by T. S. Joyce
“Wyatt, please,” she begged shamelessly.
His growl rattled against her sex, and then she felt it. He drove his tongue deep inside of her, and she cried out, tossed her head back against the pillow. His hands gripped the tops of her thighs hard, causing pleasure and pain. She was utterly lost to the waves of sensation that rocked her body. Another thrust of his tongue, and then another. She gasped. “I’m gonna come,” she whispered, warning him, but it only seemed to spur him on. He sucked her clit and then drove back inside her until orgasm exploded through her.
Harper’s body shuddered as he encouraged every aftershock with that sexy mouth of his. And oh, his bear was a snarly monster right now, like he couldn’t get enough of her taste. She felt like a goddess as she twitched and writhed against him.
Wyatt eased back, sucked on her inner thigh, and then chuckled a warm, sexy sound as a tremor took her body. “One,” he murmured.
Holy hell, her man wasn’t through.
Wyatt sat up, legs folded under him, thick erection jutting out between his legs, the epitome of a rutting, mature male. With a wicked grin, he trapped her in his blazing blue gaze and gripped the base of his dick, ran a slow stroke up to the tip, and then pushed into his hand again, his powerful abs flexing with the smooth motion. He blinked languidly and lowered his attention between her legs. Feeling reckless, Harper spread her knees wider and tossed him a challenging look. She clicked her fire-starter once and jerked her chin. Come here. Please me.
Wyatt’s sensual lips curved up in the corners as he crawled over her. On hands and knees, he lowered his lips to hers as she ran her hands up his bulging triceps. He spread his knees wider, lowering himself down against her thighs, and with a graceful roll of his hips, his cock pushed inside of her by an inch. He let off a deep huff of breath and eased out, then pressed back in. So big. Relax so you can take all of him.
Harper traced the bite mark that had streamed crimson down his chest—her declaration that she was his always. He clamped his teeth on her hand teasingly, then pushed into her deeper. She gasped with how right he felt filling her up like this. “Deeper,” she demanded on a breath.
Wyatt’s eyes lightened to a snowy color as he slammed into her hard. He eased back slowly, then flexed his hips hard again. He lowered himself onto her until there was no end to her body, no beginning to his. Burying his face against her neck, he bucked into her harder and faster, his snarl matching the humming vibration in her chest. His abs flexed hard against her stomach with every thrust. The pressure was growing too fast, too bright. She cried out with every stroke, and now his hands were gripping desperately hard to her back and waist. His teeth grazed her shoulder, right above her collarbone, and potent desire washed through her.
Please, please, please.
He slammed into her harder, their bodies making a slick sound as they drove each other closer to climax. Teeth, teeth, teeth. So sharp. Right there. Do it!
Harper screamed out his name as she came hard. He froze inside of her and bit deeply into her skin as his dick swelled and pulsed the first jet of wet heat into her. Mindlessly, she chanted his name over and over as he bit down harder and thrust into her again. She was clutching onto him so tight now, desperate for him to bite her deep enough to count. Desperate for every body-shattering pulse of pleasure he conjured between her legs.
Wyatt grunted and released her skin, then slammed into her again as his dick throbbed on, matching her orgasm. “I love you, Harper,” he murmured in a voice that was gravel and velvet. “I love you so much.”
Her shoulder hurt badly, but she’d never been happier in her life than in this moment. “I love you, too,” she whispered through her tightening vocal cords. She cupped his cheeks and looked up into those beautiful inhuman eyes of his. “I’ve waited so long…”
“I know. Me, too.” Wyatt relaxed on top of her and cupped the back of her head gently as he lowered his lips to hers. He sipped at her until every last pulsing aftershock had faded. And when she was sated and utterly stunned by what had just happened, she kissed the bite mark on his chest. “You’re mine now.”
His smile was so genuinely happy, it rendered her breathless. Wyatt rolled over, taking her with him, and hugged her so tightly against him she could barely draw a breath. His cheek against hers, she could feel his smile there as he told her, “I always was.”
