He moved so that his chest was against her naked back, and he wrapped his arms around her easing her hands down, so that she stayed half naked. His lips pressed against her back, kissing her spine, one vertebra at a time. The very feel of him against her skin was soothing, and for a moment she allowed herself to think that he could kiss the pain away.
“Tell me what happened?” he asked gently.
She shook her head. “I don’t think I can.”
“Whoever did this to you, where are they now?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Hasn’t he been arrested?” Tad asked.
She shook her head. Feeling as if everything in her life was negative. “I didn’t press charges.”
“Why not? Or was it a random attack?” he asked.
“No. He was somebody I knew; somebody I had dated. But after it happened I just wanted to forget. I knew that my dad would hunt him down, and I couldn’t bear that happening. It was bad enough what he had done to me, but to let him destroy my dad as well…”
“I understand.” Tad began to turn her to face him, and she trembled, her eyes staring at his chest, unable to meet his gaze. “I don’t care what you look like. I wouldn’t care if you are ninety years old or covered in scars. You are my mate, and this doesn’t change anything. Scars heal.”
“But every day I see it in the mirror, I’m reminded of what happened. This might heal.” She pointed to the scar. “But what’s inside me just festers, like an abscess.”
“It will take time. I know everybody’s probably told you that, but believe me I know it’s true. The first time I watched somebody die on the mountain, someone I thought I could save, I thought I would never forget their face. That I would never be able to go back out there and try to save someone again. Because I felt like a failure. Even though there was nothing I could have done, I still carried that blame.” He stroked her cheek with his fingers, trailing them along her jawline and then down her neck. She stood still, as if frozen in the moonlight, as his fingers touched the top of the scar, and then he placed the whole of his hand over it, and she wished that when his hand moved away that it would be gone, that somebody could just erase it, just like that, and take the memories away too.
“Does it ever get better?” she asked.
“Yes. Time heals, love heals, and you will heal, Viv, believe me.”
She looked up into his eyes, hoping to see honesty there, and not lies. Over the last few months, so many people had told her that it would get better, it would get easier, but she thought they were just telling her what she needed to hear. Looking in Tad’s eyes, she saw truth.
“I’m just scared that you won’t want me. That you’re only telling me this because we’re mates.”
“I am telling you this because we’re mates. That doesn’t make it a lie. I would say the same words to you if we were nothing but friends.” He lowered his head and his lips touched hers, and after a moment of hesitation, she kissed him back, her arms going around his neck and holding him tightly, as if she never wanted to let him go.
Tad’s hands went around her body, stroking her back, and then moving lower to pull her tightly against him. She felt the strength of his arousal, his cock pressed against her stomach, hard and long. Surely, this was evidence that his words were true, because he could lie with his mouth, but not his body.
His lips were insistent, his tongue sliding along her lower lip, sending shivers of anticipation down her spine. Opening her mouth, she let him in, so that their tongues could dance around each other, just as they had danced around each other earlier. As their tongues entwined, it seemed like a symbolic sign of their lives, their fates, now becoming one. She had let her barriers down and was ready for their bodies to entwine.
Groaning, he lifted her up and laid her down on the cold ground. She was glad of her bear blood to keep her warm. Any normal human would be freezing cold by now, even with the heat of Tad’s body against hers and the flames of desire flaring up inside her.
Wanting his skin to be against her skin, she began to undo the buttons of his shirt. For a moment, he pulled back away from her, and she wondered if he had changed his mind. Instead, he just dragged his shirt over his head and threw it aside. Her fingers reached out to touch his chest, sliding along the smooth flesh, until they reach the hard buds of his nipples. Tracing her index finger round and around his right nipple, she felt his arousal increase. Tad moved his hips, stimulating his cock against her leg.
She wanted him to experience more than this. She knew that if she opened his jeans, and slipped her hand inside to stroke his length, there might be no stopping him from claiming his mate. He might think that she was leading him on and get angry if she said stop.
For a second she froze, her mouth no longer moving against his, her fingertip no longer exciting his skin. Tad pulled back, and looked at her, his eyes dark with longing, the amber flecks no longer visible. Did she trust him? Would he ever hurt her?
No. He couldn’t, he was her mate. In that moment she understood that she could trust him, and unlike a normal human, he could never hurt her.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.
“Yes. I just needed a moment.”
“Take all the time you need.” But she could tell by the strain in his voice that he didn’t want her to take her time. Her mouth sought his, and she kissed him, while her hands undid the button of his jeans and then slipped inside, to stroke his hard cock.
Tad tensed at her touch. His hips began to move as he enjoyed the stimulation. She squeezed him gently, moving her hand upwards, to roll over the head of his cock. His breath hissed between his teeth, a sharp intake, telling her how much he enjoyed the sensations she was drawing from his body. For a couple of minutes, he lay there just enjoying it, and then his hands moved her jeans.
Very slowly, he undid her belt and then the buttons of her jeans, it was if he was giving her time to say stop. Time to let her brain process what would happen between them. When she allowed him to continue, she felt his body relax and when he tried to slide her jeans down over her thighs, she lifted her body up to help him.
