The Bear's Forbidden Wolf: A Hot Paranormal Fantasy Saga with Witches, Werewolves and Werebears (Weres and Witches of Silver Lake Book 4)

by Vella Day

  Then, as if someone had turned off this magical event, the water surrounding her disappeared, and the lack of buoyancy caused her knees to press hard against the surface. She wanted to cry out and shout that she wanted to stay cocooned in this love forever, but she bit back her response. Izzy must have parted the water. Ainsley wished she’d waited a little longer before performing her magic.

  “Come on, Ainsley.” Strong hands clasped her shoulders and helped her up.

  Reality came crashing down on her. Jackson was right in front of her. A second later, he swept her up in his arms and carried her to shore. As soon as he set her down, James handed him a towel.

  “Lift your arms, Ainsley,” Jackson commanded, as he stepped to the side, blocking the crowd’s view of her.

  As if someone had tossed a bucket of ice water on her, her senses returned. She did as he asked, and as Jackson wrapped the towel around her, his fingers burned a scorching path of lust on her skin.

  He leaned closer then lifted her necklace away from her chest. “It’s different.”

  “Oh, no.” She unwrapped her towel and glanced down at the belly ring that had changed too. While she didn’t care as much about that, the necklace was precious. Shamus had given it to her. She couldn’t be sure, but the red stones appeared lighter. It had to be her imagination though. The lake water was ordinary.

  Naliana approached. “How do you feel?”

  It took a moment to put the experience into words. “It was amazing. I think I went someplace.”

  She smiled. “That means it worked.” Naliana nodded to her necklace. “If you’re wondering, the stones on your necklace and belly ring changed from onyx to pink quartz.”

  “Why?” She didn’t want Shamus’s gift altered in any way.

  “After you dress, how about you and Jackson join me and James in the cabin? We’ll answer your questions then.”

  All she could do was nod. The cold seeped into her body, and chills raced through her. As quickly as possible she dressed, and then Jackson rubbed her arms to heat her up.

  “So you feel different?” he asked.

  She inhaled the cold and clear air. “I think so.” She explained what happened once she dove down. “I’ve never felt such unconditional love in my life.”

  Jackson smiled. “I’m glad.”

  Kalan came over with Elana, and they exchanged hugs.

  “I’m so happy for you,” Elana said. “To celebrate, a group of us—Izzy, Teagan, Missy, Rye’s sister Chelsea, and I—would like to invite you and Blair to a girl’s night out tomorrow evening.”

  Ainsley looked over at Jackson. “Did you figure out our flight to Scotland?”

  “Yes, we leave Friday, just as you suggested.”

  That was perfect timing. Ainsley didn’t have a lot of friends. Now that she was free of her Changeling ways, she wanted to remedy that situation too. “I’d love to.”

  “Great.” Elana placed a hand on Jackson’s arm. “I think your brother has something planned for you too.”

  He grinned. “I’m game.”

  The others came over to congratulate her, and Jackson introduced her to Kip and Teagan, as well as Izzy and Rye.

  “That was some trick with the water,” she said to Izzy.

  The tall, beautiful redhead smiled. “I couldn’t let you stay down there too long.”

  Would she have drowned? “I appreciate the help.”

  Jackson wrapped a possessive arm around her waist. “Ainsley and I need to meet with Naliana and James. So if you’ll excuse us.”

  The group said they understood and then dispersed. Jackson had picked her up from her apartment and driven her to the lake. He would be taking them to Naliana and James’s house.

  He glanced over at her, put his truck in gear, and drove back the way they came. “What are you thinking about?” he asked. “I imagine your mind is going wild right now.”

  Should she tell him? Because she didn’t want to be like her former Changeling family, Ainsley had long ago adopted the view that lying was never good. “You. Us.”

  He flashed her a smile then quickly sobered. “It’s complicated, isn’t it?”

  Hope flared that he understood. Her wolf was doing the happy dance, but she didn’t want to rush into anything. “Totally.”

