“Yeah. It’s dead.” He crawled over to her and took her in his arms. “You don’t have to be strong anymore, baby.”
She broke down and sobbed in his arms, her whole body shaking as she gripped him tightly. Yeah, it hurt. He was pretty sure his arm and his leg were broken, but his mate needed comforting. Hell, maybe she ought to comfort him. She had been pretty badass during that fight.
“My strong, brave, stupid, reckless woman.” He kissed her and held her in his aching arms. “You could have died.”
“My bear and I finally agreed on something.” She laughed and sniffled into his chest.
“What’s that?”
“You’re our mate, and we weren’t going to let you die for us.” She cried. “I’m sorry I ran away. I was scared. I didn’t want to get stuck in a place where I couldn’t be myself, or had to be weak and vulnerable and clean up after your mess.”
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean, sweetness.”
“I’ll explain more later. But if you want to still be with me, I, we, want you.”
He hugged her tightly against him, intent on telling her they could take it slowly, that he would wait for her to be ready for him. He wouldn't scare her off this time. “You’re my mate. My wolf and I want you forever, and we’d die for you.” Shit. It wasn’t supposed to come out like that.
“Okay.”
“What?” he asked in confusion as the birds started their steady chirping.
“My bear and I want you too. We’d die for you.”
His body felt as if a thousand pound lion had been lifted from his chest.
“I have some requests, though.”
“All right. But first, let’s get out of here. We need to get cleaned up. I don’t know about you, but I’m a mess.”
She laughed. “Yeah, you look like hell. Thanks for saving me.”
“Thanks for saving us,” he countered. “Now we need to let your brother know about the attack. Do you have your phone?”
She shook her head. “I think I dropped it when I was running.”
They didn't have to worry about it. Just as they were getting to their feet, Bo lumbered through the woods, his bear very close to the surface.
“What happened?” Bo scowled and assessed the damage around them as he stripped off his t-shirt and handed it to Nissa.
“We’ll tell you all about it while you get us the hell back to civilization,” Zach said, accepting Bo’s flannel shirt and wrapping it around his waist.
“Need me to carry you?” Bo indicated Zach’s broken leg.
Zach growled. “Need to lose an arm?”
“Nah, I like my arms right where they are.” Bo chuckled. “How about we just help you walk back to my ATV?”
“That’ll work.”
Bo and Nissa helped Zach hobble to Bo’s four-wheeler.
“I think you’ve got a lion issue, Alpha.” Zach groaned as he climbed into his seat.
“Tell me everything,” Bo ordered as he backed out and into the meadow.
By the time they made it to their aunt’s cabin, Bo had already called his beta, and torn off the handle to his door. The Alpha bear was pissed. He sent in a team to dispose of the body and search for the missing lion. Then he left them on the porch with a rumbled order to stay put until Ida got them healed up.
As her aunt worked on stitching, cleaning and setting his wounds, Zach smiled. The pain was excruciating, but his heart was soaring.
He had saved his mate.
Chapter Eight
“What happens next?” Nissa leaned into Zach’s embrace as he put down his cell phone. “Not that I mind hanging out in your hotel room.” She grinned and ran a finger up his naked leg sticking out from the comforter. After sleeping all day yesterday, his leg was almost fully healed. His arm had healed last night, which he used to his full advantage, giving her the best orgasms of her life. “But don’t you have work to do, lazy bones?” She giggled and jumped out of bed before he could grab her.
Zach had spent most of last night between his phone and his laptop. With the exception of when they had been making love. His tongue and fingers had pushed her into a frenzy. And, God, the way he’d used his magnificent cock. Teasing her, then claiming her… A small groan escaped and her panties drenched at the thought of him taking her again.
“Keep doing that, little girl, and you’re going to find yourself naked and on all fours before you can say, yes, please.”
“Ye-” She shrieked when he leapt at her and slammed her down onto the warm spot where they had just been lounging on the bed.
