by Lynn Lorenz
A red-tailed hawk circled high above and periodically sent out a call or an alarm. Probably both. The red-tail was never any good at minding its own business. She glanced up, shaded her eyes as she watched the magnificent bird dip and twirl, its brown feathers turning blood red in the glare of the sun. Fear sliced through her, quick and painless at first, but in its wake a sting sharp enough to make her gasp and want to curl into a ball on the ground. Hiding had accomplished nothing the past year. It would do no good now. She’d ventured into these mountains to take what was hers and give him what was his. He wasn’t going to stop her.
The bird soared out of sight and she released the breath she’d been holding. She felt light-headed, wobbly all of a sudden. Her vision narrowed and everything but the tree line in front of her faded. Her heart pounded and her womb clenched. Her nipples beaded under the coat and moisture pooled between her thighs. She heard the growl first and a fist of need settled in her stomach. It was a rumble in the beast’s throat that echoed in her body.
The sounds of bark being peeled from a tree and limbs splintering reached her. She squinted as the trees swayed with his wrath. This display was certainly threatening but she stood her ground, legs braced apart, chin lifted. He’d refused her, told her to leave then turned his back on her. Tyee Clarke had some things to answer for. If he answered properly, she’d give him all she was. The chances of him giving her what she wanted were skewed in her favor but he was a stubborn man. That was okay; Lily was prepared for a fight.
Let’s. Get it. On. She snuggled further into the down coat. It’d been his and she’d taken it without remorse last year. There’d not been a night since she hadn’t slept wrapped in the damn coat. It smelled like him, warmed her in the cold nights, but it couldn’t stroke her body like he had. Two out three wasn’t bad when you really had nothing to begin with.
“I hope you’re pissed off, asshole,” she said under her breath.
A roar reverberated from behind the trees, spread out through the valley so even the water of the lake shuddered under the force of it. She smiled and cocked her head.
He was close. Another grunt and a huff, air forced from a mouth housing deadly razor sharp incisors that could rip her skin from her body and snap her neck in two. She shivered, dug her feet into the rocky soil beneath her and bent her knees. He was going to charge. She’d pissed him off badly coming here.
Stupid fucking man. Crazy ass bear. “Bring it on!” she yelled into the sudden quiet of the morning.
The red-tail screeched and then all was silent. Lily turned her gaze skyward, searching for the hawk, trying to discern whether it was calling in danger or joy, and then everything in her stilled. Warmth tickled her neck, slid past the barrier of his coat and tightened her nipples even further. She wanted to reach up and stroke them, ease the need somehow. Her lids were suddenly heavy, desire a pulse in her bloodstream and the taste of warm cinnamon on her tongue.
She closed her eyes and remained still. He was, after all, an animal. He was a man, too, but this part of him was wild and unpredictable. He could knock her head off her shoulders with little effort. A tiny part of her thrilled. Giving up control to him was the ultimate high simply because he had the ability to hurt her physically but would not ever do so. It was a tightrope to walk, that fear versus need.
She was inside him. He could no more harm her than she could live another day without him. Now his heat was there, inches from her. Her hands folded into fists, the call to touch him so strong she fought with herself to still again.
She opened her eyes and turned her head. He was in front her, mammoth head lowered, snout pulled back into a snarl, body trembling and twitching. The scent of cedar and honey assailed her nose until it was all she knew, the wildness in him calling to her. She licked her lips and he growled again, his warm breath blowing against her face. Lily’s gaze moved over his enormous frame searching for wounds, finding nothing but mahogany fur covering muscles that bunched and jerked with his every breath. Her eyes met his chocolate brown gaze and she smiled again.
He stood up on his hind legs and roared. Lily winced but dug her feet into the rocky soil, determined to win this contest. “You hurt me, damn it!” A yell into the face, okay the belly, of the beast before her.
