by M. L. Briers
No, thrusting would hurt her…
I have to be gentle. She’s human. She’s my mate.
I want her… I need her… I need to be inside of her…
Damn it, stop!
He kicked open the door to his cabin and back heeled it closed again. Then he didn’t stop until he’d reached his bed…
He let go of her. Just opened his arms and she dropped like a rock to the mattress with a little whooped squeal as her hands tried to cling onto him… Then he was gone, with a slam of the bedroom door, and a goodnight called out from the other side.
Chelsea pushed up to her elbows and blew her hair out of her face. She blinked a couple of times and she frowned hard at the back of the closed door.
“Well, that didn’t go the way I’d expected.” She bit out, letting her elbows cave as she dropped back against the mattress…
~
~
~
Tyler shoved open the door of the cabin and rushed outside into the cold night air. He was panting, trying to catch his breath, trying to calm his breathing. His hands once again fisted at his sides…
He wanted her like the fire that raged within his veins.
He wanted her and there was no way around that.
But, he couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t hurt her.
Those images within his mind had been his version of taking his mate. Hard, fast, deep…
He was a damned bear shifter and they weren’t gentle. How could fate have been so cruel to deliver him a mate and make her human?
“You have a wanton woman in your bedroom and you’re out here – do we need to have a birds and bees talk?” Connor asked from the tree that he was perched in well above the shifters reach should Tyler wish to rip someone’s head off for stress relief.
“What part of go-?”
“Away, yeah, blah, blah, blah…” Connor dropped down to the ground with a gentle grace that Tyler could only ever wish to own.
“I mean it, Connor. I can’t do this,” Tyler felt his bear was getting antsy again.
“You mean, you’re a virgin?” Connor teased him and Tyler’s growl was one of sheer rage. “Oh, calm the hell down.”
“I can’t.” Tyler growled out. “I want too. I wanted to take a damned cold shower but she’s in the bedroom and I can’t get to-”
“Jerk off?” Connor grinned, even as Tyler’s top lip quivered in rage.
“Screw you!” Tyler growled out, turning away from the man and pacing back and forth in front of the cabin. He wanted to shift into his bear and run the woods, but he couldn’t leave his mate alone inside.
“That’s not the kind of stress relief I’m prepared to offer you,” Connor shot back, bringing a dark look from his friend. Finally Conner sighed and waved his hands in front of his chest.
“Ok, here’s the clue, slow-bear.” Tyler growled in annoyance. “Your bear was behaving himself when you were with her, now it’s antsy again.”
“Which is why I’m out here away from her.” Tyler shot back.
“You’re not feeling me-”
“I don’t want to feel you,” Tyler shot back. “I want to feel her. Here.” He motioned to his groin. “But I don’t want to hurt her.” He growled.
“Oh, geez,” Connor slapped his forehead and rolled his eyes.
“I guess I have to draw you a damned map-”
“I’m not leaving her alone,” Tyler growled.
“Not a physical map…” Connor did slap himself that time. Nice and hard against his cheek, and then he shook off the pain. “Ok.” He started and the bear growled once more. “Think of it this way. She settled down your bear-”
Tyler looked around as if to find answers in the space around him. Connor stalked towards him, grabbed two handful of his shirt at his chest and yanked him back to attention. Tyler growled like a man possessed.
“Concentrate.” Connor bit out.
“I want to put my fist in your face, repeatedly.”
“Save the sweet talk for your mate.” Connor bit back.
“I would never hit my mate,” Tyler growled, angrier now than he’d ever been in his entire life before.
Honour, it was a matter of honour.
Pride, my nature would never let me do anything to hurt her.
Respect, for who she was and what she had brought into my life. For the cubs she would give me, and the comfort her presence provided.
Love, she is my mate and should be loved and worshipped with reverence.
Protection, it is my job to lay down my life for her to keep her from harm.
“And there you have it. Proof that you aren’t a danger to her.” Connor shouted in his face, as if he’d red his damn mind.
Wait, he is a vampire, he did read my damn mind!
“I’m going to rip your head off and…” Tyler stopped as Connor’s words sunk in. He considered them on a deep scowl.
~
CHAPTER TEN
~
“Tick, tick, tick, tick…” Tyler’s eyes lit up. “Bingo, and we have a winner.” Connor released him with a shove and he stumbled backwards.
“My bear knows she’s my mate, he won’t let me hurt her.” Tyler nodded enthusiastically.
“Hello, brain!” Connor tossed up his hands and didn’t notice the big man rushing towards him.
Tyler scooped up the vampire in a bear hug that felt to Connor as if he was going to pop, and not just in one place, in many…
“Can’t – breathe…” Connor felt as if his lungs were about to explode. He felt some clicking of bones and groaned out the last of his breath.
“You don’t need too!” Tyler shot back, before slamming Connor’s feet back on the ground and releasing him.
“Don’t do that to your mate.” Connor ground out, letting his bones snap back into place.
“She’s my mate.” Tyler shrugged and grinned.
