I nod, because I think I feel the same way. I step back and grasp both of his hands. “Okay, let’s get married.”
Brady smiles down at me. “I, Brady Le Roux, take Carly Cutler to be my wife. I promise to cherish, love, and protect her til death do us part.”
The heat of his hands travels to my heart. “I, Carly Cutler, take Brady Le Roux to be my husband. I promise to cherish, love, and protect him til death do us part.”
Brady’s eyebrows rise at the protect part, and I say, “Hey, you said it yourself, I come from warriors.” I smile.
He chuckles. “Can I kiss the bride?”
“That’s my favorite part.” I reach up for him, and he lifts me by my thighs, so I wrap my legs around his waist. His kiss sears me all the way to my toes, and I melt against him.
“You’d better get me upstairs because I’m about to tear your clothes off, and you might just see my warrior side.”
Brady chuckles. “I think I might like that.” He scoops me up and walks to the deck in the back. Carrying me through the back door he says, “I figure the back door threshold works for an informal wedding. Welcome, Mrs. Le Roux.”
Mrs. Le Roux? As we cross into the house, tiny hairs stand up all along my body as if the gods are smiling down on me. This is what I was born to do. “I like the sound of that, Mr. Le Roux.”
21
Chapter 8
Carly
A low growl comes from Brady as he nuzzles my neck. He practically jogs up the stairs to his bedroom with me. We enter a large room with burgundy carpet that is plush under my feet when he sets me down. The bed is the largest I’ve ever seen, and I think it’s custom. The dark wood of the headboard is carved in a design similar to the wrought-iron fence, and my fingers are tempted to trace it.
But the thought leaves my mind the moment Brady’s shirt falls to the floor with a soft thud. I turn my attention to his muscular chest and place my hands on it. I move them slowly down to his waist while he watches me. Raising my eyes up to look into his, I grasp the cold metal buckle of his belt and undo it. He moans and his stomach flexes as I slide a finger behind his button to undo his jeans.
I drop to my knees to pull his pants and underwear down. The hair on his thighs doesn’t disguise the definition of his muscles, and once he steps out of the pants, I trace my finger along the deep lines. “You have the sexiest body I’ve ever seen.” I scrape a fingernail up his inner thigh and cup his balls in my hand.
His musk surrounds me as I lean in to taste his hardened length. It’s quite large but proportional to the rest of him, and when the salty flavor hits my tongue, I want to find a way to take as much as I can in my mouth.
Brady’s fingers thread through my hair as he pumps in unison with my sucking and licking. The animalistic noises that escape him cause me to tremble with desire. He pushes me away and takes a shaky breath.
“My God, you’re good at that.”
I stand, and his nimble fingers pull my shirt up over my head. He licks his lips when he looks at my large breasts, and his hands reach around to unhook my bra. Cupping them, he groans and leans down to take one in his mouth. He suckles my nipple but doesn’t linger. He lowers himself to his knees, and his mouth kisses its way down to my belly.
The thought I should suck in my stomach fleets through my mind, but I know he finds me sexy just the way I am, and I swat it away like a bug. I let myself revel in the sensation of his mouth on me, and my stomach twitches when he reaches under my waistband to unfasten my pants.
I step out of them as Brady stands and backs me up to his bed. “Sit on the edge.”
The forest green crushed velvet caresses my bare bottom when I sit on the unusually high bed. Brady kneels before me and drapes my legs over his shoulders. I lean back on my elbows when he tastes me. Moaning, I fall back and arch up. His tongue caresses me, and when he dips it into my channel, my orgasm slams into me quickly. My cries are loud, and I’m glad nobody can hear them.
“That’s it, love, don’t hold anything back with me.” Brady’s hands reach under my ass to squeeze. “I want you to tell me your fantasies, and I’ll make them come true.”
I recall the dream of him shifting and the feel of fur against me, but I’m not ready for something like that. “All I want right now is you inside me, filling me.” It occurs to me we know nothing about each other’s sexual past, and I add, “I’m clean. I was tested a few months ago and haven’t been with anyone since.”
