by Jenika Snow
Oli shook his head before walking over to the couch and sitting down. “Like you don’t have twenty other dishes in your fuckin’ freezer right now.”
I didn’t reply. He grunted at my non-response.
“Leave it in for about fifteen minutes. Then after that, peel the aluminum foil off so the cheese can brown.” He didn’t look at me as he spoke, and I could feel the frustration coming from him.
He could be annoyed all he wanted. It wasn’t like any of my brothers were all about talking about their mates before they claimed them. They’d been grumpy bastards, just like me.
I leaned back against the counter and crossed my arms over my chest, staring at Oli. He did the same to me, his focus trained right on me as if he was waiting for me to tell him everything. I wasn’t going to tell him shit though—not because I didn’t trust him, but because I didn’t want to. I was a selfish fuck when it came to Rue.
He exhaled roughly, as if this whole situation was obnoxious to him, and then lifted his hand to smooth his fingers over his longer hair. After a moment, he stood and faced me, raising a brow as if he knew I wasn’t going to budge.
“You stubborn ass.” He should know me by now, know that I was just as hardheaded as the rest of them. “Listen, you’re mated. I can see it and smell it on you. But I can also tell you obviously didn’t complete the claiming. And no doubt that’s why you’re in this pissy-ass mood.” Oli stood and rounded the couch before heading toward the front door. He stopped and looked over at me again. “We’ve all been there, brother. Give it time. You’ll have her, and everything will be exactly how it should be.” He nodded once, and I gave a gruff affirmation that I heard him, that I knew what he said was the truth.
But that didn’t mean I felt any better about the situation. I watched as my brother left, closing the door behind him, leaving me to wallow in my own self-pity. I told myself there would be no pity, though. There would be no annoyance or sadness or frustration. Because what I was going to do was claim my mate. I was going to make Rue see I wasn’t going to stop. I wasn’t going to give up, and at the end of it all… she would be mine.
Chapter Four
Rue
I wasn’t concentrating on anything but watching the flames dance over the logs. The bonfire my father built with Ronnie was blazing, the heat so intense I didn’t even feel the chill in the night air. But I still pulled my jacket closer around me, wrapping my arms around my chest and leaning forward slightly, staring at the fire.
Conversation was going on all around me, our families laughing, beer bottles clanking as they were being pulled out of the cooler. The sound of crackling and popping from the fire filled my head, taking up residence with one consuming thought. One pronounced image.
Him.
Damon.
The bear shifter who said I was his mate. Who said I was his.
This was insane. He was crazy. Yet everything he said felt so… right. It felt perfect and good, like everything I’d been missing in my life. And I’d seen him standing there, looming over Ronnie, violence surrounding him, and all I felt was desire.
I felt this arousal the likes of which I never experienced before. Hell, I’d never actually experienced lust in my life, not unless I was in the privacy of my own home, thinking about some faceless man, a person I didn’t even know yet knew better than I did myself.
But as I looked at Damon, that faceless man in my mind had morphed into him. It was like I knew him, like I’d known him for years. I’d touched myself to Damon all these years. He was what I’d been missing.
I wasn’t a stranger to shifters. Although I lived in the city three hours away from what they called “bear country,” I’d gone to school with lion and wolf shifters. But this was different. This was real, and I didn’t want to ignore it, even though I probably should.
“Hey, Rue?”
I blinked a few times and turned to look at Ronnie, who sat on one of the log benches beside me. He held up a beer bottle in my direction, and I smiled and took it gratefully. Maybe some alcohol would do me some good, numb these thoughts and feelings that ran rampant through me.
I brought the beer bottle to my mouth and took a long drink of the hoppy, wheat-tasting alcohol. I didn’t much care for the flavor of beer, but then again, maybe a nice buzz would help me ignore all the other stuff currently going on.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded but didn’t look at Ronnie after he asked me the question, instead continuing to stare at the flames. Thankfully, he didn’t probe, didn’t ask me anything else. He left me alone, as did everybody else. They were immersed, consumed in their own conversations, in their own worlds.
I didn’t know how long I sat there, but I was now on my third beer, the bottle since warmed from the fire and my hand wrapped around it. Everyone started to get up to go to bed, the moon full in the sky, the flames now dwindling so it was almost pathetic.
“You staying up or heading to bed?” Ronnie asked.
“Probably staying up for a bit. Not too tired right now.”
“Do you want me to wait up with you?”
I looked at Ronnie and shook my head. “No. That’s okay. I won’t stay up much longer.” He looked like he might argue with me, offer to stay, even though I really didn’t want him to. But thankfully he didn’t say anything.
I just wanted to be alone with my feelings and thoughts. Finally, he nodded and stood, giving me a shy smile as he shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and headed toward his tent. I looked back at the flames, at the embers in the burning wood, white and yellow, orange and blue colors dancing along the charred logs.
I heard an owl hooting in the distance, something small scurrying around in the woods. I stood and zipped up my jacket, the autumn night breeze brushing over me and sending a chill along my skin now that I wasn’t right in front of the fire.