Zach pinned her arms above her head and inhaled deeply, his eyes glowing a deep, dark gold as he pressed his groin against her. “You smell like wildflowers and rain, and something else.” He licked a line up her neck before claiming her mouth fully, tongue thrusting between her lips. “Temptation.”
She groaned and pushed against his unyielding grip as he nipped his way down her neck to her breasts.
Taking one nipple in his mouth, through her t-shirt, he licked at it and sucked through the fabric, and she shimmied against him. He sucked harder drawing her whole aching tip into his mouth before giving it a little bite, then worked his way over to her other breast. She tilted her pelvis against him, loving the heat that came from his hard length.
“God, Zach, I want you.”
“You want what, baby girl?” he crooned as he flicked his tongue over the soaked fabric of her sensitive nipple. He sucked her in between his teeth, and she almost shot off the bed.
“You, Zach, all of you. God, please. Just fuck me already! I can’t take it anymore!” Her pleas reached a feverish pitch when he stroked her left nipple with his hand while sucking her right. And then, holy crap, he ground against her pussy for all it was worth. She might orgasm before he even entered her. “Please,” she whined, as the anxious energy in her body build until she thought she might explode.
Zach wrenched her pants and panties down a with a loud rip and flung them onto the floor, before diving between her legs with a low growl. He lapped at her hungrily, scorching her clit with his tongue. Sucking, licking, grazing with his teeth, he drove her senses into oblivion.
She screamed out his name as she lost herself in the pleasure. She scored his back with her nails, and the coppery scent of his blood drifted in the air. Her bear wanted him, rougher, harder, to be fucked hard, as she broke into a million pieces.
His pure black eyes met her gaze and a growl tore from his throat as he wrenched her up onto all fours on the bed. He ripped her shirt from her chest, and, dammit, it hurt so good.
“Claim me, wolf.” She barely heard the words come from her mouth over his snarl as she wiggled her ass in front of him. Showcasing every bit of her wet, ready, completely aching pussy. “I need you in me. Now.”
• • • • • • • • • •
Zach didn’t think. His senses were in overdrive as his mate served herself up for him, her slick honey dripping down her inner thighs, as she pressed her ass toward him. He pulled down his boxers, freeing his throbbing cock, and plunged into her hot, tight channel. Oh hell yes. So fucking right.
He thrust in deep, then withdrew slowly, savoring the feel of her moist heat. With each instroke, her mewls grew louder.
“Harder.” She demanded between hard thrusts, pressing her body back into him.
He smacked her ass, and the sound echoed through the room, along with her surprised grunt and giggle. “I’ll give you harder, little bear.” He pressed her upper body down to the mattress and gripped her hips hard, pulling her so her chest was on the bed, and her ass was high. “You stay right like that.”
Her reply came in a little wiggle of her ass, and he plunged into her, as deep as he could. Unable to hold back, he pumped in and out as hard as he could, pummeling into her savagely as he tried to find the relief that could only come from satiating his mate.
The angle was perfect to find her G-spot, and when he touched that special place, she shrieked in
pleasure. He pulled almost all the way out, gripped her hips harder, and thrust back in. Again and again. He loved the sturdiness of this woman, who could take a heavy pounding from him and still beg for more.
“Ugh, more!” She moaned into the pillow.
And he gave her more. His body lost all sense of time as he let himself relish the sounds and feelings—the rightness of it all. The drive to mate overcame him, and he sank his fangs into her shoulder.
She came with a shrill scream that pierced his ears, and he let himself follow, his cock emptying into her as he and his wolf roared his completion. His body, dizzy from the frenzied excitement of the most intense orgasm he had ever had, gave two last thrusts into her. Then he sagged down on top of his mate.
Holy fuck! He took a few stuttered breaths as he watched her still form beneath him. He mated her! He hadn’t meant to get carried away, but when everything combined to that fevered pitch, he’d lost it. He gently licked the two puncture marks and blood from her shoulder, sealing it, and sealing their fate. They were officially mated. Nissa was going to be pissed.
“Are you okay?” He climbed off her and gently rolled her over. The tears in her eyes were almost too much to bear. His wolf, which had been proudly howling about his new mate, slunk with sick dread. “Nissa?”
