by Amelia Jade
Her fingers trembled as she became cognizant of the precipice they were about to cross in their rapidly progressing relationship. She had spoken to him for the first time only a few days ago, but now they were about to have sex. It made her nervous about the pace, but here in the moment Courtenay felt nothing that was holding her back. In truth, everything about her was screaming that what she was doing was right and she shouldn’t doubt herself.
“I want you,” she told him, reaching out to try and pull his hips into hers.
Joel didn’t fight her, and he allowed himself to slowly push inside her. When she stopped the pressure, he stopped as well. Slowly she brought him inside her, pausing numerous times to adjust to his size. It was a challenge, but she was so incredibly turned on that Courtenay didn’t think she would fail.
Her body agreed, and after what felt like an eternity—but was in reality only a handful or so of minutes—he was fully buried within her. Their hips pressed together as he rested gently upon her, giving her time to become accustomed to him before he thrust too hard.
“Kiss me,” she ordered, pulling his face down to hers. Their lips met and she moved her hips gently against him, letting him know she was ready.
Joel continued to kiss her as his hips rose and fell, his cock sliding in and out of her. It had been a while since she had last been with a man, and her memories didn’t do this justice. She moaned through their kiss as his hips moved a little faster. Every inch of her skin felt like it was on fire as heat poured from Joel. As they moved faster and faster against each other, it became stifling as it grew. The temperature was unbelievable, and her fingers felt singed as they spread across his chest and over his shoulders, pulling him tight to her.
“You’re so hot,” she gasped as their bodies melded into one, the exposed skin so hot she swore their sweat had to be evaporating.
Joel slipped off of her, standing on the floor. He didn’t wait for her to react. He grabbed her hips and turned her so her feet landed on the floor. She marveled at both his strength and the carefulness with which he manhandled her. It was a rough tenderness in a way she had never experienced before, and instinctively knew she never would again unless she was with him.
She was standing, bent over the couch as Joel stepped up behind her. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her back against him as he entered her from behind. Grinning, she clenched her fists into the top of the couch. As he pulled away, she waited until he was almost all the way out, and then she moved, pushed her ass back into him.
He grunted in surprise, not expecting it. Pleased with herself, she began to move slowly, repeating her motions. Joel picked up on her timing, and their hips began to collide rapidly, and rather forcefully. There was nothing she could do to hurt him, and Joel was more tender and attentive than any of her prior partners.
Hell, he’s better than most men I’ve fantasized about, she admitted with a mental blush.
It was amazing chemistry. Courtenay had no problems getting fucked—and letting the man dominate—but she also enjoyed being able to take the initiative. Some men weren’t up for that, but Joel had no such restrictions.
To her delight, Joel suggested that she get on top of him. That was her favorite position. When he brought it up, Courtenay had practically thrown him onto the couch before straddling him.
“I’m going to cum again,” she said, whispering the words into his ear as she ground her hips into his, fully in command.
“Me too,” he said, his voice strained. She could feel his cock within her, harder now than it had been when he first entered her.
“Good,” she said, her voice thickening as she felt herself getting closer. “I want you to, when I tell you.”
He nodded, running his hands up her sides. They flexed and pulled her into him without warning. That extra bit of penetration was all she needed. Her first cry split the silence, followed almost instantly by a deep groan from Joel as he exploded within her. Warmth flooded between her legs as his body jerked, shooting his load deep inside. Courtenay shuddered and grabbed his hands as they played with her breasts, pulling them tight against her.
As the strength fled her once again, she practically melted into a puddle in his lap, her body using his to support it. She could feel the final spasms of his cock inside her, each one sending a shiver up through her core. The blazing inferno faded, leaving behind a pleasant warmth that seemed to reach out and wrap her in its glow. The dying heat allowed her to regain her breath in time, and the shuddering and heaving of their chests as they gasped for air gave way to muted noises of pleasure as they nuzzled against each other.
If Courtenay had still maintained any doubts that she shared a special connection with Joel, they faded into nothingness at that moment. The world just felt perfect. She didn’t think anything more could go wrong.
Which is why she was completely ignoring what had to happen next.
Chapter Six
Joel
His eyelids were beginning to droop, their sag mirroring the slow descent into the couch that he and Courtenay were currently enjoying. Her body felt to him like he thought his was: muscleless and utterly relaxed. He was in a state of bliss after the crazed, passionate lovemaking they had just experienced.
It was so utterly unlike any of the prior women that he had slept with. The depth of their connection had astounded him, even intimidating him a little if he was completely honest. There was no more doubt in his mind that Courtenay Laurel was his mate. There simply was no way it could be otherwise. His bear had spoken during the middle of their session, and it had told him rather unequivocally that she was the one.
Which meant that what he was about to do was going to be all the harder.
“Joel,” she said, sitting up on top of him. He had thought some of her serious tone would be lost on him because he was still inside her, but he couldn’t have been more wrong.
