by Tia Siren
“Yes?”
“Tell me the truth okay?” Patrick gave her a curious look, wondering what she would ask next. Nonetheless, he nodded, looking at her with serious eyes. “Do… do you like me..?” Patrick blushed crimson at her words before looking away. He felt incredibly shy. Finally, he nodded his head.
Kerri blushed as well at his response. She couldn’t believe that he liked her. How long had he liked her? She looked at him, her eyes asking him a million more questions.
“To be honest… I have liked you for a very long time… ever since I started noticing girls… I had a crush on you… but I didn’t want to scare you away, so I stayed quiet. Then you started dating other guys, and I thought you didn’t like me so I stayed away… I didn’t want to get in your way… but I do honestly like you, Kerri… please don’t get mad…” He whispered softly. He looked at her with sincere eyes. His heart pounded in his chest as he awaited rejection. She would surely reject his advances. “But… you have honestly been the only girl I have ever truly liked… loved.” Patrick’s ears turned red in his embarrassment as he confessed his feelings for her.
Kerri looked at him, shocked. She couldn’t believe it. Patrick loved her? Kerri’s heart beat fast in her chest as she tried to process what he had said.
“Patrick?”
He looked up at her, a little startled. “Y…yes?” He asked nervously, looking at her with wary eyes. His heart pounded in his ears, making it hard to hear.
“C… can… I see you as a bear again…?” She asked him softly, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. He looked at her a little confused. Had he heard correctly? Did she really want to see his bear? “Please?”
Patrick looked into her eyes before nodding his head. Slowly, he got up and walked to the middle of living room. He looked at her and took a deep breath before focusing. Soon he shifted, and there was a fully grown black bear standing in front of her. She looked at him with wide eyes.
The bear walked up to her slowly. Patrick didn’t want to scare her. She watched him, mesmerized by his powerful stride. Soon he was within reach. He slowly leaned forward and nuzzled her gently with his snout. She giggled before running her fingers through his soft fur. She smiled at him before leaning down and gently kissing his nose. He roared softly, a happy sound that made Kerri giggle again.
Tears started to run down her cheeks suddenly. Patrick, concerned, turned back into his human form, looking at her.
“Kerri…? What’s wrong?” He asked as he sat next to her. He could see her grip tightening around her teddy bear.
“This… this bear…” She said, sniffling as she held out her teddy bear. “Did you give it to me… because…” Patrick nodded his head, blushing a little.
“I… I shifted for the first time when I was 12… that’s why I gave you the bear on your 12th birthday. I knew I couldn’t tell you the truth…” He said softly. “The bear looked like my bear… and I knew I had to get it for you.” He blushed deeply.
Kerri started to cry a little more as she wrapped her arms around Patrick. She couldn’t believe this. It all seemed so unreal. She laid her head on his chest and stayed still for a moment. Patrick held her, gently rubbing her back.
She looked up at him with large eyes. He smiled and leaned down. Their faces got closer and closer. Patrick looked into her beautiful eyes and smiled as their lips touched. They kissed, more passionately this time. Soon their tongues were dancing inside of her mouth as their kiss slowly turned into something more. Their feelings were quickly coming to the surface.
Chapter 8
Patrick soon found himself on top of Kerri. They were still kissing, making out passionately. Patrick found himself straddling Kerri on the couch, kissing her harder and harder as passion overtook them.
Soon enough he had his hands running up her shirt, slowly running his fingers over her soft skin. He smirked as he leaned down and gently kissed her neck. Kerri moaned softly as she felt his lips on her neck, finding her sweet spot sending darts of pleasure up her spine.
She shivered in excitement as she arched her back and gave herself up to him. As she felt him take off her shirt, all of her fear of falling in love started to fade away. She bit her lip and wrapped her arms around him tightly before pulling him into another kiss.
Soon their clothes were scattered around the living room. Patrick looked down at her, seeing her naked for the first time. He blushed deeply, taken aback by her beauty. He leaned down and gently kissed her collarbone before moving downward, taking one of her breasts into his mouth. Kerri moaned loudly as she felt his tongue flick over one of her nipples. She felt goosebumps form on her skin as he toyed with her.
As he pleasured her chest, she ran her hands up and down his back, her nails tracing his spine. Patrick shivered at her touch as he pulled her closer to him. She was soon sitting on him. She straddled him now, looking into his eyes. She blushed darkly before guiding his throbbing member to her entrance. She teased him by moving his tip against her wetness, toying with him. He moaned deeply, looking at her, his eyes pleading with her.
She bit his lip, tugging on it slightly. He groaned softly, finding her incredibly sexy as he placed his hands on her hips. As he did, she started to push him inside of her. Inch by inch his member crept inside of her until he was balls deep. She moaned loudly.
They both shivered in pleasure as she started to ride him slowly. Soon, pleasure took over, and they were fucking hard and fast. Patrick’s bear quickly took control and before he knew it he had Kerri pinned to a wall as he slammed into her. She was moaning out in pleasure as Patrick’s instincts kicked in. She had never felt anything like it before.