She sniffled, and tears ran down her cheeks.
“God, baby, I’m sorry. I don’t think I can undo it, I mean I don’t want to undo it anyway. But I didn’t mean to hurt you, or force you into something you weren’t ready for.” He sagged to his side next to her. “I was going to give you time to figure it out, that we’re meant to be mated. But then I lost control, and let my wolf instincts take over. I’m so sorry. Maybe you were right about our animals. Maybe I am a danger. Maybe—”
Her small palm covered his mouth. “Shut up, Dog Breath.” She sat up and gave him a shaky smile. “I’m still processing, okay?”
He nodded and sat up, placing a few pillows behind Nissa for her to recline into.
“See, that’s the thing our animals do.” She rubbed her shoulder on the pillows before leaning back and rubbing her eyes. “I think our animal sides protect us, they empathize with what we need naturally.”
“I’m dying to hold you right now and comfort you, but I don’t want to spook you, little bear.”
“That’s because you’re second guessing your instincts because of your human side. I was wrong about our animals, Zach. Our animals aren’t the enemy; it’s our human side that brings out the ugly stuff like jealousy and hunger for power.” She snuggled over against his chest and looked up at him with bright eyes. “Your wolf and my bear were saying we were meant to be together since our first meeting. It was my human side that didn’t want to go for it. My human side let fear dictate my emotions. Just like your wolf knew to claim me. And my bear agreed. She wanted this more than you can know.”
She kissed him softly on the lips, and he tasted the salty tears combined with her floral essence and strawberry lip gloss. “Once I realized I could trust my instincts, I wanted you too. I just wasn’t ready to say it out loud. But I am now. I want you as my mate, Zach. My bear wants you. We want you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
His wolf let out a triumphant howl as he pulled Nissa into his arms for a long, slow kiss. “I love you so much. I finally know what my mother meant when she said I would feel complete.”
“So am I going to meet your family someday? You’ve met mine.”
“Yeah, but not yet. They have some big plans for me, and I’m not ready to fulfill my responsibility to them. You should know that going in. My family is big, powerful, my father is a pushy tyrant that doesn’t take no for an answer. We may have to go meet them sooner than later. But first I need to finish this mission, and I think the key is right here in Bear Paw.”
She smiled and nuzzled against his chest. “Well, let’s find your missing wolf. Wait.” She cocked her head, scrunching her nose, deep in thought. “That whole tyrant thing. Was that a figure of speech?”
“Nope.” He grinned. “Baby, you just mated yourself to a prince.”
“Well, shit. The merging of the clans ought to be interesting.” She laughed. “At least, I know you can afford to buy me new panties.” She picked up her ruined jeans and underwear and tossed them at him.
“Little bear, if I have my way, you’ll be naked all the time, screaming my name as you orgasm.”
Nissa giggled and pounced onto him, throwing them both down onto the bed. “Night times are yours, but you still owe me a new set of cutie booties for daytime.”
His cell phone rang, and he pulled her down to his chest while reaching for the phone. “Hey, mom. Yes. You felt it? It’s true. She’s a gorgeous black bear from Tennessee, and she’s tough and sweet. You’ll like her.” His brow furrowed as he listened. “Not yet. I have a few more jobs to finish, but I’ll bring her to meet you soon. Tell Dad I’m thinking about it. Love you, too.”
He hung up and gave her a look that made her toes curl in excitement. “You ready for round two, little bear?”
She groaned, and her nipples hardened at his rough voice. “I’m ready, but my poor body’s hardly recovered from that last pounding I took.”
“Don’t you mean bearly?” He cocked his head with a grin.
“Yeah, Dog Breath. Just give me ninety seconds to catch my breath, and—oof!” She grunted when he rolled her over onto her back, pinning her wrists to the mattress.
“I’ll give you thirty,” he rumbled before running his tongue across her throat and down to her breasts.
Her dark eyes dilated, and her breaths became choppier as she melted into the mattress.
