Bearly Falling

by Ally Summers

  I squeezed and molded her other breast, pinching her nipple until she moaned. I moved to that side with my tongue, easing the tenderness with the heat from my tongue.

  I heard the zipper on her skirt as she shimmied it off and then the camisole fell to the floor. My mate stood in front of the fire, in front of me in nothing but a lace thong.

  I stood back.

  “Damn it, I want you, Sienna.”

  She licked her lips. “Then take me.” She hooked her thumbs against the G-string. She wiggled until the last shred of clothing she wore was on the floor.

  There was no denying what was between us. What I felt for her. What it felt when our bodies touched. She was my mate. This woman belonged to me.

  I slid the dinner jacket off my chest. She stepped forward and began to unbutton my shirt.

  “Why did you put on all these layers?” she whined.

  I breathed in her ear. “You wanted a challenge, remember?”

  She giggled. “Right.”

  My hands trailed over her back and gripped her ass.

  “Ohh, God,” she moaned. “I-I want you all at once.”

  “I know.” I helped her with the buckle on my Italian leather belt.

  Her eyes flashed to mine. “You want this too, right?”

  “I need it. Like air to breathe,” I growled, tearing the last bit of clothes off my body. I threw them on the floor. My chest vibrated with the happiness my bear felt. I couldn’t contain the sounds he made any longer.

  There was nothing between us anymore. Nothing to keep us apart.

  And then I saw it. The look of fear. The growl had reminded her.

  “Grayson, what is that sound? How do you keep doing that?”

  I spun her around so her back was pressed against my chest. I ran my hand over her breasts, squeezing and toying with her nipples while the other dipped over her navel and between her legs. She was soaking wet. She was so ready for me. So ready to be claimed.

  “Grayson?”

  I nipped at her ear. “We fit together. Our bodies.”

  She nodded. “I noticed. Perfectly.”

  “In so many ways.”

  We swayed as I played between her velvet folds. Massaging and coating her entrance. Prying and pumping. She was quivering in my hands.

  “Tell me,” she whispered. “Just tell me what it is. I want this. I want you.”

  I twirled her in my arms to face me again.

  “Sienna McKenzie, you are my fated mate.”

  Her eyes widened. “Your what?”

  “You are mine. Meant only for me. And I want you so badly it’s going to kill me. I want to bury myself inside you. I want to make you scream and cry and laugh. I want to fuck you until the sun comes up. I want to kiss you and hold you. I want you to come so hard you never remember another man. Do you hear me?” I tilted her chin toward me. My eyes locked on hers. “Do you understand all the things I want to do to you? All the things I have to do or I’ll die if I’m not inside you? I’ll die if you send me away or turn me down. I want you. Now. I need you. Now. Tell me you want to be claimed. Tell me you want all of me. All parts of me. The darkness and the beast I carry. Tell me all of me can have all of you. Right now. Right here.”

  Sixteen

  Sienna

  I looked in his eyes. The fire danced and crackled next to us. My heart beat out of control. How did we get here so fast? How did I feel as if this man held my heart and my soul?

  I nodded. “How can I say no to you? No to any of that? When since I met you, all I can think about is this moment. You taking me. You being inside me. I thought I was going crazy. But I’m not, am I?”

  He shook his head. “No, baby. You’re not. We’re meant to be together. But you have to evoke it. You have to seal our future.”

  “Why do you keep saying that?”

  He closed his eyes. “Because it’s the law. And as dynast I can’t break the law. I never have. And I can’t start my life with you on a lie.”

  “What law? There are no sex laws. Well, at least not about two consenting adults having hot sex at a beautiful mansion. Are there?” I started to doubt myself.

  “Not human law, Sienna. My laws. My family’s law. My clan’s law.”

  “Oh God, this is worse than you having a girlfriend. You’re in a cult?” I didn’t want the beauty of this moment to be ruined. I didn’t want to find out that Grayson Hawthorne was someone else. In my mind he was perfect. I wanted him to stay that way.

