by Cara Wylde
Amber turned her back to him again, and resumed staring out the window.
Finally, Tyler forced himself to walk to the door, open it, step over the threshold, then close it behind him. He stayed on the hallway, in front of the door, for a long while, just listening to Amber’s soft breathing.
CHAPTER TEN
A week passed, and Tyler couldn’t focus on anything. He tried to call Amber a couple of times, but she didn’t pick up, so he gave up. He didn’t want to annoy her, make her want to put even more distance between them. Unable to work, or even get out of bed in the morning to go to the office, he took a sick leave. As a bear-shifter, he never got sick, so it was the first time in the eight years he had worked for the advertising company that he was taking such a leave. The pretty HR girl almost suggested he should take more than a week.
He talked to Emil almost every day, and the wolf-shifter kept him updated on Amber and Ava. Apparently, Ava hadn’t taken the news of her father’s death that well. Nor the news of the divorce. At first, Tyler thought it had been redundant of Amber to tell her daughter she and Stephan had divorced right before he died, but then he understood Amber didn’t want to hide anything from her. Keeping secrets could only lead to disaster. For now, he wasn’t welcome in Amber’s life, nor in Ava’s. It was a hard pill to swallow, but he had no choice. All he could do was wait and hope Amber would come to the same conclusion as he had: they were mates.
It was the longest week in Tyler’s life. On Saturday morning, the bell rang, and Tyler made the great effort of getting out of bed, throwing a T-shirt on, and lumbering to the front door. Amber’s cute face, bright eyes, and red hair snapped him out of his lethargy.
“Hey there! You look awful,” she said.
“You look breathtaking!” And he didn’t lie. He had almost forgotten how to breathe. “Come in.”
She followed him inside, but stopped before entering the living room.
“I don’t wanna stay long.”
Tyler’s heart dropped into his stomach. That was it. She was breaking up with him.
Amber saw the effect her words had on him, and she offered him the most beautiful smile she could muster.
“I want you to take me to the cabin. So, go take a shower. You stink. Then throw some clothes on and let’s hop into the car.”
Tyler couldn’t believe his ears. He didn’t know what to say, what to do. He took her in his arms, spun her a couple of times, pressed wild kisses all over her face, then ran to do exactly what she had told him. As he took the quickest shower in his life and rummaged through the few clean clothes he had left, Tyler realized he was reborn. Amber could have that effect on him.
He asked her a thousand questions during the drive to the Blue Mountain Reservation, but she barely answered a few. Eventually, he fell silent and simply enjoyed her company. Surely, she would tell him all he wanted to know when they got to the cabin.
But Amber had other things in mind. She was tired of talking. She was tired of giving explanations, laying out her reasoning, supporting her decisions with arguments. She wanted him and only him. She wanted a new life. She wanted to be loved and desired by her mate from that day on. Nothing would stand in the way of her happiness. Never again. So, when they got to the cabin, she took his hand, dragged him through the living room, and pushed him in the bedroom.
“Amber…?”
Tyler wasn’t sure what was happening. Her mood had changed in a heartbeat. This woman would never cease to amaze him.
“Shut up,” she said, as she pushed him down on the bed and straddled his hips. She leaned in to whisper against his lips. “I want you to fuck me, Tyler Atwood. I want you to claim me as your mate, and I want you to… bite me.”
He was speechless. It was a good thing, anyway, as he couldn’t have possibly spoken when he had her tongue shoved down his throat. She was kissing him feverishly, biting his lips, exploring every crevice of his mouth, sucking on his tongue. He closed his eyes and released a deep growl. He felt his bear stir inside him, and when he opened his eyes again, they sparkled with the beast’s power.
“Amber… Slow down…”
“I don’t want to slow down.”
