He took a step forward, wanting to be with her, but she put up a hand.
“Don’t hurt me,” she said in a shaky voice. “Wait, what am I doing talking to a bear?” She looked fragile and scared, relieved now that Ben was gone but utterly confused.
Ares hated she’d been put in this position and instantly forgave her for any trouble she might have caused.
She was here, she was brave, she was okay, and she was his.
The rest could be worked out.
He focused and slowly changed out of his bear. It was time to show his mate just what he was.
He strode toward her, human and naked, covered in bruises and gunpowder, his hands up in a gesture of surrender. Her eyes went impossibly wide and her hands covered her mouth.
“What….the…”
He knelt in front of her and drew her tightly in against him, cutting off whatever she’d been about to say next. He just needed to feel her, safe in his arms, and let her know it was him who had come for her.
“You’re a…” she trailed off again, resting limply in his arms. “Am I going crazy?”
“No,” he said. “It’s real. I just didn’t know how to tell you. I thought learning about my army history was enough shock for one day.”
She looked up at him with wide eyes, but he was just grateful she was fine and it was all over. “So, what does this mean?”
He sighed and picked her up in his arms to carry her out of the mansion. “It means we have a lot to talk about on the way home,” he said, nuzzling her head and holding her tight as they stepped over the rubble on the way out of the room. “Also, it means none of these men can bother you ever again.”
“What about Ben?” she asked.
“Gone,” he said coldly. “He learned what happens when you mess with a bear’s mate.”
“Mate?” she asked, blinking rapidly. “Mate. Oh man. You can turn into a bear. You can seriously turn into a bear?”
“I can,” he said. “Can you accept that?”
She was quiet for a moment, just resting against his chest. “You know, after everything I’ve been through, I honestly think I can.”
“Very generous of you,” he said teasingly as they walked down the main stairway down to the main floor.
“I think so,” she said. “But honestly, I guess it’s more that I just accept you, Ares. Any way I can have you.” She snuggled against him and he felt his heart nearly melt. “I still can’t believe it’s over.”
They were outside, walking in the empty clearing back toward his truck when she finally seemed to click in to what had happened.
“We’re safe. We’re really safe now, aren’t we?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Though you shouldn’t have left. I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you, and you scared me nearly to death.”
“I just didn’t want anything to happen to you,” she said. “Or Mac. I thought I was doing the right thing. I felt so trapped.” She burst into tears and buried her head in her hands, and Ares shook his head.
“Shh,” he said, holding her tight, rocking her gently to try and soothe her as they walked. “You’re okay now. You’ve made some hard choices, you’ve been in a bad position. But that’s over now, and you just have to forgive yourself and move on.”
She nodded. “I guess I can do that. If you can.”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” he said. “I just want to take my mate home and give her a happy ever after. That is, if you’re okay settling down in a little mountain town with a soldier bear who loves you.”
She threw her arms around him and laughed. “Of course. I can’t think of anything better.”
He gave her a quick kiss and heard a low whistle as Hades fell into step beside them, his rifle slung over his shoulder.
“So, mission accomplished?” Hades asked in a low voice.
“Yup,” Ares said, walking past him and letting him follow behind.
“Gonna keep her this time?”
“Shut up,” Ares said, but Hades just laughed.
“You and Zeus can’t seem to hold on to your mates, can you?”
“Ha!” Ares said. “A few extra fights don’t mean we can’t hold on to them.”
“Sure,” Hades said. “You just like the excuse to keep dragging me out here.”
Ares grinned. “Maybe you should move out here too. Find a sweet little mate to cuddle.”
“I’m not the cuddling type,” Hades retorted, shaking his head.
“You might be if you found the right woman,” Ares said. “I bet you’d turn into a downright teddy bear.”
“Maybe I already found her,” Hades muttered. “Maybe she doesn’t want me.”
That made Ares raise an eyebrow. “No way, bro. Any lady would want you. You’re an attractive man.”
Hades gave him a glare. “I’m not talking about this while you’re naked,” he retorted darkly.
“So you’ll talk about it when I’m not naked?” Ares asked.
“Hell no,” Hades said. “Now put on some damn pants.”
That made Kat laugh as they walked the rest of the way to the truck. When they got there, Ares changed quickly and helped her into the truck.
Hades would make sure the scene was cleaned up, working with local authorities as needed. Despite his ribbing, he really was supportive of his team and their mates.
Ares really did hope Hades could find someone like Kat for himself soon.
There was nothing like having a cuddly mate to hold in your arms. He’d wanted one since Zeus, their squad leader, had found Carly.
And now that he’d found her, it was even better than he’d hoped.
Now to take her home and make her his.
12
On the way home, Ares explained everything to Kat, being as clear as he could. He told her what mating entailed, what it would mean for their future, and how it would work.
He could sense she was just as excited about it as he was. There was a huge burden that seemed to be lifted off of her now that Ben was gone, and Ares couldn’t be happier that there was nothing standing in his way.
It had truly been fate that had brought her to him on that rainy night.
