Compounding Traumas (Artemis University Book 6)

by Erin R Flynn

  “You were running from us and not for fun. That’s—it pulls at every aggressive instinct to not only protect you, but claim you, so you know where you belong. Asking not to push or needing time? Sure, we’re chill enough to handle that, and you know that. But just shutting me down when I didn’t really do anything wrong, and yeah, I can’t be normal, chill Lucca.”

  That made sense, but I was still going to smack him around a bit. I could do what I wanted, when I wanted, and he needed to learn that. Which was why I bent his arm back and spun out of his hold.

  And somehow lost my sports bra. He pulled it up from the back like hockey players do shirts, and my instinct was not to be trapped, so I ducked, and it came right off. The asshat simply smiled as I stood there glaring at him… Completely naked.

  “I really hope you are my mate, kitten,” he murmured as he came closer.

  I smacked his hands away. “You’re not getting fucking sex just because you stripped me while I was smacking you around. Just because you explained doesn’t mean we’re okay or going forward. Those concerns you listed are still concerning, Lucca.”

  He nodded, and I thought he was going to chill, but then I was in his arms, my back pressed against his chest again. “We won’t tell, no matter what we figure out. It’s not safe for you. It’s between us and no one else. I know this. I know how much danger you’re in. I won’t push for something real or what you aren’t ready for. I just can’t take you pushing me away anymore.”

  I opened my mouth to tell him he still wasn’t getting sex but instead, a whimper actually came out when he teased my nipple and his other hand moved lower.

  “You’re fucking wet for me,” he growled, his fingers gliding along my pussy lips. He was right, and I was dripping, not having realized I was fighting against wanting him, instead of paying attention. “Give me cream, kitten.”

  I wanted to roll my eyes at the line, I really did. It sounded so fucking cheesy, that I always wanted to pick on him for being a dork… Except he was so godsdamn sexy, he pulled it off. He could pull off any line and make it work.

  Fucking asshole.

  I groaned when two of his long fingers pushed in me, my body craving this, my soul loving how desperate he was for me, instead of feeling all the hurt and pain I’d been drowning in. He made me orgasm way too fast, and that excited him from the way he vibrated with need.

  No, he wasn’t getting me to cave that easily. I reached my foot back and tripped him, smirking at him when he landed hard on the mat, blinking up at me in shock.

  “You want cream? Work for it and drown in all the cream you want,” I taunted as I moved to straddle his head. He groaned as I rubbed my pussy against his face, grabbing my thighs and attacking me. He nipped, licked, and sucked everything good.

  And that was before he added his fingers again. There were at least five more amazing orgasms before I flopped down on him, gasping for air and not able to do much else.

  He simply chuckled and gave me another long lick. “If you’re mine, I’d give that to you all the fucking time, Tamsin. Bears are very tactile. We like tastes and touches. We like oral sex and knowing every inch of our partners.”

  Oh fuck. Just fuck. The damn bear was putting on the full-court press for sure.

  “Can I get that in writing?”

  “Yes,” he snarled, as he gently rolled me off of him. He moved over me and wiped his hand over his mouth before lavishing excessive attention on my breasts.

  And I didn’t think there was such a thing as excessive when it came to attentions, but he was so fucking good at it, I was seconds from orgasming and desperate for him. “Can you add that?”

  “Yes,” he hissed, rubbing his naked cock against me. So I’d missed him losing his shorts.

  I blinked at him. And shirt. I wasn’t shocked. “How would that wording go?”

  He smirked at me. “If Tamsin Vale is found to be the mate of Lucca Von Thann, he will swear an oath to spend at least ten minutes worshipping her fantastic tits, and give her six oral orgasms, before he fucks her.” He brushed his lips over mine before I could respond. “And that’s raised to nine oral orgasms if they make love, along with kissing her entire body, and a massage after.”

  Fuck, sign me up for that.

  He growled loudly, making me realize I’d said that out loud. I felt my face flush and moved my hand to try and hide, but he simply nuzzled my neck. “We’ll have to negotiate what I would do to deserve anal sex at a later date.”