Tad shifted himself backwards, breaking the contact between them for a couple of seconds while he removed his own jeans. When he moved back beside her, he was completely naked, and her mouth went dry as the moonlight caressed his skin, illuminating it until he looked like some god from ancient times. She could just imagine this man conquering the world, and the heavens, and now she wanted him to conquer her. To push all her pain and anxiety away, to give her back her life, and her happiness.
Tad stroked her thigh, moving ever higher, towards her core and the ache that resided there. She held her breath when he moved her panties aside and pushed one finger inside her. In and out he moved, stroking her inner walls, while his thumb brushed her clit.
She felt her orgasm rushing towards her, all the pent-up emotion from today needing this release. When it came, it hit her hard, her hands going to his upper arms, and clinging to him, her nails digging into his flesh. She cried out, her voice echoing around the cave as she came. Tad didn’t let up, his thumb covering her pulsing sex, his fingers buried deep inside her, as her sex throbbed and pulsed around him.
When at last she could bear it no more, he stopped, kissing her lips, telling her how beautiful she was, before moving between her thighs.
He was about to make love to her, to mate with her, as they were fated to. And she wanted him, wanted to give herself to him, ready to bare her very soul to this man, who was hers, and hers alone.
Chapter Fourteen – Tad
She was so beautiful in the moonlight, her skin pale, only the red, jagged mark of her scar breaking her perfection. He wanted to press his lips to it and kiss it better, as his mom had always done when he or Jay had skinned their knees. But he knew she wasn’t ready for that, and might never be. To touch her there would be to break this spell that the moon was casting on them.
Ta
d lifted his weight onto his elbows, and guided his cock to her entrance, teasing her with the head of it, giving her one last chance to say no. Instead, she said, “Make love to me, Tad. Make me forget.”
He inched his hips forward, and slid inside her, feeling her warm wet heat around him and hoping he wouldn’t come prematurely. The intensity of this moment was leaving him with little control. Pressing harder, he filled her with his cock, her sex gripping him tightly as he moved. She tensed, and he eased back out of her, before thrusting forward, her breath warm on his neck as she gasped in shock.
He wanted to take her hard, to claim her as his, to brand himself on her mind, until she could remember no one else but him. Yet he wanted to show her his gentle side, his considerate side, the side that wanted to protect her, not the side that wanted to hunt down the monster who had hurt her and rip his throat out.
Tad could see why she had never told her father who had hurt her, because he would have wanted to do the same thing. He would have wanted to avenge the hurt someone had inflicted on his cub.
The feel of her around him was intense, and he swept everything else from his mind. There was no way he was going to think of anyone hurting her while he was making love to her. That could all wait until later.
Tad thrust into her, pulling out, before filling her again, impaling her on his cock. She whimpered, and his eyes locked with hers, wanting to ensure he was not causing her any pain. But all he saw in her face was arousal, a need for him that matched his need for her. They rose together, their climax closing in on them.
Viv lifted her legs and wrapped them around him, changing the angle of her body so that he pressed against her clit with each thrust. With his eyes still on hers, he came, his orgasm slamming into him, his seed filling her, spurting inside her. Then she came, too, her sex pulsing around his cock, milking him of his seed. Tad thrust forward, short sharp movements as he came, his voice filling the cave, a sound that was not far off from being a roar. A sign of his claiming, a sign of him taking his mate. Telling the mountain, she was his, and always would be.
“That was something else,” he told her when they were both utterly spent and he had rolled onto his side, holding her tightly in his arms. He kissed her shoulder, feeling a slight buzz between their skin, as if their joining had created a static charge.
“I hope it was a good something else,” she said, snuggling closer to him.
“The best kind.” They lay together as the moon rose higher in the sky. It no longer cast its light into the cave and he realized it must be very late. “Won’t your parents be worried about where you are?”
“No. I texted them and told them I was going for a run with you. They like you. They know you’re my mate so they won’t worry.” She sighed and then said, “It’s probably the first time in months that they haven’t had to worry about me.”
“That’s what parents are for. Worrying about their cubs, protecting their cubs. I’m sure they would do anything for you without ever complaining.”
“I know. But it’s been hard, being so needy, when I always thought I was so independent.”
“They know what you’re capable of, but they also would have been happy that you knew you could turn to them, that you could count on them. That no matter how grownup you are, you are still their daughter.”
“You are a wise old bear.” She kissed his lips, her fingers stroking his jawline.
“One thing about being a ranger on the mountain is it gives you a lot of time to think.” He brushed the hair away from her face. “I’m glad that you will have your parents and my parents around when I’m not there. Although, if you wanted me to, I would give up my job. To be there for you.”
She sat up, her face fierce, serious as she said, “No. You’re not going to give anything up for me. I will be fine. It’s all in my past now, you are my future and we will build that future together.”
“There is an alternative, you could always come out with me. I can train you. It would be fun.”
“Maybe sometimes. But I promised I would do a few hours here in the local store. While the weather is this bad I’m going to carry on doing that, because I can help other people. It makes me feel less of a victim.”
