“She’s downstairs. We didn’t touch her, I swear it.”
“We’ll see about that.”
I ushered him through the old barn house. I could smell Chloe from here; her scent that was like the sweet aroma of the mountains, and the acrid scent of her fear. It cut my soul. I had done this to her. This was my fault.
I followed her scent in the direction of the basement. We descended the steps, my grip tight on the shifter.
Chloe was in the far corner of the room, cowering behind a bear. I could now smell her blood, fresh and potent. My bear jolted inside me. It wanted out.
Both shifters spun around to face me. I knew who they were. I threw the lieutenant to the floor. Both these men were the pride of the Bow Mar pack. They were trained killers, both having served time for human crimes, and both reportedly unmatched in their strength and brutality.
I wanted to take Chloe in my arms. To just run from this place, make sure she was safe before I hunted each one of them down and repaid their torture in kind.
But I couldn’t.
If I went to her now, they would gain the upper hand. We would both be dead.
“Just remember your brother started this Varga,” the Lieutenant growled from the floor, “You both die for his mistakes today.”
The bear started to gain on me, and the other shifted to join him. I took one look at Chloe’s face, terrified and confused, and I knew what I was about to do would cause me to lose her forever.
The realization added to my fury. I had planned to break it to her gently, in the kindest way I could. Now she was getting a shifter 101 in the most brutal way imaginable.
I felt my bear tugging on me furiously. He wanted out. I didn’t have an alternative option.
I shifted. Chloe’s scream echoed across the room, and I cursed myself along with the rest of the vile creatures for causing her pain.
Roaring, I fell upon the first shifter. He tore at my back with his claws, but it was too late. With a hunger I hadn’t possessed since the times of peace started, my teeth tore into the flesh and fur at his neck. His blood seeped into my mouth, his body whipping and jolting as his life was cut short.
The other bear leapt onto my back. Digging in where I had already been sliced open, his claws raked at the raw flesh and I howled with pain.
“No!”
I heard Chloe’s cry, pleading, desperate. I wouldn’t leave her here to die. I spun around, clubbing the bear’s head backward. He pawed at me again, catching my snout. My own blood mingled with that of the dead bear.
He opened his jaws, ready to bite down and deliver his death blow.
I’m so sorry Chloe.
I heard a clatter, and turned to see Chloe standing behind my would-be killer with a chair leg raised in her hand. Distracted, the bear turned.
I took the only chance I had left. Grabbing each side of his muzzle with my claws, I bit down, breaking his jaw with my own. I released him and he reeled back. Swiping with my paw, I caught him around the throat; carving four deep gashes that instantly spurted bright red blood.
His body fell to the floor.
Behind me I heard the Lieutenant scrambling to his feet and running toward the stairs. I let him leave. I would find him later.
“Nathan?” Chloe whispered, her voice high and wavering.
I lowered myself down on all fours, unable to look into her eyes; unwilling to see the disgust I knew would be there waiting for me.
She hesitantly took a step closer. I tried to focus on shifting back, but with her so close, and the scent of dead shifters running through my veins, it was near impossible. My bear demanded he protect her.
I felt something warm on my forehead. I looked up to see Chloe standing close, her bare legs almost touching my nose. Her palm was pressed softly against my fur.
“Thank you,” she whispered, “I was hoping you’d come.”
My bear sighed with contentment at her touch.
Inside I felt my heart crack and break in response to the bitter sweet token of her acceptance. She would probably never see me as anything more than a beast, but at least she didn’t hate me.
It was enough. For now.
Chapter thirteen
We drove back to town in silence. There were a million things I wanted to ask, questions buzzing about my mind as it flipped itself inside out trying to come to terms, logically, with what I’d witnessed.
After the fight, Nathan had transformed back into a man. I had watched as the fur slowly receded from his body to be replaced by smooth skin. The huge bulk of the grizzly had adapted and transfigured into a human physique, tall, broad… perfect.
Despite the awful strangeness, the horrific sounds that once again accompanied the transformation, when I looked at him – human once again, I felt the same stirrings of carnal lust that I’d experienced on every encounter I’d ever had with the man. Only this time he was naked. My own feelings disturbed me more than anything else.
I wanted to get home. I needed space to think, to process the nightmare that I’d lived the last few hours. But home didn’t feel safe. The fact that those creatures knew where I lived made my home feel sullied and unwelcoming.
“I know you probably want to go home,” Nathan broke the silence, anticipating my request, “But it’s not safe there at the moment. There are others, more of the Bow Mar clan that pose a threat.”
I nodded slowly. Great. More half-humans happy to hunt me down in some kind of bear war, while the rest of the world remained completely oblivious to their existence.
“I’m so sorry, Chloe. I know you’ve been through a lot.”
I glanced over, watching his jaw twitch with repressed anger. I recalled the men saying that this was his brother’s mess – I wondered if Nathan’s anger was directed at the Bow Mar clan or his own kin.
“I have lots of questions,” I replied as levelly as I could, “But I need a shower, and I need food and some rest. I… I don’t know where to go.”
