Greyriver Shifters

by Kristina Weaver

  Don’t be mean.

  Not meaning to be, just curious. You guys are still in the honeymoon phase. Hell Logan and I are still in the honeymoon phase, and I’ve had my body destroyed by three children before he healed me.

  I sigh, rolling over and away from Blain to stare into the darkness.

  We fought yesterday, and last night we spoke about it, and, I just think we’re so apart now. That easiness is gone. He’s still upset with me about lying, and I resent that he feels the right to be upset because he lied to me too.

  Lies are normal, stop being a baby! It’s the whole pity thing that’s killing the mojo.

  Huh?

  Look, girl, it’s not normal to tell the truth all the time. I lie to Logan about stuff all the time. Did you eat anything but chocolate today, and I say, yes. Have you been good today and avoided losing it with Tina? Yes. Little lies that keep things easy.

  These weren’t little lies.

  Yeah, but they’re not exactly huge in the context of your messed up relationship either.

  Hey!

  Just being honest.

  Now you wanna be honest. Lie to me.

  Pfft! Honesty is fun when the other party gets all tied up about it. Like I was saying, this problem isn’t about the fight, it’s about feeling guilty and sorry for yourself.

  I don’t feel—

  Yeah, you do. You’re lying to us all about something and you feel bad. He feels bad about exploding on you, and in the end you both feel shitty and don’t know how to move forward. A hummer works.

  Hannah—

  No, really, it does. Honestly Jules, how do you expect to be an equal partner if he only does the sex work. That sounded bad and I liked it, so I’m not apologizing. If you want him, take him.

  What if he doesn’t want me?!

  Does he have a dick, two eyes, and a brain, even if it’s tiny?

  Well, yeah.

  Then he’ll want it, trust me. Now go under that sheet, do your job as a female, and make him roar bitch.

  I scoff at her words when she leaves and glance at Blain again, my sex aching for him in a way that isn’t just physical. I’m hot between my legs but this need also comes from needing to have him with me. Seeing me.

  Can I do this? I can do this, I tell myself when he rolls over to his back and the sheet settles around his hips, outlining an erection that has my mouth going slack.

  I gulp, reaching over with a trembling hand and slide the sheet down slowly, so slowly I have to hold my breath and peek up at him to make sure he’s still asleep.

  Oh Lord.

  I almost convulse when the sheet slides completely off revealing his thick shaft and the pulsing veins, the memory of him making me heat up as I never have before.

  My heat is gone, dissipated, and on hold to start again later when my body goes into need again in an effort to breed, but my lust is no less strong as I take in his naked body from his sleep-soft face to the hard chest and abs and then travel down to his strong thighs and large member.

  I want him. The truth of it is so strong I swallow down my own fears of rejection and slide over the bed. Trembling, I reach out and touch him, the thickness and smooth skin burning into my skin.

  I’m still shaking when I lower my head and take him into my mouth, my nerves ramping up as I try to remember everything about that porn Hannah shoved into my head.

  The taste of him bursts over my tongue, and suddenly it doesn’t matter that I have no experience here and that I don’t have a clue how to please him. It becomes about pleasing me when I get a taste and become ravenous for more. Salty musk fills my mouth, and all I can do is touch and lick and suck in a bid to get more of him.

  Blain groans in his sleep, moving, and a voice in the back of my mind warns me to go slowly lest I wake him. I can’t seem to stop though, or care, because I want so much it’s like a fire inside me.

  Moaning, I lower down, stopping when my gag reflex kicks in and pull up to suck at him. I repeat this over and over again and only stop when hands pull at my hair and I feel him move.

  “Malina.”

  His pleasure spurs me on now. Going back down again, I use everything I have, every little knowledge to guide me as I give my male pleasure. Blain groans, his hands tightening in my hair to the point I fear he’ll pull me off but after a small hesitation he’s helping me, pulling my mouth on an off him and pushing up for me to take more.