She pulled her blouse up over her head, tousling her red hair, then lifted her skirt until the material pooled around her waist. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and Tyler was immediately entranced by the sight of her hard nipples pointing right at him. The only things standing between their union were her soaked panties and his rough jeans. Wild and impatient, determined to impale herself on his hard cock before she went insane with lust, Amber did something that surprised even her. The shifter-blood she had been taking had started to have some visible effects on her, but she had had no idea she was so strong. She lifted her hips just enough to pull at his jeans, and the buttons simply flew to the floor.
“Oh my God!” moaned Tyler. His eyes were even darker now. The bear was very close to the surface, closer than ever. He had never been so turned on by a woman. Her strength, her confidence… He was falling in love with her again. And he knew he would fall in love with her over, and over, and over for the rest of his life.
Amber laughed when she saw she had turned his jeans to shreds without even trying too much. His long, thick cock was resting on his tight abs, and she decided she wanted to see more of him. She applied the same treatment to his T-shirt, and soon she had a very sexy, very naked bear-shifter between her generous thighs. She ran her fingers up and down his chest, pulled at the dark chest hair just enough to make him shiver, then grabbed the length of his cock and weighed it in her small hand. Yes, this was just what she needed. The round, dark pink head stretching her passage, making way for the hard piece of flesh that she knew could throw her over the edge in a matter of minutes.
Tyler looked at her hand for a moment, then moved his eyes to her face. She was the most beautiful, wonderful woman he had ever seen. He couldn’t believe she was his. He couldn’t believe she had just ordered him to bite her and turn her into a bear-shifter. Because that had been an order. A strong Alpha male could recognize an order coming from his equally strong Alpha female.
Amber smiled at him and held his gaze as she lifted her hips and guided his cock to her entrance. She took her time to rub the head up and down her wet folds, getting it nice and slick with her juices, then lowered her hips slowly, teasingly, letting the thick rod slip inside her inch by torturous inch. When her ass finally came to rest on his round sack, Amber took his hands and placed them over her breasts, then used his bent knees to keep her balance and support her weight as she bounced on his cock.
“You’re so sexy,” he whispered.
His hips thrust upward, meeting her half way. Amber moaned every time the head of his cock hit that delicious spot inside her pussy. She built a nice rhythm, then increased it slowly as sweat covered her skin and all the muscles in her body tensed in anticipation. Tyler pulled at her nipples, squeezed her breasts, and ran his hands all over her chest, abdomen, and hips, eager to touch as much of her soft, creamy curves as possible. She moaned loudly when his thumb found her clit and started circling it fast.
“Oh yes, don’t stop…” she whispered. “So close…”
“Come here, baby.”
He pulled her down over him and held her tightly as he started fucking her fast and hard. By this point, she was too exhausted to be able to move much, so she simply kept her hips steady and sneaked her arms underneath his neck and shoulders. The position gave Tyler perfect access to her neck.
“Bite me, Tyler. I want you to bite me.”
“Amber, my love…” He plunged deep inside her and grunted when she clenched her walls around his throbbing cock. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I want this. I want to be yours. Forever.”
“Fuck, Amber!”
Her words threw him over the edge. He sank his teeth into her neck as he came deep inside her, his seed filling her pussy.
Amber screamed, and her whole body shook under the s
heer power of her orgasm. She had never thought it would be so erotic to be bitten by the man she loved. Her release didn’t hit when she felt him come, but when his teeth penetrated her skin and his tongue started lapping at her blood. The feeling was exhilarating. Her clit throbbed painfully, her walls clenched and unclenched around his cock, milking him to the last drop.
“Oh God… Oh my God,” she moaned. “Don’t stop…”
Tyler thrust a couple more times, then let his hips fall back on the mattress as he pressed Amber’s body harder against his. They stayed connected as he retracted his slightly elongated canines and licked the wound gently to help it close. If he were a vampire, he would have probably enjoyed the taste of her blood more, but shifters didn’t drink blood. The whole purpose of the bite was to let some of his bear-shifter venom enter her bloodstream.
