by Allie Ritch
He wasn't looking for sex now, though. Once they were both naked and under the covers, Koll wrapped his arms around her and snuggled her so her head rested near his heart. The steady beat beneath her ear made her feel loved and protected. She wasn't alone anymore. Neither of them was.
Closing her eyes, Shila fell asleep in her lover's embrace.
The next morning, Shila woke before Koll and took the opportunity to study him while he slept. Every line and plane of his face was familiar to her now, as was the dark morning stubble along his jaw and chin. His lips—so skilled at kissing her all over her body—were slightly parted. He was also snoring.
She grinned at the thunderous sound. Grumpy bears made less racket, and they were conscious. Of course she wasn't about to criticize. Koll had informed her that she was a loud snorer too.
Although Shila was still snuggled against him, his arm had dropped and was now pinned beneath her head and shoulder. The bed furs had been yanked askew sometime during the night, exposing one side of his muscular chest. Her blood heated at just that peek of bare skin.
In that moment, she fell in love with Koll all over again. She wanted him, and she wanted to give to him. Flashing back to last night, she knew what pleasure he'd enjoy.
Very slowly, she eased her weight off his arm and slipped lower beneath the covers. He didn't stir, so she continued a slow crawl toward the foot of the bed until she was completely beneath the furs. It was dark under the blanket, but her eyesight was good. She lay between his legs and found what she was looking for.
Although his cock was sleeping too, it wasn't hard to awaken that part of him. Shila started out with soft licks along its wrinkled length until his shaft rose with a hard stretch. Once it was up, she popped his cock into her mouth and sucked the head.
Koll's snoring abruptly halted. He moaned, but she didn't think he'd fully woken up yet.
Bobbing her head, she stroked his cock with her tongue and lips, engulfing as much of him as she could. The scent of his arousal deepened. Trapped as she was beneath the blanket, she inhaled his thickening musk until she was almost giddy. A splash of precum hit her throat, causing her pussy to gush in empathy.
Suddenly, the blanket was thrown back and hands engulfed her head. All of him was finally awake.
"Shila.” The way he sighed her name made her shiver. “I'm going to come like this."
She sucked him deep and hummed. That was exactly what she wanted. When she glanced up the length of his beautiful body, she let him see the hunger in her gaze.
He narrowed his eyes. “I'm not coming alone."
Shila respected a good stealth attack. Koll moved so quickly she didn't have time to react. He snagged her leg and hauled her around so she straddled him backward. Since she didn't release his cock, this caused her mouth to spin around the head. His cry of pleasure was gratifying. Since she was currently positioned over his face instead of his hips, she was curious to see how he planned to mount her.
"I love that you're so tall.” Koll sounded as if he was muttering to himself. “Never done this before."
She would have asked what he meant if her mouth hadn't been full. Then she felt his tongue spear her pussy.
"Ah!” She yanked back to release a yowl of surprise. Surprise and rapture. That felt so good.
"Delicious,” he said with approval. Then he went back to feasting.
His morning stubble rasped the insides of her thighs and chafed her labia with a persistent scratch. As he continued to lap deep with his tongue, his rough chin brushed her clit, setting off a flurry of need inside her womb. The sensation made her scream.
Koll's cock bobbed when he chuckled, but he didn't stop eating her.
Shila's mind blanked under the onslaught. It took a full minute before she managed to get her mouth around his cock again. Then his laughter cut off when she sucked with renewed vigor.
His thighs were tense, but so were hers. They were both racing toward orgasm. The only question was who would get there first. When she slipped the tip of her tongue into his slit and tasted more of his essence, she thought for sure he'd break. He did, but only after he puckered his lips around her clit and sent her hurtling over the edge.
Their cries of release were muffled against each other's most sensitive flesh. Shila swallowed several times before she pulled her mouth free. When she swung around to kiss him, she could taste their combined flavors.
Koll cupped her breast in his large hand. “Tell me your fantasy. Tell me what you really want."
