by Haley Weir
“You mean, you don’t know why you are the way you are?”
“None of us do. Michael, Brock, and Anders have better control than I do, but we all changed around the same time,” Dorian huffed.
“Sometimes it’s just who they were born to be and other times a series of events lead up to their change. There is usually a “coming of age” or a traumatic event that triggers something inside of them.”
“Michael and Brock were having an argument the day they first shifted. Brock hit Michael and the next thing we knew, Michael turned into a bear right in front of us. It had been building between them for a while.”
Jenny smiled slightly. “Let me guess, this happened around puberty? Hormones are changing and boys are being boys?”
“Yes…”
“Well, there you go,” she said confidently. “I can’t tell you why all of you were chosen for this, but maybe you shouldn’t question it. You get to decide whether it’s a burden or a blessing.”
“You sound like Anders.”
“He sounds like a smart guy.” Jenny uncrossed her legs and kissed Dorian sweetly. Her fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck and fought for control. They promised to take things slow, but the urge to possess her was stronger now than it was before. “Please,” she whispered. “Let me…”
“No,” he protested weakly, even as his hands found their way to her hips. Dorian’s fingers slowly lifted the hem of her shirt to caress the skin of her bare back. The lack of the usual corset made him want to sink his teeth into her unblemished flesh. He wanted to feel her softness all over his body. Jenny came to him willingly even as his mind screamed for him not to give in so easily.
“Stop me, Dorian. If you don’t want this…stop me.”
He was pressed into the cushions of his sofa as she climbed on top of him, grinding her body against his rigid length until he gripped her bottom and held her firmly to his chest. “Upstairs. Now,” Dorian snarled. Jenny hopped up and bounded for the staircase. He watched her drop pieces of her clothing on the floor as she went, leaving behind a trail of breadcrumbs for him to follow.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
On any other occasion, Jenny would have taken the time to snoop around and learn the habits of her partner, but he knees felt weak just thinking about Dorian possessing her entirely. There was something erotic about knowing that a wild beast lingered beneath the surface of his humanity. She felt exhilarated as she crawled onto the bed, giving Dorian a view of her body that was sure to keep her in his dreams.
The years she spent taking burlesque classes came in handy as she peered over her shoulder and unpinned the tresses of her red hair. Teasing was an art that Jenny had mastered long ago. She arched her back and trailed a French tip fingernail up her right leg before snapping the strap of her thong. A lewd moan fluttered from her lips and she saw his eyes darkened with lust.
Dorian watched her every move as if his life depended on it. Jenny turned over onto her back, but kept her legs crossed as she arched into another pose for his viewing pleasure. He leaned against the doorway with his eyes devouring her like a predator. “The most recent book we’re discussing is very interesting. I finished it during our time apart when I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“Yeah?” he asked thickly.
Jenny nodded her head. “It told me everything I needed to know about bear shifters. I know how to make love to you without you losing control. Isn’t that what you were afraid of the first time? That you would hurt me?”
“It was.”
“I thought so, but you don’t have to worry about that,” she said seductively, beckoning him over with a crook of her finger. “I’ll take good care of you, Dorian. You won’t hurt me. I trust you…I give myself to you freely.”
Just as Jenny had hoped, a feral light illuminated his eyes and Dorian prowled around the bed. His nostrils flared and the veins in his arms bulged. She licked her lips and he descended upon her, pinning Jenny’s arm to the mattress as her hips bucked. His weight pressed her down, but she shoved him back. Dorian lifted his hands in surrender, afraid that he had startled her, but it was just the opposite.
Jenny loved watching him walk the line between man and beast. She turned him around and pushed him onto the bed. Dorian looked up at her ravenously, licking his lips and thrusting into the air. She raised his arms above his head. “Grip the headboard. And don’t move them no matter what happens.”
“W-what?”
“Swear it. Swear to me that you won’t move your hands,” she ordered. “I read that you bears can’t break a vow to your mates. I want you to vow not to move your hands until I release you from the promise.”
Dorian’s mouth fell open and he gaped at her in disbelief. “Minx.”
“More than you know.”
“No,” he said with a smile. “If we’re going to do this properly, my safe word is minx.” Dorian looked far too pleased with himself after turning the tables. Jenny smirked and leaned forward to catch his bottom lip between her teeth. He hissed and tried to grind against her, but she moved away.
“My safe word is bubblegum.”
“Why bubblegum?”
“You should know,” she chuckled. “Because I’m soft, pink, and taste like candy.”
That succeeded in making him groan. “Fine. I vow not to move my hands until you agree to release me. Just…please touch me,” Dorian begged. Jenny was practically giddy. She had dreamed about having her way with this man since their first date. She scraped her nails lightly down his chest, watching his lungs expand as he gasped for air.
