Ranger Trent (Shifter Nation: Werebears Of Acadia Book 2)

by Meg Ripley

  Max gently thrust into her mouth and guided her into a smooth rhythm with the hand on the back of his head. Ariel delighted in the feeling of every ridge and vein as she worshipped his body. Suddenly he stopped her and withdrew from her mouth.

  "What's wrong?" she asked.

  Max got on his knees in front of her and took her face in his hands.

  "Tell me you understand that we are meant to be together."

  "What?" she asked.

  "Tell me that you understand, that you know what it means to have me mate with you," she recoiled slightly and he sighed, "to have me make love to you."

  When she didn't answer, Max pushed back and stood up, grabbing his clothes off of the floor and began to get dressed.

  "Max, wait," Ariel said, bounding off the edge of the tub toward him, "Why are you leaving?"

  "I can't do this, Ariel. You are supposed to be mine, my mate, my partner, but if you don't understand that…" he trailed off and looked at her painfully, "I can't let myself go that far knowing that you are just going to walk away."

  "I want to be with you, Max."

  "Will you want to be with me when I'm a wolf? Would you still want me if I shifted in the middle of the night and you woke up to a wolf in bed with you? Do you want me enough to join my pack and be my mate?"

  Ariel touched his cheek.

  "I want to be with you, Max," she repeated, putting extra emphasis on the word 'you', "Isn't that enough?"

  Max took her hand in his and turned it so that he could press a kiss to the inside of her wrist.

  "No," he whispered and rushed out of the room.

  ****

  Ariel left the next morning before the convention even began, knowing she couldn't bear to see Max again. Her mind was still reeling from the brief time she had spent with him, but even more intense than the confusion was the searing pain in her heart each time she thought of him. She so badly wanted to give herself to him, all of herself, but she struggled to make sense of what he told her, to bring herself to believe it.

  Enough men had hurt her with words like those before. They told her that they loved her, that they were meant to be together, but it would all dissipate just as quickly as it had formed. It was a ploy meant to tell her what she wanted to hear.

  Several days after leaving the convention, Ariel was going through her last conversation with Max again. She felt emptier than she ever had in her life, as if a piece of her had been removed and she was having to learn to live without it. Max's words washed over her, just the sound of them in her ears comforting in the darkness that had seemed to form around her.

  Suddenly a realization struck her, something different about the conversation that she hadn't recognized before. Max had not told her that he loved her—he had told her that they were made for each other and that he couldn't bring himself to be with her if she didn't understand their connection, but he had not told her that he loved her.

  In that moment, Ariel realized that not saying those words expressed their true meaning more than speaking them ever could. In not saying he loved her, Max held their bond as precious and sacred, refusing to simplify it into that phrase until she was able to fully express it on her own.

  Her need for him surged within her, and Ariel knew that no matter how frightening his world could be, it was not nearly as frightening as the prospect of being without him. She was meant to be by his side, to truly live in the world that she had fantasized about through his books, knowing now that in his heart she already always was.

  Ariel grabbed her phone and started to write an email to Max to the address listed for fan mail, laughing at the thought that she had always thought she was his biggest fan, but had never sent him a message, now she was trying hard to craft a love letter to send to his fan mail in the hopes that he would actually read it.

  She struggled to come up with the right words to express her longing for him. After several false-starts and frantic, almost violent hitting of the "delete" key, she let out a long breath, typed a message, and pressed send. It contained the name of the hotel where they met and a date three days in the future above a simple message.

  I need you. I understand. Please come back.

  ****

  The door crashed open and Ariel saw Max enter. He circled her slowly and her fingers touched his thick black fur. The pressure of his body against her legs made her lower herself to her knees and she ran her hands down his body, memorizing the curves of his muscles beneath his coat. He nudged her with his face until she settled onto her hip and laid down on the floor. Max's tongue slid along the underside of her chin, her throat, and down along the center of her chest.

  Finally, he took the front of her dress in his teeth and tore it open. Max ducked his head to touch his tongue to her stomach and Ariel felt his fur disappearing as he took on his human form.

  Fully human again, Max licked back from her stomach to her mouth and kissed her. His tongue delved into her mouth and he shoved the shredded dress away from her body. Not removing his mouth from hers, he carefully lifted her back off the floor so he could reach behind her and release the hooks on her bra. He ended the kiss and she heard him let out a moan of appreciation when he saw her full breasts. He lowered his mouth to suck each taut, pink peak, opening his mouth to draw more of her breast into it and give a primal bite. Ariel gasped beneath the sensation, luxuriating in the feeling of him taking possession of her. She smiled as she felt a gentle lick follow the bite.

  Ariel reached for his shirt and pulled it away from his body. His skin felt luscious against hers as he stretched himself over her. Suddenly his hand was at the front of his belt, but he paused. She knew this was her moment to show him how much she understood the connection between them and leave no questions in his mind.

  Lifting her hips a few inches, she slid her panties off and tossed them away. She was totally bare beneath him and she presented her body to him, completely submissive to his touch. Max growled and swept her up into his arms so he could carry her to the bed. He knelt over her hips and stroked his fingertips from the center of her chest down her stomach and onto her pubic bone.