His callused palm rasped her already sensitive nipple, shooting pleasure from her breast to her core. She didn't have to think about her answer.
"I want you to make love to me. Make love to me the way you will when you get me pregnant."
Koll released her breasts and slid his hand up her neck to stroke her hair and the ribbon he'd tied in it. “There's no end to the positions I will take you in.” He rolled over her, using his weight to press her down into the bed. “But when I plant my seed, you will know what I feel for you. I will surround you with love. I'll drive it into you."
Although she thought she'd been prepared for his entry, the firm thrust of his cock still made her gasp. No matter how many times he took her, she'd never get used to the way he stretched her and tantalized her nerves.
He was right. She felt his love. His tenderness for her—always there—was now at the forefront. She felt it in the way he kissed her and caressed her breasts, in the way he angled his hips to maximize her pleasure. His love was in his strong arms as he propped himself on his elbows and in the massive cock he used to take her so deeply.
Shila keened as she thrust up to meet him. She swept her hands over his broad shoulders, enjoying his strength and sturdiness. Lower still, his back flexed as he thrust his pelvis, the driving force behind his stroking shaft. She hadn't seen him do it, but he must have tugged up the blanket. The fur rode across his moving buttocks.
"Please.” She was desperate for release, even though he'd just made her come with his mouth.
Koll didn't quicken his strokes. Instead, she felt him grind against her clit and swing his hips in a circle to screw his cock into her on every forward stroke. Shila screamed again, unable to keep silent. She'd never felt anything like it.
The rasp of his tongue and the suction of his lips at her pulse point heightened her already stimulated nerves. Her orgasm grew big and fat, well-fed by his steady attentions. When he lifted his head, he caught her wrists and pinned them above her. She was strong enough she should have been able to throw him off, but she didn't have the right leverage. Arousal roared through her body, kicking her higher.
He stared directly into her eyes as he rode her harder and faster. Gentle or rough, the emotion behind his gaze never changed. His love for her shone as clearly as the brightest star. With his hips canted just right, he kept hitting the most sensitive spot in her sheath. The orgasm stalking her was a ravenous beast.
"Come for me.” Koll grunted as he worked her with his tireless cock. “I will wait for your climax. I'll pump into you as long and hard as it takes until you orgasm. Only when your sweet pussy clasps my dick, begging me for more, will I give you my seed. Our children will be conceived in love and bliss, Shila. Nothing less. And when I do come, I'll thrust so deeply I'll touch your womb."
She shattered on his last words. Everything inside her drew up tight and locked on to him as convulsions racked her channel. The feel of his hands still pinning her set off a second explosion. She nearly crushed him with her legs as her pussy milked his cock with the sweetest pulls she'd ever felt.
Koll used his strong hips to fight her restriction and power through her fluttering sheath. He stroked into her half a dozen more times before arching his spine. Throwing back his head, he roared out his release and thrust his cock just as deeply as promised. Shila felt the hot splash of his cum hitting her most hidden recesses.
Hard spasms and aftershocks made her vagina lock on to him long after he'd stopped spe
nding inside her. She trembled so hard she saw her eyelashes quiver.
"That is how I will take you this breeding season.” The press of Koll's lips against hers was whisper-soft. “I'll take you five times a day until I've put my babe in your womb, and I will love you until the day I die. Maybe beyond."
She would have hugged him if he hadn't still been holding her wrists. Instead, she stretched up and caught his mouth. “And you think you're not good with romantic words."
His grunt made her smile.
After Koll released her wrists, she held him tight, but not for long. While they were holed up cozily in here, Tartok and Cikuq were still out there hunting for her. Safety was an illusion. Any minute, the brothers could break through the door and attack, so they needed to be ready.
They took the time to bathe and get dressed before sitting down to breakfast. Although Koll was quiet throughout the meal, he wore a pensive expression she was sure meant he was strategizing. They needed a plan. She waited until they'd finished eating and had cleaned up to share her thoughts.