  I didn’t want to find out that he was some bizarre cult leader. That he was in charge of more than Hawthorne Global. This was a nightmare.

  “Not a cult. A clan.” His voice slowed. “Not the same thing at all.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not following.”

  “My family is the head of the Ashe Peak Clan. I am the clan alpha, or as we call him, the dynast. Sienna, we are bear shifters—my brothers and I are shifters.”

  I almost stumbled back onto the coffee table. It was like that moment in the office. Grayson reached out to catch me.

  “What?”

  “Baby, I’m a bear shifter. The growling? It’s my bear. He wants you. He fucking needs you. But only if you want him. I’m asking you. All of this tonight is for you. It’s your decision whether we’re together.”

  “Bear? Bear shifter?”

  He nodded. “Yes. And I’m asking you to be my mate.”

  “Mate? Like mate-mate?”

  Grayson turned and pulled a blanket off the back of the couch. The insane passion tearing through my body had eased. It had been replaced by the frenzy of confusion. I needed answers, not sex. He wrapped it around my shoulders and pulled a second one off to tie around his waist.

  “I think it’s time we had that talk.”

  I sat next to him on the floor and stared at the fire.

  “I think you’re right.”

  There was a pit in my stomach now where the excitement had been. I couldn’t look at Grayson the same way. It wasn’t possible.

  He returned to the sitting room with a glass of water.

  “Here. Drink this.”

  “I’d rather have alcohol.” I didn’t think clearing my head was the answer.

  He switched hands and placed the champagne in front of me. I chugged until the glass was empty. I waited for the bubbles to dance in my head and make everything go numb.

  “You must be in shock.” He stared at me intently.

  “Refill.” I held the long-stem crystal for another round. Grayson poured more of the expensive champagne.

  “Why don’t you slow down so we can talk, Sienna? Getting drunk isn’t going to make this better.”

  There was no slowing down. I was miles from civilization. I had fallen so hard for this guy, only to find out he was mentally unstable. What good options did I have other than to get drunk as quickly as possible? I’d return to the city in the morning with my hangover.

  I hoped I didn’t have to go into the details with Jennifer, but I couldn’t work on the Hawthorne account any longer. I would have to find another way to get the partnership. It wasn’t worth this.

  I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders. I felt so bare. So exposed. Grayson had licked and kissed me. He had made me come at his whim. He had touched me, drawing sinful thoughts and wants from my body. How did I live this down? How did I recover?

  “Sienna?”

  I caught his gaze. My chest tightened.

  “I don’t think I can talk. Just say what you have to say, Grayson. Get this insanity over with.”

  “It’s not insanity. This is real. It’s something you’ve never heard before. It’s foreign to you. That doesn’t make it less real. It makes it new.”

  My fingers tingled. The champagne was starting to take its effect.

  He sighed. “I can start at the beginning if you like.”

  I nodded, clutching the cold flute.

  “All right.” He threw a log on the fire before turning to sit next to me. He stretched h
is long legs out in front of him. There was so much of him.

  “I was born into a line of bear shifters. My father was a clan leader of the Ashe Peak Clan. They live here in Promise Lake. I grew up with my brothers like any normal kid does.” He smiled. “We had Legos and built forts in the backyard. We pretended we were cops and robbers. All that stuff. But I knew from the age I was old enough to walk that one day, I would be the alpha. I would be the clan’s dynast once my father was gone. I never expected it to be so early.”

  He hung his head. “I never expected any of this actually. I didn’t expect my shifter life to ever cause pain or confusion. I didn’t think my mate would be human. I hadn’t give her much thought, to be honest. I’ve been too busy running Hawthorne Global. When my father died the only thing that kept me moving forward was the company and the clan. I’ve had those two things to get me through. And now there’s you, Sienna. It’s as if there is only you.”

