by Anne Conley
Chase distracted himself with her pleasure. His goal now was to wring as much bliss as he could from his mate before the actual bond. He didn’t know what possessed him to do that, only something instinctual that told him to make it last as long as he could.
When she came, he gritted his teeth through the contractions of her milking him, trying to kill him with the vise-like grip she had on him. He rolled through it, until he was on top, buried inside her. Chase groaned his pleasure as Kelli took hers, climaxing around him, but he managed to hold himself off, barely. When he could see again, he pulled her down to the edge of the bed and sank to his knees. He needed a break, but wasn’t done with her yet.
**
Kelli still reeled from the climax she’d just taken from Chase, riding him into oblivion, and was barely aware of him rolling her over and yanking her body to the edge of the bed. When he covered her heat with his mouth, though, she realized Chase had learned a thing or two from Angelica while she’d been gone.
He lapped at her like she was an ice cream cone, dipping his tongue into her essence and spreading it all around before focusing on her clit. His rough cat-tongue was working miracles on her right now. His chest purred a deep rumbling noise as his hands gripped her thighs, spreading her wide open.
“Taste so damn good,” he muttered between licks and bites that were quickly making her lose her mind.
“Oh. My. God. Where did you learn that?”
He chuckled as he looked up at her with a smirk on his face. “Pornhub. Angelica was more interested in other men than me. I certainly didn’t get a lot of experience, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
She couldn’t believe Angelica had treated this amazing man that way. She certainly didn’t know a good thing when she had it. Chase was apparently waiting for a response, so she circled a finger in the air, her limbs too uncooperative to move much. “Okay, carry on.”
He tongue speared her, exploring her folds like it was his last meal. As Chase sank a finger inside her, his tongue circled her clit but never quite made contact, making her grab his hair and direct him. He chuckled, not unlike the chuffing noise his panther made, and the warm air on her sex was delicious in all its clashing sensations. The cool air of the room, the wetness of her, the roughness of his tongue—it all conspired against her.
The heat building between them was about to combust, and Kelli wasn’t sure if she would survive it. She was on the cusp of a major orgasm, but Chase’s tongue never would find her clit. Was he doing it on purpose, or was it something he’d lost his knack with? She let out a huff of frustration. He chuffed again.
“What is it, Kel?” He was teasing her.
“My clit. Lick my clit,” she whined, grinding into his chin while his amber eyes stared at her. His cat was playing and it was pissing her off.
“Like this?” He flattened his tongue against her clit and licked, the rough texture sending sparks flying in her mind.
“Yes, dammit. Do that!” Grabbing his hair with both hands, she was out of her mind, needing him to do this.
Chase complied, turning his finger to hit that spot he already knew so well as his flattened tongue licked her over and over until he finally made a stiff point with it and flicked it over her bundle of nerves until she exploded.
He continued lapping at her until she had come down and when he rose from his perch between her legs, his face glistened. Crawling up her body, he purred at her, the noise vibrating deep in his chest.
“Whether or not this actually works, you’re mine. You get that, right? I’m never letting you leave again.”
Kelli was breathing so hard, her breasts rubbed his chest with each breath, the hairs tickling her nipples. “So what do we do? We bite each other?”
Chase nodded, his eyes glowing the amber color of his cat through heavy lids. “I think we’ll know.”
He surged inside her with a groan. Kelli felt the familiar fullness of him, relishing it as he moved, thrusting in and out of her. She wrapped her arms around him, wanting to feel him everywhere, not just inside her. His body was so strong and powerful as it moved over hers, she was beside herself with desire. She had barely come down from her previous orgasm and could feel her body getting ready for another one.
His shoulder was right there, and she kissed the smooth skin, eliciting a hiss from Chase. His finger found her clit and began circling it.
“I’m not going to last long,” he muttered against her neck, as he surged inside her again and again. She was riding the crest, and when it felt like it would break, he squeezed her clit between two fingers, and she cried out, clamping her mouth down on his shoulder.
She bit him, her teeth sinking into his skin at the same time she felt his sink into hers. But it didn’t hurt, not like real pain anyway. If anything, it deepened the sensations of overwhelming intensity that were flowing through her body, just under her skin, through her blood stream. Kelli dug her fingernails into his back as Chase roared through his mouthful of her shoulder. Kelli cried out her own pleasure, but neither one of them released their hold on the other. It was like they’d started something they couldn’t stop. Didn’t want to.
This orgasm was intense. Explosion after explosion detonated inside her, spreading like wildfire, as she came not once, not twice, but nearly every time he released his seed inside her. She felt each pulse as she rocketed toward another climax each time a jet of heat coated her insides.
Chase gripped her tightly, as if afraid to let her go, and she reciprocated, their tangled limbs tightening with each ripple of pleasure between them. Finally, they relaxed into each other, releasing gasping, ragged breaths.
Every part of Kelli’s body tingled, and she felt like she was wavering on the precipice of something monumental. As he pulled out of her and let go, another spasm racked her, and she whimpered.
“Jesus, that was intense.” Chase breathed heavily as he spoke, rolling off of her and pulling her against his shoulder.