“I want you to stay at my place,” he hesitated, “I know it’s not ideal. It’s probably the last place you want to be right now, but it’s also the safest.”
I nodded again. No, it wasn’t ideal. I wanted space from Nathan. I was so grateful that he’d saved me, but at the same time I needed to process everything that had gone on tonight.
I watched from the window as the landmarks started to look more familiar. Nearing the city, I started to feel better. There might be mythological creatures surrounding Denver, but there was also a Starbucks and a Seven-Eleven. The world hadn’t gone completely bat-shit.
“I’ll stay with you,” I murmured.
He exhaled with relief, and I could practically feel some of the tension leaving his body. He was genuinely concerned, and the realization surprised me. I no longer understood what was going on between us, but perhaps the magnetic pull I seemed to have toward him was reciprocated. I didn’t want to dwell on it. Whatever my body, and in all honestly my heart, felt, I needed cold, hard logic to take over for now.
“I need to know a few things first,” I demanded.
“You can ask me anything.” He replied, his tone somber and full of regret.
“Your…abilities – was it something you were born with? Have you always been this way?”
“Yes,” he nodded, “It’s passed on through the genes. My father and mother were like this, and now so are my idiot brother and I. We come from a long line of shifters.”
“And who were those guys? Another pack or something?”
“Clan,” he corrected, “Yes. They’ve always been a problem. One I thought I’d solved – until Byron fucked it up by starting a fight with them.”
He’d spoken about Byron on our date, though obviously not about him being a bear. Oh. The bear in the woods.
“When I saw you in the forest, was that Byron you were helping? That bear? Was that the fight that started this?”
“Yes,” he replied tersely.
So, Brianna and I had witnessed a shifte
r fight. Wow. The thought that Brianna had been tending to a half-human bear made me feel slightly hysterical, and I started giggling.
“What?” Nathan asked, bemused.
“Nothing…it’s just – Jesus. I can’t get my head around this. I need coffee.” I groaned, my hysteria subsiding as a pounding headache grew in its place.
“We’re almost home. I have coffee.”
I nodded and hoped he also had a shit-ton of painkillers and a powerful shower. I leaned back into the plush car seat, closing my eyes. The questions would just have to wait.
Chapter fourteen
I let her sleep.
As soon as we got home, she made a bee-line to the shower. When she emerged, she was wrapped in my bathrobe, only her toes and face visible from the swathes of terrycloth that engulfed her. Color had been restored to her cheeks, and her damp hair smelled summer-orchard sweet.
My bear had tugged at me again, and I felt my hard-on, rock solid and needy, pressing uncomfortably against my suit pants.
I’d shown her to the guest bedroom, thinking she’d be more comfortable without being surrounded by my things. It was now seven in the evening and she still hadn’t woken.
I had spent the day working from home, but it had been torture knowing that Chloe’s naked body was nearby. The thought of her laying between the cotton sheets, her hair and skin pressed against my pillows, her soft, large breasts exposed, was enough to drive me near insane with distraction.
The only blessing was the absence of Byron. Had he been here, my rage at his stupidity and the selfishness of his actions would have potentially put him in an early grave.
“You look angry.”
I’d been so consumed by thoughts of my brother, I hadn’t heard her enter the room. She looked rumpled and adorable, a light crease across her cheek where she’d slept.
“I was thinking about my brother,” I smiled, pulling out a chair, “Good morning.”
“Don’t you mean good evening?” She asked, looking out across the city expanse visible from the window.
“Morning for you. Coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
I set about brewing a fresh pot, noticing with satisfaction that she sat on the chair next to mine. Part of me had been worried that when she awoke, she’d run screaming from my apartment. But even in the short time I had known Chloe, I should have realized that she wasn’t the kind of woman to run. She was brave, bold and courageous. In truth, I was in awe.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve just been in a mental car crash. I’m still having a hard time believing everything.”
“Well, if you have questions, I’ll answer as honestly as I can.”
She didn’t say anything for a while, and it was only after she took her first sip of coffee that she spoke again.
“Where you ever going to tell me?”
I sighed. That was a complex question. I didn’t know how to reply without telling her how I truly felt about her.
“Yes,” I said eventually, “If things had gone as I’d hoped between us, I would have tried to break it to you gently.”
A corner of her mouth turned up at that and I could see the barest hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.
“Break it to me gently? How did you think you’d accomplish that?”
“Honestly,” I laughed, “I had no fucking idea. I’ve never… well, I’ve never felt this connection with another human, or shifter for that matter.”
She took another sip of coffee and I could see her digesting the information.
“Do shifters normally only date other shifters?”
‘Dating’ was a strange term for the bonding that took place between mates, but I knew what she meant. I also knew that humans had no concept of the strength of two souls entwining completely the way we did in the shifter world. Our bonds were sacred, unchanging and forever.
“As far as I know, yes.”
“Oh.”
She looked down at her coffee, not meeting my eyes.
“But everyone is different. And I’ve never felt the way I do about you before, not with a human or a shifter.”
It was as close as I could get to the truth. The brief second she took to reply felt like an eternity. I’d put myself on the line. Emotional exposure wasn’t something I was used to.