“You have the damned idea now run with it. Go woo your damned mate.” Connor ground out with a shake of his head and a snap of his neck. He groaned.
Tyler had the biggest, dumbest grin on his face… and Connor sighed inwardly… what were a few crushed and broken bones between friends, he told himself.
~
~
~
“Wake up!” Tyler declared like a fog horn in the midst of the darkness that had claimed her into sleep.
Chelsea sat bolt upright in the bed. Tyler was leaning down over her and she clashed her forehead with his and cursed out at least five swear words before Tyler’s hand was rubbing against the pain in her head like he was trying to rub away a concussion…
“What the hell kind of a morning wakeup call is that?” She hissed as she reached up and slapped his hands away. The scowl on her face made him pull back a little as he wondered if a zap of her magic was going to accompany the death glare that she was giving him.
“It’s not morning,” Tyler rushed out apologetically.
“Oh, more good news,” Chelsea grumbled.
She wasn’t a morning person. She wasn’t the kind of person that you could wakeup from a deep sleep and expect a sunny disposition. She’d much prefer to roast his balls over an open fire right then, but somehow she refrained…
“You haven’t eaten.” Tyler said and she frowned harder.
“I was asleep, I hadn’t noticed.” She shot back.
“I made food.” He had to take care of her. He needed to woo her and there was no time like the present to do it. Starting now, he was going to act like a mate.
“Congratulations.” She dropped back against the pillow and groaned.
“You have to eat.” Tyler wanted the wooing to start now, but she didn’t seem so happy to be the woo-ee.
“I’m carrying around enough extra pounds that I’m not going to notice missing a meal.”
“You’re perfect.” Tyler dropped his backside down to the bed and the mattress bounced her a few times. She had to wonder if you could get seasick on dry land. “Maybe you could use a few mo
re pounds on your-”
Her eyes snapped open and she scowled a death glare at him again. He stopped talking.
Tyler was nervous. He’d obviously never had a mate before and he’d never wooed a woman. Well, he’d wooed them into bed, but not to keep.
Not his woman. Not his soul mate.
“Have you been drinking energy drinks and bingeing on chocolate?” She demanded as she pushed up onto her elbows and stared deep into his eyes. Of so, she wanted some.
“I don’t know what an energy drink is, so no.”
“Caffeine? Lots of coffee with sugar?”
“Noooo,” Tyler shook his head.
“Drugs?”
“No.” He growled.
“Then you’re high on life and I’m hoping it’s not infectious.” She dropped her head back down to the pillow and slammed her eyelids shut.
“I spoke to Connor…” she opened one eye.
“The vampire.” She groaned.
“And he said that my bear was muted around you-” she closed that one eye again.
“Glad I could help.”
“So, it’s time for me to woo you.” That eye came open again, and she frowned, then the other eye joined in the death glare.
“And you woke me up to woo me?” She asked and he grimaced.
“Yes, and to eat.” He offered.
“So,” she pushed up to her elbows again. “You carry me through the woods, bring me to your cabin, drop me on your bed, and take off like the hounds of hell appeared in the corner of the room…” she scowled. “Now, now you wake me up to woooo me?”
Tyler cleared his throat. Grimaced. Grimaced again and then reached up to scratch his head.
“I-” he started and stopped.
“Have you ever heard the term mixed signals?” She asked quietly.
“No-”
“Well look it up!” She snapped and dropped her back down to the bed again.
“Are you just not hungry?” Tyler asked and she shot up in the bed again like a vampire coming back to life in one of those old fifties movies, and he flinched backwards away from her.
“How can I put this?” She growled.
“You can tell me anything,” Tyler started.
“Go and shove your head up you’re a-”
“I’m sensing a little anger, a little tension.” Tyler grinned.
“You think?” She offered him sweetly and that was far more worrying to him than her angry voice.
“Maybe I should let you get back to sleep?” He offered and she grumbled deep within her chest.
“If you want to live to see the dawn…” she left it there as she tossed herself back onto the pillows once more.
Chelsea felt his weight lift from the bed and she sighed inwardly. Then she heard a kerfuffle and opened one eye to see him peeling off his shirt.
The sight of those muscles shot a bolt of pure excitement right to her womb, but she scowled anyway. She twisted her head to one side and eyed him for a long moment as his hands reached for the waistband of his jeans, his thumbs hooking inside…
“What are you doing?” She demanded, pushing back up onto one elbow and staring up at him as he stood in front of her.
“I sleep naked.” He informed her and shoved his jeans down to his ankles as his one-eyed monster waved at her again…
“Holy hell!” She ground out as she tossed herself back onto the bed and threw the covers up over her face.
The nudge against her side made her flick the cover back down again.
“Shift over, I like this side…” Tyler informed her.
“My bed, you get the couch-”
“What’s a couch?” Tyler hovered above her. One knee on the mattress and his length dancing like a belly dancer in front of her eyes.
“The thing in the other room that you sit on.” She ground out.
“Sofa.” He nodded then shook his head. “It’s too short.” He nudged her with his knee again.