  My jaw aches, the stretch of his girth widening my lips to the point of discomfort, but it arouses me even more knowing that all of this has been inside me before.

  “That’s it. Yes, bria, suck. Oh God that feels so good, baby,” he growls when I pull off and lick at the little opening on his crown.

  I go back down again, sucking hard when pre-cum starts flowing from his head, the sweet taste making me so wet I squirm and clench my thighs against the need to straddle him and thrust down onto him.

  “Hhhm, yeah. I’m going to come, baby. Pull off. I—”

  Ignoring his commands and pulling hands, I suck harder and go deeper, my eyes closing with pleasure when he stiffens and starts coming, the heat of his seed burning on my tongue to flow down my throat.

  I expect a soft and sated few minutes after I release him but yelp when he bursts into action and pushes me down to the mattress, coming between my legs in a fierce thrust that fills me so full and deep I scream from it.

  I’m wet, aching, and on the verge of orgasm already when he hits my depths and stops to look down at me, his eyes blazing in the darkness.

  “Blain—”

  “I always want you,” he groans, pulling back only to hammer back in and stop. “You don’t need to seduce me, bria, because I always fucking want you.”

  My gasp when he pulls away is swallowed when his mouth lands on mine and devours, the taste of him like an aphrodisiac that has me writhing and pushing up to meet his thrusts.

  “You are mine, and I am yours. Never doubt that you can have me,” he growls, his hips pumping in a rhythm that has me moaning.

  I want to cry out that it’s not true, but my thoughts scatter under his onslaught and I start coming in strong waves of absolute pleasure that move through every part of me.

  This is the shifter female curse and blessing, the continuous pleasure that can be found in her true male’s arms. I love it and hate it all at once, even as I scream and press against his next pump, my eyes rolling back when another convulsion makes my sex squeeze him to the point it almost pains me.

  “Take the pleasure, bria. Fucking hell, you’re so tight it hurts in the best way. Do you want my come and essence, bria?” he snarls into my neck, the flick of his tongue against my skin sending quakes of pleasure into an already explosive climax.

  I do want his bite, even knowing what will happen, but God help me I need it. I need it somewhere where I’ll see, feel it, know it is there and will never leave me.

  Gasping, I pull his head up and lead him to my breast, the strength of my release calming when he blinks and frowns up at me when understanding hits.

  “I won’t ever hurt you my—”

  “Please my male. I want it so badly,” I moan, the thumb he uses to stimulate my clit causing a strong shock of near agonizing pleasure to convulse my sex and womb in a series of contractions that make me gush between my legs.

  In shifter language, it’s called mella, roughly translated to mean “the waters” or close to it. Blain feels it and snarls, throwing his head back to pump harder into the heated core of me.

  “Jules, baby, if I bite you there, I’ll hurt you. Oh fuck! Oh God, you like the idea?” he breathes, his tongue flicking out to lick at my nipple when I clench around him and grab his head closer.

  Blain keeps thrusting even as his tongue licks around my nipple, drawing circles around the hard nub in ever narrowing circles until he latches on and sucks strongly.

  I moan, the little clenches inside getting stronger only to explode and make me scream when his teeth pierce me, and he sucks, i
njecting his essence even as he takes my blood.

  The bite sets me off again, and I come harder than any other climax I’ve had before when I feel Blain go tense over me and the kick of his seed as he jets into my pulsing womb.

  It feels better than anything I have ever felt, the bliss tainted only by the sinking knowledge that this is the last time my mate will ever want me.

  I whisper my love to him, as he falls onto me, his weight settling but only so much because he catches himself on his elbows as he buries his face in my neck and just breathes.

  “I…I care for you a great deal, malina. More than I have for anyone else,” he rasps, rolling us so that I am on top of him as usual, our bodies still connected.

  I want to believe that, I do, but I don’t think it’s true. He loved Jessa once, truly loved her. Swallowing my tears, I lay over him and try to forget that my mate is broken, possibly never to let himself love me and that it wouldn’t matter if he did because after the next step he won’t ever want me again.