Chapter Fourteen
Wyatt hit the lever to lower the bucket and scooped another layer of earth from the mountain. The excavator jumped and twitched under him as he hit a layer of rock, but he adjusted and pulled up, then drew it over the back of the dump truck and emptied the mine dirt on top of the pile.
“Full enough,” Kane called. “Shut her off.”
Wyatt cut the engine and hopped down the side of the giant machine, eager to get this work day done so he could go back to his mate. Wow. Wyatt huffed a soft laugh. His mate. How had he gotten so damn lucky?
Kane was glaring at him through narrowed eyes, and that shit always freaked him out. Kane had those green snake eyes that didn’t belong in a man’s face. He usually wore sunglasses to cover them up in public, but when he was about to ream Wyatt, he always left them off. Intimidation tactics, but it wouldn’t work on him. Not today. He was too high up on cloud nine.
Wyatt grinned brightly and sauntered past him, then climbed into the passenger’s seat of the dump truck.
“What’s going on with you?” Kane asked as he limped to the driver’s side and pulled himself up. He had a bum leg, but every time Wyatt asked about it, Kane shut him down and wouldn’t talk to him for a week, so okay. They weren’t crew, and they weren’t friends. They were tentative allies since the vamps posed a threat to both of them.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Wyatt said through a baiting grin.
“You’ve been smiling all fucking morning. And your bear feels different. And furthermore, you’ve become quite the popular man in town right now.”
Wyatt rolled down the window as Kane circled the dump truck toward the old mining road that led down toward the tourist section of this gig. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Aric and a few of his vamps have been hanging around the parking lot of Drat’s at night. Last night he finally came in and asked about you right-out. The only thing keeping them from going after you at your place is the Bloodrunner Dragon.”
“She has a name.”
“Fuck her name, Wyatt. If she leaves, your jugular is wide open for the ripping.”
“She ain’t leavin’.”
“Everyone leaves, man.”
“I did Aric a favor. He’s king now. He should be shaking my hand and buying me a shot.”
“It doesn’t work like that, and you know it. Look, I know we don’t see eye to eye on stuff, but if you go down, I’m next. And I like it here. I’m sick of moving around.”
“Then pick a damned territory, Kane. You’re a Blackwing Dragon, man. You don’t need anyone’s protection.”
He made a pissed-off clicking sound behind his teeth. “You know it’s not like that for me. I don’t need a treasure like the Bloodrunner.”
“Harper. Her name is Harper.” Wyatt pulled the hem of his T-shirt up until he exposed the puckered, angry-looking claiming mark on his pec. “She’s with me now. Fighting another dragon in your territory won’t work. She isn’t your enemy. She’s good.”
Kane looked over at his mark with those blazing green eyes, back to the steep road, and then back to him before he murmured, “That’s a really big deal.”
“Yeah.” Wyatt straightened the thin fabric of his shirt back in place and took off his hard hat, tossed it to the dusty floorboard between his work boots. “It feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this. If Aric wants trouble, he’s barking up the wrong tree. Now that Harper knows alcohol inhibits her dragon, she won’t make the same mistake twice.”
“Would you die to keep her safe?” Kane asked so quietly Wyatt almost didn’t hear him over the roar of the engine.
/>
“Yeah.” It was the easiest answer in the world.
Kane sighed, and his breath tapered into a growl. “Look, Aric isn’t the only one asking about you.”
Wyatt frowned at Kane’s profile. “Who else?”
“The alpha of the Valdoro Pack came in last night, too. Axton something-or-other. He and his wolves are in town to put pressure on Martin to sell faster, and he isn’t a fan of yours. He told me to tell you he wants you out of the territory the second the deal closes.”
Wyatt groaned and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes to ease the tension headache building there. “Fuckin’ wolves, man. I miss when the vamps and wolves were still in hiding. At least they policed themselves better then. Now the leaders have too much power and zero moral compass.”