  Max changed his position so that he was on his knees between her legs and eased her thighs apart. Ariel was not expecting the intensity when he drew his finger up through her folds. She was wet and ready for him, the warmth spreading across her inner thighs as he traced the pad of his finger in slow, deep circles on her sensitive, swollen pearl. He stopped and Ariel moaned her protest, but fell silent when she realized he was unfastening his belt and pushing his pants to the floor.

  Max removed his trunks, revealing an erection that made her bite down on her bottom lip and whimper. She wanted to open her thighs and ask him to touch her again, for him to make her come and to watch him lick the slickness from her body. More than that, however, she wanted to show her submission and let him be her Alpha.

  Holding his gaze, she reached down between her thighs and let her fingers delve into her own body, mimicking the slow torment he had performed on her moments before. She gathered the hot liquid onto her fingertips and sat up to touch him, wrapping her wet fingers around his shaft so she could glide her hand across it. Ariel leaned forward and opened her mouth to let the head of Max's cock slide onto her tongue as she stroked.

  Max cried out and even in his human form, Ariel could see the wolf inside him. He was what she had always wanted, what she had craved with her mind and body, and she was ready to give into the intense draw she had felt from the moment she saw his picture.

  "Max," she said and he opened his eyes to look at her.

  "Yes?" he said and she could hear his trembling growl just beneath the words.

  "Please mate me."

  Max plunged forward, filling her suddenly and deliciously. He was thick and hard, and Ariel cried out at the blissful intensity of their bodies melding into one. He fit within her with such perfection it was as if she was crafted specifically for him and she truly knew now that she was.

  Max gr
oaned as he sank deeply into her in a fast, steady rhythm. His hand came to her neck, cupping around it with gentle but insistent pressure that showed his dominance and intensified the pleasure he was sending through her. After a few moments, Ariel gripped his hips to stop him and pushed up so that he withdrew from her body. She wrapped her hand around his glistening cock again, subtly twisting her palm over the head as she stroked him.

  "You are my wolf?"

  Max panted with her masterful strokes, but nodded.

  "Yes."

  "My Alpha?" she whispered and he groaned, digging his fingers into her thigh as her words pushed him close to the edge of his control.

  "Yes."

  Ariel smiled rolled onto her stomach, arching her back to lift her hips and present herself to him.

  "Show me."

  A primal growl poured from Max's mouth and he entered her with one hard thrust. She felt him wrap an arm under her hips and pull them up so she was on all fours. Her body shivered as his tongue touched the small of her back and licked up along her spine until his body stretched across hers, his chest and stomach creating luscious pressure on her back.

  "Good girl," he whispered into her ear and Ariel whimpered, feeling her body respond even more intensely to him.

  He nipped at her neck and bit into her shoulder before sitting back on his knees; he used one hand to press down on her shoulders so that her elbows bent, her nipples brushing the sheet. In this position, he pounded into her with animal intensity, each hard thrust eliciting a sharp cry of pleasure. She felt his hand slip around her hip to slip between her thighs and within seconds her walls contracted deliciously, leading him into his own orgasm as she gripped him tightly within her.

  The beautiful feeling only intensified as Max throbbed within her, spilling hot streams into her body that made her feel even more bonded to him. She struggled to catch her breath, sounds like small sobs gasping from her throat at the intensity of their passion. Max rolled his hips slowly, riding out the last waves of his orgasm with her final tremors.

  He stopped and carefully withdrew from her, and Ariel felt his hands on her arms, gently turning her around so that she looked into his eyes. She adjusted her position so that she knelt in front of him, her body pressing against his as she kissed him slowly, trying to drag out this deliciously sweet, sweaty moment a little longer.

  Max's hands stroked along her hips and around the ample swell of her behind, pulling her against him so he could return her kiss.

  "I love you," he said when their lips parted.

  Ariel sighed at the words. They had come, exactly as they were meant to, after she first allowed herself to realize the impossible and believe the fantastical; when she gave herself over with unwavering trust that his was the story she wanted to be a part of for the rest of her life, and had for her entire life.

  "I love you, too.”

  "You are mine," he whispered, leaning down to nuzzle her neck.

  "Always," she whispered back, running the tip of her tongue along the soft dip between his collarbones to lick away the sweat.

  "You will lead the pack with me," he said, kissing her neck, "and we will create the most incredible stories together."

  Ariel pressed against his kiss and sighed, her body responding to him, the ache building within her again as their primal connection took over.

  "I just have one question," she asked, bringing one hand up to tangle in his hair and the other between them to run her fingertips along his shaft so it started to spring to life again.

  He gasped and grabbed her arms as if to steady himself.

  "What's that?" he asked.

  "When do we get the sequel?"

  His eyes met hers and she saw them sparkle. Max gave a playful growl and flipped her onto her back, coming down on top of her again. Ariel squealed with delight, wrapping her arms and legs around him and opening her mouth to him as he captured it in a deep kiss.