  I kiss his chest in reply and settle down, my eyes closing on a spate of tears I won’t release. Not yet. Not until it’s done.

  “I’m sorry about what I did.”

  He murmurs a sleepy assent and rubs a hand down to my ass where he cups it like always. This is how we fall asleep now, usually. I don’t know how I’m gonna get over losing this.

  “You were trying to help. Because you love me.”

  “I do. I hope you believe that, Blain. I hope you know that I really do. Shh, don’t get uncomfortable. I don’t expect it back, and I don’t want you saying things that aren’t necessary right now. I just want you to know that I do love you. It was like a bolt of lightning from the blue, but it stuck and I…I just feel it. You’re a good male, my mate, even when you plot and take delight in hurting others. I know you only do it when those you care for are hurt in any way,” I murmur, stroking his chest when he grunts.

  “I’m not good. I—”

  “You’re good to me and that’s all I care about. I know about the mortgages in town and I saw your plans to close them all down. Please don’t.”

  I don’t know if he’ll listen, but I want him to at least think about it. When I’m gone and he no longer has to think about my safety or happiness, I want him to walk into town without anyone censuring him in any way.

  It hurts me, but I wish him happiness, even if I won’t be there to see it happen or make it happen myself. One day, he’ll want to mate again, maybe a daughter of the elite, and I want him to have some sort of acceptance from those around him.

  Most people scoff at it, but I truly do believe that acceptance is half the battle to happiness. One day, maybe not now but later I want him to be accepted because he’ll no longer have his vendetta to fuel him and life will be normal.

  He’ll need pack, clan, family.

  “Malina…I’ll give it some thought, but I won’t make any promises,” he sighs tiredly.

  “Okay, but at least promise me you’ll let Denise stay in her store. Please. They’re still family even if we aren’t speaking. I don’t want to think that they’re hurting.”

  Blain sighs, hard and with an air of annoyance before kissing the top of my head and agreeing.

  “Fine, but that’s it! I won’t decide the fate of the rest until I’ve thought about it.”

  “I’ll take it.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Jules

  “You’re sure you want to do this?” Noble asks me again for the tenth time, his eyes closing when I nod and take another step closer to the Alpha’s house.

  I woke this morning, just two days after the best night of my life, and I knew it was time. Mom called me and told me Althea has the formula, and then Blain called from his ‘work’ with Banner, whatever it is those two are up to together, to tell me that the council had called him and told him his suspension had been lifted.

  I didn’t expect them to go that far with him, to just forget their reservations and let him back into the fold so to speak, but I’m relieved as hell because the council will offer Blain a layer of protection that is imperative with Jock on the investigation against him.

  Everything is going exactly as I planned for it to go, right down to the responses Noble has been getting from packs all over the world to sit down with a main council of packs-something I suggested in the hopes of giving Blain his dreams-to discuss reformation of all law under one council that will govern to ensure that all shifters are adhering to the law.

  If things go as I planned, then pack will still have pack law, but those laws will have to comply with the universal, which states first and foremost that all laws must adhere to the protection of the people.

  I’m ready. My job is done, and with Noble having caught Alpha Sloan last night—not that I asked him to but hey, one less job for me, right?—it’s better than done.

  The process has been…fast. Too fast for my liking because I could have really used a little more time to love Blain, but I can’t put this off for selfish reasons any longer. I just can’t.

  The more time I have, the more I doubt that I can do this and—

  “Can’t we just do something else?” he asks, stopping me with a hand on my shoulder.

  I understand his reservation. Hell, I love that Noble loves me enough to not want any of this, but a deal is a deal, and I got Cass to get Lync to agree to see Noble so he’s honor bound to finish this with me.

  “What did you do with Sloan?”

  “I didn’t kill him. You made a good call changing your mind about that, Jules. Pinning it all on him will clear Blain of the conspiracy and treason charges, and Sloan will go back to his own pack to face charges.”

