by Terra Wolf
He leaned over to kiss her before she left, but Angela simply offered him her cheek, then fled the car. Once the dim, ratty walls of the diner closed in around her, she let the tears come. Mia found her in the back, sobbing in a corner. The kindly old lady held her and comforted her until she was ready to speak.
"He's going to end it after work," she said, explaining how he had been gone in the morning, coming back after he had hoped she would be gone. Then how he needed to talk with her after work, the dreaded breakup talk.
"I just can't deal with it right now. Is there any possibility you could let me go early today Mia? Please?" She looked desperately at the caring eyes of one of the few people in the city she considered a friend.
"Of course dear, of course. But -"
"Thank you so much, Mia, I really appreciate it." Angela wasn't even paying attention to what the old woman was trying to tell her she was so overcome with relief at being able to avoid Philip for the rest of the day. She could be home before he even arrived if she took the busses she knew.
Before Mia could recover her breath, the little bell tied to the front door jingled lightly, signaling the arrival of a customer. With another swift hug, Angela straightened her uniform out, brushed off the tears and bustled out to help them. She did her best to keep a smile on her face for the day, but her tips were an accurate reflection of her mood. It was obvious to most of her customers that she was not on top of her game.
Finally, with approximately an hour before the end of her shift, the diner empty and everything caught up, Mia told her to go home.
"Thank you again, Mia. I'll work an extra hour next week or something to help out."
"Nonsense dear, just get your things sorted out. I've not seen you so upset. You should talk to him, clear things up."
"Not today, I just can't today. If he has something important to say, he'll call me and leave a message." She ignored the slightly disapproving look of her boss and friend and rushed out the back door of the diner, hurrying to catch the next bus. She had to make a transfer from that to make it home, and if she caught this one, it would be a much quicker trip.
She did her best to keep Philip out of her mind and calm the reactions from her body that came every time she did think of him.
***
Ten minutes after her shift was supposed to end, Philip got out of his car and went inside to see what the holdup was. Normally Mia let her go right on time, especially if she was being picked up by him. He pushed inside the doors, his senses already telling him something was amiss, but he couldn't quite pick it up.
"Hello Mia, Angel in the back?" he queried as her boss walked into view, cutlery and napkins in hand.
"No, I'm sorry, I let her go early today, about an hour ago. We're pretty slow, as you can see," she said, indicating the empty seats with a wave of her hand.
"Do you know where she went?" He dreaded the answer she was going to give, his brain already planning out his next steps.
"Why, I'm assuming she went home. She didn't have a change of clothes or anything with her."
Fuck!
With a snarl, Philip turned on his heels and raced out of the diner. The bus trip was roughly an hour he knew, for she had told him before about the long commute to her workplace. That meant by the time he got there she would have already been home for fifteen or twenty minutes.
Fearing for his mates safety, Philip ignored as many rules of the road as he felt he could safely get away with, flying through the city at a breakneck pace. His temper was flaring, blood rushing to his muscles as he prepared himself for what was likely to come.
He slammed on the brakes just around the corner from her apartment, not wanting to leave his car in view. He began to run towards her building, wondering when it would happen. They appeared from seemingly nowhere when he got within fifty feet of the dilapidated front door. There was five of them, variously armed with bats or wooden sticks. Thankfully no guns he noted, though he wasn't overly worried. It took a lot to harm a shifter, and they were practically invincible to normal human weapons.
"Listen, I don't have time for your bullshit. Put the shit down and walk away now." His voice was a deep, intimidating rumble. His arms flexed as he readied himself for the denial he knew was coming.
"Oh yeah, old man? Well, I'm going to give you to the count of five to leave," said one of the particularly brash teenagers in front of him.
"I'll give you to a count of three," he challenged menacingly without missing a beat, taking a step forward to back up his words.
"There's five of us, in case you can't count." There was a note of uncertainty in the youth's voice, but he wasn't ready to back down.
There was no time to waste, so Philip rolled his eyes and reached deep within himself. It had been a long time, but the ever familiar power of his bear was eager to protect its mate. The change flooded through him, shifting his body in the blink of an eye from tall, muscular human, to enraged grizzly bear.
He reached out with one giant paw, swatting aside the ringleader. He kept his claws in, not wanting to cause a scene so publicly, but he did not hold back on the strength. The camouflage wearing instigator went flying through the air, slamming up hard against the broken concrete of the building.
With a roar, Philip charged into the stunned assailants, wasting no time in taking them out of the fight. He broke one's arm, before his jaws closed on the leg of another, shaking him viciously until something snapped. The others fled in terror before he could teach them a lesson.
Shifting back, he ran into the building, his nose questing out, searching for his mates scent. It was faint, her cinnamon aroma mixed with stale sweat, fast food, cigarettes and other smells he didn't want to identify.
He followed it to a room on the floor below hers. This hallway looked even worse, it had gang signs, at least one bullet hole, and what looked like a blood stain in the carpets as well.