“Well you’re a bear, you should be used to the floor.” She hissed back.
“I like the bed, you’re in it.” Tyler scowled.
Chelsea sighed. There was only one way that she was going to get back to sleep and that was to stop arguing and let him have his way. With a huff, she flipped her body across the mattress as close to the edge as she could get it.
“Stay on your own side.” She snapped over her shoulder.
A heartbeat later and she felt the weight of his arm come over her body. His hand hooked under her side and he dragged her back against the hard length of his body. She laid there in open mouthed disbelief.
“Seriously?” she ground out.
“You’re my mate. I need to protect you.” Tyler chuckled as he slung a leg over hers and settled in. His cock nestled nicely between the cheeks of her backside.
She was naked. He liked naked.
“From what? Bedbugs?” She shot back and he chuckled again.
“Weren’t you the one who was trying to get me all horny earlier?” Tyler asked and she snorted.
“I was sleep deprived, still am.” She hissed back.
How the hell am I going to sleep with one horny, sexy, shifter wrapped around me like a vine?
A vine…
That’s how I wanted him earlier…
Her libido was firing up again, and with little wonder.
He is my mate and he is naked.
Worse than naked, he is wrapped around me like wrapping paper, like glue, like chewing gum stuck to your shoe…
No, he was way better than any of those things.
He was Christmas and Birthday all wrapped into one.
He was waking up to find that someone had cooked you breakfast, or even made you a cup of tea…
He was like finding a home, a family…
He was family now. The first family I’ve ever had.
Thoughts of sleep had vanished. She felt suddenly awake and alive.
~
CHAPTER ELEVEN
~
“Tyler?” Her voice was but a whisper.
“I’m here.” He offered back to her. He’d felt her emotions rush back up again. They were battering him in waves, but they came so fast and so furiously that he wasn’t sure he could make one out before the next hit.
“You’re always going to be here, right?” She asked.
“Yeah. Always.” He felt her move in the bed. Felt her try to turn and he let her have some room to move, and she did, turning towards him, those big green eyes of her sparking with amber.
He loved those eyes.
“I’ve never had a family. I didn’t know my parents. I…” she took a breath.
He felt her raw emotions, they were clearer this time. She felt sadness and anger, loneliness, betrayal… he waited.
He wanted to sooth her pain in the same way that she had soothed his. Take her sadness away, and yet it felt too big, too rooted inside of her as if she needed to get them out, share them with him before she could heal, and he was only too glad to accept those emotions, the hurt, and to shoulder her pain with her, for her.
That was what a mate was for.
“I got shunted around a lot. People didn’t understand the witch thing and I didn’t understand that I needed to hide it.” She swallowed on a deep frown. “I always wanted a family that would let me stay, make believe that I belonged somewhere, I guess I was just a little too rowdy, stubborn, head strong, at least those were the words that came up a lot before I got shunted off somewhere else.”
“You were lonely?” He knew how that felt. He’d been that way for years.
“Then I realised that I was never going to be normal…” he reached up and gently brushed his fingertips against her cheek, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and revelled in having his mate that close.
“Now you’ve found a place where you belong.”
“I’ve found a person to belong with and too.” His eyes locked with hers and he held her gaze. A smile stretched his lips and he looked so hap
py that she couldn’t seem to drag her eyes away from his.
That rowdy, brawly, growly bear shifter with the sexy body had a gentle smile, and an even gentler growl to match. He looked so completely different from the man that she’d literally run into in the woods – the man in the cave that she’d cornered and then been trapped by, snared, caged into submission… The way he looked at her stripped her heart naked of the wall that she’d built around it.
“You are mine,” he teased with a big old grin that would have knocked her socks off – had she been wearing any.
“I’m not living in a damn cave,” she reached up and traced the line of muscle down over his chest and he snagged her hand in his, bringing her eyes back to up to his.
“You don’t have to.” He assured her.
“And you’re not hibernating during the winter. I…”
“Don’t want to be alone?” He pushed and she smiled.
“Ever again.”
“Then we’d better have a whole clan of cubs to keep you busy, make you feel-”
“Fat, swollen, bloated-”
“You’d look none of those things with my cub inside your belly. You’d look beautiful-”
“What if I don’t know how to be a mother? I never had one to learn from.” It was a strange conversation to be having only hours after they’d met, and yet, somewhere deep inside of her it felt important, as if she was unlocking the fears of her past and dealing with them one by one.
“That’s what a pack is for.”
“It’s takes a whole pack to raise a shifter?” she chuckled. She could imagine him as a child. He’d probably fought more than she had.
“Usually.” He chuckled deep and low, and she liked it – liked the way that it seemed to roll over her skin, sink down deep inside of her bones. It warmed her.
“And then there’s us.”
“Us.” He considered that word. It had never really applied to him before. He’d never been part of an us. He’d been part of a clan. Part of a pack, but still a separate entity within his own right. Now he was us – we – joined forever together once they’d bonded, and he wanted to bond with her. He’d never wanted anything more.