  “Yeah, well, it didn’t sit well with me just killing someone, and I don’t see why you should have to do it just because I can’t.”

  Noble frowns and stops me, pulling me back when I go to walk forward.

  “Why are you doing this to yourself, Jules? You’ve helped Blain. There’s no way this can go any further. Jock can find whatever the hell he wants to on the guy, but the council will jump at the chance to blame this on another pack Alpha.”

  I bite my lip at his question and slump onto a boulder nearby, my face turning down to stare at the new growth beneath my feet. Everything is in full bloom now. The chill has lifted from the air and promises a hella hot spring and summer, and the birds are chirping all around us.

  It’s a time for renewal and regrowth and symbolic of what I want to accomplish right now.

  “I have to. Dad…you know he won’t just let this go if I’m still with Blain. They can clear him of all charges Noble, but Dad and his cronies won’t just forget. If I want him to be free of it, I have to ensure that Dad can’t go after him again.”

  “By making him hate you?” he demands, cursing when all I do is meet his eyes.

  If I wasn’t already head over asshole in love with Blain I would find Noble hot. The guy is big, strong, and he has a face that reminds me of that Effron guy—except that he’s hotter in a strong shifter way that would make many a female swoon.

  He’s also kind, even if he rarely speaks, and his heart is always in the right place. Take Mika for example. My sister-in-law once told me that Noble was the one who spoke to her and made her see how selfish she was being with Bear. If not for Noble, they’d probably still be circling each other and throwing around anger.

  That’s why I chose him for this. He’s quiet, keeps to himself, and is always willing to help. I just wish it didn’t upset him this much.

  “By making him see that someone loves him enough to choose him. Always. I choose him above myself and my own happiness Noble.”

  “And freedom! And what about Cass? You can’t just walk in there and tell them she lied, Julia,” he insists, swiping at his face where new bear growth makes him look older than his thirty-three years. And hotter.

  Hell. I wish I wasn’t possibly going to jail because I know a shifter female I think would rock Nobles’ world.


  “I’m not going to, Noble. I may have fibbed a little about what I intended, just so you wouldn’t ask about what I really plan to do,” I confess, feeling guilty when he scowls and gives me a hard look.

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m going to go in there and get a divorce, Noble. Plain and simple. And then tell my dad and the council that I perjured myself and forced Blain to accept my claim by blackmailing him with my testimony.”

  “But why!”

  “Because Dad takes great pride in his family name, Noble, and knocking him down a peg will give Blain enough time to protect himself, and it will give us time for the pack councils to set up one council to review universal governance,” I explain. “We need time. Time is not something we have. Logan told Hannah that Brig and Jock found some resistance defectors that can identify Blain. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I can’t take the chance that it is. If they point a finger at him before I ruin Dad’s credibility, then he’s screwed.”

  Noble sighs, shaking his head resignedly and then looks up at the sky with a frown.

  “You’re going to ruin his credibility?”

  “Yes. No. But the town knowing that the Alpha’s daughter doesn’t agree with all of his laws will buy us time. They’ll stop trying to hurt me or hurt Blain, and maybe by the time it’s all said and done, the two idiots will finally understand what it feels like to be treated like shit. Dad needs to know why Blain resents him, and Blain, well, he’s losing me. I think that’s punishment enough,” I say cheekily, making Noble laugh.

  “I don’t want to do this, Jules,” he says quietly, his hand stroking my cheek in a soft affectionate caress that I answer by squeezing his hand with a smile.

  “I’ll be okay. The divorce will keep Blain too busy to get his sneaky fingers back into the resistance until it’s too late. Good job on that by the way,” I murmur, getting a grin from Noble.

  “Eh, you and Barb gave me enough information to keep things easy. Find one agent and you find them all, I guess. It’s a true network. I’m glad that they’re agreeing to help. It sort of simplifies things for us if the existing people do the leg work and can be sent out to other packs. As for Sloan, well, you know his pack won’t do shit since he never broke any of their laws.”