“I’m clean too. I can’t get human diseases.” He crawls up my body and kisses me. Our flavors intermingle, and the combination is a heady mix. He whispers against my neck, “I don’t want to use a condom with you. If we get pregnant, are you okay with that?”
I nod because my body is aching with need, and I can barely think. “Please, I can’t wait any longer.”
The silky tip of his cock slides between my folds, and he enters slowly. It’s larger than I’ve ever experienced, and he stretches me. I mewl at the mix of pleasure and pain. Propped up on his elbows, he watches my face as he enters completely.
I thrust up, begging for him to move. “Make me feel you, Brady.”
He pumps hard, and I rock into it as the pace increases. Sweat is slick on our skin, and the sound of us panting urges me on. I ride the waves as they increase in intensity. I’m about to fall when Brady stops and grunts out, “Mine. Say it.”
I’m so close. “I’m yours, Brady. Always yours.”
He moves again and lowers his mouth to my wrist. When he sucks on the tattoo, I crash and scream out his name. As the world spins around me I’m aware that pain is shooting through my arm. Brady lifts his face to me, and blood is on his lips. Did he bite me? He cries out my name as he comes.
Oh, God, that felt amazing. I watch as he licks at my tattoo. The bleeding stops as hot fire sears its way up my arm and spreads through my body. It hurts, and I begin to whimper. The burning sensation increases, and I’m sure it’s wrong. “Brady, something’s happening.” Tears spill out of my eyes.
He sits up and looks at me. He grabs my arm, and a look of horror covers his face. My skin is red, and I scramble up against the headboard as if he’s making it worse. The angry flush creeps over my body as the pain follows.
I can’t hold back my fear. “What have you done to me?” I begin to writhe in agony. “It hurts, Brady. It really hurts.”
“I.” He shakes his head. “Oh, God, Carly. I don’t know!”
By the time it starts down my legs, I’m blind to everything except the sharp white light of my torture.
I think I’m screaming, but the sound is muffled by the throbbing in my head. Loud thumps break through as I hit the headboard in my thrashing. What evil has overtaken my body?
Brady’s voice is in my ear. “Hang on. Help is on its way.” But I can’t. As if a shade has been pulled, everything fades to black.
22
Chapter 9
Sierra
Keith’s house isn’t nearly as big as Brady’s, but he must do well for himself because it’s beautiful. It’s a more modern design, and when I enter, all the windows fascinate me.
Clear glass takes up the majority of a two-story-high wall in the great room, and the sensation is as if we’re in the middle of the forest. There’s no lawn, and there is just enough space to keep trees from brushing up against the house.
I glance at Keith, and a smile covers his face. “Go ahead and look.”
I wander over. The glass is cool on my fingers when I touch the window to make sure it’s really there. Green moss lies like carpet leading to trees that were probably thinned. The brown and gray branches have tiny buds on them, adding just a hint of pale green. Some are pinkish, and I guess they’re red maple. When I notice the small brook, I gasp.
Keith has come over to me, and his arms wrap around my waist. I lean back. I can’t get over his size and how solid he is. He makes me feel petite, and being over six feet tall, I’ve never had any man dwarf me. He whispers into my ear. “
Would you like to go see it?”
“Yes. It looks like where fairies would live. Did you make it?”
“I did. I wanted a magical place for you.”
For me? “I don’t understand. This couldn’t have just been made. How could it be for me?”
“You’re my mate, Sierra. I made this knowing one day my mate would get to enjoy it with me.”
His warm fingers wrap around my hand, and he leads me to a door on the left. We go through, and my boots tap lightly on the flagstone path that is surrounded by sunny yellow daffodils and other annuals peeking up from the earth.
The air is cool on my skin, but I barely notice when we step onto the spongy moss. Keith leads me through the trees and says, “I imagine our children in here running around and playing make believe.”
His words warm my heart. “You do? Boys or girls?” I should be surprised by this conversation and wary, because the thought of having children has always been far into my future.
“Both, but I won’t care what we get.”