His roar ended abruptly. She swore the ground shook as he came down to all fours and moved backward. Retreat was good. Lily took a step forward. He took another back, shook himself and grunted. She moved closer, close enough to see the striations of green in his eyes. They were wild—the whites visible around the brown of his pupil. He shuddered, stomped a huge paw into the ground and opened his mouth to bellow again.
“Oh, shut your cake chute, would you? I’m here and I’m not leaving.” She turned then and crossed her arms over her breasts. She stared out at the choppy water of Columbia Lake and wished things didn’t have to be so hard with him.
Pungent ozone permeated the air. She didn’t turn around. He’d have to work for this, too.
“Why are you here, naika?” Guttural and so damn sexy, she trembled, his voice moved through her like a hot spring, warming places that had been cold for so damn long.
She remained silent.
“Goddamn it, I asked you a question.” Demand rang in the thick rich tones of his words but underneath the anger there was something else; a sharp edge, knifelike with the potential to draw blood.
And hope springs eternal. But she’d take on that knife’s edge, because it was better than what she’d had for the last twelve months, six days and four hours.
She shrugged her shoulders, continued to look at the lake and dropped the bomb in his lap. “I came for you, Chief.”
*
Tyee wanted to go to his knees in front of her, pull her coat and clothes off and bury his face in her pussy. Her scent was driving him mad. He’d damn well done what amounted to yelling in her face with his growl and she’d gone wet under her clothes. The richness of her need hit him in the gut, took his breath and made his knees weak. He was the strongest of his kind, the leader of his Tribe, a fucking grizzly bear in his animal form and yet this tiny, perfect woman made him weak.
He stared at his hands, unclenched them and cursed when he noticed their tremor. She barely reached his shoulder, had the most fragile bone structure he’d ever encountered and she had more strength than a thousand men against him. She wore some ugly stocking cap over her head but tendrils of her gold hair brushed her cheeks and neck. Her cheeks were pink in her anger, or maybe it was the cold. She wasn’t like him. She was … breakable. Like infinitely precious china, she didn’t have the ability to bend without cracking into pieces in this environment.
It was why he’d forced her to leave. Yet she’d returned. Then she’d taunted him as he prowled behind the cover of the tree line and he’d had no choice but to engage her. Knowing full well the consequences, he stood waiting on her to turn around so he could look into her blue flower eyes and dream. Goddamn it why couldn’t she have stayed away? He would not be able to let her go another time, Reckoning be damned.
“I don’t want you here,” he bit out, forcing himself to speak the words that had damned him a year ago.
He felt the animal inside claw to get out, ripping at his soul in its attempt to reach its mate. He ruthlessly forced it behind the cage of his humanity. This was how he could hurt her. How he’d hurt her before. He’d gone completely man, not allowing the beast room to waffle behind the indecision in her eyes. He’d hurt her with his rejection but he’d damn near killed himself.
She snorted. “What you want doesn’t matter though, does it?”
Tyee wondered if she knew how right she was. He’d not listened to the Reckoning. Had he paid attention to the path shown him in his dreams, neither of them would have endured this pain. If she knew, if she had any inkling, would she have come back here?
He’d imprinted on her and been unable to keep from taking her. Their path demanded one thing and Tyee had deviated from it. She’d not been his to
take yet, the Reckoning had whispered to him after he’d spent inside her body that first time. He’d been forced to let her go. Tyee had endured a nightmare because of his greed.
His body hardened. If she turned now, she’d see him, heavy and hard with want for her. Butt-ass naked there was no way to hide it. Her shoulders under his coat were strained. She was struggling, too. In her scent he detected fear, arousal, anger and relief. Relief? What the fuck?
He shook his head. No way could he hope. The last year without her body beside his had been as close to hell as he ever wanted to come. He’d lived thirty-four years without needing a woman. Oh, he’d had plenty, but never had his body clamored for the feel of a particular one by its side at night. Then he’d met her at a barbeque thrown by his sister and he’d done nothing but need ever since.
Turn around. Please let me see your eyes. “Is it getting lost between you and me? You’re not wanted here.” He winced at his tone.