  Jackson returned his gaze to the road. After what seemed like a three-minute drive, they arrived at James’s home. She wasn’t sure if Naliana and James were back at the cabin yet since the inside appeared rather dark.

  Jackson opened her door. Crap, she hadn’t even noticed he’d gotten out of his side. “Ready?” he asked.

  Not really. “I guess. What do you think they want to talk to me about?”

  “I’m sure it’s good.” He reached in and snagged the towel. It belonged to James.

  When Jackson knocked on the door, James answered. Those two sure were fast.

  “Come in!” James smiled brightly.

  *

  Jackson hoped this conversation with Naliana and James didn’t take long. His bear wanted to start their mating process. He’d explained to his wild beast that he wouldn’t bite her, that Ainsley needed time. Who was he kidding? So did he.

  For the moment, his animal agreed to stand down.

  Naliana appeared from the hallway, carrying a plate of cookies. “I baked these for you both.”

  Really? Naliana only saw James for twenty-four hours every month, yet she spent her time cooking? Or did she possess the talent to nod and have the food just appear? That would be sweet if she had that ability.

  Kalan had once told him how Izzy had baked cookies for him that had been laced with some calming spice. Maybe these would do the same for him. He sure as hell needed something to keep his bear at bay.

  Jackson placed a hand on Ainsley’s back and led her to the settee. Too bad that little maneuver woke up his inner animal again. Damn.

  James knelt in front of the fire and tossed in two more logs then looked over at Ainsley. “I bet you’re a little chilled from your swim.”

  “I am, thank you.”

  She ran a hand over her wet hair, and Jackson itched to use the towel he was carrying to dry it for her. He settled for reaching an arm across her shoulder and rubbing it, trying to give her some of his heat.

  Naliana placed the tray of sweets on an ottoman then sat down next to the fire. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions for us.”

  Ainsley fingered her necklace and seemed off in space, so he asked a question. “I have one. How did the water change the onyx?” It was now pink.

  Naliana smiled. “It wasn’t the water. I put a spell on it. The necklace, given to Ainsley by her dear friend Shamus, is designed to protect her. Now that she is no longer a Changeling, but rather a member of the bear and wolf Clan, she’ll need pink quartz instead.”

  “That makes sense.” The thought had never occurred to him. Ainsley was still staring off into space as if she was trying to come to grips with some kind of loss—perhaps that of the original necklace.

  Jackson had one more concern. “Ainsley stated that several of the Changelings could tell that she was one of them. What will happen when they see her again? Will they know she isn’t one of them and turn on her?”

  He honestly wasn’t sure what he wanted the answer to be. If the Council knew she wasn’t one of them, it was possible they might leave her alone. On the other hand, they might feel betrayed and try to kill her.

  “No,” James said. “I asked Naliana to put an extra spell on Ainsley that shields the established Changelings from seeing her new identity.”

  Ainsley leaned forward. “You’re saying that if I meet one of these Changelings, he’ll believe I’m still one of them?”

  Naliana nodded. “However, I should mention that the mark on the back of your shoulder has now changed. Instead of a circle outlined in black, your new identity has a wolf paw on the left to signify your wolf status and a vine on the right that comes from your Wendayan half.”

  She suc
ked in a breath. “That’s amazing. In other words, keep it covered when in the presence of a Changeling.”

  Naliana smiled. “Yes, dear.”

  These two had thought of everything. They chatted a bit more until Jackson felt they might be intruding on Naliana’s time with James. He stood. “Thanks for the towel.”

  Ainsley stepped over to the couple and hugged them both. Jackson held his breath waiting to see their reaction. He’d never heard of anyone touching either one. When they both smiled and hugged her back, he relaxed.

  Once they said their farewells, they left.

  Mate, mate!

  Jackson tried to ignore him, but it was damn hard. When the time was right, he’d know.

  Now, now.

  Chapter Fifteen

  ‡

  Ainsley just might be an even bigger mess now than before the ceremony. Thankfully, any evil thoughts and urges that had once lived inside her were now gone. The whole concept that she might give into the dark side had always loomed over her. Now, she was free—free to meet people and free to love.