Keith pulls me against his chest, and his scent makes me take a deep breath as if I’m inhaling the most decadent of smells. I place my hands on his fleece and slide my fingers into the opening of his flannel shirt. Coarse hair sprinkles his chest, and I wind my way into it.
He’s unusually warm, and I realize it’s because he isn’t completely human. I step back and gaze into his deep brown eyes. “Keith, can I see you shift?”
“Sure. But aren’t you afraid? I mean—”
I shake my head. “No. I was before I knew it was you, but I don’t think you would have showed your bear form if you couldn’t control it.”
He’s removing his fleece, and there’s a twinkle in his eyes as he says, “I’m going to strip to do this. I hope you don’t mind.”
I rub my hands together. “Nope, I think this might be my favorite part.”
Keith chuckles as he drops his shirt to the ground with a soft whoosh. The clinking of metal sounds as he undoes his belt, and my gaze drops to see what’s revealed when he pulls of his jeans.
The fact that my core is trembling in need doesn’t bother me the least when I see he’s turned on too. While I woke up to his cock in my face earlier today, it wasn’t erect, and right now, it’s larger than any I’ve ever seen. I should be nervous about what might happen later, but I’m not. In fact, I can’t wait to feel the silky hardness in my hands, my mouth, and inside of me.
I say, “Damn, you better make this fast because just the sight of you has me soaked.”
A shy smile forms on his face, and his cheeks turn pink. It’s so adorable, and I want to do wicked things to shock him further. He says, “Ready?”
I nod and watch as hair begins to thicken and lengthen on his body. He grows in height, and an odd cracking sound mixes with a deep rumble, followed by a ground-shaking thump as he drops to all fours. Claws grow from his hands as fur coats his entire body. His aroma is multiplied and infused with a strong scent that is so primal it’s scary, yet it makes me quake with desire.
My voice is horse when I ask, “Can I touch you?”
Keith’s large bear head nods, and I step forward. I comb the hair of his head through my fingers. Thick but soft, it leaves a slight oily residue on my hands. “This is amazing. God, Keith, you’re beautiful.”
He tilts his head and backs away from me. The strange crunching sound from earlier returns, and I watch as he morphs back into a naked man.
My chest is heaving as I approach him. “That has to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever witnessed.” I grab his cock with one hand as I pull his head toward me to kiss him.
A low growl comes from deep inside him, and he swoops me up in his arms. He breaks our kiss. “I want you, Sierra. But it’s too cold for you out here.”
I can barely speak, and I croak out, “Take me, but do it soon, because I’ve never been so hot for anyone and I might die if I can’t have you.”
He chuckles and carries me into the house. The door snicks shut softly, and he nods his head toward the couch. “Will that do?”
I’m already stripping out of my clothes as fast as I can. I say, “Shit, yeah, I’ll do you on the coffee table.”
My hair clip flies across the room and clatters on the hard wood floor when I pull both my shirt and sweater over my head. Keith is standing close and reaches for the waistband of my jeans. His voice rumbles through me. “Let me help.”
I take a shaky breath as he slows my attack. But just as he’s gotten to my zipper, he halts. I look into his face as his eyes widen.
Keith steps back. “We’ve got to go. Something’s wrong with Carly. Get dressed.” He races back outside for his clothes.
His panic is contagious, and even though I haven’t got a freaking clue how he knows Carly is in danger, I dress quickly.
23
Chapter 10
Carly
Oh, God. Everything hurts, and I’m afraid to open my eyes. Something rough cuts into my wrist as I try to raise my arm. I’m restrained? I clench my fist and my fingers are sticky. Ick, I want to wash my hands.
I open my eyes and see Brady’s green eyes. He’s wiping my face with a warm washcloth. “Hey love, nice to have you back.”
Sierra is crying, and it’s then I realize blood is everywhere. Crap on a cracker, what happened? I try to sit up, but I seem to be tied down. My heart starts to beat faster, and I can’t breathe. “Brady?” Why am I tied up? And he’s okay with it? I have to get out of here. My hands are throbbing, and my jaw aches. A strange prickling sensation is all over my skin. I look down at my body and see that hair is growing. I scream and watch as my fingernails turn to claws.