His eyebrows arched in surprise as he realized that she not only knew what had to be done, but had acted first. Joel really needed to stop underestimating her strength. This woman had more inner fire and courage than he was giving her credit for. That was wrong, and he vowed to himself not to think of her as anything but strong from there on out.
“I know,” he said with a sad smile, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll be going now.”
The smile on her face was a mirror image of his own, he was sure.
“How did you know?” she asked, one hand stroking the side of his face.
“It’s a shifter thing,” he told her, half-serious, half-teasing. “I read it in your body language,” he explained when she raised an eyebrow in question.
“Oh,” she said quietly. “And you’re okay with it?”
He nodded. He had to be okay with it. It’s what she wanted, even if he desperately hoped for the exact opposite. It was completely understandable that she would be scared of the things to come. Joel was scared of what would happen when their countdown ran out, and he was a shifter, at least equipped with the tools and skills to fight for his survival. In a clash of shifters, Courtenay would be so hopelessly outclassed it was barely comprehensible.
Joel paused. “No, dammit,” he said, the truth falling out of him. “I’m not okay with it, and I’m sorry that I can’t pretend that I am. I’m not going to fight you on it. For whatever reason, we have a connection, and I’ve realized I care for you. A lot. More than I should after just a few days, but I’m sorry, I can’t help it. So I’ll be damned if I’m going to go quietly without first telling you how I feel,” he said, meaning every word he said.
“Oh Joel,” she said softly, pulling his head to her so that she could kiss him.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized a minute later when they pulled apart. “I just couldn’t keep it in any longer.”
Courtenay smiled. “It’s okay, you big goof. I can handle it. It’s not one of my prouder decisions, but I just can’t right now. If this is going to be as big and as serious as you think, then I’m going to be ne
eded, and I’m going to have to focus.”
“And being seen with me will put you in danger,” he finished.
“Yes,” she whispered.
That was the crux of the issue. Things were coming to a head in Genesis Valley, and Joel had no idea what the fallout was going to be. It would be completely unfair of him to drag Courtenay into the midst of that now, when all they had to do was spend a few more days apart. Then they would know what was coming and could make a decision from there.
It pained him to realize he wasn’t going to see her for some time, but the knowledge that he had found her would be strength enough to go on. Hopefully. Joel also took solace in the fact that this wasn’t one of those decisions where he as the male was trying to protect the female and blocking her out of his life. No, this decision had been made by Courtenay, and a small sliver of him was grateful for the freedom it would give him in being able to act when the time came. He would worry about her and be concerned, but if she wasn’t associated with him or his crew in any way, then she wouldn’t be a target. Something told him that would be important.
“I’m going to miss you,” he told her later, after they had cleaned up and gotten dressed. He was wearing his clothes again, while she had changed into a deep purple-colored robe, the soft, plush fabric of which was cool to the touch.
“You can still text me,” she said, trying to put on a happy face.
“I intend to,” he promised. “I’ll be struggling hard enough without seeing you until this is over. I don’t know if I could go without talking to you at all,” he told her honestly.
“I agree,” she said, pulling him in for another kiss.
“Eight days,” he told her, making his words into a promise. In eight days, we’ll know everything.”
I hope. There was no guarantee that whatever Ferro’s warning was meant that everything would be revealed at last. They were just assuming that it would, and that if they could make it out alive, that everything would be over. Still, he had to hope. There was only so much time he could spend apart from her. His bear was already roaring in anger about being separated from its mate, and he wasn’t sure how long he could control it when his human half began to fight back as well.
“Goodb—” he began to say, but she cut him off with a finger to his lips.
“See you soon,” she said, giving him a wink, before throwing her hands around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her body, easily lifting her from the floor as he held her tightly.
He didn’t want to let go. Not ever. The logical part of his brain warred with every other part of him, telling him he needed to go, even though he wanted to stay. She felt so perfect alongside him, her body just contoured to his, as if they were two pieces of the same puzzle meant to go with each other and with no one else.
“Okay,” she whispered at last, taking the initiative and proving herself to be stronger than him yet again.
Damn he was crazy about her.
“All right,” he said reluctantly, pressing his lips to hers quickly before turning and walking out into the dark.
He paused once outside, wanting desperately to turn back to look at her. If he did though, Joel knew he would never be able to leave. So, taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and walked out into the night, a part of him crumbling as he left his mate behind.
His truck coughed once before it roared to life. Joel frowned. He kept his truck in excellent condition, performing much of the maintenance himself. For his truck to make a noise like that was not something he liked to hear. He was going to have to take it apart and find out what was going on.
Happy to have something to preoccupy his mind, he began to dissect the truck engine in his head as he guided it through town and up into the mountains, heading for home. Something must be dirty or clogged up. Perhaps it was something that had gotten in there when they went mudding. Either way, it would prove a welcome distraction.
But when his engine abruptly died, Joel knew there had to be something more going on. That just didn’t happen to his truck!