Dorian shivered when she kissed the base of his throat. She sucked hard enough to bruise and then sank her teeth into him. He bucked, causing her hands to slip. They brushed the zipper of his jeans and they both paused. Blue eyes stared down at her hands as she unbuttoned the fly and unzipped the denim fabric. Jenny tried not to drool at the sight of him straining toward her touch. “Please…”
“Patience, love.” She bent at an odd angle and pressed a kiss to his pelvis. Dorian tried to remain perfectly still as she slid his jeans down his legs and threw them onto the floor. Black briefs were a sharp contrast to the tawny skin of his abdomen. Jenny curled her fingers around the elastic and freed his member. Her eyes took in every detail. “Beautiful. You’re so perfect for me, Dorian.”
She heard his grip tighten and the wood of the headboard creak beneath his strength. Jenny teased him until they were both slickened with sweat. She pushed Dorian toward the edge, but never let him lose himself in the pleasure. Jenny could feel each time his pulse kicked up when she touched him. Her eyes watched the tiny hairs on his body stand at attention as she peppered kisses all over his body.
It was as torturous for her as much as it was for him. Jenny wanted nothing more than to ride him until they were both spent, but she held back. Dorian writhed and begged for her to do something to end the exquisite agony. “Tell me what you need,” she said, moving up his body to rock her silk-covered mound over his satin steel. “Dorian.” Her firm tone barely broke through the lustful haze in his eyes. When a bit of focus returned to gaze, Jenny kissed his lips.
“I need you. Just you.”
Nimble fingers reached between their bodies. Jenny pulled aside her thong and then positioned him at her entrance. Held his breath as she sank down onto his length. Her body struggled to accommodate the size of Dorian’s masculinity, but she adjusted enough to take him completely, pausing when he was in to the hilt. “I can feel your heartbeat,” she whispered. “We’re connected, Dorian.”
“Move,” he snarled. Jenny lifted up slightly before seating herself back down. The intimate kiss of pain deep in her womb was testament to his size. Dorian began to meet her thrusts, catching her by surprise when he stroked something inside of her that caused her eyes to roll into the back of her head. “That’s it,” he praised. “Let me see you go wild, Jenny. Take what you want.”
She moved then, in smooth and tantalizing motions tha
t caused warmth to spread through her body. Jenny’s body wept for release as she stared into eyes that looked upon her with pure adoration. Something inside of her broke free and Jenny fisted her hands in his hair to hold on. Dorian growled, loving every second. Her hips stuttered as she neared her climax. “Bite me,” she gasped. “Please, Dorian! I release you of your vow.”
He sprang forward and flipped her over onto her belly, entering her in one fluid motion. Dorian pounded into Jenny and bit down on her shoulder until she exploded into a million pieces. She felt his release as he was taken hostage by her pleasure and submitted to the glory of it. He rolled off to the side, as to not crush her, and kissed Jenny. She stretched like a lazy feline and smiled at him.
“That was amazing.”
“You were amazing,” he corrected. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.”
“It was very different. Like we weren’t just making love, but becoming one.” Jenny began to search Dorian’s body. His brown pinched in a tight frown, but he remained quiet. She grabbed his hip and turned him over on his side. “I knew it!”
“Knew what?”
“We really are mates,” she said happily. Jenny grabbed her phone and took a photo of his back. She then began to look herself over until she found what she had been searching for. On her ankle was the same bear paw mark that graced Dorian’s left shoulder blade. She turned her phone to show him the images and watched a series of expressions play across his features.
“I can’t believe it,” he mumbled. “This is too crazy.”
“Crazier than shifting into a bear in the first place?” Jenny snorted and gave Dorian a droll look. “What’s on your mind?”
“Your book has been right about a few things so far, does that mean there’s more of us out there than we thought? And if so, do they pose a threat to our survival if they find out about our existence?”
“I’m not sure about anything either, actually. Even the characters in the books thought they were rare,” she answered. “You have to remember that every culture has their own version of shifters, Dorian. There’s no way of telling which are true or not, but at least you know that-”
“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?” he cut in. “I can see it in your eyes, Jenny. Don’t lie to me even if you think it will hurt me. Why aren’t there more creatures like us?”
She looked down to where their hands were tangled together and sighed. “Because they were hunted. Over time, they became targets of secret organizations that wanted to hunt shifters for sport and status. Pelts, teeth, bones, you name it.”
“Hunters?”
Jenny wanted to reassure him that everything would be fine, but she had no idea it would be. Humans had been hunting for sport for centuries, there was no way that she could tell Dorian honestly that more of his kind had survived. “People either fear what they don’t understand or they abuse it,” she heard herself say. “Things like the witch trials must have either caused extinction or caused them to go into hiding.”
“These hunters, what did they do to harm the shifters?”
“They often lured them away by capturing their kin or offspring,” Jenny explained. “Or sometimes they would take their homes by force and start a war. Hunters were cunning and used deception to infiltrate the families.”
“Why would they infiltrate the family?”
“Most of the secret organizations weren’t after revenge. They killed for sport, so getting to know their prey...getting into their minds before claiming their trophy was satisfying for them.” Jenny smoothed away the wrinkles in his forehead as he frowned at her, listening closely. “Then there were the ones out to avenge their families and the ones that were obsessed with hating shifters.”
Dorian settled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand to look at her fully. “Did these hunters do things on their own?”