No, this has to be a dream. I struggle to break free of the restraints. Voices are telling me to be calm. “Let me go! Sierra! Help me!” I hear material ripping, and from the sensation of bulk under my nails, it’s me. I’ve sliced whatever is under my hands with my thrashing.
Sierra’s face is in front of mine while millions of hands seem to be trying to hold me still. She speaks sternly. “Carly. Stop!” Her skin is blotchy, as if she’s been crying for a while.
I relax and feel a whimper escape. “Why won’t they let me go?”
A tear rolls down her cheek. “You’re hurting yourself. They tied you up so you would stop clawing yourself.”
“I don’t understand.”
Sierra’s cool finger strokes my face. “I know, hon. I know. We’re not sure either, but you seem to have become—” She shuts her eyes and in a small voice says, “You’re a bear now.”
Oh, God. I’m going to throw up. Annie’s face appears over me as Sierra moves away. “Carly, I’m going to help you through this. You aren’t alone.” She smiles. “Nice job shifting back. You’ll get the hang of it.”
I “shifted” back? I squeeze my eyes shut and know tears fall. I’m a freak. My body shudders with silent crying. I’m trying to stop because it won’t solve anything, but I seem to have lost control of everything in my life. What are a few tears?
Brady’s voice breaks through. “You’re going to be okay. We heal quickly, and your wounds are already speeding right along.”
I open my eyes to his face and remember how this started. Through clenched teeth I say, “You did this to me.” Blood rushes to my ears, and I begin to shake as anger floods my senses. My hands ache again, and I think the claws are back. Brady’s eyes widen, and Annie shoves him out of the way. When I feel the prickling, I’m sure I’m covered in hair. I lick over my teeth and discover my canines are huge. I let out a scream, only it comes out as a roar.
Annie says, “Carly, listen to me. Take a deep breath and focus on my face.”
My eyes go to hers, and I try to listen.
“Good. Breathe with me.”
I take a deep breath with Annie and let myself think only about air coming in my lungs and air leaving. I run my tongue over my teeth, and they’re back to normal. I glance down and don’t see any hair. In a shaky voice I say, “Thank you, Annie
.”
She chuckles. “Oh, sweetie, you don’t need to be polite with me. I’d be pissed off too.”
My throat is raw, and my voice is raspy when I ask, “Do you know how this happened?”
“I’m not sure, but I think when Brady bit your mark, he somehow managed to shift you.” She strokes my cheek. “He didn’t know. None of us did. We all thought biting a human to turn them was a myth.” I recall when my body started to turn red and hear his panicked voice in my head.
Cool hands are on my arm. Annie unties a restraint. “Werebear have bitten humans before, but they haven’t changed. We think this happened because you have shifter blood, and he bit your mark. I don’t know if he had done it anywhere else if it would have happened.” She turns her head and speaks to someone in a stern voice. I assume it’s Keith. “And we won’t be testing that out, will we?”
Sierra helps Annie untie me, and I sit up. I look over at Sierra. “Aren’t you afraid of me?” Moisture pools in my eyes.
“Oh, honey, no. I love you too much for that. I’ll never be afraid of you.”
Hot tears stream down my face. “I—”
Now Sierra is crying, and she pulls me into a hug. “I love you too.”
Brady is keeping a safe distance and is fidgeting behind Sierra. I notice Keith across the room in a chair, and I suddenly feel self conscious about being naked. “Could I have a shirt?”
Annie answers, “Of course. Let me go find Brady’s best one in case you shift again so we can have the pleasure of ruining it.” She grins at me, and I can’t help but give a weak smile in return.
Brady. He has to feel awful. But I need a minute to be sure he doesn’t make me angry again. I guess that’s a trigger for shifting.
Annie and Sierra help me into the shirt. It’s a starched white one, and I smile knowing I’ve probably gotten blood on it. It hardly makes up for turning me into something awful, but it’s a start. The cold stiff fabric is rough on my tender skin, but I feel better with clothes on.
Summer Shifter Nights Page 67
