Henry huffed. "You can't promise not to be unfaithful, Gunner. Things happen."
"Actually, yes I can," I replied. "Once I bite you, my dick won't work for anyone else but you."
Henry's eyebrows shot up. "Are you serious?"
"Very."
I didn't trust the grin that started to cross Henry's lips.
"So, no matter what happens, you won't be able to sleep with anyone else?"
"No." I shook my head. "Just you."
"And what happens if we don't stay together?"
Nothing could have prevented the growl that rumbled through my chest.
Henry laughed as he held up a hand. "No, seriously, what will happen if we don't stay together?"
"Shifters don't believe in divorce, Henry. Once I claim you, we'll be together for all eternity."
The smile slowly slid off Henry's face. "Eternity is a pretty long time, Gunner."
"It's not nearly long enough. I want eternity and a day, and after that, I want eternity and two days, three days, as many days as I can get."
Henry's eyes widened. "Really?"
I winced as I grabbed Henry and rolled him underneath me, but it was worth the pain to feel his body pressed up against mine. "I wanted you even before I knew you were my mate. You walked into that hospital room and I forgot how to breathe. And then I smelled the most wonderful scent and I realized what that meant, and truthfully, I was terrified."
"Of me?"
"You're human, Henry. You can walk away from all of this, even after I bite you. Your dick will work just fine."
Henry's eyebrows narrowed. "This is all about sex to you?"
"Sex is a big part of it, but it's also about a lot more than that. I was serious when I said if I bite you, it will mate us for all eternity. For me, besides the whole dick not working thing, it means you're it for me. No matter what happens, there will be no other. Ever."
"You'd spend the rest of your life alone?"
I wasn't sure how much to tell Henry. I didn't want him with me because he felt sorry, but I also didn't want to withhold information from him. If he learned of it later, he'd be pissed. He was still upset with me for not telling him I was a shifter.
"Okay, the first thing you need to understand that all of this happens only when I bite you. Before then, we're just two people talking. Understand?"
Henry nodded.
"Okay, for a shifter, once they have claimed their mate, like I said, no other will do. So, with that in mind, what do you think happens to them when they lose the most perfect person in the world for them?"
"You think I'm perfect?"
"Henry, focus."
"No, I’m serious. I'm not perfect, not by any stretch of the imagination. I'm boring and nerdy. My idea of a good time is reading an interesting article in a medical journal. I can't ride a bike, I hardly ever drink, and I'm more comfortable in slacks, pressed shirts, and bowties than anything else. I am not exciting at all."
"You're stunning, especially when you're talking about medicine. Your eyes light up, turning from blue to crystal diamonds. And you have this little crinkle between your eyes you get when you're concentrating hard on something. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen."
I rolled to my side, but took Henry with me, moving him around until he was spread out over the top of me. He immediately tried to push himself up off my chest.
"Gunner—"
"It's fine," I said. "Just don't jump up and down on me."
"Gunner—"
"Baby, it's fine, I promise."
Henry's eyes rolled and he pushed hard, reaching down between us as he lifted his hips. "Certain...uh...things were getting squished."
I chuckled as I watched his cheeks fill with the most adorable flush. "Give me a few minutes to finish talking to you about this and then I'll check to make sure you didn't cause any damage."
The flush deepened.
"Mates are brought together, but that does not mean they have to mate. It's just fate's way of giving them a head start."
"Why?"
"I think it's because there aren't a lot of shifters out there. We need the extra help."
Henry frowned. "Maybe you should start a shifter dating website."
"Ah, but see, some of us have human mates, who, much like you, might not know about my world. Up until today, you had no idea this world even existed. It's a lot to take in and accept. If you decide this isn't for you, I'll understand."
Henry's eyes dropped and he started drawing little circles in the hair on my chest. "I'm just trying to figure out what this all means. You talk about being faithful and being together forever, but what happens if you meet someone else or you find another mate? What then?"
"I've never heard of a shifter having more than one mate, but I suppose it's possible. What I can tell you is that I don't want another one. I just want you."
Henry's eyes rose to mine. "Want me how?"
I arched one eyebrow.
"No, what I mean is, do we date? Do I take you to the fundraiser I'm supposed to attend next month, and if I do, do I introduce you as my friend, my boyfriend, the guy I'm shagging? I don't think my colleagues will understand what bear mate means."
"In my world, once I bite you, everyone would understand exactly who you are."
"Yes, but I suspect I will have a foot in both our worlds, human and shifter. I need to know what mate means in my world."
I knew labels were important in the human world, and probably more so in Henry's since he was a doctor. "Until I can get you before one of your human justice of the peace guys, it means fiancé."
Henry's mouth dropped open.
I smiled as I reached up and lifted his chin back into place. "Yes, Henry, I want to marry you. I want to bite you and marry you and move you into my...well, my home, as it were." I winced as I glanced around. "It looks nothing like your condo, though."