  I slowly lowered my hand and stared at him like he was nuts. “You are not putting that monster in my ass. I’ve never done that, and you are not how I should experience that the first time.”

  He groaned, deeply and loudly, as he lowered his forehead to my shoulder. “Oh, kitten, don’t tell me you’re a virgin on that and then say I can’t do it. That’s just not fucking fair.” He lifted my leg and pressed against my body as he kissed up to my ear. “I’ve never done it with a woman either. I never wanted to until you. I’d be careful. I’d never hurt you in a bad way, Tamsin. You know that.”

  I wasn’t sure I did, but I knew what he meant about hurting in a bad way. He knew I liked sex rough enough that I needed a healing rune after. There was fun pain, and then there was just pain. I only liked the first.

  He’d gotten impatient while I’d been lost in my head again, and I let out a yelp when he flipped me under him. The dick actually leaned down and bit my left ass cheek, his hands running all over me. “I fucking love your booty. It makes me ache. I see it bouncing as I watch you walk away and my cock twitches.” He moved and bit my other cheek. “And it’s going to be mine after today.”

  I wasn’t sure that was true, and I definitely wouldn’t say it, but after he’d put me in such a state, we were certainly having sex.

  I’d yell at myself for caving later.

  Or maybe pat myself on the back, depending on how good the sex was.

  10

  I went to push up on all fours, but he pressed my shoulders back down to the mat with a warning growl. I turned my head enough to see him, glancing back to figure out what was going on.

  “Submit,” he demanded, his eyes locked on my lower half. “Submit and give yourself to me, Tamsin.”

  Great, so I’d gotten rid of a pushy fucking dragon only to hookup with a pushy fucking bear. Why was I into that?

  I mentally snorted, knowing the answer. Because I make them chase me when it’s not fighting and upset, but for fun, so they catch me and we play this way. Either I’ve got issues, or I’m really good at it. Both? They seem to like it.

  Another growl snapped me out of my thoughts. “Submit.” He seemed to understand I wouldn’t say it. “Consent, Tamsin. I know I’ve been pushy, but I won’t fucking take you without knowing you really want it.”

  I was glad to see the Lucca I knew was still there. I nodded, knowing he saw, as he brushed his cock against me, waiting until I nodded again.

  And then he pushed that monster inside of me. I bit my lip to try and keep in the moan of pleasure at being stretched so wide after months without sex. Sure, I’d used toys, but I preferred the vibrating fun on my clit if I wasn’t having sex. I only wanted something inside of me if it was real and attached to a sexy man.

  “Mine,” Lucca snarled, sounding more animal than man. “Mate.”

  Oh fuck. Part of me was thrilled that one of the sexiest, smartest, and sweetest men I’d ever met was mine. The bigger part of me was freaking the fuck out though.

  And then he slammed the rest of the way in me, and my mind wasn’t thinking much of anything. I mewled, acting like the kitten he called me as I angled my hips to take more. He grabbed my hips and quickly pulled out before ramming back in me, rougher than I would have thought he’d want our first time to be.

  But when I glanced back, I realized Lucca the man was fighting with Lucca the bear… And both wanted to fuck me with all they had.

  I wasn’t exactly complaining, but there was definitely going to be a healing
rune in my future. Maybe two.

  “Mate, mate, mine, mine,” he chanted, grunting each word out every hard thrust. It was a punishing pace that apparently I was into, as I came with an obnoxious scream several minutes in.

  Which he also seemed to like from the way his cock twitched in me and the noises he made. He kept going and brought me again before finishing as well.

  But he was far, far from done with me.

  I flopped down to the mat with a groan, gasping for air and wincing when he pulled out of me. I was mush when he rolled me onto my back. My eyes went bug wide at the wild look in his gaze though. Lucca appeared feral, just not the crazed monster type. No, this was a man who was… I wasn’t really sure, and I didn’t think a woman, or anyone not a shifter, could ever really understand.