"I should change into my bear form and sniff around,” she said. “We need to know where they are and when they might be back."
"We need to set a trap,” Koll replied. “Our best strategy is to lure them in and face them at a time and place of our choosing. Otherwise, they have the advantage of surprise."
"That's why I need to track them."
He regarded her solemnly. “I don't want you near them."
His protectiveness made her want to snarl and nuzzle him at the same time.
"You can't keep me confined here doing nothing.” That was something she would never tolerate. “I don't plan on getting too close to them. I'll just use my nose to figure out where they are. Besides, the brothers won't hurt me.” She curled her lip. “They want me whole and healthy to breed their cubs."
No, the one in danger here was Koll. He was outnumbered and outmatched if the men transformed into frost bears, which was exactly what Tartok and Cikuq would do. They weren't concerned with honor or fairness. Their only goal was to defeat rival males quickly and with as little risk of injury to themselves as possible.
"That's to our advantage,” Koll said. “But I still don't want you dealing with them."
Shila remained silent since further arguing would only rile him up. She understood how powerful instincts were, especially those tied to mating.
Obviously taking her response as agreement, he continued. “Tell me their weaknesses."
"They don't have many. As men, they are stronger than me or you, but not by an insurmountable degree. They've probably only fought in bear form—that's usually our way—so they won't have your skill. That will only prove an advantage if they don't shift, which they certainly will do if they sense a threat."
"So any attack we make will have to take them by surprise,” Koll said.
"Yes. There's also a moment of weakness when we shift. Although the transition is swift, it's not instantaneous. If you confront them and they change, strike the second you see their bodies enveloped in light. For that one moment in time, they're defenseless."
She could tell by the gleam in his eye he was pleased with this bit of knowledge. He couldn't afford to get cocky, though.
"You need to be equally aware of their strengths,” she warned him. “Even in man form, they have a far better sense of smell than your people. Their vision is very keen."
"Hearing?"
She thought about that. “Equal to yours. I haven't noticed much difference between forms."
He was silent for several minutes. “Why did they come to the village as men? Other beasts have wandered through here. From what you say, they could have tracked you more easily as frost bears."
"And what do you do when beasts wander through?” Shila posed the question neutrally, though she already knew the answer.
Koll shrugged. “Catch them if they're edible; scare them away if they're not.” She saw the moment he caught her meaning. “We band together to fend off the dangerous predators."
"Tartok and Cikuq would rather avoid facing a crowd of angry villagers. There's a higher chance of injury, especially if your people have advanced weaponry.” She studied him, allowing the obvious question to remain unspoken.
His frown was disheartening. “We have none. Some of the villages held on to the weapons of the ancestors for many generations, but those became useless once spent. There aren't the right minerals on this planet to make more."
And they wouldn't have made more, anyway. That was part of what the settlers of Jensen had fled from when they'd come here.
"Where does that leave us?” she asked.
"I have some ideas.” Koll still looked confident. “I want to lure them close to the village so they'll be more likely to stay men. Sturdy nets will slow them no matter what form they take. Gilby can help."
"But he's so small. He could be hurt."
Koll's lips twitched. “Don't judge him by his size. He's a fierce fighter."
She'd take his word for it, though she still thought of the man as a runt.
"I will rely on you to set up the trap,” she agreed, “but you still need me to track them. And you need bait."
"No."
"I'm what they want.” Shila saw he was about to argue. “They don't have to see me. They'll smell me. All I have to do is leave a fresh scent trail for them to follow, leading them right into your trap. I'll make sure it's strong enough that they can't miss it."
"How will you do that? Oh.” Koll cleared his throat.
Despite the circumstances, Shila was amused. “Where do you think bears relieve themselves?"
The chuffing noise he made had her grinning.
"The trick will be covering my scent,” he pointed out, serious again.
"You already smell strongly of me.” As intimately as they'd been living together, they were covered in each other's scents. “Greyfell can also mask you. I believe your hound has helped keep them from finding me this long, although that won't work forever."