The rapid illumination of the road in front of him from his headlights began to slow as the truck lost speed. He didn’t put his foot on the brake though, too annoyed at his vehicle stopping in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night to be bothered with that.
As he came around the curve, Joel felt his heart skip a beat as he realized there was something in the middle of the road! Jamming on the brakes, he wrenched the wheel to the side, doing his best to avoid the figure. He didn’t get a chance, however, as the figure suddenly seemed to expand and then charged at his truck. The shape slammed into the passenger door as he slid to a halt, rocking the truck up onto a pitched angle.
He felt the truck begin to settle back down onto four wheels when yet another figure thumped into the undercarriage. Joel felt his cabin bounce, and the truck rolled over onto its roof.
Snarling in anger, enraged that someone would dare attack his truck, Joel flexed his arm and ripped the seatbelt free. He collapsed into a heap, and then his booted feet kicked the side window out. He quickly squirmed his way out of the cab. He stood up just as two objects hit the far side of the truck at once. The huge mass of metal slammed into him, sending him flying forward. Lowering his shoulder mid-air, Joel dropped into a roll and came up on his feet to face the commotion around his truck, the cliff face now at his back.
“What the fuck?” he screamed, stalking back toward the wreckage that had once been his beautiful vehicle.
A series of low, answering growls sounded from the far side of the truck. Joel felt his eyebrows raise as he realized they were bear shifters. Shaking his head, he tried to ignore all the various questions that popped into his head. Right now he needed to concern himself with his own safety. Clearly whoever was out here intended to do him harm.
Joel wasn’t the largest of shifters, but he had been training hard with Darren of late. The shifter had been a former Stone Bear trainee. Although he hadn’t graduated, he was one of the fiercest fighters Joel knew. He had learned a lot from him, and felt far more confident about himself now than he had before.
Deciding on his course of action Joel called to his bear. As he cleared the side of his truck, bringing the road and whatever was there into view, it wasn’t his human form that appeared. It was that of a rather large, and very angry bear, all but snarling in its desire to inflict harm on those who would threaten him.
Yet despite all his rage and desire to rend and tear, Joel had to stop himself short as the full scene revealed itself. There weren’t just the two shifters he had expected. There were in fact an entire half a dozen shifters waiting for him to appear. What was almost as surprising was that they didn’t just launch themselves at him. But they didn’t attack. They arrayed themselves in a shallow arc facing him, as if they were waiting.
Joel pawed at the ground, challenging any of them, while he continued to evaluate the situation. None of them seemed to be in command. At the same time, however, none of them backed down from him or shifted to try and talk. Another deeper growl came from behind him.
Whirling to face the new attacker Joel tried to defend himself, but he was too late. A massive paw slammed into his side, stopping his spinning motion and sending him whirling back the other way as he tumbled across the road, bleeding from four massive claw marks down his right flank.
The hit had hurt, there was no denying that, but Joel was far from out of the fight. He scrambled to his feet just as the first of the attackers closed with him. He feinted a charge, and as the other shifter launched himself at Joel, the Jade Crew member ducked to the side instead. The unknown enemy landed awkwardly where Joel had been, and for just a moment he was vulnerable, unable to respond.
Joel took advantage of it, his massive paws rending great strips of flesh from the head and neck of his enemy, mercilessly mauling the entire right side of his head. Before he could get in a killing blow another shifter closed to within range and Joel was forced to meet this one’s charge h
ead-on.
He used a trick he had learned from Darren as this one also leapt at him. Joel reared up, but just before the other shifter hit him, he dropped onto his back. With all four paws up he basically launched his attacker like a trampoline, flinging the massive bear off the road and down the steep ravine. He could hear branches cracking and a loud bellow of pain as the shifter hit something that didn’t give way.
More shifters were closing on him by now, including the one who had dealt him his first wound. He began to back away from the remaining bears, slowly giving ground. Then, without warning, he reversed course and charged maniacally at the rightmost bear. His sudden change in body language and strategy managed to catch them off guard, and he had a few precious moments with which to savage the bear he had chosen. It was a brutal exchange as he stuck to the outside. Both shifters hit each other hard, and Joel suspected he might have taken the brunt of the damage on that pass as he skittered by the bear.
His fears were realized when his front paw wobbled and almost gave out on him as he tried to slow his movement. The attackers spun in place, forming a line to face him again now that he was on the other side of them. Grimacing and doing his best to keep as much weight off his right paw as he could, Joel waited for the attackers to make the next move.
The big one, the Alpha he supposed, dipped his head at two of the others, telling them to flank Joel. He continued to back away down the road, trying to buy some more time until he could figure out what to do. His leg was healing, but so were the wounds on the others. Even now, in the distance, he could see the first bear he had savaged getting to its feet, almost ready to return to battle.
The chances of him making it out alive were rapidly deteriorating, and he still had no idea who the attackers were. Determined to change that at least, he prepared to change back, to demand answers. If he could manage to pocket dial Garrett, perhaps the Jade Crew Alpha would at least know who to go after to avenge him.