Approaching the drab grey door, he stopped just short of the entryway, his back against the wall. Reaching out, he rapped his fist firmly on the door three times, loud enough to get the attention of anyone inside.
"Let her go now, and nobody else will be harmed." His voice rang out loudly, the deep bass rumbling down the hallway.
There came the sounds of people scrambling and cursing from inside as they tried to figure out what to do. His acute hearing picked up the sounds of whimpering underneath all the noise as well. The edges of his vision dimmed with redness, but he forced himself to stay calm. It was imperative that Angela was not harmed, and for that he would need to keep his temper in check.
"Go away or I'll slit the bitches neck," came the reply from inside.
"That would be very unwise. Simply open the door, walk down the hallway to your left and leave. Do that, and nobody will be hurt. However, if you harm a hair on her neck, I make no promises as to what will happen to you." He was getting angry, and containing the raging bear within him was becoming more of a struggle as the seconds passed.
"Here, how about I pay you to go away," he called into the silence, changing his tactics. Pulling out his wallet, he carefully peeled out a bill. Crouching down, he pushed it under the door, being mindful to stay back from the outline of the door itself. After a few seconds, he heard someone move forward to grab it. There was a brief discussion of muttered voices, too indistinct for him to make it out.
"How much you got?"
"Enough, though I'm not passing it under the door." He didn't say any more, simply leaving it open to them. Another moment passed before he heard the deadbolt sliding open, followed by the handle slowly turning.
The door opened to reveal three young men, the oldest in his early twenties. They were some of the same boys who had been messing with his car. The biggest of the group was unarmed, while the one to Philip's left had a knife, and the one in the center had a baseball bat in hand.
Behind them sat his mate, tied to a chair. Her makeup was ruined from tears and she looked a mess, although otherwise unharmed. Th
e fear in her eyes was what set him off. Channeling his bear's strength, he surged forward, eager to dispatch those that would dare harm his Angel.
They didn't stand a chance beneath the fury of his onslaught. He threw the knife wielder clear through a wall into the next room before the bat connected with his shoulder. Roaring more in anger and irritation than pain, he turned, raking a clawed hand across his midsection. He fell to the floor, blood spilling everywhere.
The last one made to duck past Philip and into the hallway, but he caught him by the collar and yanked him to the ground.
"You want to escape, do you? Well, everyone knows the stairs are the fastest way out!" he yelled, throwing a punch to his victim's face before dragging him by the leg to the stairwell, where he threw him down several flights of stairs. The hoodlum's head snapped hard against the bare concrete wall, where he lay unmoving for the time being.
Running back into the room, he subdued his bear, slowly approaching Angela.
"My Angel, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. This should never have happened. I was supposed to pick you up, to keep you safe."
Swiftly he untied her, holding her tight as she collapsed into his arms, sobs wracking her body. Although he hated to see her in such a state, it felt so good to hold her again. He never wanted to let her go again.
Covering her eyes, he led her from the building, past the stunned occupants who had gathered in the hallway and the courtyard. Thankfully he knew there were no security camera's in a building like this, and everything else had happened too quickly. He would be safe.
Once he had her seated in the car, they drove off, back to his hotel room.
"Philip, was I mistaken, or did I hear something like a bear roaring just before you rescued me?"
He looked sharply over at her at the comment before looking back at the road. This was not how he had hoped to tell her, but he couldn't pass up the opening she was giving him.
"You weren't mistaken," he replied slowly.
"Where did a bear come from in the city?"
"From me." He exhaled slowly, waiting for her reaction.
"You, roared like a bear?" She sounded confused, not quite understanding what he was telling her.
"Angel, this is what I wanted to talk about, to show you. I have a secret within me, something I've kept from most of the world.
He proceeded to tell her all about himself, Derek, Edward and the abilities and spirits contained within their human bodies. The sharpness with which she listened and the thoughtful and insightful questions she asked all served to confirm his decision that she was for him.
"So, you keep using this word mate. What, exactly, does that mean to you?"
"It means, Angel, that I have chosen you. If I claim you, then you are the only one I will be with. Forever." He let the silence hang after that last word, driving home the point of how serious he was about her.
"I'm sorry."
The words caught him off guard, completely unexpected. The last thing he felt she needed to do was apologize to him. The confusion on his face must have been evident as they rode the elevator up to the hotel room.
"I'm sorry because I doubted you. I thought you were trying to get rid of me this morning, and that when you wanted to talk, you were going to end things."
"Angel, my love, the only thing I want is for you to be by my side, or in my arms."
"Or underneath you?" she teased lightly, pushing past him to open the door. His cock hardened at the comment, as he thought back to her soft, creamy skin pressed up against him the night before. He growled lightly, though he held back, not wanting to overwhelm her after the experience she had just been through.
***
"So, what does it mean to claim me? Obviously not just sex, because we've done that."
"I have to mark you."
"While we have sex." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes."
"Philip?" She said after a moment of silence while she contemplated something.
"Yes?"
"Take me. Now." She began to unbutton her work uniform, exposing more pale, silky smooth skin.