“There, we were made to be together. We both good at helping each other.”
“It’s not exactly going out and saving people’s lives, is it?” she said with a smile.
“I don’t know. For most people, having somebody bring them food when they’re hungry is as important as saving them from the snow.” He sat up, and said. “We should get back. I have to work tomorrow, and so do you. And even though I don’t think I’ll be up to sleeping, because of dreaming of my mate, of dreaming of you, I think we should go.”
“Now who’s being sensible?” she asked.
“See? You’ve changed me already.” He pulled her to him and kissed her roughly, knowing that those words were true and he didn’t regret it one bit.
Chapter Fifteen – Viv
“Hello, Mrs. Humphries,” Viv said as she entered the store for her afternoon shift. She had a big smile on her face, it was as if it was stuck there, and she liked it. For so long she had been forcing a smile, forcing herself to look happy. Now it was completely natural, and it was all Tad’s fault.
“Afternoon. We have a delivery coming in at three. I’m surprised, but they think the truck will make it.”
“That’s great. It would be good to make sure you have enough stock before the next storm hits.”
“The forecast is for a clear day today. Maybe a bit more snow tonight, but nothing too much. I’m so pleased, after yesterday.”
“Me, too,” she said, thinking of Tad up on the mountain. He was doing his rounds as usual, starting with the lower slopes and then working his way up to the higher peaks. She had arranged to go over to Grizzly Hollows after her shift. Her mom had let her borrow her car again. They were so pleased to see their daughter happy, they would have given her the moon if they could.
All because of Tad, she thought.
The store became busy as people came out, making the most of the break in the weather. The time passed quickly, and before Viv knew it, the delivery had arrived.
“If you would go and check it off and make sure it’s all stacked away, we can work our way through it over the next couple of days.”
“I can make a start on it now if you want,” Viv offered.
“No, it’s close to the end of your shift. And I wanted you to drop an order down to Mr. Fallon, if you don’t mind. He lives two streets away. Then you can get going. Hot date tonight, so your mom told me.”
Viv blushed. “My mom is such a gossip.”
“She’s so happy. She’s telling everyone about you finding your mate.” Mrs. Humphries winked at her conspiratorially. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”
“Mom told me you knew about us.” Viv was aware that Mrs. Humphries knew all about shifters, although she wasn’t one herself, neither had she ever had a mate. But Viv guessed that when you owned the local store, you got to know people. One thing for sure, Mrs. Humphries knew people, and everything about them. She had ears that could hone in on a piece of gossip at fifty feet. Viv smothered a smile; that was how her mom had described her anyway.
“Yes. I’ve known for years. I know how much it means to each of you to find your mate. I also know that something happened to you, Viv. No, don’t worry your mom never told me anything. But I know how upset she was when you came back to town, so it makes me really happy to know that you found the man for you.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Humphries.” Viv felt the threat of tears at the back of her eyes, and turned away, using the back of her hand to wipe them. Then she took a deep breath. “Right, where’s that delivery for Mr. Fallon?”
“It’s over there on the side of the counter. He came in earlier and bought it, but there was no way he could carry it home. I knew you wouldn’t mind. Mrs. Harold told me that you’d given her your cell phone number and t
hat you had offered to drop any shopping that she needed around to her. You have a good heart, Viv.”
“Well, before you make me cry again, I’m going to take this order round to Mr. Fallon.” She gave Mrs. Humphries a big smile, picked up the box, and headed out of the store. She had already taken the car keys out of her purse, and had them in her hand ready to open the car door. Placing the box of groceries down on the passenger seat, she slammed the door to and went around to the driver side, nearly slipping on the icy road.
Getting in the car, she did up the seatbelt, and then started the engine. The road was very quiet, with very little traffic so she pulled out, taking care not to let the wheels slip on the ice. She didn’t know what she would do without the snow chains, and was glad her mom was prepared for this weather.
It only took her a couple of minutes to get to Mr. Fallon’s house. She pulled up onto his drive, grabbed the box of groceries, and went to his door. She rang the doorbell and waited a couple of minutes for him to answer. When he did, she offered to carry the box into his kitchen.
“No, it’s fine, I can take it from here. It’s not that heavy and I do appreciate you taking your time to bring it to me.” Mr. Fallon was an old gentleman. Whenever he came into the store, he always wore a suit and tie.
“It’s no trouble. If there is anything else, you need, I’ll be in the store again tomorrow.”
“I think I have everything I need here to last me for a few days, but thank you all the same, Viv.” She turned to walk away from the door, giving him a quick wave as she went, and then headed back to the car, excitement bubbling up inside of her. The rest of the day was hers, and she was about to go and meet her mate.
Slipping back into the driver’s seat, she started the engine and very carefully turned the car around and headed out of town. All her thoughts were centered on Tad, and how he would be waiting for her by now. They were going to go over and meet his parents, and then spend some time alone. Apparently, his brother had agreed to go and find something to do outside of the house they shared, to make up for the whole profile picture issue.
Her Scars to Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Dating Agency Romance (Fated and Mated Book 1) Page 6