I stared into the forest, the light from the flames barely penetrating the thick darkness.
I felt this pull, as if something were calling me, tugging me forward. And then I found myself walking into the forest, not even afraid of the dangerous things that could be lurking in the shadows, hidden behind trees. I swallowed harshly, the thick lump in my throat refusing to go down.
I didn’t know how far I walked, but when I looked over my shoulder, the campsite was a good distance away, the dwindling fire like a little speck of light.
I inhaled deeply, still able to smell the smoke from the fire, but also this strong, wonderful wilderness aroma that wrapped around me. It was a mixture of pine, of firewood, fresh air, and freedom. It smelled like a male.
My heart started racing and I turned around, my mouth opening on a silent gasp as my eyes widened. I saw a massive form looming in front of me. And although my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, it wasn’t as if I could clearly make out who was in front of me. But I knew. I knew who it was. I knew who he was.
His eyes seemed to glow despite the shadows wrapping around him, and as if my body had a mind of its own, I felt myself warming, becoming wet between my legs, my nipples hardening.
“Mate.” He said that lone word on a roughened growl, his voice distorted, sounding inhuman. I knew he was mostly bear, his animal controlling him right now.
“You’ve been watching me?” My throat was tight, my voice rough. “Stalking me?” I don’t know why that turned me on, knowing I’d been thinking of him.
“I make no apologies for watching out for my mate.” He took a step closer to me and I refused to move. I was standing my ground, showing him that I wasn’t afraid of him or this.
I wasn’t. I was aroused.
“You shouldn’t be creeping around in the dark watching a woman.” God, my voice was so low, barely audible. But I knew he heard me nonetheless. “It’s weird, right?” I didn’t know why I phrased that like a question.
No. It wasn’t weird. It felt right. God, it felt so right.
He took another step toward me, and I moved one back. Before I knew what was
happening, I was pressed against the tree, just like I’d been earlier today.
“What are you doing?” God, was that my voice? It was thick, slightly deep, husky, and laced with arousal. I heard it, felt it in my bones.
He said nothing as he crowded me, took up my personal space. But I liked it.
I needed more of it.
Chapter Five
Damon
Fuck. I wanted to take Rue right here and now, pressed up against the tree with the wilderness surrounding us and the only light coming from the moon above us.
I wanted a reckless mating, finally giving my mate my virginity. Taking hers. And I knew she was innocent, untouched. I could smell it, feel it as she looked at me with this uncertainty that screamed vulnerability.
She was mine. She’d only ever be mine.
“This is fast. Too fast,” she said breathlessly. I heard the need in her voice, the way her words were nothing but a lie.
This wasn’t too fast. We both needed more.
She was wet. I smelled it too, could practically taste that sweetness in the air.
I didn’t stop myself from leaning in and running the tip of my nose up the length of her neck. I all but purred out in pleasure as she tipped her head to the side and gave me better access, a soft moan spilling from her.
“That’s it, my mate. Surrender to me.” My words were barely a whisper with how worked up I was, how much I needed to slip my hand between her legs and see how wet I made her. But I didn’t want to rush her. I wanted her to be completely ready to give herself over to me. Because when that moment happened, it would be sweet bliss. Nirvana.
So against my better judgment, against my bear roaring out that I was making a big fucking mistake, I inhaled deeply by her neck once more before pulling back. She had her head resting on the bark of the tree, her eyes closed, and her lips parted slightly. My mouth watered to taste her again, to kiss her.
“Look at me,” I demanded harshly. And when she opened her eyes and stared at me, everything so clear, so focused, I knew only death would keep me from her.
Kiss her. Take her.
I cupped the side of her throat and slammed my mouth down on hers, taking her lips in a brutal, possessive kiss. I couldn’t stop myself, couldn’t control anything that was going on.
I expected her to push me away, maybe even slap my face. But she moaned, wrapped her arms around my biceps, and pulled me in closer. It was as if she couldn’t help herself. Maybe she couldn’t. Maybe she was just as far gone as I was.
And although I knew she felt this pull, the connection mates had with each other, she was also human. She wouldn’t feel what I felt, the intensity. She wouldn’t know how it was for a shifter to find their fated mate.
But she would. I’d make sure of it.
I’d show her, tell her, make her feel that she was the only one for me... forever. She would know the only thing I wanted in my life was to make her happy, to please her. Hell, I wanted to feed her from my hand.
I leaned, grinding my erection against her belly. The fucker between my thighs was thick and hard, long and incessant. I could feel my pants starting to get damp from how much pre-cum seeped from the tip.
“Tell me what you want.” I knew I shouldn’t have demanded it, should’ve gone easy with her, but I couldn’t help it where she was concerned.
I’d waited for her my entire life, and now that she was here, it was like this flood was moving through my body, drowning everything with need and possessiveness and passion.
I continued to thrust myself against her like some obscene fucker, but my bear was doing most of the actions right now. He was feral and intense.
“This is so... crazy,” she whispered, her warm breath teasing the side of my face. “Not telling you the truth seems wrong.”
I knew what she meant. It was the mating pull, her need to be completely honest with me, to give me what she wanted as much as what I wanted.