"I hate my condo."
"How would you feel about hanging out here?" I asked before holding my breath and praying with everything in me.
"How would you feel if I bought the building next door and put in a place for us there?" Henry countered.
He said us!
I grinned. "Even better."
"Second floor, though. I w
ant to keep the first floor to put in an infirmary." Henry frowned as he glanced down at my chest. "You guys need a doctor who specializes in dumb heads who get shot."
Chapter Nineteen
~ Henry ~
"Can I claim you, Henry, make you mine?"
"Yes." There was no hesitation in my answer. Even if Gunner left me afterward, I wanted this. I at least wanted a memory of the happiest time in my life…when a big bad biker bear wanted me.
"You know if we do this, I will bite you and bind us together."
I nodded.
"Once it's done, it can't be undone. You'll be mine forever."
"But, you'll be mine, too, right?"
"I will, mate. I will be yours for the rest of your days and mine."
"Okay then."
Gunner's eyebrows lifted. "You agree to be my mate?"
I grabbed Gunner by his beard and pulled until our noses were mere inches apart. "Yes, Gunner, I agree to be your mate."
Gunner glanced up at me with an intensity I'd never seen before. For a brief moment, I couldn't breathe, afraid Gunner was leaving me when he rolled to one side, climbed off the bed, and then stood back, but then the man started stripping his clothes off, and there was no possibility of breathing.
Gunner was a thing of beauty on any day. A naked Gunner was every fantasy I had ever had, all rolled into one. I could lie there forever and just look at the man.
Still, when Gunner climbed back onto the bed, I eagerly welcomed the man between my thighs. Touching was way better than simply looking.
"You need to be naked, too. Works better that way."
I was all for naked.
I went to work on the buttons of my shirt. Gunner chuckled as he reached for the snap and zipper on my slacks. My underwear, shoes, and socks soon made a pile with the rest of my clothes on the floor beside the bed. Between the two of us, we had me naked in seconds.
"God, you're gorgeous."
My eyebrows lifted. "Me?"
In what universe?
I thought I would lose my mind when Gunner leaned down and claimed my lips in a hungry kiss that demanded a response. I felt a needy groan build up in my throat as I pushed into the kiss. The caress of Gunner's lips on my mouth and the longing in my body set me on fire. I returned Gunner's kiss with reckless abandon.
Gunner stroked the side of my face. I countered by twisting my fingers in Gunner's beard and pulling him closer. I swept my tongue over Gunner's lips, then pressed in, exploring tentatively.
I could feel the simmering need building, overwhelming me as I opened wider for Gunner, allowing the man to explore. Gunner's mouth was devouring me, making me forget everything except the feel of the man's lips on mine.
"Gunner," I whispered as I tore my mouth away from the other man's. I knew what I needed, and I needed Gunner.
The man slowly moved his calloused hands downward, skimming either side of my body to my hips, making me shiver from the feather-light tracing. Gunner's touch was hesitant, as if he were in shock that he was actually allowed to touch me.
A spurt of hungry desire spiraled through me. I whimpered, tilted my hips up, and prayed that Gunner could read the invitation without me having to voice what I wanted.
Gunner leaned forward, nibbling at my ear, sending a spark of electricity through my entire body. I bit my lip to stifle a cry when Gunner's hands settled on my chest.
Oh man, did I want to be touched by Gunner—preferably from the top of my head down to my toes and every inch in between. Gunner's hands were firm as he touched me, sending a shiver of longing through me.
Each touch was perfect.
Gunner moved closer until his muscular body pressed against me. We fit so perfectly together, almost as if we were two halves of the same whole.
"Touch me," I whispered when Gunner seemed to hesitate, his hand hovering over my chest. I sucked in my lower lip and bit down on it when Gunner circled one nipple with his fingers.
"Does that feel good?" Gunner asked as he gently tugged on the hardened nub.
I grinned. "Oh yeah." Hell, it felt frigging fantastic. I was panting and ready within seconds.
Gunner locked eyes with me and then lowered his head, flicking his tongue out to lap at the nipple. I was lost in the sight as Gunner tugged on the nipple with his teeth. My cock throbbed painfully, ready to explode, but I fought the need to come as I watched Gunner explore me.
"You're teasing me," I said with a whimper, twisting in the grip of an erotic heat that was burning me alive. "Don't tease me, Gunner, please."
A wicked smile formed on Gunner's gorgeous face. "You have to learn patience, mate."
To hell with patience. I wanted to be fucked.
But it seemed my begging hadn't hurried Gunner along. If anything, the man seemed to slow down. His licks were slower, tracing from one nipple to the next as he teased the flesh with his teeth.
I wasn't going to survive.
Gunner traced over my skin with his hands. The gentle caress caused a surge of heat to rise within me. The man seemed to want to explore every inch of my body at his leisure.