Soon enough, Kerri was reaching her third orgasm. Patrick was reaching his first. As he felt his balls tighten his bear took control and before he could stop himself his teeth sunk into Kerri’s delicate neck as his nails dug into her back. He had marked her.
Chapter 9
In their pleasure, the couple had forgotten themselves. They had forgotten protection, and before they could stop it, Patrick was shooting his load into her bare womb. Kerri’s eyes grew large as she felt his seed filling her.
“P…Patrick… did you put on a … c…condom?” Kerri stuttered. Patrick’s eyes grew large as he looked down. He had ridden her bareback, and now he had climaxed inside of her.
Kerri could see the answer on his face. She could feel herself start to freak out as the threat of pregnancy terrified her.
“Kerri… please… calm down… it’s okay… even if you are…” Patrick couldn’t make himself say the word. He continued regardless. “Even if you are… I will stay by your side every step of the way… I will never abandon you. That’s a promise.” Kerri looked into his sincere eyes. She knew he was telling the truth. Finally, she nodded her head and calmed down.
Maybe starting a family with Patrick wouldn’t be so bad. She smiled at the thought and suddenly being pregnant wasn’t too bad. If she was going to have a family with anyone it would be Patrick.
“You promise?” She asked, softly. He smiled, leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
“I promise.” As he said this, he carried her to bed before gently lying her down. He crept into bed beside her, and they fell asleep, happily embraced in each other’s arms. It was a dream come true for Patrick
Chapter 10
Six months later, Kerri found herself working in her office. Her stomach was already well formed, and she smiled as she felt the soft kick of her baby inside of her. She rubbed her stomach gently, thinking about Patrick. Ever since their passionate night together, they had officially started dating, and now they were happily in love. Life was perfect.
Soon, Kerri got back to work, trying to finish up a big project before going home for the day. Just as she was about to log off, she was summoned to Mr. Lane’s office. She gulped nervously but managed to make her way to the office without the help of the secretary. When she entered the office, she looked around, trying to find the CEO of Lane
Industries.
Instead, she found Jerimiah Lane standing there, a grin on his face. She looked at him curiously. Suddenly everything went black.
***
Kerri woke up a few hour later to find herself tied up to a chair. She couldn’t see, and she started to panic. Suddenly, as she began to struggle a light turned on over her head, making her close her eyes. Slowly, she started to open them, letting them adjust to the sudden brightness.
As she did, she looked up to see Jay standing there. Fear started to creep under her skin as she stared into his merciless yellow eyes. What was he going to do to her? A million questions ran through her head as she tried to free her wrists from their bonds. It was useless, however. He had her trapped. She was helpless.
Jay looked down at her now. As he did, he started to circle her. He grinned like a maniac, putting her nerves on edge. Kerri wanted to yell out at him, but her lips were taped shut. She was rendered mute. All she could do was look up at him.
Suddenly, he was in front of her, his fingers tightly gripping her chin. She winced in pain trying to get away. He grinned at her, as something evil lurked in his expression.
“Do you want to learn something? Hmm…?” He asked before letting go of her and circling her again. “Did you know that the baby…” He pointed at her stomach now. Kerri flinched away at his movement. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as her fear continued to grow. “Is going to kill you?”
Kerri’s eyes grew large at his words. He was lying. Patrick would never put her in danger like that!
“No… I guess you didn’t. But let me tell you… humans can’t bear the children of shifters. You have a bear growing inside of you. How well do you think that will go? That thing will rip you open from the inside.” Jay continued to spew these lies at her. Kerri tried to block them out. She tried to ignore him but soon enough she started to believe him. What if he was telling the truth?
“It will be a very painful death. Much worse than a normal birth. The bear will claw its way out of you, causing immense pain and then you will bleed out. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?” He grinned as he looked at her horrified look.
“The truth of the matter is that bear of yours. Patrick, is it? He used you. Shifters like us only use human women to carry our children. He doesn’t love you.” The words pierced through Kerri’s chest like an arrow. She felt like her heart was breaking into a million pieces. It couldn’t be true, could it?
“Patrick just used you,” Jay said the words casually. They ripped through her soul. Tears started to spill out of her eyes, trailing down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe this. She loved Patrick. She had trusted him. Now she felt so betrayed.
“But don’t worry sweetie. I will put you out of your misery before that happens.” Jay grinned at her as he pulled out a gun. Kerri’s eyes grew large as she looked at the black barrel pointing at her. He had the gun between her eyes, his finger on the trigger.
“Don’t worry this will be a quick and painless death.” There was a smirk on his face now. Kerri sobbed with terror as she closed her eyes and uttered a small prayer. She didn’t want to die.
She flinched as she heard him cock the gun. She knew the end was near and started to tremble. She tried to plead with him through her gagged lips, but it was useless.
Jay was about to pull the trigger when a crashing noise sounded throughout the room. Patrick, in his bear form, suddenly tackled Jay to the ground. The gun flew to the other side of the room, out of his grasp. The two of them started to fight, their animal forms roaring and lashing out at each other. Suddenly, Patrick turned into his human form and dashed for the gun. He grabbed it quickly and pointed it at the wolf. Without reserve, he pulled the trigger. Jay hit the ground, lifeless. Patrick unloaded the gun to find silver bullets. How ironic.