Zach worked his tongue over her nipples loving seeing the frenzy in her gaze and the way her body tensed, begging for release. The explosion that only he, her mate could give her.
“Okay, okay, I’m ready, ple-ease. I won’t call you Dog Breath anymore. Please take me now.”
He popped off her nipple and gave her a slow, seductive smile. “Yeah, you will, little bear. But don’t worry. You’re my mate forever. And we’ve bearly begun.”
• • The End • •
Epilogue
Bo ended the call on his cell phone and walked into the diner. After ensuring Nissa was all right and well and truly mated, he gave Zach the heart to heart he had planned years ago. Mutual respect, trusting her instincts, acknowledging her desires. And You hurt her, and your balls get served to the rodents in the forest. His bear had helped him embellish the last part, but his new brother-in-law had taken it in stride and had tilted his head in the barest motion of submitting his throat. Cocky bastard wasn’t submitting to him as alpha, but he was accepting Bo’s role as Nissa’s older brother.
As he strode toward his usual stool at the far end of the counter, he almost tripped when a flash of blond scooted around him with a loud giggle. “Whoa, where you headed, son?” Bo grabbed the young boy out of the way before he tripped the servers coming out of the kitchen with heavy trays.
No more than five, maybe six years old, the kid’s ice blue eyes stared up at Bo with a combination of pent up aggression and the kind of childish exuberance that would come from running wild in a frenzy of energy, like after being cooped up in bed all week. This kid had a shifter side, and it definitely wasn’t a bear. It’d be nice to have Zach’s ability to distinguish between the different shifters, but then again what would he do? Kick out a kid because he wasn't a bear? No, that was more his uncle’s style. Good riddance to that rubbish.
“Sorry,” the young boy said through two missing teeth, sounding more like “Thorry” as he grinned up at Bo fearlessly.
“I told you to stay put in the booth, Liam,” a female voice carried through the restaurant and Bo felt his entire body tense as the woman came around to scoop the boy up into her arms. “Say you’re sorry for running into Mr.?”
“Alexander. Bo Alexander.” His voice cracked a bit before he got himself under control to smile at them both reassuringly. �
�No harm done.”
“Sorry, Mr. Bo. I have ADHD, and mommy didn’t get my medicine refilled in time. I take it to calm down to go to school or so I don’t run in the woods. I like the woods. Cats are cool, but I prefer dogs. Do you prefer kitties or puppies?” The boy’s eyes flashed with excitement as he continued speaking so fast Bo could barely keep up. Liam’s animal side was damn close to coming out right there in the middle of the restaurant.
At this age, it was hard to control the shifts, and Bo remembered having a few dicey moments as a kid growing up. But surely, this boy had shifted enough over the past two years to hold it back, right? Better safe than sorry. “Well, you slow down a bit until you can get out and do some running with your mama, okay, son?”
“Yes, sir.” Chubby cheeks and a wide, snaggled-toothed grin beamed up at him. “Let’s go, mama. I want to take a nap, and then go to the playground and eat an ice cream cone and…”
The beautiful strawberry blonde woman carried her son out the door, and Bo still heard him chattering a mile a minute. Her eyes had widened in fear when the kid’s eyes glowed close to his shift. Poor woman had her hands full.
Bo’s body finally relaxed as he sat down on his stool. That woman… He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her from somewhere else. Every part of her. Her gorgeous curvy body, the loose ringlets of strawberry and butterscotch framing her round face. Her sweet voice that sounded more glorious than an angel’s choir—and her scent! The sweet combination of vanilla and orange had overwhelmed his senses; he had almost shifted right there in front of everyone. His bear had wanted to carry her out of this loud, smelly restaurant and take her back to his place to claim her as his own, again and again.
Mate, his bear explained.
Shit. This was not the right time to be thinking about mating.
Mate and accept our power, his bear growled more forcefully, and Bo covered his mouth with a napkin hoping no one had noticed.
Bearly Shifted: (A Howls Romance) BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Mates of Bear Paw River Book 1) Page 6