  “Mine,” he purred as he spread my legs. He ran his fingers over my body, teasing my pussy as he smirked. “My seed in you.”

  All the warning lights went off in my head, and I tried to close my legs.

  He snarled in warning and kept them opening, glancing up at me and doing a double take. He let out a slow breath and chilled some. “It’s a marking thing, not where your mind went, kitten. I’m not trying to breed you or—no. Just no. We’re not remotely near the point of even thinking about kids.”

  I nodded, interrupting his rambling. “So like my body has a part of you? Knows you in a way it won’t other men or bears?”

  “Yes, exactly like that.” He gave me a relieved, grateful look before spreading me wider and leaning over me. He mashed his lips to mine and ravaged my mouth as he had other parts of my body already. “It’s also you owning me, and my cock only belongs to you now, kitten. You’re the boss of me, him, and my bear. All of us are yours.” He smirked at me. “And you’re ours to please.”

  I gasped as he thrust into me again, all the way, hard and in one shot. It was glorious. He proceeded to fuck me with all he had, grunting and snarling way more than a human ever could or would. In between growling I was his mate, or his, he nipped at ever inch of my skin he could reach. I was going to have marks everywhere—my ears, neck, shoulders… Just everywhere.

  A few more orgasms for me, and he finished so hard it seemed almost painful with how he jerked and snarled. I was completely sated and ready for a nap, wondering how that would work given he’d ripped my shorts in half.

  Except he was still far from done with me.

  He pulled out and carried me over to the stack of mats, laying me chest down on them. It put me right at hip height for him so he stayed standing. I was about to tell him I needed a break, or it was going to be too much, when he thrust into me.

  “Sorry. Sorry, need my mate,” he grunted in between thrusts. “Losing my fucking mind. Mine. You’re mine. Didn’t know it could feel this good. The other women were nothing next to you.” He moved over me and slid his hands under me to massage my breasts, pinching my nipples hard. “Only you, kitten. Only you’ve done this to me. Only you’ll have me from now on.”

  Oh geez, he knew how to push the buttons of my possessive side I tried to deny I had. Sure, all women like to hear they were best, but knowing he would forever be mine from now on was something I liked.

  Which seemed horrible to me since I wasn’t going to only be with him. But as the others had told me lots, that was their choice, and they were adult enough to make it.

  Fair enough.

  “I’m best?” I gasped, wanting to hear more, as it was balm on my injured soul. I didn’t mean to seem shallow as if fishing for compliments, like I was pretty. No, it was about… He would never leave me if he was my mate, right?

  “By far, the best,” he promised, nuzzling my neck. “All the women I’ve slept with can’t come close to you.”

  Oh, we were going to have a conversation later about “all the women” he’d slept with. That sounded like a lot. But right then, I was too busy enjoying our sex.

  After that time, he laid me back on the mat on my side and took me again, seeming to really get it was too much for me when I couldn’t even climax. He finished and tried to kiss me, but my body wouldn’t respond, feeling too heavy.

  “Shit, think a healing rune, Tamsin,” he murmured. “I don’t have my conduit. I’m so sorry, kitten. I won’t be so rough with you again. I’m sorry I—”

  “I haven’t had sex in a while,” I mumbled, wanting him to drop it.

  “Yeah, me neither, but it’s different from my end.” He kissed my neck. “It was everything. It felt good for you too, right?”

  I nodded, giving him at least that. I used the healing rune and felt a bit more in my head. “I don’t know what this means though, Lucca. I didn’t think the answer would be yes, because of everything against us. It’s too much.”

  He sighed. “I know. I know it is, believe me. It’s not—we’re not mating tomorrow, or anytime soon. We like each other, and we can do things at our pace.”

  I bit back a smile. “Who said I like you? I just agreed you could fuck me.”

  He snorted and then chuckled. “You are such a fucking witch sometimes, you really are.”

  I went to answer that some of my closest friends were witches, so I no longer thought that an insult, but I couldn’t get my lips to work, mostly asleep. Yeah, I was totally on empty, which he seemed to realize as the barrier came down.