  Which brought her to Jackson. Her body was vibrating with need, and she had to work hard to keep the blue sparks from randomly escaping. She wished now that she’d questioned her mother more about this sparkly stuff escaping her skin. Sure, in the past when she was excited, there might have been an occasional flare, but she’d never experienced anything like what happened when she kissed Jackson. Hell, she almost glowed blue.

  Before she had the chance to calm down emotionally or sexually, they arrived at her apartment. He parked in back of her building then escorted her upstairs.

  This is it!

  Was she even ready for him to bite her? No. She barely knew him. Her wolf wanted it all, that much she knew—the sex, the mating, the emotional connection—but the human part of her? She wasn’t sure. She was scared.

  Ainsley unlocked her front door and Jackson followed her in. “You want a drink?” she asked, not knowing the protocol on how to start the seduction. Should she undress and motion him to follow her into the bedroom? Or should she let Jackson take the lead? In the past, she’d been the aggressor because she had to be ready to put a halt to things if the man wanted to take it too fast.

  “I could use something to drink,” he said. “I have to admit all this cleansing stuff has me a bit off-kilter.”

  She whipped around and stared at him. “You? Why? I was the one who had to dive into the water.”

  He chuckled. “We’re mates, or rather we’re destined to be mates, and I don’t want to mess this up.”

  Relief poured through her, and she almost smiled at the worry skating across his face. “Me too. I have so many questions about what will happen that I need some time to think.”

  “That’s what I’m saying.”

  Thank goddess they got that worry out of the way. She now could relax a bit. “I’m glad we’re in agreement. Let me pour us a drink.”

  Ainsley headed into the kitchen and was reaching for the glasses when Jackson placed his hands on her waist. Anticipation shot through her.

  Take him; fuck him hard, her damn wolf demanded.

  “I changed my mind. I can’t wait,” he said, as he twisted her around to face him, his eyes shimmering an amber-gold. He reached behind her, and when he unclasped her necklace, the heavy metal and stone pendant dropped into his hands. He glanced down and fingered the large stone. “I can’t believe these changed. It truly is magic.”

  He was truly magic. “I know.”

  After placing Shamus’s gift on the counter, he drew her close and leaned over. “It’s been so hard to keep my hands off of you. Seeing you naked at the lake, I was so close to shifting.” He placed his thumb and forefinger a quarter of an inch apart.

  His need to be with her matched her own desires. Before she could tell him, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her. Sparks flew, and her pulse soared. Without the fear of harming anyone, she could finally let loose and just feel. And boy did she feel. Pinpricks of lust darted up and down her body, throwing off blue light everywhere. The random sparks kind of freaked her out, and she wondered if she just might combust.

  Ainsley wrapped her hands around his waist then slipped her fingers under his flannel shirt. She dragged her palms up his corded back, and the flexing of his muscles sent her hormones into a state of chaos. As amazing as that was, she needed more. Slightly opening her mouth, she ran her tongue along the seam of his lips and demanded entrance. His earthy scent swirled inside her and created havoc with her thoughts. All she could think about was devouring him. All of him. Totally. Fully. Divinely.

  Jackson opened his mouth, and the moment their tongues touched, her need exploded. Bones cracked, and she couldn’t tell whether the noise was coming from her or from Jackson. His eyes lightened, his teeth sharpened, and his hair sprouted.

  He broke the kiss, stepped back, and bumped into the small center island. Fur spun and suddenly a huge bear loomed before her. Ainsley’s wolf went crazy. She wanted this bear. Now. Uncontrollable lust swamped every cell, and her vision sharpened as her body transformed into her wolf.

  Holy hell. Now what? She looked up at the giant animal. Jackson’s bear lowered his cute snout and sniffed. Her wolf looked up at him and licked his face. He growled, but she wasn’t certain what that meant.

  Needing some fur-to-fur contact, she walked in between his legs, rubbing up against him. Pinpricks of erotic lust skittered up and down her body. Wanting more room to maneuver, she darted around him and rushed into the living room. He followed.