  THE END

  Fated Mate Of The Dragon Princes

  A Story By Eva Pierce

  As an avid student of Renaissance era literature, Sarah dreams of dragons. But when these dreams become particularly vivid--showing her two mysterious dragon princes who also assume irresistibly gorgeous human forms--she knows somehow that her nocturnal imaginings are far more real than she imagined.

  Regal princes of the Planet Vertania, an emerald gem flying high in the universe, Lachan and Gabriel enjoy a carefree life in both their dragon and human forms. When their father commands them to find their fated princesses, however, they are dismayed to discover that they are both destined to wed the same woman: an enchanting Earthling named Sarah Coleman.

  Invading her dreams and reality with their romantic charms and seductive ways, the brothers are forced to compete for the affections of witty, spirited Sarah. Could it be, however, that both of the dragon princes are tied and bound to one particular princess?

  Only in flight did they discover true freedom.

  Although the brothers Lachan and Gabriel reigned as the crown princes of Vertania, they gladly exchanged their royal silks and lofty gold jeweled crowns for the regal beauty and divine strength of their nature made forms.

  As often as possible the brothers abandoned their daily duties and took leave of their home palace; a sparkling, towering structure of mint hued domes, towers and turrets, bordered and encircled by sprawling balconies and porches and topped with a royal flag that depicted a mighty dragon king in all its mystical glory.

  Assuming their form in a single smooth flourish, the brothers launched their newly morphed bodies—enchanted concoctions of majestic wings, long contoured tails, lengthy noses and gleaming eyes, and claws that cut the air before them—high into the air, looking down upon the crystalline kingdom that they called home.

  The world was theirs and they knew as much; their green second skin fitting much like a king’s coat as they raced with a whisper soft bank of billowing clouds beneath a glowing golden sun.

  Yet as much as the brothers savored their freedom and reveled in their singular strength, they never did lose sight of the fact that they did not rule and reign as the kings of their land. Indeed, that title belonged only to the man who occupied the throne room of their lustrous home castle.

  No matter how high they ventured to fly, their mighty forms traversing the vast expanse of a pure gem green sky, they knew that the call of a single bugle could send them careening in a downward spiral in the direction of the ground beneath them, landing finally before the gold double doors that fronted their emerald castle.

  Returning with frustrated sighs to their more conventional, more manageable human forms, the brothers slipped on the long bejeweled tunics and sleek black leather pantaloons that comprised their earthbound wardrobe.

  Wincing as the tenor of their father’s calling bugle grew louder and louder by the moment, the brothers rushed inward into the vast tiled entryway of their grand childhood home, rushing headfirst down the long winding corridors that would take them to their father’s throne room.

  Soon they found themselves crossing the arched entryway that would take them to the glowing centerpiece of their shining regal residence; a room whose walls glowed with a layer of bejeweled forest green tapestries, exquisite artworks overseen by a lush vaulted ceiling and a glimmering bank of candle-lined chandeliers.

  Forming the head of this illustrious room was a velvet-cushioned golden throne, the sitting place of a stoic silver-haired man who looked down upon his two sons with grave, concerned eyes.

  “My sons,” the good King Dracor spoke finally, his loud booming voice filling the room as his sons stood just a bit straighter in response. “You missed our meeting of council this morn, an important and relevant event that passes just once per moon on the Vertanian calendar.” He paused here, leaning forward on his high seat as he continued, “Where, may I ask, were you?”

  Gabriel, the golden-haired dragon, shuffled his feet beneath him as he considered this question.

  “Well,
dear Father,” he began, raising his golden head to look his father straight in the eyes. “We each respect and acknowledge your role as the head of this kingdom. And we trust your judgment in overseeing and administrating any and all matters of state. As such, we do not see it as our place to claim seats on the royal council, permitting our youth and inexperience to taint the font of your endless wisdom.”

  Lachan had heard enough.

  “We were flying!” the sable-haired prince interrupted his brother, making a broad gesture between them as he continued, “We’re nothing more than young dragons, Father, enjoying our lives and kingdom in the guise of our most natural form.”

  Dracor sighed.

  “As a nature made dragon myself, my sons, I know all too well the pull of the magic, the manner in which our true and natural forms constantly call out to us,” he acknowledged, stroking the strands of his long grey beard to reflective effect. “I know also, however, that I myself am no longer a dragon of youth and virility—and I am certainly not immortal. All too soon for any of our liking, dear boys, I shall be forced to retire from my place on the throne, leaving it to the two of you to rule our world and kingdom.”

  The king paused here, his old withered hand gripping his forehead as he considered this most unsettling, even petrifying possibility.

  “You two must prepare yourselves for the massive responsibility that awaits you on your thrones,” he informed them. “You must attend every session of our royal council, as well as our full schedule of intergalactic conferences and diplomatic ceremonies and events.”

  The brothers looked at one another, then nodded.

  “Yay,” they agreed as one.

  The king nodded.

  “Very good,” he allowed, adding quickly, “Of course, I also will expect you to study and formulate opinions about the rules and laws that govern our land. I require your thoughts on existing matters of state, as well as your plans and ideas for new programs and enterprises that could benefit our people.”