“I know. I think I need a cigarette.” She giggled into his arm.
He quirked an eyebrow. “You smoke now?”
Kelli smiled at him, loving that they might have all new things to learn about each other. “No, but after that, I may start.”
He kissed her—a toe-curling lapping and sucking of his tongue and lips that almost made her want another go.
“I don’t feel like a shifter.”
He studied her. “Yeah, you don’t look any different, either.” His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. “But you definitely smell like me now. I like that.” He sniffed behind her ear, and she giggled because it tickled.
“Of course I smell like you. We just had sex. I’m sure my mom could smell it if she were here.”
“Please don’t talk about your mother right after we’ve had sex.”
“Why? You talked about your Gramma right before we did it.”
“Touché,” he allowed as he snuggled into the covers and curled his body around hers. “We can figure out the shifter stuff tomorrow. But I meant what I said. You’re mine, Kelli.”
“Nobody else’s,” she agreed.
Chapter ten
“How did we not know?” Kelli was lying in bed, on her stomach, totally enjoying the touch of her mate’s fingers as they idly drew lazy circles on her back. Each circle brought a line of gooseflesh, which Chase loving kissed before drawing another circle.
“I think I knew,” he whispered against her skin. “Do you remember that night on the football field? When you were upset with your dad?”
Kelli remembered vividly. That was the last time she’d spoken with her dad. “Yeah, after his wedding where he made his new step-daughter a bridesmaid and just invited me.” It had hurt how quickly he’d accepted his new family as his real family and relegated her and her mom to the people he used to know. She’d cried into Chase’s chest, and then he’d kissed her tears away and held her until she slept. Somehow, he’d managed to get her to h
er bed that night, although she had absolutely no memory of that part.
“That night, I’d told myself I would take care of you as long as I could, until Dad started grooming me to take over. I think he knew, too. After that night, he started bringing Angelica and her parents around more, getting us ready for our mating.”
Chase’s dad was something she hadn’t even thought about. “Will he ever accept me as your mate?”
Chase was quiet for a while, still drawing circles on her back. “I called him this morning and told him about it. He wants to meet with us, but he seemed resigned to it, actually. He said he had heard but didn’t want to mess with tradition.” He sighed, blowing warm air across her back. “He’s scared of change, but I think he’ll go along with it. As soon as the rest of the community sees how perfect we are for each other, they’ll all understand. Mom was thrilled.”
Kelli snuggled down into the pillows. “That’s good, at least. I think your mom’s always liked me.”
“Gramma wants to see us soon. She said we have to sneak into town for a visit tomorrow.”
Kelli smiled against the pillows, feeling full of brightness for the first time in a long time. She felt lighter than she had in ten years, probably even longer.
“I love you,” she said into the pillow.
Chase grabbed her waist and flipped her over, causing a squealed giggle to erupt from her. “I love you, too. Don’t you ever doubt that, Kel.” He covered her body with his, the warm, smooth skin a blanket of comfort, even though it also made desire well up inside her. Chase’s nostrils flared. “Jesus, that smell …” He dipped lower and made himself comfortable, tossing her legs over his shoulders before flattening his tongue and swiping it up her folds with a snarl.
**
They spent the next few days in glorious bliss in bed. Kelli felt different. She hadn’t shifted into anything yet, but she was a new woman. A woman who belonged to Chase. It was exhilarating. Absolutely perfect.
He cooked breakfast, they scrounged for lunch, and then they made dinner together, avoiding all the responsibilities of town. He had to do some work on his laptop, some things for his dad and the family business, but other than that, he spent his days making sure she was cared for and loved.
Well-loved.
But they still hadn’t figured out if the bond mating had made her a shifter. He’d proposed, giving her a twisty tie until they could explore the real world enough to find her a ring, and she’d accepted, not caring one whit if she had a ring or not.
But on day four, he hauled her to Gramma’s house to get some answers.
Kelli was a little nervous. She hadn’t seen Gloria in eons and wasn’t sure what the woman thought of her just up and leaving like she had. But when she called out before Chase could even knock, a sense of ease drifted through her and she realized she was fine.
“Come down here and hug my neck. I don’t have my climbing shoes on, boy.” She smiled up at Chase as he stooped down to hug her. Gloria was in a colorful dust robe, sitting at the end of an ancient, doily-covered sofa. “You, too. Come sit, Kelli. I’m glad to see things worked.” She winked a bawdy wink at Kelli as she sat next to frail-looking woman.
“That’s what we came over about. How can you tell it worked?”
Gloria’s nostrils flared. “Good God, boy. Can’t you smell her?”
Chase blushed. “Of course I smell her, Gramma.” His arm went around Kelli protectively. “She smells delicious.”
“Chase,” Kelli admonished, slapping futilely at his chest and blushing furiously. Turning to his grandma, she explained, “We weren’t sure if we did it right. Can you clarify things a little? I haven’t shifted yet.” She shrugged. She didn’t really want to have this conversation with his grandmother, but it was preferable to his mom. Barely.
“And you won’t, either,” Gramma said with a wicked gleam in her eyes. Chase puffed up and started sputtering protests. “Not until you have those cubs you’re carrying.”