  It might have been out of fear that things had already become out of control, but she cloaked her body with invisibility. Seconds later, Jackson returned to his human form—make that his gloriously naked human form.

  Ainsley shifted back too, but remained invisible.

  “Where did you go, magic girl?”

  Oh, this could be fun. As much as she wanted to make love with him right now, she had to calm down a bit. Rushing into mating with him wouldn’t be smart. It didn’t matter that she wanted him more than life itself.

  As he stepped farther into the living room, presumably to locate her, his huge cock bounced, and Ainsley couldn’t take her eyes off it. Jackson was a thick man, packed with muscles. His long legs bulged with thigh and calf muscles, and when he moved, they flexed with power. His upper chest was thick with hair, but his flat belly was spared, save for a sprinkling of hair that led to where she was looking.

  She might have been cleansed of her Changeling ways, but that didn’t mean Naliana had taken away her challenging spirit. Still invisible, Ainsley moved toward him. Inches from him, she leaned over and swiped a tongue up the length of his cock. Jackson jumped.

  “What the hell?”

  Ainsley materialized and giggled. At his look of fake outrage, she bent over laughing.

  A second later, she was in his arms. “You better not be laughing at my cock.”

  “Never.”

  He marched them into her bedroom and tossed her on the bed. Jackson seemed to be trying hard to play the macho man. What she didn’t expect was for him to sit on the bed and then drag her across his lap.

  The spanking he gave her was thankfully light. “You are not to disappear like that again.”

  Really? Was he scared? She was about to act all defensive and say he didn’t own her, but if they mated, he would be her partner for life. She rolled over so she could watch his face. “Why?”

  “I want to know where you are at all times.”

  His protective nature was showing, and she liked it. She sat up and grinned. “Worried about me?”

  “Don’t sass me.” He tapped her nose.

  Now he was being silly. “Whatcha gonna do? Huff and puff and blow my house down?”

  One corner of his lips quirked up. “I’m not a wolf.”

  “Oh, that’s right. You’re a big bad bear. Are you going to eat me then?”

  Now the full grin appeared. “That I’ll guarantee.” Le
aning onto his back, he scooted them onto her unmade bed. “Now, stop stalling,” he commanded.

  She was procrastinating. Scared how her body was reacting to him, Ainsley had been delaying the inevitable, but she couldn’t wait any longer. “You mean you’d rather do this?”

  Clutching his head, she brought his lips down to hers. This time, he opened his mouth first, and she welcomed him in. Tasting him had her reeling. Blue sparks shot off her with wild abandon, and it was as if he’d plugged her in. Her lower half was vibrating with an intense need, and if she didn’t have his cock soon, she might shift again.

  As their tongues delved, plunged, and explored, their teeth sharpened, and she almost cut her tongue on one of her incisors. It was time to change positions. She broke the kiss. “I want more. Would you roll onto your side?”

  Jackson had been on top of her, and once he rolled off, she flipped around so that her mouth was directly over his glorious erection. Jackson grabbed her hips, and positioned her opening over his mouth. Before she had the chance to take one lick, he took a hard and fast swipe of her wet slit.

  Her bones cracked, and the hair on her head tingled. No, no, no! Stand down.

  Shifting would ruin everything. Her wolf seemed to understand the consequences and thankfully pulled back, but Ainsley was left with a trail of passion that could only be quenched with his cock. She grabbed his hard shaft and marveled at his size and girth, but because she was slight, she feared it wouldn’t fit. Wouldn’t that be horrible?

  Normally, she’d have been content just to have his dick in her hands, but when Jackson nibbled on her clit, a jolt of pleasure electrified her. Her eyes rolled upward, and she sucked in a lung-filling breath. His earthy scent stimulated every cell in her body, and her inner walls contracted.

  He’s mine!

  Lowering her hand, she drew his hard shaft into her mouth—salty, tangy, and totally yummy. When Jackson slipped two fingers into her slickness, she nearly swallowed him whole.