“You’re preaching to the choir. Wolves will ruin this entire town. It won’t be safe for families anymore, and tourism will grind to a stop. They’ll bring bloodshed to the Smokies.” Kane cast him a quick, thoughtful glance. “Look, I only picked up the shifts at Drat’s for extra income. I have some money saved.”
“For what?”
Kane turned onto the backroad that led down to the tourist center of the mine. “I have ten grand I can put up for the territory, no strings attached.”
“What? Why? You barely tolerate me.”
“It’s not for you, dumbass. I have my own interest in mind. I can’t defend a territory on my own, but between you, your Bloodrunner, and any crew you recruit, you could. If you don’t set up territory here, I’m out. I have to go on the run again, and I’m so fucking tired of running.”
Wyatt scratched the back of his head in irritation. “It’s still not enough. Not by a lot. We’d still be about ninety thousand short, and really, I should be matching the Valdoro Pack’s offer because they’ll kill Martin if he shows favoritism.”
“How short are we if we match their offer?”
“One-forty.”
Kane shook his head for a long time and smelled pissed off, but there was nothing to be done about that. Wyatt had quit beating himself up over the things he couldn’t control. Chronic guilt was a slow poison his bear had buckled under, and Wyatt liked to think he’d learned his lesson.
Emotionally crippling his bear with remorse wasn’t a viable option anymore.
Harper was enduring The Unrest, and would need him to be whole and strong for her.
Chapter Fifteen
Harper licked her bottom lip in anticipation and stepped onto the rickety bridge. The uncomfortable humming of The Unrest buzzed just under her skin, so she stepped back.
It couldn’t be.
She tried again, and this time, her nose tingled with the smell of iron, and deep within her, the dragon let off its warning rumble.
“Mother trucker,” she whispered as a smile stretched slowly across her face. Gooseflesh rippled up her arm and landed in the claiming mark Wyatt had given her last night. The torn skin was half healed, but it ran hotter than the rest of her as a constant reminder that she wasn’t alone. That she wouldn’t be alone ever again because he’d bonded them completely.
And now this?
When Harper stepped onto the bridge again, her dragon snarled, and the first drop of warmth trickled down onto her lip. In a rush, she backed up and ran her hand under her nose. Just one drop, and it was done. She wanted to laugh and scream and cry and laugh some more because never in her life had she thought her dragon would do this.
She couldn’t leave. She didn’t want to. Nothing in her wanted to take her rental car to the airport and fly back to Saratoga. Every instinct she possessed screamed that if she was going to be okay, it would have to happen here, in a little town near the Smoky Mountains.
Rubbing her arms to put warmth back into them, she jogged for her car and yanked her phone from her purse with trembling hands. She had to try twice to scroll to the right contact. Sebastian Kane had handled her investments and retirement for the past decade. She had savings, but she needed more if she was going to do what her dragon had been roaring for her to accomplish since last night.
“We was just talkin’ about you,” Bash greeted her.
She giggled and asked, “Oh yeah? Are you over at Asheland Mobile Park today?”
“Nah, your dad came to see me. We’re drinkin’ beer up at Bear Trap Falls. Too bad you ain’t here. I bought that fruity shit for you and my girls. I didn’t even know you’d left the mountains until Bruiser told me a minute ago.”
Harper’s smile dipped slightly. Bash’s three daughters must be home visiting, and she was missing seeing them. If she couldn’t leave here, she would always miss what was happening back in Saratoga. Holidays, birthday celebrations, Lumberjack Wars, all of it.
Was this what it was like for Pop-Pop? Was he stuck in his mountains for always?
The sound went all muffled, and static blasted across the line like fabric rubbing against the speaker. Bash said, “Hey Bruiser Bear, your daughter called me before she called you, ha ha!”
“She called me and Diem yesterday, you dipshit.” Yep, that was Dad.
Harper snickered and said, “Hey Bash Bear, I need to pull some of my money.”
“She wants money,” Bash said in that muffled voice.
Dangit, she didn’t want to do this with Dad right there. She’d planned on telling him and the rest of the crew if this actually worked out.
More static, and Dad asked too loud into the line, “You in trouble?”