Shila stood. “Let me find them first. The farther they've traveled, the more time we'll have to prepare."
Koll expressed his discontent with a grumble, but he didn't balk. Instead, he picked up her coat and handed it to her.
"I'll be in bear form,” she reminded him. Time to take her clothes off, not put them on.
"Not yet. We'll get Gilby first.” His tone brooked no argument so she didn't waste any more time.
When they reached Gilby's house, Shila just shook her head and laughed. The runt's home was nearly twice the size of Koll's. He was lucky he was such a personable little fellow, or he probably wouldn't have survived among the bigger males this long. She'd actually grown quite fond of him, if for no other reason than he was such a good friend to her mate.
"All right.” Gilby stepped out his front door and flipped up his hood. “I'm carrying my extra knife and best spear, as requested. Now what's this about us tracking those outsiders?"
Her mate was equally well-armed beside her. “They're killers, and they're after Shila. If we don't get them first, they'll kill me to get to her."
"What?” Gilby gaped at him.
Koll remained silent, wearing a look that clearly said, “You heard me."
"So we're hunting.” His friend's voice turned flat, and his eyes narrowed until he looked as vicious as a wolverine pup.
Shila's respect for him increased tenfold.
"First tracking,” Koll said. “Then we trap and kill."
"They are Children of Nanook,” Shila warned him.
"Let me guess.” Gilby's voice turned drier than the wind. “They like to put on bearskins and go around terrorizing villagers? People get crazy enough being cooped up all winter. Add a myth and a scary costume, and I'm sure you can build a reputation. You say they're dangerous, Koll, and I believe you. You know I'll fight with you. But don't try to tell me those two can magically transform themselves into frost bears."
It was Shila's turn to
grunt, a habit she'd picked up from her mate.
"Fine,” Koll said. “I won't tell you."
The hint of a smile in his voice lightened Shila's mood. Slipping off her coat, she handed it to Koll and then reached for her boots.
"What are you doing?” Gilby asked.
"Changing."
"Out here? Why didn't you change clothes at home?"
Koll took control with a terse, “Turn around.” He spun the smaller man so he faced away from her.
As soon as she had her clothing off, Shila let the change take her. It felt incredible, like diving deep into the water and breaking the surface reborn. The fur coat that covered her was far better insulated than anything pilfered from other beasts, and strength flooded her expanding muscles. A new universe opened up to her courtesy of her snout. She felt every incredible detail of the change, though it was over in an instant.
Walking forward on feet that no longer sank in the snow, Shila nudged Koll's back to get his attention. Well, maybe she aimed more for his butt. She had an endless fascination for his rear end and every other angle of his body.
He gave her a look before letting his friend turn around.
"Don't take this the wrong way,” Gilby said, “but you two are very strange. Coming all the way over here to—"
His jaw dropped. In fact, his mouth formed a perfect O that mimicked the opening of his hood. His reaction was so comical Shila released a loud snort that fogged the air in front of her face.
Koll didn't offer any explanations. He kept his focus on her. “Track, but don't get close to them. Just find out which direction they went and whether they're at least a day away. No more. Understood?"
She nodded, which was always a bit awkward in bear form. Since the Suinnak brothers had last been seen heading south, she walked that way first, drawing in great gulps of air as she went. She heard Gilby's exclamations and incessant questions behind her as she led the way.
Had she been asked as a woman what her kind—what any individual—smelled like, she couldn't have described it. Her bear simply took in the scent and processed it automatically. One whiff and she could tell the sex, age, health, and diet of any creature with reasonable accuracy. And if she regarded Tartok's and Cikuq's scent as more of a stench? Well, that was the woman's mind adding the bad connotation. Her bear didn't like the odor any better, but the impressions were more simplistic: wrong, danger, stay away. These males had taken her unborn cubs from her, and they didn't follow the harmonic rhythms of nature. They were not suitable mates, and she wanted nothing to do with them.