“Sometimes, but not always. It’s hard to attack a shifter pack or family alone, so most of them have teams. And these weren’t just anybody, they were usually highly skilled soldiers who knew how to hunt and track in extreme situations.”
Dorian looked a bit lost in his thoughts, but Jenny thought it was understandable. Their discussion had turned somewhat bleak, so she kissed his lips and raced him to the bathroom to shower. It had been a good enough distraction for the moment.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Corey Reed stood upon the highest peak overlooking the valley. He watched a hawk soar through the clouds as the people of Haden Springs settled in for the night. Smoke bellowed from chimneys and streetlamps flickered on as the sun began to set on the horizon. Darkness moved across the sky. They were like rats in a maze and it stirred the predator within him. Though he had no beast of his own, Corey felt a merciless need to exterminate his unnatural enemies.
The fires were just the start, a warning to the creatures that he hunted to tell them that they were trapped. Nature had turned against them and recognized the true alpha of the wilds. He climbed down from his perch and walked along the hidden path to the concealed camp set up by Corey and his comrades. “Did they take the bait?” Travis asked while shuffling a stack of cards in his hand.
“They did.” A few nights back, Corey and others created a trail through the forest that was sure to lead even the most skilled trackers astray. “It took them to the river as planned, let them see our old camp.”
“Now that the beasts know there are people in the trees, they’ll come back whenever possible to search for us,” Travis said. “We need to lure them into a trap.”
“Don’t you worry. I have a plan.”
Travis shook his head. “Last time we followed your lead, you got reckless and four people were killed in the crossfire. We can’t take any chances, Corey. You go that?”
“No, I don’t. If it weren’t for me we wouldn’t have even found these bears hiding amongst humans. The town can’t protect them forever.” Corey grabbed his rifle and disassembled it for a thorough cleaning. It was something he did in place of mediation or whatever new-age garbage his therapist insisted he try. “Those freaks are to be delivered to our sponsor alive. Your plan will get everyone, including our targets, killed.”
“Stick to the plan,” Travis insisted. Patrick sat across from Travis at the table along with Vanessa. The entire unit had met in a forum for soldiers who believed in the supernatural or had near-death experiences that changed their outlook on life and faith. Travis was a recon specialist and survival expert, Vanessa was a sharpshooter, Patrick was the eldest and a marine veteran who worked as their tracker, and Corey had worked in top secret government operations since he was eighteen. He was a prodigy, one that tested with the highest scores in American history and had been observed by military officials and doctors for many years in hopes of replicating his abilities.
But no one could match Corey in skill or intelligence.
He took a swig from the flask he always kept strapped to the inside of his belt and nodded at Patrick, giving the man permission to speak up about what was on his mind. Patrick wasn’t much of a talker in general, but what he said often held great importance. “We need to make them feel safe again. They’re anxious and taking precautions that will end up getting us caught.”
“Why make them feel safe?”
“Right now they’re sure that someone is out here starting the fires. If we let them feel safe again, they’ll let their guard down. We have to make sure they think they won and ran us off of their land,” Patrick stated. “But it will take revealing ourselves to achieve that.”
“And then what?” Corey asked.
Travis piped up once more. “I overheard two of them talking a few months ago. They talked about their leader not being fond of them shifting anywhere close to town where people could get hurt. They don’t seem to know much about their own kind.”
Patrick nodded. “We use that to create a rift between them, separate the group so they’re more vulnerable, and then we attack.”
“But we let them wi
n,” Corey finished. “How do we lure them out here without another fire? It has to be something that will guarantee all of them in the same place.”
“The clinic,” Vanessa added helpfully. “The last fire put a friend of theirs in a coma. She’s a friend with one of their mates. Capture the mate and we can trigger a shift in the male. If their leader hears that they’ve been keeping their activities a secret from him then he’ll lash out or feel challenged.”
Corey lifted Vanessa into his arms and kissed her. “Brilliant. Which is why I need you to be the one to grab the mate. Dress as a nurse or something and make it quick, but don’t tip off the others until I give the green light.”
“What will the rest of you do?”
“Travis is going to stick with the plan and find something of interest in their backgrounds. Patrick will ensure that the male is aware that his mate was captured and be ready to take him out if he becomes a danger to us. There’s nothing more unpredictable than a mated bear shifter,” Corey said. He looked down at the map on the center of the table. It was littered with markings that no one outside of their unit could understand without a map key. “I’ll have a quick chat with our sponsor. We need new identifications and permits in case people start poking around again.”
“That firefighter was up here yesterday,” Travis announced. “He pushed closer to the edge of the decoy camp. I don’t think he’s convinced it’s real or that it’s abandoned. We might have to make some changes.”
“We change nothing. Patrick’s suggestion will work just fine. Let them think they’re getting close, make a false attack, let them think they win, and then we catch them while their guards are down,” Corey responded. “After all, they’re about to learn that the town they use to keep the world at bay is their prison.”
He pushed aside the map and the other trinkets that cluttered the table to play a round of cards. Corey beat Travis and Patrick at blackjack and counted the remainder of their savings before tucking it into his pocket.