Patrick then made his way to Kerri, who was sobbing. He quickly untied her before pulling her into his arms.
“Shh… it’s okay now… you’re safe… he’ll never hurt you again. I promise.” He whispered as he kissed the top of her head. She cried into his chest for a moment.
“P…Patrick?” She whispered softly, looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“J… Jay… said that you were using me… that the baby would kill me…” Kerri was going to continue when Patrick stopped her. He gently put his finger to her lips. He gently took hold of her face, his hands on her cheeks. Their eyes locked.
“Would I ever hurt you?” She hesitated before shaking her head. “And do you know why I would never hurt you?” She again shook her head.
“Because I love you.”
****
THE END
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The Gambler’s Bride – A Clean Western Romance
Chapter One
The sun was burning brightly in the Virginia sky. Caroline was grateful she had thought to wear a pretty hat with a wide brim. It kept her face from burning. She walked briskly down the sidewalk, anxious to get home. Her shoes were beginning to wear and she hadn’t thought to ask her mother to purchase her a new pair while she was out.
She preferred to choose her own shoes anyway. She would just go past the store on her way to work in the morning and stop for a pair. She passed several young men who were walking in the opposite direction. They all looked at her and smiled. She smiled back.
She could see the differences in their smiles and wondered if they realized they did that. She passed them every day on her way home. One of them was tall and thin and though he wore a shirt and tie, he didn’t look like he was coming from an office. The two with him were dressed in work clothes. They were shorter than their companion and were almost always covered in dirt. It was an odd sight until Caroline became used to seeing them.
Over the last six months or so of passing them every day, she had noticed that they all looked at her in different ways. The tall one greeted her with a quick nod of his head and half a grin. One of the other boys gave her a leering look and his eyes scanned her from head to toe every day. The third was the one she liked. He looked friendly, his smile was warm and genuine and she saw a gentleman in him.
The three never spoke to her and she never said anything to them.
She was almost home, turning onto her street and walking to the third house on her left. She didn’t look up at it as she went through the gate and down the sidewalk, missing all the new flowers that had recently been planted and the artfully shaped sculptures and fountains that dotted the wide green yard. The groundskeeper was a master at his craft. But Caroline didn’t notice.
She went up the steps to the front porch, crossed it and pulled open the storm door first. She went through both doors and immediately stopped to the sound of upset voices in the den. She made a beeline for it, dropping her light shawl, which she had regretted taking in the first place and her hat on the foyer table.
“Who’s there?” She asked as she went, not recognizing the voices. She was surprised when she turned into the den to see it was her family that was upset, not some visiting stranger. Raised voices were not common in Caroline’s home. Her parents were extremely calm people, upstanding citizens in their small town.
“Caroline!” Her little sister Dorothy came running over to her and threw her arms around her middle.
“Ooof, Dottie, what’s the problem?” Caroline attempted to disentangle herself from her sister’s grip, but Dottie was too upset.
“Oh, Caroline, that’s it. We’re done. Nothing left. It’s all gone! Oh, Caroline!”
Caroline looked up at her parents in confusion, but they weren’t much help. Her mother was holding a glass that had some type of liquor in it, probably brandy. Another wave of shock went through Caroline. What in heaven’s name could have happened that would make her mother drink the brandy that had been in the cupboard ever since Ca
roline could remember.
“Please someone tell me what’s going on here?” She said, taking her sister’s face in between her hands and giving her kisses on her forehead. She hugged her and Dottie finally released her.
“It’s a terrible situation for us, Caroline.” Her brother replied. He was standing with their father next to the huge bay window, staring out over the land, where their cows and horses were.
“What is?”
“We’re bust! Got no money left! We’re done!” His words came out forceful and he didn’t even look at her. She shook her head.
“I am afraid I don’t understand, David. What does that mean?”
Her father was the first to look at her. His round face was red with anger and frustration. When he spoke, she knew the underlying pain in his voice was real. The anger he felt wasn’t directed at her, she could see that. “Mr. Stapleton has up and stole all the profits from our restaurant for the last three years. He’s been fudging the books, lining his pockets with stolen cash for a long time. Now he has disappeared and no one knows where he or the money he stole is at.”
Caroline frowned. “I don’t understand. How can that be? Is there anything you can do? Do you know where he is?”
Her father shook his head. “I don’t know where he is. There is nothing I can do. He has pulled off a scam that will ruin this family. We can’t keep the business going for long with no money behind it. We would have to start from scratch with a corner food stand.”
Fear ran down Caroline’s spine. The restaurant had been her family’s life. They all worked there, they were comfortable because of it and the plan was to continue running it for the next hundred years if possible. Without it, there was only her job.
Her secretary’s job.
She looked around herself at the furnishings and other luxuries she hadn’t seen before. Her mind even took her to the front yard, where there were beautiful sights to be seen. This would all disappear.