  “Go back to the bear part,” I instructed. “Explain to me how I’m supposed to believe you.” It was too easy for him to seduce me with beautiful words. I wanted truth, not romance.

  He turned toward me. He poured a glass of champagne for himself. “My clan was created by magic. Ancient magic given to us by a coven. That magic still holds us together. We aren’t the only clan brought into the shifter world this way.

  “Although, the laws for each clan are different. Some have restrictions on alpha status. Some must fulfill a claiming ceremony to be recognized as mates. The Ashe Peak Clan is fortunate. Our magic is passed on to our heirs at conception. The claiming ceremony happens between two willing and wanting mates in private. It is a bond that is sealed forever once the woman commands she be claimed.” His eyes lifted to mine and I shivered. “You have all the power. I will protect you and keep you safe the rest of your life. I will take care of you. Love you. Satisfy you. But you must accept my bear. You have to love him. Want him. Want his cubs. You are the one who gets to decide, Sienna. Not me.”

  “C-cubs?” I was almost speechless.

  He nodded. “My cubs. My cubs inside you. Growing and being loved. I want you to give that to me.”

  “This is too much. It’s insane. You can’t possibly shift into a bear. That’s movie stuff. Why are you doing this? Why are you saying these things?”

  He gripped my shoulders. “Sienna, listen to me. From the instant we met, my bear knew you were the one. I just need you to know it too. I know you’ve felt it. It’s in our kisses. In the way I touch you. You feel it.”

  “I-I can’t think. I can’t breathe.” I pushed his heavy arms away from me. I staggered to my feet, realizing the champagne had worked much faster on an empty stomach than I realized.

  I expected him to stop me, or pull me back into his embrace.

  “I will wait as long as you need.” He met my eyes.

  “I don’t know that I can give you what you want.” I stood in the doorway, fisting the blanket between my fingers. “I don’t know that I can ever give you what you want, Grayson.”

  He nodded. “I understand. But I’m not giving up so easily. It’s going to take time for you to get used to the idea. We can talk again tomorrow. I’ll answer every question you have. I won’t stop until you have every piece of information you need to decide.”

  I wanted to run back to him. I wanted him to tell me this was some kind of ridiculous prank, but I knew Grayson wasn’t a prankster. He was a serious and mature man. He meant every word he said.

  “Sienna, before you go. Try not to think too much.” He looked lost and forlorn. “Remember how it felt. Focus on that.”

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  I walked out of the room and toward the grand staircase. The tears started to fall as I started to run. I raced up the steps, desperate to get to my room. I wiped at my cheeks and flung myself on the bed.

  What he was asking was impossible.

  Men didn’t become bears. Women didn’t carry cubs. I let a sob escape from my throat. I had let my guard down. I had fallen for him and he had my heart.

  I inhaled, choking back another sob. I didn’t want it to be over. I didn’t want to leave Promise Lake tomorrow alone. I closed my eyes and all I could picture was his smile. His eyes. My skin felt warm.

  He had shown me his heart. He had confessed his soul. I pulled a quilt to my chin. There wasn’t another man like Grayson Hawthorne. I realized if I wanted to love that man, I had to love whatever the darkness was that came with him.

  I closed my eyes, picturing his gorgeous face until I fell asleep.

  Seventeen

  Grayson

  The morning was dismal and gray. I sat on the veranda overlooking the pool, drinking a cup of coffee. Sienna hadn’t come downstairs yet. The house felt eerily quiet. I was up earlier than usual, but I couldn’t sleep.

  I couldn’t think of anything I had failed at in life until last night. I had failed to convince my mate that we were meant to find each other. To be together. To seal our union.

  The question was how was I going to turn it around? How much time did she need? How many questions could I answer before she realized our fate? Could I negotiate terms with her? Would she listen to what I had to say or had I scared the shit out of her?