“No. I swear I’m not. I’m…” Well, here it goes. “Dad, I think my dragon picked a treasure.”
“What?” There were a few beats of silence then louder, “What? Baby, don’t you be teasin’ me.” God, there it was, that tremor that said Dad was getting choked up. “W-what is it?” He was yelling. “Dammit, Harper, talk! What did she pick?”
Harper clapped her hand over her mouth at how relieved and hopeful Dad sounded. “She picked Wyatt. And I think some land in North Carolina. Mountains. Up in the Smokies. I’ll need all of my savings and most of my investments in order to make a fair offer.”
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. I have to tell your mom and Riley. Drew is gonna shit himself. Baby, are you sure? Wait…Wyatt? You found him?”
“I found him, Dad.” She swallowed a sob and blew out a steadying breath before she whispered, “He claimed me.”
Dad was quiet so long she thought he’d maybe hung up on accident. But then her father, big old burly Bruiser Bear, sniffed, and that tiny noise told her he was crying for maybe the first time she’d ever known about. “We’ve been waiting a long time for that boy to come around.” Dad’s voice came out hoarse and thick.
“He’s not a boy anymore. He’s really different. He has a dominant grizzly, but he has him controlled. Has him steady. Has him wanting a crew under him. He’s been saving up money to buy territory.”
“For his crew?”
“No. For me. So he could save me.”
Dad’s sigh shook like a leaf in a stiff wind. “I’ll give you back to Bash so you can talk money, but Harper?”
“Yeah, Dad?”
“You did it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know you always hated that your dragon hung onto people too hard, but your mom and Pop-Pop are the same way. It’s just how you dragons are. You lock your heart onto someone, and then you never give up on them. I know your friends used to give you shit over holding on so tight to Wyatt, but I was always so damn proud of you. He was just yours, and that was that, and now look what’s happened. There’s strength in that kind of loyalty, Harper Girl. Now you go get your mountains and keep us updated. We’ll all be rooting for you here.”
Chapter Sixteen
Martin glided out of the back office of the mine shop with an extra pep in his step. And was he whistling? Kane gave Wyatt a he’s-finally-lost-his-mind look and dropped the sack of mine dirt in the metal bin along the wall.
Martin practically danced around the table of giant crystals for s
ale, backed up a step with a goofy look on his face, did a little twirl, and pranced sideways to Wyatt.
“Are you having a stroke?” he asked, concerned.
“It’s payday.” Martin twirled his wrist and offered Wyatt an envelope.
“It’s definitely not. Payday is Friday.” And whatever game Martin was playing, Wyatt wasn’t interested. All he wanted to do was go back home to Harper.
Martin shoved the envelope against Wyatt’s chest. “Just open it.”
“Fine,” he muttered, setting down the bundle of sand sacks. With a put-upon sigh, he ripped open the envelope flap and wrestled out the folded piece of paper.
W,
Hide and seek and it’s your turn first. Count to 1010 and come find me. Oh, and wear your eatin’ pants. I’m making us dinner and I probably won’t burn it, pew pew. (dragon joke)
H
Wyatt jacked his confused gaze up to Martin. “Did Harper come by here?”
“Yep.” The old man was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“Why didn’t you call me? We could’ve rushed.”
“She didn’t want me to. Don’t worry about the rest. I’ll unload everything.”
Kane piped up in a grumpy snarl, “He means I’ll unload everything.”
Martin pointed like Kane had won some contest. “Exactly. Bye, Wyatt. See you tomorrow, bright and early.”
“Okaaay,” Wyatt murmured. Baffled, he turned back at the door to make sure his boss wasn’t in fact having some sort of episode, but the hunch-backed balding man stood there grinning like a happy gargoyle, so Wyatt shrugged at Kane and made his way out past the tourists sifting through dirt.
He was filthy from working up at the mine most of the day, but unable to resist the promise of seeing Harper and hearing that pretty humming sound vibrating from her chest again, he passed up his house, a prospect of a shower, and gunned it straight to Martin’s property.