“Oh.” She said again, but this time I could see a small smile teasing at the edges of her lips.
Her bathrobe had fallen open slightly at the top revealing the plump curve of her cleavage moving slowly with the rise and fall of her chest.
I wanted to claim her. To move her luscious hair from her neck and expose the soft, silky skin of her throat. To mark her with a bite that would show the world that this woman belonged to me. Marking her as my own would seal our unbreakable bond, so that I would never have to spend another day of my life without seeing, touching or being allowed to pleasure Chloe Carpenter.
I carefully took the coffee cup out of her hands and placed it down on the table. I did move her hair, tilting her chin up toward me, but only to kiss her softly on the lips. She tasted like mint and coffee, and I groaned as I parted her lips with mine, wanting to drown in her taste, to lick and kiss every inch of her.
The kiss seemed to have the same effect on her as it did on me. She rose out of the chair, pressing her body to mine. I squeezed her full, ample bottom and drew her against my rock-hard cock so that she could feel how much I wanted her.
She gasped, but clung to the back of my shirt, driving me closer.
“I don’t know how I feel,” she said, breaking away from me, “But I want you – I need you inside me, I need you to make me feel safe again.”
I nodded, gazing into her clear brown eyes, praying that I’d be able to melt away her furrowed brow. I never wanted Chloe to feel like she was in danger ever again. I would eagerly end anyone who threatened her. Hell, I’d wipe out the entire world if that’s what it took to keep her safe.
She kissed me again, and I picked her up in my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist. I could smell her arousal and feel the heat and wetness from between her thighs pressed against my belt. Damn, it was nearly enough to make me lose all control.
Gritting my teeth, I moved her through to my bedroom. I wanted to make Chloe scream with pleasure and ecstasy before I allowed myself to be lost in her.
Chapter fifteen
It felt like tingles of electricity were tearing up and down inside my body and collecting at my core. The dampness of my arousal was flooding between my legs.
Nathan’s arms around me and his and body pressed against me were on fire, but it was nothing compared to the scorching gaze he held fixed on me. His eyes were glowing again, the navy midnight storm brewing within him, hypnotizing me.
Nathan laid me gently on the bed, parting the soft robe and exposing my body to the cool temperature of the room. My nipples pebbled, and goose bumps ran lightly across my skin as he moved his body away from mine and stood looking down at me.
My chest heaved, nerves and anxiety now mixing with my desire as I lay completely exposed to him. His eyes were hooded and wanting, and his gaze drank in every curve and crevice of my body.
“Fuck, you’re so beautiful.”
His voice was horse and ragged, his obvious hunger causing my body to tremble in anticipation of his touch.
He removed his shirt, button by button, his scorching gaze never leaving my body. When his chest was finally exposed, the taut muscle and undulations of his six-pack looked like they had been carved from marble. The raw, animalistic power that I knew simmered below the surface terrified me, but my body desperately ached for him.
He discarded his pants on the floor, and stood before me in designer boxers that could hardly contain his thick, heavy erection. My legs drew together in response to his sheer size, but he leaned forward and gently parted them.
“Don’t hide from me Chloe,” he breathed, “Please.”
He didn’t remove his boxers. He knelt
up on the bed, running his fingers up and down my thighs, and as I started to relax, his fingers travelled slowly upward.
He extended his index finger, and ran it lightly along the sensitive lips of my core. I felt my muscles spasm and widen in response, and blushed at the juices that coated his finger. He inhaled sharply and his cock twitched beneath the cotton of his boxers.
He continued to softly trace between my legs with his finger, exploring, his eyes watching my face for responses. My clit tightened and hardened, and as the tip of his finger traced it gently, my entire body quivered.
Parting my legs wider, he slid me further up the bed. He began to kiss lightly up the length of my thigh, closer and closer to my center. Instinctively and wantonly, I moved toward him, desperate for more.
He smirked, teasing me. I felt cool air dance between my legs as he blew gently on me. My head felt light as I gasped with pleasure, no longer able to look at what he was doing, I could only feel; my blindness making the sensations all the more overwhelming.
I felt his tongue lick the length of my pussy, it’s heat after the cool air made me cry out. My whole body responded, from the shivers at my neck to the curling of my toes.
He lapped up my juices with his tongue, long and flickering licks that sent firecrackers shooting inside me. As the waves of my orgasm started to engulf my body, he pressed deeper, his tongue burrowing into my folds and his mouth clamped tightly over my pussy. Orgasmic waves crashed violently over me. Somewhere, I heard myself crying out his name, but I was lost in oblivion.
Weak but wanting more, I rose up on my elbows. He smiled at me, a dirty and wicked grin that fluttered my stomach.
He removed his boxers, his erection long and heavy jutting out above his swollen ball sack. This time, rather than feeling overwhelmed by his size, I widened my legs greedily and felt my muscles expand and contract with need.
The tip of his cock glistened with his seed. Before he could take control, I sat up and pulled his hips toward me. I glanced up at him, checking his reaction. The smirk was gone, and now his expression read surprise and full-blown lust.
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