  I scanned the tree line. Our property was hundreds of acres. We were secluded and safe here. My father had purchased this refuge for our family to get out of the city when we needed an escape from Hawthorne Global. Only for the past two years I had kept the house shut off from my brothers and any guests. The only people who came here were the staff to make sure the house didn’t fall into disrepair.

  When I walked through the doors with Sienna I expected to feel the grief and pain I experienced every time I thought about my parents here. But with her by my side it never surfaced. Instead of the past, all I could see was a future. What it would look like if we arrived with cubs in our arms. We would watch them play in the yard. Splash in the pool. Sleep in the nursery upstairs. And this was a place I could be with my mate. Love her. Claim her. Adore her.

  There was no pain in these walls. It took a trip with Sienna for me to realize it. My priorities were different.

  I pushed back from the table. I had an idea.

  I was pleased to see the breakfast pantry stocked. I could always count on Stansbury. I found a tray and began to set it with china and silver. I plucked a rose from the garden to add to the display.

  With a fresh cup of coffee, I ascended the stairs, balancing the tray in my hands.

  “Sienna?” I tapped on the door. “I have breakfast for you.”

  I looked at the buffet I had created for her. Pastries, fresh fruit, and oatmeal. I had no idea what her favorites were. I had to learn those things about her.

  “Sienna?” I knocked again. I didn’t hear her on the other side of the door. I turned the handle.

  The bed was empty. I scanned the room. I ditched the breakfast tray on a nearby dresser and walked to the bathroom. It was open. She wasn’t here.

  I saw her suitcase at the foot of the bed, where I had deposited it yesterday.

  I walked to the bed. The covers had never been pulled down. “Sienna?” I called, the panic started to rip through me.

  Where was she? What in the hell had happened? My ears perked as I heard the curtains rustle. The window was open. It was the only explanation, but how had she gotten out? I pushed the window up and leaned over the ledge. It was a two-story drop to the ground. There was no way she had jumped. And if she had, it couldn’t have been willingly.

  Nothing made sense. When I went to bed last night I knew she was on the other side of this door. I had heard her sobs. I had almost felt the tears. I waited outside until I knew she was asleep. I couldn’t pry myself away from the door.

  The estate was sealed like a fortress. There was a full alarm system. Gates at the front entrance. There was no way anyone would be able to get through here. I ran to the security room downstairs. I had never worked the computer system, but there were cam
eras at every entrance. If there was video of when and how Sienna left, I had to find it.

  I sat at the controls and turned on the six screens. They blinked to life in succession. This wasn’t like running the movie theater. It was more complicated.

  After a few minutes of opening different files, I found the feed for the overnight cameras. I started with the first one and skimmed through hours of footage. I didn’t know what I was looking for other than a sign of Sienna. Something that told me which way she went. A glimpse of her. A clue. A direction.

  I rubbed my eyes. I had been watching film for over an hour when I saw something.

  I leaned forward. I couldn’t believe it.

  No. No fucking way.

  Eighteen

  Sienna

  I flinched. Someone was splashing cold water in my face. I sputtered when some of it went up my nose. It burned.

  “I never thought you’d wake up.”

  I recognized the voice, but I couldn’t place it. I tried to open my eyes, but it was dark in the room except for a single flame.

  “Who are you?” I asked. “Where am I?”

  I tried to move, but my arms were restrained. I pulled against the ropes, but they rubbed against the raw skin at my wrists.

  I was tied to a chair. That was about all I knew. My focus adjusted. The figure was only a silhouette, but it moved closer to the light.

  “C-Celia?”

  She smiled. Her red lipstick looked as dark as blood in the low light.

  “You seem surprised.”

  “Why are you here? Why am I here? Can you untie me?” One question stumbled out after the other.

  She laughed. “You are here because I brought you here. I don’t think I’ll untie you. Not anytime soon.”

  “But why? What’s going on?”

  My eyes had finally acclimated. We were in a one-room cabin. At least it looked like a cabin. There was a kitchenette on one wall and a fireplace along the other. There was a single candle burning on the table between Celia and me.