  Right, I’d been handling that during our wild marathon of sex. Shit.

  “You are so going to kick my fucking ass, and I’m going deserve every fucking second of it,” he grumbled as he rushed to handle what we needed to. He used his shirt to cover me up as best as he could, cursing that it was only like a minidress on me since it wasn’t a big t-shirt. “I’ll replace your shorts.”

  Yes, because of everything he was going to be in trouble for, that was the priority.

  Twit.

  He gathered our stuff and carried me out of there, freezing when there was a deep growl.

  “You cannot do shit like this with her,” Ray chastised from our right. “Too many are constantly—”

  “I know. I lost control,” Lucca cut in.

  Ray cursed under his breath several times. “So the answer is yes. Well, do better by your mate and don’t risk her again.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Give her to me.” Ray sighed when Lucca growled. “I have a cloaking charm I can use and hide her. You want to risk someone seeing you carry her like this to her dorm?”

  “No, but we just finished—”

  “Yes, I can smell what you just finished and how many times,” Ray drawled. “And I have a mate, so this is uncomfortable for me as well. Let’s just hurry, and then you can shower her in her dorm and tend to your mate. I can also smell the distress on her body. Idiot.”

  “I know. She can beat me later.”

  Ray snorted as he took me from Lucca. “Kid, that’s half the fun.” He tried to swallow a laugh, so I could only imagine what was on Lucca’s face. “She’s special. All they do is smack us into place and wind us up chasing them. It’s the best and a love none of us are worthy of.” He cleared his throat as we started moving. “Be grateful you have a chance at it while lots of us lost ours.”

  “I’m sorry,” Lucca whispered. “Is she no closer to finding your mates? I mean, what’s the progress of—”

  “I don’t know.” Ray sighed. “I don’t. We don’t ask, and we certainly don’t push for information. I cannot even fathom how hard all of this is on her. You better not either. You might be her mate, but you’re not jumping into being mated. You’ve not even asked her out on a proper date, and you just had a sex marathon that ended in her passing out and distressed. You’ll be lucky if she answers your call.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Oh, you are,” Ray chuckled darkly. “I’d start preparing your groveling now. You were in the doghouse before.”

  “Yeah, but we went over that first,” he defended. “And I can’t just ask her out on a date. Did you forget the shit with my family?”

  “No, whic
h is why you need to get a mistress charm.”

  “I won’t demean her with—”

  “Protect her is what you meant to say,” Ray snapped. “It won’t just be your family, idiot. You don’t think the bear council won’t make a play for her if they find out she’s the mate of one of theirs?” He snorted. “Fuck, even dating one of theirs? The councils are losing their shit over her. Protect her and do everything over the top to keep her safe. We are, and sometimes it’s still not enough.”

  “Okay, yeah, that’s smart,” Lucca agreed after several minutes of thought. “That means I have to be read in on the threats against her. I need to know more.”

  “That’s up to her. She’s the boss of all of us.”

  “My bear might not always like that,” Lucca worried. “He’s pretty chill, but still Alpha. I mean, I was the boss now and—”

  “Kid, she let you be the boss. Your bear will get it, just like my wolf did. I’m a strong Alpha too, but my mate is stronger. Your mate is much stronger than you. Have her show you a fraction of her power, and your bear will show her his neck, belly—everything.”

  Lucca didn’t reply, and I tried to open my eyes to see what was going on with him, curious why that made him quiet.

  Ray tried to smother a laugh. “You’re not sure you want her to twist you around her little finger even more, right?”

  “That obvious, huh?” Lucca quietly chuckled.

  “Just give in.”

  “But—”

  “Naw, there’s no but, man. Give in. You don’t, and all you will do is lose her. Trust me, I almost did a few times before my mate had to go back. I stood in my own way, trying to protect myself and keep control. You’re used to seeing dominance fights, and that’s just not what it’s like being with someone special. They don’t play mean games or fight like that, as they’re always on top.”