Gunner was sweating, his skin flushed as he stared at me with glazed eyes. "Turn over, mate."
As I turned over, I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew. Gunner looked like a man possessed. His dark eyes were so sensually filled that I could almost feel the heat scorching my skin.
When Gunner's fingers slid between my ass cheeks and grazed my hole, I spread my legs. I wasn't able to push my butt up much, but the feeling of Gunner's finger pressing against my tight ring of muscles more than made up for that.
"Gunner, please," I begged. My balls were drawn up so tight against my body, I was afraid they would stay that way.
"What do you need, mate?" Gunner stroked his hands over the curve of my ass cheek. "Do you need to come, Henry? Is that what you need?"
"Yes." I panted heavily. "Please."
I yelped when I was lifted up and swung around. While there was still arousal burning in Gunner's eyes, there was also determination, and a touch of anxiety.
"Don't go anywhere," Gunner said. "I need to get the lube."
"And a condom."
Gunner shook his head. "Shifters can't spread human diseases."
I arched one eyebrow. "What about shifter diseases?"
"Nope."
Gunner stretched up and grabbed the lube from under his pillow. He popped the top and poured a healthy amount out on his fingers before tossing the bottle down onto the bed. "Are you ready?"
I just groaned.
When a wet finger touched my hole, I couldn't help but rise to my hands and knees, rocking against the finger. I was losing my mind, and waiting on Gunner to move was going to make me insane.
When Gunner slid his lubed finger inside me, my eyes crossed. The man had nailed my sweet spot on the first try. Lowering my shoulders to the bed, I whimpered.
"Am I hurting you, Henry?" Gunner asked, stilling.
"No," I said as I panted. I shoved my ass onto the thick digit again, groaning. Gunner seemed to catch on because he started using his finger as if it were his dick, fucking my ass in earnest.
"Another… Give me another."
I was so begging.
Gunner pulled the first finger free and then slid it back in, the second right next to it. He was killing me, killing me with pleasure, building, increasing, and threatening to make me cry out.
So I did.
"Feel good?" Gunner asked as he slipped a third finger into my needy hole.
"Yes!" I wasn't even sure how I was forming words, not when Gunner was making my world tilt on its axis. I was mindless now, mewling and writhing, pushing back as Gunner pushed forward.
And then the fingers were gone.
I whimpered in protest.
Gunner settled behind me a moment later, gripped my hips, and then slowly began to split me in half. He slowly eased inside me as if he was afraid he would hurt me. This time, I didn't beg the man to rush. I
was lost in what Gunner was doing to me, praying it lasted forever.
My body tightened, my heart thudded, and my mind grew frantic with a need so primitive and sensual it threatened to make a slave out of me.
"Henry." I heard the shattered whisper as Gunner seated himself fully inside my body. "Fuck, Henry, mate."
My cock hardened to steel at the needy tone to Gunner's voice. Moaning, I wiggled my hips to take the swollen shaft deeper inside of me. Sweat slid down my back as I arched into Gunner, who had blanketed my body, running his mouth over my shoulder, his teeth scraping my skin.
Gunner's cock sank into my ass before pulling out most of the way, stretching me to the limits. My body tingled with a need to come, but I fought against my release. I didn't want this to end…ever.
"You feel like you were made for my cock."
I shivered at Gunner's words.
"I was," I whispered into the room as Gunner wrapped an arm around me, grabbed my cock, and gave my shaft slow, torturous strokes.
With steadfast determination, I began to thrust back against Gunner, pounding my ass into the man's groin, demanding he take me harder, faster, and rougher.
"Is that what you want?" Gunner asked as he pulled back and gripped my hips.
"Yes!" I nearly snarled the words.
Gunner took me at my word. He began to batter my ass with his thick cock. I curled my fingers into the blankets, meeting Gunner thrust for thrust.
"Harder!" I shouted as Gunner began to pound into me with fervor. I felt my climax cresting as Gunner continued to drive into my ass. I reached underneath my body and grabbed my cock, and then stroked the swollen flesh in time with Gunner's movements.
Stroking my dick harder, I bowed my back, crying out as my seed was ripped from my body. I jerked, shuddered, and gasped for air as Gunner's movements became uncoordinated.
"Mate!" Gunner shouted as his cock began to pulse, shooting hot spurts of seed into my ass.
Sharp fangs sank into the soft flesh of my shoulder. Something inside of me felt as if it had ripped away and joined Gunner, leaving me feeling as though no other man besides Gunner would ever satisfy me. I was going to be devastated if he left me after this.
I winced when Gunner withdrew his teeth, but shuddered when his tongue slicked over the bite mark. He'd been right. It hurt the first time, but I could totally see him biting me again. Each swipe of his tongue made my cock jerk and spasm, giving a valiant effort to harden back up.