She turned, anger snapping in her cat shaped blue eyes, a furrow forming between her honey-colored brows. Her gaze moved over him, lingering on his cock, which twitched under her stare. Her stance was offensive, feet slightly apart, weight balanced lightly and hands at her sides, ready. The bear responded, claws ripping through nails, fur sprouting from his skin. He inhaled, reined the beast and stood before her, daring her to move.
She did a perilous thing. She stepped closer. Less than an inch of space separated them. Her chest rose and fell with staccato breaths, her beautiful eyes bright as a tear dropped from her lashes. He followed its path down her silken cheek and wished things had been different. Wished he’d been a better man, the man she deserved. She stared up at him, licked her lips and placed her hands on his chest.
She drew in a sharp breath and lifted her touch for a split second, indecision drifting across her face. Then she breathed out and placed them back on his skin, nails digging in as she closed her eyes.
Her scent was intoxicating—larkspur, cinquefoil and firewood flowers entangled to create an essence unique to Lily. He wanted to lie her down and rub his skin over hers so when he left, he took the scent with him. His mouth watered, then his heart clenched at the thought of leaving. Her touch made his stomach churn and his dick ache. Her nails scored his chest, dug deep as if she were trying to reach his soul.
But she already owned it.
Lust clamped a vice around his balls, the scent and sight of her after a year overloading his body. Sweat beaded on his back, the light breeze causing him to shiver. Or maybe it was her touch.
She gnawed her plump lower lip and before he could control the impulse he lowered his head and used his tongue to lave the offended area.
She sighed, head falling back on her shoulders, eyes closing. Her hands smoothed over his chest, scored his nipples. His palms ached to touch her. Then she opened her eyes, the challenge in them almost more than he could handle.
Lily grabbed his wrists, her touch light and skimming but her intent shining in her gaze. She slowly, so fucking slowly he almost came from anticipation alone, lowered his hands between the unzipped sides of the coat. She placed his hands on her breasts. She wore nothing beneath the coat.
His hands clenched on her flesh and she gasped. The red-tail screeched but this time the sound was beautiful, a trilling symphony that accompanied the pounding of the blood through his veins.
He’d tried not to dream of this, her smooth, satiny skin beneath his rough, calloused palms. He’d known better than to hope for something that would never happen. But it was happening and as the hawk circled above them, he stepped closer, parted the coat with his arms never letting go of her breasts.
Her eyes widened. “Touch me,” she begged, her voice breathy and rough.
“If I touch you the way I want to, I’ll fuck you, naika. Is that what you want? Is that what the Reckoning demands?” He watched her face, felt fear scratch at his soul again. Maybe he’d lost her completely.
She licked her lips. His dick flexed between them and her eyes flared. “It’s what I demand. Now get busy.”
His fingers tightened on her, pinched her nipples lightly and then stroked them to ease any sting. “Lily, is this what the Reckoning demands?” His voice was deep, the bear and man combining in the tones. He couldn’t control it. The last week, hell the last year, had been leading up to this.
Tyee congratulated himself he’d made it this long. He’d had her under him in less than a day the first time he’d met her. The call between them so sure and strong, he’d been unable and unwilling to deny it.
Her tiny hand circled his cock and stroked him. He didn’t move as his eyes searched hers, his mind needing to know the truth of this. Semen beaded at the tip and she took that drop, brought it to her mouth and licked it off her thumb.
“Goddamn it, Lily. Answer me.”
“Goddamn it, Tyee Clarke, fuck me already!”
He moved then, throwing her over his shoulder and heading into the woods. He was hard, hurting and she’d said the magic words: fuck me. It was on.
*
She may have pushed him too far. His beautiful face had hardened when she’d tossed her words in his face, and then he’d moved like the wind. She was upside down and worried about where he was taking her, but decided the view of his naked ass was worth the pain in her gut from his shoulder.