When he’d finished explaining the bear thing, he called Maude, telling her to take Mac to her place. He told her they were safe, but he needed to spend some time alone with Kat.
Now that she knew about his bear, the rules of his world said that he had to make her his.
He let Kat stay in the car while he got things unloaded. Then he checked in with Hades, who was working with Zeus to get things sorted.
Luckily, Ben Vincent wasn’t the sort of man anyone would grieve much over.
After that, he picked Kat up in his arms and carried her inside, looking forward to the moment he could close the door and they could both be safe.
The house was quiet as he set her down in the living room.
“I’ll cook dinner. Just something quick if you want to take a shower.”
Kat had nodded, looking at him with a knowing gleam in her eye. Despite everything they’d been through, she seemed as eager to be his as he was to be hers.
He cooked something simple, a chicken stir-fry, ate a plate of it, and served one for Kat. When she came out to eat it, he made sure all doors were locked and the security system was armed and then took a shower of his own.
The entire time he was washing the evidence of the battle away from his body, he was thinking about the night ahead. He couldn’t wait to see every part of her and make sure she was fine.
When he came out of the shower, dressed and clean, she looked up from her meal and gave him a warm smile that made him feel more welcome than ever before.
Ares silently picked up her and carried her into master bedroom, loving how perfectly sized she was for him and the feel of her curves in his arms. He set her on the bed gently and came over her.
“So this whole mate claiming thing, will it feel any different than what we’ve done before?” she
asked, dark-brown eyes looking up at him in anticipation.
“It will be even better than what we’ve done before,” Ares replied. He sealed his lips over hers in a deep kiss, claiming her and promising himself to her.
When her mouth opened, he went inside and stroked, feeling her body writhe gently beneath him from the pleasure of it. The harder he licked inside her mouth, the more she moved, hands gripping him as he kissed and felt her most sensitive areas.
Ares couldn’t even believe the events of the past week. Meeting this amazing woman and finding out she was his mate. Falling in love with her. Feeling like a family for the first time in his life with her and Mac. There was still so much to say and do. So many more adventures to have with them.
But for right now, he wanted to please his mate more fully than she’d ever been pleased.
Ares tore off Kat’s thin T-shirt with a swift motion, leaving her in the black bra she wore. She bit her lip in anticipation as he gazed down at her, running his hands over the soft material and the even softer skin. He reached behind her and undid the bra, pulling it off and revealing her beautiful, voluptuous breasts.
So perfect, like everything about his mate.
He lavished her with kisses, massaging and squeezing her breasts with his hands while his tongue worked over them. Each touch, each lick turned her on more, making Ares incredibly hard. Every touch, every kiss he gave was rewarded with a soft sigh or just the lightest quiver, revealing the effect he had on her.
As he pressed his thumbs over the hardened tips of her nipples, he kissed along the soft line of Kat’s neck, savoring the sounds of her moans and the delicious way her body moved beneath him. He took in her sweet scent as he made love to her, distinct and uniquely hers. He relished the feel of her body on his hands and mouth, her breasts, her stomach, her hips, everywhere.
Ares could barely contain his bear, who roared and growled with approval inside him, urging him to claim his mate completely and seal her to him forever.
Soon, big guy. Soon, he thought to himself as he licked along the outer shell of her ear, making Kat shudder with arousal.
Ares went lower, pulling off her jeans and her panties without hesitation. Katrina squirmed slightly, smiling up at him with that sultry look that would never cease to turn him on. He took his own shirt off, knowing she liked how his hard body looked, and knelt between her legs.
He dipped a finger inside her, then another. She was so wet for him, so ready. He could hardly wait to complete this between them. He stroked her with his hand, watching her flush and squirm, so ready for him, so ready to come.
Ares came down over her center and licked over her clit, wanting to finish her with his mouth. As he did, she moaned with pleasure and moved her hips in time with him, and he licked her more voraciously.
In no time at all, Ares made his mate come, and he felt her body tense and release as he came over her and held her tight to him. Nothing else in the world compared to that.
He would always protect his mate. Forever.
Once Kat’s body finally relaxed, she unzipped his jeans and undid the top button before he realized what she was doing.
Hoping to make things easier for her, Ares stepped off the bed and pulled off his jeans and boxer-briefs, loving how his mate watched him intently, then came over her on the bed and held her close, kissing lightly down the side of her neck. He could feel the warmth from her body, scent how ready she was for him.
“Ares?” Kat asked pensively.
“Yes, honey?” he replied, waiting for her response.
“I want to try something,” she said, looking a little shy but like she was hiding something.
Before Ares could respond, Kat yanked him forward and rolled the two of them over on the bed. Then she came on top of Ares, pinning him down and straddling him with surprising agility.
“I want to try this,” she smiled down at him, her eyes and hands roving over him unabashedly and looking hungry for more.
Ares didn’t resist, just loved the fight and spunk his mate demonstrated when it came to getting what she wanted. He could see the fire burning in her eyes, her desire for him. As much as he enjoyed being dominant with her, Ares was curious to see how things played out with Kat at the helm for a bit. Wanted to let his mate feel free to live out her own fantasies while he pleasured her wholly.