Amber snuggled against his chest. She didn’t want him to pull out of her. She wanted to stay like that, in his strong arms, for as long as possible. His cock was still hard, and she knew he would be ready to go again in a couple of minutes. However, Tyler had no intention to let that happen. He caressed her hair, then nudged her until she finally looked up at him.
“When did you take your last dose?”
“This morning.”
He smiled. “We’re good, then. You have enough of my blood in your system to turn without me making you drink more.”
“I was supposed to drink your blood? Ewww!”
“Yeah. The classic procedure.” He chuckled and kissed her forehead. “But it’s okay. We don’t need to do that.”
“Well, Emil did tell me that if I wanted to turn into a bear-shifter, I could pretty much inject myself with bear-shifter venom and then with pure blood. It would’ve been much easier.”
“It would have. Why didn’t you do it?”
Amber’s lips curved up into a grin. “Well, where would have been the fun in that?”
Tyler laughed and pulled her back down over his body. He loved the way her curves pressed against his muscles.
“How long will it take?” she asked.
“Not long at all.”
***
Amber had never felt so free in her life. She had expected to feel her body heavy and uncoordinated, but she had been so wrong. So completely wrong. In her bear form, she wasn’t as big as Tyler, but she was bigger than an average bear. She felt strong and in control. She felt like she owned the forest and the mountains.
She had shifted a little over an hour after Tyler had bitten her. They were on the porch, watching the first stars appear on the sky. When she felt her muscles starting to move on their own at unnatural angles, it wasn’t completely dark yet. She had jumped out of her chair, thrown Tyler a concerned glance, then tried to remember what he had advised her: relax, control her breathing, and let her body do all the work. Bones snapped, but the pain had been rather dull. She had panicked a little when she had felt her face growing bigger and bigger, but Tyler had been right by her side to calm her down and whisper words of encouragement. The whole transformation hadn’t lasted more than five minutes. Then, she had fallen on all fours and taken her first steps as a bear-shifter. Tyler had shifted in a matter of seconds.
Now, they were running side by side, Amber a step or two behind him. She knew he wasn’t running at his full speed, wanting to give her time to adjust.
“Good heavens, this is amazing,” she thought.
Tyler stopped by a stream and waited for her to catch up with him. She approached the cold, clear water slowly, then tried to take a sip. She dipped her nose too much, and jumped back in surprise, coughing pathetically. Human or bear, it was always unpleasant to have water up your nose. Tyler made a weird noise which reminded Amber of a chuckle, so she stared daggers at him and growled in annoyance. Who was he to make fun of her? It was only her first hour as a bear. He leaned over the stream and drank a bit of water himself to show her how it was done. Amber huffed in her head, but followed his lead. This time, she was successful.
They went back to their playful chase through the forest, then Tyler challenged her to a little tumble in the grass, and they eventually ended up lying on the cool ground and staring at the stars. Amber couldn’t believe how sharp her vision was. Even though it was almost midnight, she saw everything so clearly. She could only imagine how amazing it would be during the day, what bright colors she was going to experience soon, when the sun went up. Her other senses were spectacular, too. She could hear the weird sounds of the forest for miles, and she could smell even the tiniest creature scurrying through the leaves and twigs. She could inhale the fresh air and the potent smell of moss, rich soil, and wild flowers and almost become drunk with the unique combination. She had never dreamed nature could be so full of amazing colors, sounds, and smells humans had no way of experiencing. She had been truly blessed.
Tyler studied his mate’s profile, and felt his heart was going to explode of so much love and joy. His Amber was gorgeous. She had soft brown fur, amazing blue eyes, and tiny ears he could munch on for hours. Her snout was long and elegant, and she knew how to move with care and grace. He could stare at her until morning, and he wanted to do exactly that. Except, Amber felt his eyes on her and growled at him. Oh, how he loved her when she was acting all annoyed and growly. He sank his nose in the fur of her neck and inhaled deeply. The scent of his mate drove him crazy with lust. Now, all he had to do was convince her to stop studying the sky and the trees so much and start paying some attention to him.