Epilogue
Kelli followed Chase into the woods, away from the popular trail around the canyon. This part was unpopulated and wild, full of virgin forests, oddly located so close to civilization.
“Go ahead and take off your clothes,” Chase murmured softly as he kissed the top of Kelli’s head. She did as instructed, ignoring the new paunches in her skin from having the perfect shifter babies last week. Her skin was already shrinking back to normal, and she looked better than ever. She sniffed the air, smelling Chase, as well as the cedar and poplar trees, the holly bushes, and the pine. She heard a hawk in the distance and some robins nearby, but anything that might be construed as prey had made itself scarce.
“Now, just focus on the cat inside, as hard as you can, and just … let go.”
Kelli had been talking inside her head to her inner beast, wondering what she would look like when she shifted. Her feline had become more prominent in her head throughout her pregnancy. It was a surreal feeling, yet something that seemed so normal at the same time. She’d tried to explain it to her mom, hearing the futility of the explanation even as it left her mouth. But her mother had been happy for her happiness, claiming she’s known all along.
Kelli closed her eyes and talked to her panther—that’s what she assumed it was, anyway. “Come out. Let’s play,” she whispered to it.
The backs of her eyelids shimmered, and she felt like she was spinning around really fast, and then nothing. The strange sensation of dried leaves between her fingers had her opening her eyes to find yellowish-brown paws where her hands should be, and claws.
Claws.
She flexed her hands … erm … paws, and saw her claws dig into the earth. Her vision was sharper, her hearing better, and she could smell … everything. Looking up, she saw Chase next to her, looking every bit like the proud mountain lion he was. He stalked over to her and nuzzled her neck with his head, then jerked his head over his shoulder and took off, bounding through the woods.
But she wanted to climb.
She snarled at him, and he halted, looking back at her. She jerked her own head and jumped up the tree she was standing next to.
Oh yeah? My girl wants to climb?
How did you do that? Kelli questioned, pausing in her climb to look down at him. You’re talking inside my head.
Mates can do it. The shift must have made it complete.
Oh Lordy. You’re in trouble now.
What do you mean?
Kelli had resumed her climb. Now you have no excuses. If you can read my mind, there can never be a misunderstanding again.
His signature chuffing sounded behind her.
Then read this. Suddenly, her vision was full of tawny fur, feline limbs entwined together, and the snarling and shrieking that could only be cougars mating sounded in her ears. Her arousal coursed through her veins at the image, and she felt her bits swell up, as well as a snarling growl from Chase.
Woman …
What?
She continued her climb, ignoring the images Chase kept shooting her way, and when she got to a limb, she climbed out and leapt over to another tree. It was fantastic and freeing. Kelli had never felt anything like it in her life. If she hadn’t left her babies with Chase’s parents and Gramma, she could have done this forever.
**
Chase watched and followed his mate as she acclimated herself to her furry body, loving the way she explored her new surroundings. She was everything he’d ever dreamed she’d be in her new skin.
Kelli was everything he’d ever wanted, just as he’d always known she would be.
It had taken a couple of months for him to come to grips with what his father and the archaic ideas had done to him and Kelli. Already, in preparation to take over, he’d followed Gerri Wilder’s suggestions to visit some neighboring prides and friendly packs to see how things worked in modern times. And the things he’d learned had blown his mind.
Coming home and talking to his father abo
ut everything had caused some tensions, but in the end, he’d stood up to Dad and earned his respect in the process. The new grandpa was currently with his mom at their house, babysitting their three new sons, surely loving every minute of it while he and Kelli explored her new shift.
And some much needed alone time.
After a while, the sleek, sexy cougar he’d been watching and following stopped and dropped lithely to the ground from the treetops. Chase followed her, dropping effortlessly next to her, shifting in mid-air. She’d have to figure out how to do that.
When Kelli shifted, she beamed from ear to ear, and Chase smiled in response. Like always, her smile was a punch in the gut, making it difficult to breathe. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him, with all of her curves, golden hair, emerald eyes, and that smile.
He smelled desire dripping from her, seeping out of her pores, saw it in her eyes. She was always ready for him. Always wanting him.
And the feeling was mutual.
Chase couldn’t stop himself if he tried, and he didn’t want to. Without a word, he stalked closer to his mate, who only responded with a sexy smirk, before he pounced. Wrapping his arms around her, and lifting her by her lush ass, he had her pinned against a rock in seconds. His mouth attacked hers, and she responded eagerly.
Her tongue took over, delving inside his mouth, driving him wild with her flavor as it teased him mercilessly. The growl rumbled in his chest as she wrapped strong legs around his hips, and he was able to release her enough to palm a breast, feeling the weight of it before he tweaked her erect nipple.
Kelli gasped and moaned into his mouth, and Chase ate up the noises, making love to her mouth.
But he needed to taste her.
Chase loved nothing more than Kelli’s face when she came. It was the most beautiful thing to him, ever, and he strove to make it happen every chance he got. So that’s what he did. He started with her breasts, lifting them and lowering his head to get a nipple between his teeth, suckling and biting while he massaged the other one, still pushing her against the rock.