“Tell me,” I growled.
She started breathing harder, heavier. “I want this. You.”
That’s all I wanted to hear. That’s all I’d ever wanted to hear. I leaned back and stared into her face. I cupped each side of her neck, my thumbs smoothing across her cheeks as I stared down at her lips. And then I slammed my mouth down on hers.
I kissed her with all the pent-up arousal and passion I had for her, all the desire and lust that had been building up in my very marrow for my entire existence.
We kissed for what seemed like an eternity and I never wanted it to end. I never once stopped grinding myself against her, the front of my jeans damp from all the pre-cum that spilled from the tip of my cock. I smelled her arousal, the wetness between her thighs. It was like spun sugar coating the air.
So fucking sweet.
She broke the kiss and panted, and I wanted to fucking take her mouth once more.
“We should slow down. This is so new to me… no matter how right it feels.”
Yes, so fucking right.
“You want slow?” She nodded in response. “I’ll give you all the time you need. You control the reins, baby girl.” She gasped a little at my endearment. I smoothed my finger along her bottom lip and she parted her mouth. “I’m not going to be far, Rue. Never.”
And then I left, giving her space, giving her time. But I meant what I said.
I would always be close. Always.
Chapter Six
Rue
“Are you sure you don’t want me to wait for you?”
I glanced over at Ronnie and shook my head. He looked so concerned at the moment. It would’ve been comical if I didn’t know how serious he was.
“No, I’ll be fine. Being alone would be kind of nice.” I looked around at the wilderness that surrounded us. “I kind of like it out here. It’s peaceful.”
“Listen,” he said, and I glanced back at him. I could tell he was nervous, and I had an idea of where this was going. “I know things have been weird recently, and I know you said how you feel, or don’t feel, about me.” He ran his hands up and down his jean-covered thighs, glancing around as our families finished packing up the campsite. “But I wanted to know if you think you and I have even a small chance of giving it a go?” He looked at me so hopefully, and I knew I had to clear things up.
I thought about Damon, his face coming to mind. I looked at Ronnie, the bruise he had on his cheek angry-looking. I thought about the way we’d played it off like he tripped and hit his face on a rock. We didn’t talk about why he got his ass kicked, hadn’t even discussed with each other what Damon said to me. To be honest, I didn’t even know if Ronnie heard all the things Damon said, how I was his mate, how he would not let me go.
But the truth was it didn’t even matter. I wasn’t going to stop feeling these things toward Damon. I couldn’t. The very idea of ignoring them seemed abhorrent, so wrong in nature that they made me physically ill.
Ronnie was my friend, had been for a long time. But the feelings he had for me clouded his judgment. I knew that. I needed to clear things up now—again—or things would only get worse.
“Ronnie, I know the feelings you have for me go beyond being… friends.” I swallowed the thick lump in my throat, because this felt awkward. “But I don’t feel those things for you.” And then I looked at him, a little bit nervous about what he’d say. I’d spoken only loud enough so he could hear.
I didn’t know what I expected. Maybe for him to be upset. Disappointed. I was prepared for just about anything, anything aside from him acting like it was no big deal.
“Yeah, I figured. But I wanted to give it one more shot.” He gave me a sincere smile, and I felt as if the stress was off my shoulders. “It’s about that man in the woods, right? The shifter?”
I was nervous all of a sudden at hearing his words. And then I nodded, unable to stop myself, knowing he was right, that what I felt was real, that this was all about Damon. “Yeah.”
He nodded. “I kind of heard what he was talking about right after
he kicked my ass.” He chuckled a little bit and lifted his hand to his bruised cheek. “I’ve never actually seen a mated shifter before.” He shrugged. “But I guess what they say is true about them being possessive.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just kept my mouth shut.
We were kind of in this limbo, not saying anything, awkwardness between us. But I think it was just on my end, because Ronnie seemed easygoing at the moment, like this wasn’t bothering him.
“Can you guys give us a hand?” Ronnie’s dad hollered out, and it snapped my attention into focus.
We moved into action, cleaning up the campsite and packing everything in the cars.
Twenty minutes later, I stood there and waved at my family driving away then did the same for Ronnie’s until it was just Ronnie and me standing there, his car to my left, mine to my right.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to hang back with you?”
I looked at him and smiled, shaking my head. “I’m sure. But thank you.” There were a few moments of silence, and then he finally nodded.
“Have a safe trip back and send me a text when you’re home so I know you got there, okay?”
I smiled again and nodded. “Okay.” I inhaled deeply as he started making his way toward his car, but before he got in, I called out to him. “Ronnie?” He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “I’m really sorry about everything. I’m sorry about you getting hurt. I’m sorry about things not happening between us.” I thought saying this again out loud would’ve been weird, but it felt natural. “I guess I’m just sorry about a lot of things.”
He faced me and gave me a genuine smile. “The only thing I want is for you to be happy.”
Ronnie was such a good guy, and I knew he’d find someone who deserved him. And I was sorry I wasn’t that person, because Ronnie was a catch and he’d make some girl very happy one day.