That didn’t mean he wouldn’t make her come over and over, but he’d let her take what she wanted, how she wanted it.
For now at least.
* * *
Katrina wanted to be the one on top this time, wanted to feel Ares’s hard, powerful body beneath her while she took the pleasure only he could give.
Somehow, in the past week she had known Ares, she’d come to learn more about herself sexually than years of living on her own had ever taught her. How good it could feel, how amazing and supernally wonderful it was when you were with someone as wholly committed and loving and attentive as Ares was.
She could feel his hard tip below her, could feel how aroused he was. She raised her hips, positioning over him, then slowly slid down until their hips met.
The sensation was ecstasy, beyond description. Ares was so thick, so hard, Kat couldn’t even think, let alone try to focus on anything but the overwhelming pleasure of having him inside her like this. Every inch of his length filled her and stretched her, making her entire body feel like it was on fire and giving her an insatiable thirst only he could quench.
Ares just looked up at her with that cocky gaze, like there was something he knew that she didn’t. But she didn’t care. Whatever he was planning, she knew she would like it.
For a moment, she just let her hands roam over his body while he held her in his arms. It felt empowering to be so close to the one she loved, so magical. She felt along the ridge of his pecs, huge and sculpted, then down his abs, each one perfectly defined.
When her body finally calmed from the initial sensation of having him inside, she began to move. Slowly, she lifted herself and then pressed back down into him, the sensation something like lightning coursing through her veins. Her mind exploded from the sheer pleasure of it, demanding she go fast and hard. But she wanted to enjoy the moment, savor the sensation of his size and strength inside her.
Katrina moved into a slow rhythm over her lover. She could sense Ares watching her, could feel his hands roving over her body and squeezing her breasts, but the pleasure from having him inside overcame everything. She closed her eyes and felt the pressure building in her as she thrust her hips.
Before Kat knew what was happening, she felt Ares’s finger run against her clit once, then twice as she moved and felt everything go white hot inside. She came with incredible force, feeling her entire body rock as she gripped Ares’s hard pecs beneath her, panting as the pressure from her orgasm released, pounding pleasure through her. Even as it slowly ebbed, the feel of Ares, rock hard and still inside her, tripped off several small aftershocks of ecstasy that she felt everywhere.
“Not fair. That’s cheating,” Kat said, trying to speak between gasps of breath. Her entire body was sensitive to even the slightest touch from all the foreplay and buildup. She felt she could go with just one more stroke.
“I’m sorry. If you’re going to be my mate, you’re going to have to get used to coming lots and lots,” he said with a wry grin, flashing his perfect white teeth.
Kat wanted to say something back, but the thought of having lots of orgasms wasn’t a bad one at all, so she kept her mouth shut, and zeroed in on moving again.
This time, Ares stroked with her, pushing his hips up and thrusting into her while she pressed down into him. The friction from him moving with her felt doubly good, the heat and hardness of his cock pressing into her, filling her with so much pleasure and excitement she felt she would burst.
It wasn’t long before she felt herself come agonizingly close to the edge again. She held her breath, trying to hold off, but Ares firmly grabbed her hips and pushed into her all the wa
y, rubbing right across the most sensitive spot inside her, and Kat felt herself careen out of control again. She screamed Ares’s name to the empty room as he held her tightly, watching with pleasure as she rode out the incredible orgasm that pleasured and exhausted her all at the same time.
“I don’t know… how many more… I can take, you incorrigible man,” she said, panting. So long as he was inside, she felt like she would never stop coming. But the more she went, the more sensitive her body became, making it harder to hold off. And this man was entirely overwhelming, among many many other things.
But above everything else, she wanted to feel him come inside her again like he had last time. Wanted to feel what it was like without protection, wanted to see his eyes roll back and feel his muscles bulge as they went together.
“Good,” Ares said. With one smooth motion, he held her with one hand behind her back and whirled around on the bed, putting her under him. “Because I’ve been thinking about this moment since the first time I met you,” he added, pinning her with a fierce, possessive gaze, his green eyes glowing with lust for her.
The dominant side of this man turned her on every bit as much as his more gentle, kind side did. She felt so lucky that Ares could be as protective and in control as he could be friendly and fun. Kat looked forward to experiencing it all with him in the coming years.
But for now, he looked ready to eat her up.
“Mine. My mate,” Ares growled as he kissed hard at the base of her shoulder while he held her with one hand and propped himself above her with the other. Each kiss was lustful, possessive, owning. She felt like she belonged wholly to him, and he was hers completely as well. Together.
When he started to move into her, Kat felt her entire body respond instantly. At this angle, the pressure of having him inside was even better than before, and she felt surrounded by him on every side, muscles everywhere around her and his hardness deep within.
He didn’t go slow, but instead moved voraciously and powerfully, sliding into her with long thrusts that felt so good she had to bite on her lip to hold back the quickly building orgasm. Every nerve was a live wire, every part of her body screaming with pleasure that was so good it bordered on agony.
Big Sexy Bear (Soldier Bears Book 2) Page 11