Her breasts ached, the nipples so hard she wondered if she could etch glass with them. His hand on her ass kneaded and stroked as his fingers delved into the crease between her cheeks and tempted. The forest around them seemed to recognize a man on a mission. Nothing moved and before she had time to process how far they’d come, he cupped her ass and lifted her off his shoulder.
The man was enormous. Six feet five inches of deep cinnamon skin, broad shoulders, lean hips and heavily muscled thighs, he was a trophy of a man. Long, black hair flowed down his back, coming to rest at the indentations of his ass. And as beautiful as the back side of him was, the front was even more impressive. His face was Native American, broad forehead and thick eyebrows over the most impressive shade of hazel eyes God had ever created. The color reminded her of splintered green glass with shades of brown thrown in for shits and giggles. He had a lot of his father in him, though. The Anglo genes had gifted him with an aquiline nose over a lush set of lips.
His cheekbones were high, his jaw firm and right now clenched. She wanted to lick the muscles delineated there. She wanted to nip them and move to his lips, suck that luscious bottom one between her own and caress it with her tongue.
He lifted her chin with his finger, his eyes burning, the heat nearly singeing her. He’d noticed her perusal.
“It’s too late now,” he said in a harsh voice.
She nodded and when his thumb ventured over her bottom lip, she bit him, sucked the digit into her mouth and laved it with her tongue. His green-brown eyes sparked and it was answered deep within her.
He winced, pulled his thumb out her mouth and stroked the wetness across her bottom lip. It was a promise. He took her hand and turned and she reveled in the play of his muscles under his skin.
He’d brought her to his winter home. A cave deep in the forest he’d remodeled and outfitted with a few creature comforts. He’d spoken of it to her once, but she’d never had the opportunity to see it. The Chinook owned this land for well over two hundred years, but this was their Chief’s land and the cave had been handed down generation after generation to the one who would lead the Chinook Indians. Tyee Clarke was that leader, had been for ten years.
Hidden deep within the aspens, larches and maples was a hot spring. Behind that hot spring was a cave hollowed out over time by animals and the Chinook. Modern conveniences such as a door had been added. And what a door it was. Carved out of hardwood, it depicted his animal, the bear. The carving was masterful, the door thick and solid.
Lily shivered. The bear was stalking something and as Tyee’s hands stroked the carving, she noticed what it was—a woman who looked a hell of a lot like her. Tye
e’s hands lingered over the woman, lovingly caressing the contours of her body. Irrational jealousy pricked Lily. She wanted his hands on her, not some carving.
“Who is that?” her voice was soft but the demand was there.
He looked at her, eyes shuttered and he shook his head, denying her. Instead, he pulled her through the door, his hand tightening on hers as if he were afraid she’d pull away.
She might kick his ass, but she wasn’t going anywhere.
She followed him down a short corridor, the sharp edges of the rock around her dulled by time. They entered an enormous room with a ceiling that rose at least fifty feet above them. Crags and crannies were visible but at the flip of a switch, soft light spread throughout the cavern, illuminating some of those spaces but leaving shadows.
The floor was covered with thick, beautiful, multi-colored woven rugs. Her feet would never feel the cold of the dirt beneath them, she was sure of it. Toward the back of the room sat an enormous bed, handmade and well off the floor. She’d have to climb him to reach the mattress.
The thought made her giggle; his head swiveled to her. He growled low, the sound echoing in the room and in her heart. Her giggle became trapped in her throat.
She quickened that fast, the heat simmering inside her body for well over a year, ignited. She gasped and pulled against his hold. She needed him and there he stood gloriously naked, bronzed skin glowing with a sheen she wanted to lick off. He lifted his nose, sniffed the air.
Heat flooded her vagina. Her womb clenched and she moaned, the sound escaping her before she could call it back. He turned fully to her, releasing her hand and cocking his head.
His head wasn’t the only thing cocked.
His dick flexed and his hand took the flesh and stroked it. Down, and then back up, his thumb taking the precum beaded there and rubbing along the head, to spread it back down the shaft again.