The growl that escaped him was so primordial she shivered as it passed over her. She could even see his cock pressing at his pants, begging to be released.
"You're sure this is what you want?" he asked, stalking towards her while she backed towards the couch.
"I don't know what kind of hold you have over me my love, but whatever it is, I never want to feel anything else. I want you." She whispered the last part of it, begging for his attention.
Philip practically flew across the room, tearing his shirt off as he sought contact with her skin. Just before his body made contact with hers, she stuck a hand out, her palm stopping him mere inches from her. He shuddered to a halt, tremors running through his body as he fought to keep that minute distance between them.
Taking her time, she explored the taut, rigid lines of his body. The lines and muscles were bulging in places she had rarely seen on a man before. She kissed his smooth, chest, the beating sounds of his heart clear to her ear. The heat radiating off his perfectly sculpted body warmed her to the core.
She moved lower, sitting on the arm of the couch as she kissed his firm abs, admiring the multitude of dips that made up his six-pack. Without waiting for permission, she slowly pushed his pants down, exposing his rock hard dick.
A growl escaped his lips as she firmly wrapped one hand around it, admiring the length of it. Her panties flooded with warm honey and her pussy throbbed with desire. Whatever was about to happen between them, she knew he would always turn her on.
"Strip," he commanded her.
Unflinchingly, she began to remove her clothes for him. All her insecurities faded away as his eyes roamed her body, the emerald pupils dilating as she let her bra fall away. Whatever she may think of herself, he wanted her. Knowing that, she pushed the last of her inhibitions away along with her clothes, standing in front of him completely naked.
Without waiting for approval, he simply snatched her up by the waist. The raw strength she felt in his bulging arms had no trouble even with her weight. Being tossed around like she weighed nothing was incredibly arousing, a small moan of delight escaping her lips.
Her mate sat down on the couch, slowly lowering her onto him as they collapsed into it. His cock pushed inside of her, stretching her as far as she could go until his entire length was buried inside of her.
"Fuck, Angel, you're fucking perfect," he groaned as she moved her hips back and forth, grinding them into him. His cock was hitting all the right nerve endings, and she knew it would not be long until she exploded on top of him.
His hands running up her sides was the final straw as her cunt began to pulse around his cock, dripping its warmth all over him. He didn't care though, only roaring her name louder before sucking one of her hard nipples into his mouth, using his tongue to gently swirl it around.
As her orgasm wound down, she returned to the moment. It wouldn't be long until she climaxed again under his touch though, but she wanted it now.
"Philip?" she whispered in his ear, flicking her tongue out to gently play with his lobe.
"Yes?" he growled deeply at her, the bass shivering through her body.
"I want you to claim me."
His head pulled back, his dazzling eyes focusing in on her, to make sure she was still in the right frame of mind. As he judged her sane, he nodded, once again picking her up effortlessly.
They moved down to the floor, where he pushed her legs back towards her head before hooking his arms under them. His hips began to move, taking his cock out of her for one brief, depriving moment. She moaned softly as he pushed back inside.
His movements began to increase in speed, pushing her higher and higher until she was ready to explode. She opened her mouth to scream, while at the same time he leaned down, his teeth sinking gently into the skin around her neck.
Molten liquid erupted inside of her at the same moment she lost all control, d
riven wild by the steel rod burying itself inside her. The pain in her neck only seemed to add to the moment, heightening every touch as her nerves ignited in a fiery blaze.
With a groan, Philip collapsed on top of her, slowly rolling to the side. His arms embraced her as they lay together, the tingling in her neck fading quickly.
"Is that it?" she asked, unsure if there was more to come.
"That's all my love. It will tingle for a day or so before you stop feeling it."
"Did your friends claim their wives as well?" She hadn't noticed any marks on them, but that wasn't something she had been looking for either.
"Yes, though not until their wedding nights. I had intended to wait as well, but I just couldn't hold back with you. I need you, Angel."
She kissed him in response, deepening it as his hard cock pressed into her stomach once more. Glancing down as they broke for air, she couldn't help but comment.
"You're insatiable!" She giggled as he rolled on top of her once again.
"When it comes to you, always."
"I love you, Philip," she moaned as he took her again.
Epilogue
3 months later
"How do these look?" Philip called over to her, holding up a plastic wrapped package. She moved over to him, resting her head comfortably on his shoulder as she took a look at his find.
"Oh, those are wonderful." The dark purple sheets were the perfect shade to match the silver and black duvet they already had in the cart. Part of her still couldn't accept that it was real, but the two of them were out shopping to furnish the condo Philip had bought.
They were going to be living together shortly and she couldn't wait. Every moment apart from him was sheer agony, a sensation she never wanted to experience again. His presence calmed her down before setting her body on fire with desire.
One of the biggest surprises had been the way he had announced she was done working at the diner. Instead of simply quitting, he had bought the diner from Mia and her husband Doug for a sum of money that more than allowed them to retire. They had chosen to continue working there for the time being, but the tears Mia had shed were all the thanks her mate had needed.