ONE YEAR LATER
Ava stepped into the white hospital room, unsure of what to expect. The past year hadn’t been the best of her life. However, she had turned 9 just a few weeks before, and she kept repeating herself that she was a big girl now. She had to stop being afraid of her own shadow. The second the thought took shape in her mind, she felt angry at herself. She wasn’t afraid. She had never been afraid of anything. Confused? Maybe. Disappointed? Yes. But not afraid. Never afraid.
Tyler was behind her, his hand hovering just above her shoulder. He didn’t dare touch her. He knew how jumpy she could be when she was nervous and insecure. Ava liked him. Sure she did. But that didn’t mean she would just start calling him “dad”. She had made it clear a year ago, when her mother had given her the news that she and Tyler were getting married. As she was stepping closer to the only bed in the hospital room, she remembered how shocked she had been then. Would she be just as shocked now? She didn’t want to have the same reaction. She had to control herself. This was different. Yes, it was still the unknown, but it was different.
Amber was waiting for them. She had a big smile on her lips, and her blue eyes were shining with joy. So much joy that she had cried just a few minutes before. She looked at her beautiful daughter, then her eyes traveled up to her handsome husband. They were the most important people in her life. The only ones she would die for. Well, now there was someone else she was ready to die for if needed: the little bundle she was cradling in her arms. Her son. Her and Tyler’s son, Ava’s little brother.
Ava stopped at the foot of the bed. She started playing with the hem of her blouse, while her eyes were fixed on the tiny creature her mother was holding. She couldn’t see much, as the baby was wrapped in a white, soft blanket. Everything was so white in this room.
“Come here, honey. Say ‘hello’ to your brother.”
Ava’s heart started beating faster, and her palms suddenly became clammy with sweat. “Brother”. Such a weird word. She had always wanted a brother or a sister. Well, she had wanted a sister, actually. But a brother was good, too. She felt Tyler’s big hands on her shoulders, and she tensed for a second. The baby made a soft noise, and her muscles relaxed. It was okay. This was okay. She could enjoy this moment without feeling guilty. Or abandoned. Because that was what she had felt a year ago, when her mother had told her about the divorce. Her father had abandoned them. Then, Amber tried to explain as best as she could that it had been her choice. She had wanted to break up with him. But that hadn�
��t been all. Oh no. The next blow had been even worse. Her father had been in a terrible accident and died. It had taken a couple of minutes for the information to sink in, but when it did, Ava had burst into tears. Heavy, horrible tears that wouldn’t stop falling. Stephan had never spent time with her, had never paid attention to her. There had been days when he wouldn’t even acknowledge her presence, and she had always hated him for that. But still, he had been her father. The thought that she would never see him again had broken her heart forever. Tyler had tried to mend it later, but it had been no use. He was a great friend, an amazing husband to her mother, but he wasn’t and would never be her father.
“Let’s go closer,” Tyler encouraged her.
His voice was a gentle whisper. Ava loved that about him. He was always so kind and loving. There were days when the word was hanging on the tip of her tongue. “Dad”. “Daddy”. Still, what came out of her mouth was “Tyler”. She let him guide her to her mother’s side. Finally, she could see the baby’s cute face, his tiny fingers, the few strands of raven black hair covering his round head. He was perfect.
“May I hold him?” she asked.
Amber nodded and motioned for Tyler to help her. Together, they placed the baby into Ava’s arms.
Ava’s whole body was tense with fear and excitement. What if she dropped the baby? What if she didn’t hold her brother’s head at the right angle and something bad happened? She swallowed heavily and tried to get a hold of herself. She was a big girl. She could do this. In fact, she was a big sister now.
“It’s okay, honey. You’re doing great,” said Amber.
While he had been in Amber’s arms, the baby had kept his eyes closed. Now, he opened them and looked straight at Ava. His tiny lips parted and he let out a cute noise which made the girl smile.
